SD stops religious special diets in schools

The Sweden Democrats have long pushed for the abolition of religious special diets in schools, and now the proposal has become reality, at least in Kungsbacka municipality. After a municipal council decision at the most recent meeting, around 400 students will now lose access to religious special diets and will instead be referred to the regular meat dish or the vegetarian alternative.

The costly religious special diets are now being scrapped for around 400 students in Kungsbacka municipality, as a result of an SD proposal that has gained support in the municipal council.

Stefan Jägnert is the group leader for the Sweden Democrats in Kungsbacka. He and the party have long held the view that the municipality should not offer special religiously adapted meals, both for reasons of equal treatment and financial concerns. Kungsbacka has offered religious special diets for the past 20 years, something that will now change.

“The meal should be equal. If you have allergies and so forth, that’s a different matter, that’s medical. But otherwise, we should not have any special requirements in this regard, when it comes to religious diets,” he told Bulletin.

For those who still do not want to eat the meat dish offered, only the vegetarian alternative now remains. For Stefan Jägnert, it is self-evident that the municipality must set boundaries for which special solutions should be accommodated.

“We can’t take everyone’s wishes into account. In the end, everyone will want different food. At some point, you have to draw the line,” he says.

Kungsbacka municipality / Stefan Jägnert (SD) group leader. Photo: Swedish National Heritage Board / Kungsbacka municipality / Facsimile SD

Breach of freedom of religion

Critics, mainly from the Social Democrats and Center Party, argue that the proposal directly conflicts with religious freedom.

The Equality Ombudsman (DO) has previously chosen not to proceed with reports against other municipalities that have introduced similar guidelines for religious special diets.

Provided that the vegetarian meal offered by the municipality meets the requirements for being nutritious and free of charge, this cannot in this case be considered discrimination in the meaning of the Discrimination Act.

S and C voted no

Both the Social Democrats and Center Party in Kungsbacka voted against the proposal, and the Social Democrats have announced they intend to report the decision to the Equality Ombudsman, something Stefan Jägnert rejects.

There is also an economic perspective, Jägnert argues. Meat has become more expensive and the municipality has increasingly switched to dishes with added pea protein.

“It is also a matter of cost, as I mentioned, we have an aging population and tax revenues are declining in many municipalities, even though Kungsbacka currently has a stable economy,” concludes Stefan Jägnert.