Since the 1970s party finance in Sweden on all levels of the political system depends heavily on public subsidies[1] With an estimated SEK 146 (more than $17) per voter a year the spending level is among the highest in the world of established democracies.
[citation needed] With all Swedish parties "annual routine spending is far more important than extra campaign expenses".
[3] As a consequence of preserving the internal autonomy of political parties as voluntary associations there was no regulation whatsoever for many years.
[4] The Swedish authorities replied "that they did not have any reason to believe that the longstanding self-regulation" needs to be amended.
[5] However, by the end of 2012, the Swedish government had "decided to initiate a legislative process with the purpose of ... making information regarding the funding of political parties more accessible.