<p>Higher education institutions have come to play an increasingly important role for a variety of different political purposes ranging from regional growth to science diplomacy. As this importance has increased, issues of control over higher education institutions have become increasingly contested. Based on a conceptual framework drawing on theory concerning academic freedom and principal-agent relationships, this study examines expressions of the contested control in higher education discourse. With an empirical material of 77 opinion papers requested by and sent to the Swedish government in preparation for its research and innovation bill of 2024, the study consists of a thematic analysis of adopted positions, and concludes that seemingly shared support for academic freedom and research excellence hide underlying conflicts regarding conceptions of freedom and control.</p>