Vänsterpartiet Proposes Billionaire Tax Targeting Sweden's Super-Rich Ahead of 2026 Election

As Sweden approaches the 2026 election, Vänsterpartiet, led by Nooshi Dadgostar, has spotlighted the country's super-rich as a central political adversary, unveiling plans to introduce a new tax specifically targeting billionaires. The party defines the super-rich as individuals possessing wealth exceeding one billion kronor.

Dadgostar has sharply criticized the current economic disparities, noting that while many Swedish families grapple with financial hardship—sometimes leaving children anxious at night about their parents' struggles—the super-rich continue to amass greater fortunes. She highlighted that these wealthy individuals have profited "at the expense of hard-working people," exacerbated by inflated prices in dysfunctional markets, particularly food retail, which adds further strain on ordinary households.

In a pointed critique of governmental priorities, Dadgostar accused the right-wing government of tailoring policies to benefit wealthy elites. At a campaign event in Uppsala, she urged billionaires like Antonia Ax:son Johnson, whose personal wealth is estimated at 126 billion kronor, to help alleviate food price inflation affecting the general populace.

While Vänsterpartiet has firmly endorsed the concept of a billionaire tax, they have not yet detailed the tax's precise mechanics. Instead, the party advocates for a thorough investigation led by a special investigator to design an effective and enforceable tax framework. Dadgostar emphasized that the root societal divide is not based on ethnicity or religion but rather between the super-rich and the rest of the population.

This policy initiative is aligned with Vänsterpartiet's broader commitment to fairness and reducing wealth inequality, making it a defining issue for their campaign heading into the election.