Background & Purpose

The period between 2015 and 2024 was extremely difficult for the Swedish economy, featuring negative interest rates, a global pandemic, and high inflation following the war in Ukraine. The Parliament needed to assess if the Riksbank's actions were appropriate during these turbulent times.

The Decision

The Parliament officially approved the Finance Committee's evaluation, concluding that the Riksbank generally handled the challenges well given the information they had at the time.

Does this affect you?

  • Economic analysts: They gain insight into how the Parliament views the effectiveness of unconventional monetary tools used during the last decade.
  • The Riksbank: They receive formal feedback and a mandate to continue developing their analytical framework for future crisis management.

In Practice

  • The Riksbank is encouraged to keep improving how they analyze the risks of using special tools like negative interest rates.
  • The Parliament acknowledges that while unconventional tools helped reach inflation targets, they also affected other areas like government debt.
  • The Riksbank will continue to refine its framework for future economic interventions.
  • No new laws or immediate changes to interest rates were introduced through this decision.