The Moderate-led government has announced that it will invest heavily in military rearmament in the coming years – and borrow billions to finance the project.

At the same time, Swedish welfare is being eroded, and this time the focus is on sick Swedes, as patients’ co-payments for prescription drugs are being sharply increased.

Although the fee has already been raised significantly in recent years, the center-right coalition now want to see another increase – this time of 30%.

This means that from this summer, anyone who regularly takes prescription medicines will have to pay SEK 3,800 (€345) for them annually – instead of the current SEK 2,900 (€260), before the high-cost protection begins to apply and the medicines become free of charge.

– It’s a big increase and a difficult situation, said Minister for Health Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD), during a press conference.

– It is necessary to increase the costs in the state budget for medicines to ensure that all patients have access to the treatments they need. But it also requires that patients’ co-payments need to be increased to ensure long-term financing, she said.

Referring to “demographic developments”

The government points out that medical advances mean that Swedes are living longer than before – but that this is by no means all positive, as it also means increased costs.

“The demographic development with an ageing population, the increase in chronic diseases and the increased possibilities for treatment have, however, led to a sharp increase in government expenditure on medicines included in the high-cost protection, and forecasts show that costs will continue to rise rapidly”, it says.

The decision is expected to hit sick and poor pensioners hardest and yesterday protests were also organized in Stockholm where hundreds of people marched under the slogan “Vi vill ha råd med vård” (We want to afford healthcare).

– It’s a pitiful increase from the government’s point of view, so drop it for the sake of pensioners, pleads Curre Hansson, PRO chairman in Stockholm.

– If the government can afford to cut taxes for high-income earners, it can afford to ensure that ordinary people can afford to get their medicine, argues Karin Rågsjö, spokesperson for the Swedish Left Party on healthcare issues.