2023-05-102022/23:KU26 · p.8KUConstitution
Ban on Racist Organizations, etc.
Banning racist organizations and the UN Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
What's at stake: The outcome affects how society can legally act against organizations that, according to the reservation, threaten democracy and others' rights and freedoms, as well as what protection groups repeatedly targeted by racist hate crimes — including Muslims and Afro-Swedes, according to the reservation — can expect going forward.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The vote concerns whether a new inquiry should be launched into banning racist and neo-Nazi organizations and incorporating the UN Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination into Swedish law, or whether the question of banning such organizations has already been sufficiently examined and the convention question requires no further action at this time.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that the question of banning racist organizations has recently been examined and, against that background, sees no reason to take action. The committee likewise sees no reason to act on the request concerning the UN Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and it rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 5 (S, MP)
The reservation argues that society should clearly reject racist and neo-Nazi organizations as such, since they pose a particular threat to democracy by seeking to undermine or abolish it along with others' rights and freedoms. An inquiry has recently proposed banning organizations whose activities involve persecuting certain population groups, and the reservation wants that question taken up as part of an upcoming constitutional inquiry. It also points to criticism Sweden has received from the UN over hate crimes and racist violence, particularly against Muslims and Afro-Swedes, and wants an inquiry set up to examine how Swedish law can best comply with the UN Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 5 by S, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | Yes | Yes 21/0/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | explicit |
| S | No | No 0/94/0/13 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/14/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | Yes | Yes 21/0/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/2 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Yes 63/0/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2022/23:181 by Märta Stenevi et al. (MP) proposal 23 and 2022/23:2166 by Ida Karkiainen et al. (S) proposal 13.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:181 av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP) yrkande 23 och 2022/23:2166 av Ida Karkiainen m.fl. (S) yrkande 13.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said no to approximately 40 proposals on human freedoms and rights. The motions concern, among other things, constitutionally protected abortion rights, protection of property rights, legal gender and preventive measures against radicalization. The proposals have been submitted during the general motion period 2022. The Riksdag rejects the motions and refers, among other things, to the government having announced that investigations will be initiated.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants an investigation to review the possibility of constitutionally protecting the right to abortion. (S, MP) — Reservation 5
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The party programme explicitly states that the party opposes politically motivated bans on organizations and that violent crime shall be prosecuted within ordinary legal procedures.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme explicitly states that the party opposes politically motivated bans on organizations and that violent crime shall be prosecuted within ordinary legal procedures. The counter-proposal's core is that bans on racist and Nazi organizations shall be taken up in a future constitutional review, which directly contradicts this commitment. Anti-racism should according to the plan be pursued through deliberate politics on multiple fronts and by marginalizing racist forces, not through bans on organizations as such.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår uttryckligen fast att partiet är motståndare till politiskt motiverade organisationsförbud och att våldsbrott ska lagföras inom ordinarie rättsramar. Motförslagets kärna är att förbud mot rasistiska och nazistiska organisationer ska tas upp i en kommande grundlagsutredning, vilket direkt strider mot detta åtagande. Antirasismen ska enligt planen drivas genom en medveten politik på flera plan och genom att marginalisera rasistiska krafter, inte genom förbud mot organisationer som sådana.
- opposition to bans on organizationsdecisive»politiskt motiverade organisationsförbud« (party programme ↗)“politically motivated bans on organizations”
- no special laws against opinions»avvisar en särskild terroristlagstiftning« (party programme ↗)“rejects special terrorism legislation”
- anti-racism through politics»en medveten antirasistisk politik som förs på flera plan samtidigt.« (party programme ↗)“deliberate anti-racist politics pursued on multiple fronts simultaneously.”
- marginalize racist forces»Vår strategiska målsättning är att marginalisera såväl rasistiska krafter« (party programme ↗)“Our strategic objective is to marginalize both racist forces”
flags: motforslaget_innehaller_ocksa_krav_planen_stodjer
The party programme makes it society's absolute duty to prevent incitement against groups and states that democracy is undermined when racist groups spread hate and frighten people into silence.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme makes it society's absolute duty to prevent incitement against groups and states that democracy is undermined when racist groups spread hate and frighten people into silence. The party defines itself as anti-racist and refuses to give influence to forces that do not stand up for all people's equal value. Taking clear distance from racist organizations and testing bans and investigating adherence to the racial discrimination convention is therefore in line with the plan, even though the plan does not state a position on organization bans as such.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet gör det till samhällets absoluta skyldighet att förhindra hets mot folkgrupp och konstaterar att demokratin undergrävs när rasistiska grupper sprider hat och skrämmer människor till tystnad. Partiet definierar sig som antirasistiskt och vägrar ge inflytande åt krafter som inte står upp för alla människors lika värde. Att tydligt ta avstånd från rasistiska organisationer och pröva förbud samt utreda efterlevnaden av rasdiskrimineringskonventionen ligger därmed i linje med planen, även om planen inte uttalar sig om just organisationsförbud.
- society's duty against hatedecisive»Det är samhällets absoluta skyldighet att skydda friheten och den personliga integriteten« (party programme ↗)“It is society's absolute duty to protect freedom and personal integrity”
- racism threatens democracy»Demokratin undergrävs när rasistiska och andra ickedemokratiska grupper sprider sitt hat« (party programme ↗)“Democracy is undermined when racist and other undemocratic groups spread their hate”
- racist structures must be fought»I vårt samhälle finns också rasistiska strukturer, som begränsar vissa människors liv« (party programme ↗)“In our society there are also racist structures, that limit certain people's lives”
- all people's equal value»Socialdemokraterna kommer aldrig att medverka till att ge makt åt Sverigedemokraterna, ett parti som inte står upp för alla människors lika värde och rätt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Social Democrats will never cooperate to give power to the Sweden Democrats, a party that does not stand up for all people's equal value and rights.”
The election manifesto commits the party to strengthening legislation against discrimination and developing systematic statistics on racism, and the party programme establishes that the party works vigorously against racism and fascism.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto commits the party to strengthening legislation against discrimination and developing systematic statistics on racism, and the party programme establishes that the party works vigorously against racism and fascism. The counter-proposal's demands — that society clearly distances itself from racist and Nazi organizations, that the ban question be considered in the coming constitutional work and that an investigation review compliance with the UN racial discrimination convention — are in line with these commitments. The plan does not speak specifically about organizational bans, so the position is derived from the commitment that structural racism shall end.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet förbinder partiet att stärka lagstiftningen mot diskriminering och att ta fram systematisk statistik om rasism, och partiprogrammet slår fast att partiet arbetar kraftfullt mot rasism och fascism. Motförslagets krav — att samhället tydligt tar avstånd från rasistiska och nazistiska organisationer, att förbudsfrågan prövas i det kommande grundlagsarbetet och att en utredning ser över efterlevnaden av FN:s rasdiskrimineringskonvention — ligger i linje med dessa åtaganden. Planen uttalar sig inte om just organisationsförbud, varför ställningstagandet är härlett ur åtagandet att strukturell rasism ska upphöra.
- strengthened legislation against discriminationdecisive»stärka lagstiftningen mot diskriminering och se över rätten till rättshjälp i diskrimineringsfall.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen legislation against discrimination and review the right to legal aid in discrimination cases.”
- active work against racism»Vi arbetar kraftfullt mot rasism och fascism.« (party programme ↗)“We work vigorously against racism and fascism.”
- structural racism shall end»Strukturell diskriminering och rasism ska upphöra.« (party programme ↗)“Structural discrimination and racism shall end.”
- map racism in society»ta fram systematisk statistik för att belysa diskriminering och rasism i samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“develop systematic statistics to highlight discrimination and racism in society.”
The plan establishes that freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of association are unshakeable principles and explicitly says no to collective punishment and other rule-of-law shortcuts.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of association are unshakeable principles and explicitly says no to collective punishment and other rule-of-law shortcuts. A ban on organizations as such affects people collectively for their organizing and is difficult to reconcile with this. The plan certainly wants to do more against discrimination and hate crime, but through rule-of-law means, not with bans on organizations.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att yttrande-, religions- och föreningsfriheten är orubbliga principer och säger uttryckligen nej till kollektiv bestraffning och andra rättsstatliga genvägar. Ett förbud mot organisationer som sådana träffar människor kollektivt för deras organisering och är svårt att förena med detta. Planen vill visserligen göra mer mot diskriminering och hatbrott, men med rättsstatliga medel, inte med organisationsförbud.
- freedom of association is unshakeabledecisive»Yttrandefrihet, religionsfrihet och föreningsfrihet är därför orubbliga« (party programme ↗)“Freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of association are therefore unshakeable”
- no to collective punishment»Vi säger därför nej till visitationszoner, kollektiv bestraffning, omvänd bevisbörda, anonyma vittnen, preventiv avlyssning och inskränkningar av religionsfriheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We therefore say no to stop-and-search zones, collective punishment, reverse burden of proof, anonymous witnesses, preventive wiretapping and restrictions on freedom of religion.”
- enhanced work against discrimination»Mer måste göras mot diskriminering. Vi vill stärka myndigheternas arbete mot diskriminering och höja ersättningen till dem som utsatts, samt lägga till kön och funktionsnedsättning som hatbrottsgrunder.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More must be done against discrimination. We want to strengthen the authorities' work against discrimination and increase compensation for those who have been victimized, and add sex and disability as grounds for hate crimes.”
- restrictive view of constitutional amendments»Vi vill göra det svårare att ändra grundlagen, skydda oppositionens ställning i riksdagen och stärka domstolarnas oberoende.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to make it harder to amend the constitution, protect the opposition's position in the Riksdag and strengthen the independence of the courts.”
The plan makes freedom of association a necessary part of freedom of thought and specifies withdrawn public funding – not organizational bans – as the tool against anti-democratic movements.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan makes freedom of association a necessary part of freedom of thought and specifies withdrawn public funding – not organizational bans – as the tool against anti-democratic movements. A ban on racist and Nazi organizations as such would thus strike a freedom the plan explicitly values. That the plan simultaneously wants to combat racism forcefully through modernized discrimination legislation and prioritized hate-crime work points toward measures other than bans.
Original (Swedish)
Planen gör föreningsfriheten till en nödvändig del av tankefriheten och anger indragen offentlig finansiering – inte organisationsförbud – som verktyget mot antidemokratiska rörelser. Ett förbud mot rasistiska och nazistiska organisationer som sådana träffar därmed en frihet planen uttryckligen värnar. Att planen samtidigt vill bekämpa rasism kraftfullt genom moderniserad diskrimineringslag och prioriterat hatbrottsarbete pekar mot andra åtgärder än förbud.
- freedom of association is fundamentaldecisive»Tryck- och yttrandefrihet, föreningsfrihet, mötes- och demonstrationsfrihet är nödvändiga« (party programme ↗)“Freedom of the press and expression, freedom of association, freedom of assembly and demonstration are necessary”
- withdrawn support, not bans»Inga skattemedel ska gå till verksamheter som vill förändra det demokratiska samhället med våld« (party programme ↗)“No tax funds shall go to activities that want to change the democratic society by force”
- combat racism through legislation»Därför ska staten med kraft bekämpa all slags rasism, diskriminering och intolerans. Vi vill modernisera diskrimineringslagen, prioritera polisens hatbrottsverksamhet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore the state shall vigorously combat all forms of racism, discrimination and intolerance. We want to modernize the discrimination law, prioritize the police's hate-crime work”
- constitutional protection for freedoms and rights»Vi vill se ett förstärkt grundlagsskydd för vårt demokratiska statsskick, öka domstolarnas oberoende och verka för en författningsdomstol som ska kunna häva lagar eller bestämmelser som strider mot grundlagsskyddade fri- och rättigheter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to see strengthened constitutional protection for our democratic system of government, increase the independence of the courts and work for a constitutional court that can strike down laws or provisions that violate constitutionally protected freedoms and rights.”
The plan is based on the absolute and inalienable value of all people regardless of ethnic affiliation and takes explicit action against human contempt and racism as well as totalitarian tendencies.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan is based on the absolute and inalienable value of all people regardless of ethnic affiliation and takes explicit action against human contempt and racism as well as totalitarian tendencies. That society clearly distances itself from racist and Nazi organizations and that the issue is investigated further follows from that value base. The plan simultaneously strongly values freedom of association, which makes support for an actual ban more conditional than support for the distancing and investigation.
Original (Swedish)
Planen bygger på alla människors absoluta och okränkbara värde oavsett etnisk tillhörighet och tar uttalad strid mot människoförakt och rasism samt mot totalitära tendenser. Att samhället tydligt tar avstånd från rasistiska och nazistiska organisationer och att frågan utreds vidare följer av den värdegrunden. Planen värnar samtidigt föreningsfriheten starkt, vilket gör stödet till ett faktiskt förbud mer villkorat än stödet till avståndstagandet och utredningen.
- front against racismdecisive»Kampen stod mot människoförakt, rasism,« (party programme ↗)“The struggle was against human contempt, racism,”
- equal human value regardless of ethnicity»kön, ålder, social position, funktionsvariationer, sexuell identitet, etnisk eller religiös tillhörighet.« (party programme ↗)“gender, age, social position, functional variations, sexual identity, ethnic or religious affiliation.”
- front against totalitarian tendencies»Kristdemokratin bildar front såväl mot anarki som« (party programme ↗)“Christian democracy forms a front both against anarchy and”
- protection of freedom of association»samt anonymitetsskyddet, liksom för mötes- och före- ningsfriheten, är av stor vikt för en levande demokrati.« (party programme ↗)“as well as anonymity protection, as for the freedom of assembly and association, are of great importance for a living democracy.”
flags: citat_migrerat
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto explicitly promises to ban participation in organisations with violent activities, and the party programme draws the line for tolerance at the open society's enemies and names the fight against Nazism.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly promises to ban participation in organisations with violent activities, and the party programme draws the line for tolerance at the open society's enemies and names the fight against Nazism. That argues for society to distance itself from organisations that want to abolish democracy and that the ban question is tested in constitutional work. The plan moreover wants to strengthen the constitutional rights catalogue, which supports examining how legislation meets anti-discrimination commitments. That the plan simultaneously values freedom of expression for provocative opinions makes the support conditional on activity, not opinion.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar uttryckligen att förbjuda deltagande i organisationer med våldsbejakande verksamhet, och idéprogrammet drar gränsen för toleransen vid det öppna samhällets fiender och namnger kampen mot nazismen. Det talar för att samhället ska ta avstånd från organisationer som vill avskaffa demokratin och att förbudsfrågan prövas i grundlagsarbetet. Planen vill dessutom stärka grundlagens rättighetskatalog, vilket ger stöd för att se över hur lagstiftningen möter diskrimineringsåtaganden. Att planen samtidigt värnar yttrandefrihet för provocerande åsikter gör stödet villkorat till verksamhet, inte åsikt.
- ban violent organisationsdecisive»Förbjuda deltagande i organisationer med våldsbejakande verksamhet samt förbjuda deltagande i kriminella gäng« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ban participation in organisations with violent activities and ban participation in criminal gangs”
- limits of tolerance»Den kan inte utsträckas till det öppna samhällets fiender.« (party programme ↗)“It cannot be extended to the open society's enemies.”
- fight against Nazism»kampen mot fascismen, kommunismen, nazismen« (party programme ↗)“the fight against fascism, communism, Nazism”
- stronger constitutional protection»Vår svenska grundlag ska ha en tydlig katalog av fri- och rättigheter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our Swedish constitution shall have a clear catalogue of freedoms and rights.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan points out a delimited prohibition area: participation in and association with terrorist organizations and combating Islamism.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan points out a delimited prohibition area: participation in and association with terrorist organizations and combating Islamism. Alongside this it wants to strengthen the Constitution's rights protection for freedom of expression, which speaks against a general prohibition on organizations based on their opinions. The plan's emphasis on national self-determination furthermore speaks against adapting Swedish legislation after the UN convention through a new inquiry.
Original (Swedish)
Planen pekar ut ett avgränsat förbudsområde: deltagande i och samröre med terrororganisationer samt bekämpning av islamism. Vid sidan av det vill den förstärka grundlagens rättighetsskydd för yttrandefriheten, vilket talar mot ett generellt förbud mot organisationer utifrån deras åsikter. Planens betoning av nationellt självbestämmande talar dessutom mot att anpassa svensk lagstiftning efter FN-konventionen genom en ny utredning.
- strengthened freedom of expression protectiondecisive»Förstärka grundlagens rättighetsskydd vad gäller yttrandefrihet, äganderätt och frihet från religion« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the Constitution's rights protection regarding freedom of expression, property rights and freedom from religion”
- prohibition on terrorist organizations»Förbjuda deltagande i, och samröre med, terrororganisationer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prohibit participation in, and association with, terrorist organizations.”
- Islamism as the main threat»Bekämpa islamism« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Combat Islamism”
- national self-determination»Stärka det nationella självbestämmandet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen national self-determination”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:KU26)
- Committee report full text (HA01KU26)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1001 — Grundlag av Matheus Enholm m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1023 — En förskola i världsklass av Patrick Reslow m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1095 — Flickors frihet i Sverige av Alexandra Anstrell m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1131 — Slöjförbud i den svenska för- och grundskolan av Richard Jomshof (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1234 — En hälso- och sjukvård för jämlikhet och jämställdhet i hela landet av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1533 — Nationellt förbud mot böneutrop från religiösa byggnader av Hans Eklind (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1673 — Jämställdhet för hållbar utveckling av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1695 — Slöjor på flickor av Robert Hannah och Juno Blom (båda L)
- Motion 2022/23:181 — Stärk demokratin och de mänskliga rättigheterna av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:1811 — Bekämpning av terrorism av Christian Carlsson (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1813 — Stopp för offentliga böneutrop av Christian Carlsson (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1881 — Konstitutionella frågor av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1882 — En starkare liberal demokrati av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:2061 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2153 — Religionsfrihet på riktigt av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:2166 — Utgiftsområde 1 Rikets styrelse av Ida Karkiainen m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2271 — Vårda och bevara Sveriges kristna kulturarv av Julia Kronlid m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:2277 — Jämställdhetspolitik av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:379 — Ett tredje juridiskt kön av Anna Wallentheim (S)
- Motion 2022/23:514 — Utvisning vid grovt blåljussabotage av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament