The Karlshamn municipal council has voted to hold a referendum on nuclear power in the municipality on June 14, 2026, despite opposition from several parties who advocated for holding it on the regular election day of September 13. The decision was made during a Monday evening council meeting where the governing coalition of SD, M, and KD pushed through the June date with majority support.
According to reports, the opposition parties, including the Green Party (MP) which organized protests outside the town hall, argued that holding the referendum separately from the regular election would be wasteful. They claimed the June 14 date would cost approximately 2.5 million kronor, compared to just 250,000 kronor if held on September 13.
This is an investment in our local democracy.
Magnus Gärdebring (M), a municipal councilor, defended the decision, stating, 'This is an investment in our local democracy.' The referendum will be Karlshamn's first municipal-initiated public vote and will ask residents whether the municipality should say yes or no to nuclear power if the question arises in the future, with an option to abstain from taking a position.
The council also finalized the wording for the ballot, which will include three options: Yes (Karlshamn municipality should say yes to nuclear power if the question arises in the future), No (Karlshamn municipality should say no to nuclear power if the question arises in the future), and Abstain (I abstain from taking a position).