2025-04-092024/25:KU25 · p.10KUConstitution
The protection of property rights
A proportionality requirement for restrictions on property rights
What's at stake: The outcome affects how strong the protection against interference with property rights is, for example in authority decisions concerning land use and forestry, and whether there is a clear requirement that such interference be proportionate.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the constitutional protection for property rights should be supplemented with an explicit proportionality requirement for restrictions, or whether the current provisions in the Instrument of Government should remain unchanged pending the ongoing review.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that the 2023 Committee on Constitutional Rights considered the question but did not put forward any proposal for change, and that the committee's report is now being processed within the Government Offices. The committee therefore sees no reason to propose any action, and the Riksdag rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 8 (C)
The reservation (C) calls for introducing an explicit proportionality requirement for interference with property rights. The reasoning is that the constitutional protection for property in Chapter 2, Section 15 of the Instrument of Government, unlike the protection for other rights and freedoms, lacks explicit requirements of proportionality and clarity, which makes assessing what counts as a pressing public interest difficult to handle in individual administrative decisions - something that has, for example, become apparent in the forestry sector.
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 8 by C.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have gone the other way
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: KDKristdemokraterna, MModeraterna, SDSverigedemokraterna
Ja 278–19Nej 141–156
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | Yes | Yes 20/0/0/4 | match | confidence: high | not addressed |
| S | Yes | Yes 93/0/0/13 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/4 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | No | No 0/19/0/5 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: high | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| SD | No | Yes 62/0/0/10 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2024/25:2035 by Mats Green (M), 2024/25:2737 by Sten Bergheden (M) and 2024/25:3159 by Malin Björk et al. (C) point 1.2.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2024/25:2035 av Mats Green (M), 2024/25:2737 av Sten Bergheden (M) och 2024/25:3159 av Malin Björk m.fl. (C) yrkande 1.2.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said no to approximately 50 proposals about freedoms and rights that came in motions during the general motion period 2024. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to previous and ongoing work within the issues that the proposals concern. The proposals concern, among other things, the right to court proceedings, constitutional protection of abortion rights, revocation of citizenship, discrimination and faith communities' security and safety work.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to expand the non-discrimination clause in the constitution to include gender identity, disability, and age. (C) — Reservation 8
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 plan wants to step by step strengthen common ownership in key sectors and use publicly owned land as a tool in urban planning, and regulate forestry on the basis of a holistic perspective and not one-sided profit interests.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to step by step strengthen common ownership in key sectors and use publicly owned land as a tool in urban planning, and regulate forestry on the basis of a holistic perspective and not one-sided profit interests. An explicit proportionality requirement when interfering with property rights would limit precisely that scope for democratic decisions. The plan also values the right to roam as a right independent of ownership.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill steg för steg stärka det gemensamma ägandet i nyckelsektorer och använda offentligt ägd mark som verktyg i stadsplaneringen, samt reglera skogsbruket utifrån helhetssyn och inte ensidiga vinstintressen. Ett uttryckligt proportionalitetskrav vid ingrepp i äganderätten skulle beskära just det utrymmet för demokratiska beslut. Planen värnar också allemansrätten som en rätt oberoende av ägande.
- strengthened common ownershipdecisive»Vi vill steg för steg stärka det gemensamma ägandet i ekonomins nyckelsektorer och därmed öka de demokratiska beslutens räckvidd.« (party programme ↗)“We want to step by step strengthen common ownership in the economy's key sectors and thereby increase the scope of democratic decisions.”
- land ownership as planning tool»Det gemensamma ägandet av bostäder och mark ger starka verktyg för stadsplaneringen.« (party programme ↗)“Common ownership of housing and land provides strong tools for urban planning.”
- regulated forestry»reglering av skogsbruket, som utgår från en helhetssyn och inte ensidiga vinstintressen.« (party programme ↗)“regulation of forestry, which is based on a holistic perspective and not one-sided profit interests.”
- the right to roam above property rights»Allemansrätten, som ger var och en fritt tillträde till naturen utan att behöva äga den,« (party programme ↗)“The right to roam, which gives everyone free access to nature without needing to own it,”
The party programme's core principle is that democracy takes precedence over the market and that economic interests never have the right to set limits on democracy, and that political power shall increase in relation to both economic power and law.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme's core principle is that democracy takes precedence over the market and that economic interests never have the right to set limits on democracy, and that political power shall increase in relation to both economic power and law. An explicit constitutional proportionality requirement for interventions in property rights instead shifts power from politics to legal review and limits, among other things, nature conservation. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's requirement.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammets bärande princip är att demokratin har företräde före marknaden och att ekonomiska intressen aldrig har rätt att sätta gränser för demokratin, och att politikens makt ska öka i förhållande till både den ekonomiska makten och juridiken. Ett uttryckligt konstitutionellt proportionalitetskrav vid ingrepp i äganderätten flyttar tvärtom makt från politiken till rättslig prövning och begränsar bland annat naturskyddet. Planen talar därför mot motförslagets krav.
- democracy before the marketdecisive»Demokratin har därför företräde före marknaden.« (party programme ↗)“Democracy therefore takes precedence over the market.”
- economic interests do not limit democracy»har aldrig rätt att sätta gränser för demokratin.« (party programme ↗)“never have the right to set limits on democracy.”
- political power before law»öka både i förhållande till den ekonomiska makten och i förhållande till juridiken.« (party programme ↗)“increase in relation to both economic power and in relation to law.”
- nature conservation justifies intervention»biologiska mångfalden måste skyddas« (party programme ↗)“biological diversity must be protected”
The plan prioritizes environmental concerns over short-term exploitation interests, wants to protect 30 percent of nature and particularly valuable forests from felling and strengthen the coastal protection zone.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan prioritizes environmental concerns over short-term exploitation interests, wants to protect 30 percent of nature and particularly valuable forests from felling and strengthen the coastal protection zone. An explicit proportionality requirement for interference with property rights, stated with the forestry industry as example, would make these protections more difficult. The plan also wants to protect the constitution against rapid changes.
Original (Swedish)
Planen sätter miljöhänsyn före kortsiktiga exploateringsintressen, vill skydda 30 procent av naturen och särskilt värdefull skog från avverkning samt stärka strandskyddet. Ett uttryckligt proportionalitetskrav vid ingrepp i äganderätten, uttalat med skogsnäringen som exempel, skulle försvåra just dessa skydd. Planen vill dessutom skydda grundlagen mot snabba förändringar.
- protect 30 percent naturedecisive»skydda 30 procent av Sveriges natur, bland annat våra unika sammanhängande fjällskogar och skyddsvärda skogar i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect 30 percent of Sweden's nature, including our unique connected mountain forests and valuable forests throughout the country.”
- protect valuable forests»Särskilt värdefull skog ska skyddas från avverkning.« (party programme ↗)“Particularly valuable forests shall be protected from felling.”
- public right of access and coastal protection»försvara allemansrätten och stärka strandskyddet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“defend public right of access and strengthen coastal protection.”
- caution with the constitution»skydda Sveriges grundlag mot snabba förändringar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect Sweden's constitution against rapid changes.”
The plan explicitly wants to strengthen property rights among the fundamental rights and warns that arbitrary intrusions on property rights undermine trust and long-term thinking in society.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly wants to strengthen property rights among the fundamental rights and warns that arbitrary intrusions on property rights undermine trust and long-term thinking in society. The counter-proposal wants to introduce precisely an explicit proportionality requirement when intruding on property rights, and the plan states that proportionality shall apply between restrictions and the law's purpose. Forestry is particularly highlighted as dependent on strong property rights. The plan therefore supports the requirement.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill uttryckligen stärka äganderätten bland de grundläggande rättigheterna och varnar för att godtyckliga ingrepp i äganderätten underminerar förtroendet och långsiktigheten i samhället. Motförslaget vill införa just ett uttryckligt proportionalitetskrav vid ingrepp i äganderätten, och planen slår fast att proportionalitet ska gälla mellan inskränkning och lagens syfte. Skogsbruket lyfts särskilt fram som beroende av en stark äganderätt. Planen stöder därför kravet.
- strengthened property rights in constitutiondecisive»Vi vill stärka bland annat äganderätten, diskrimineringsförbudet, minoritetsskyddet och minoritetsspråkens ställning, och grundlagsskydda rätten till abort och reproduktiv hälsa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to strengthen, among others, property rights, the anti-discrimination provision, minority protection and the status of minority languages, and constitutionally protect the right to abortion and reproductive health.”
- no arbitrary intrusions»Brott mot äganderätten, med konfiskatoriska och godtyckliga beskattningar och ingrepp, underminerar förtroendet« (party programme ↗)“Violations of property rights, with confiscatory and arbitrary taxation and intrusions, undermine trust”
- proportionality in restrictions»Det måste finnas en proportionalitet mellan lagstiftningens inskränkning av medborgarnas integritet och lagarnas syfte.« (party programme ↗)“There must be proportionality between legislation's restriction of citizens' integrity and the laws' purpose.”
- strong property rights in forestry»Skogsbruket behöver goda förutsättningar grundade i en stark äganderätt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Forestry needs good conditions based on strong property rights.”
The plan wants to constitutionally protect the right to property together with other freedoms and rights and to establish a constitutional court that can annul provisions that conflict with these rights.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to constitutionally protect the right to property together with other freedoms and rights and to establish a constitutional court that can annul provisions that conflict with these rights. An explicit proportionality requirement in interventions in the right to property is a direct expression of the same commitment. The plan also requires that laws and rules protect the right to property and legal security.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill grundlagsskydda äganderätten tillsammans med övriga fri- och rättigheter och inrätta en författningsdomstol som kan häva bestämmelser som strider mot dessa rättigheter. Ett uttryckligt proportionalitetskrav vid ingrepp i äganderätten är ett direkt uttryck för samma åtagande. Planen kräver dessutom att lagar och regler slår vakt om äganderätt och rättssäkerhet.
- right to property in the constitutiondecisive»Kvinnans rätt att bestämma över sin kropp ska skyddas i grundlagen tillsammans med andra fri- och rättigheter som yttrandefrihet, religionsfrihet och äganderätt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Woman's right to determine over her body shall be protected in the constitution together with other freedoms and rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of religion and the right to property.”
- constitutional court»verka för en författningsdomstol som ska kunna häva lagar eller bestämmelser som strider mot grundlagsskyddade fri- och rättigheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“work for a constitutional court that shall be able to annul laws or provisions that conflict with constitutionally protected freedoms and rights”
- strengthened rights protection»Rättssäkerheten och skyddet för de medborgerliga fri- och rättigheterna behöver förstärkas.« (party programme ↗)“Legal security and protection of civil freedoms and rights need to be strengthened.”
- right to property and legal security»slå vakt om äganderätt, konkurrens på lika villkor, rättssäkerhet« (party programme ↗)“protect the right to property, competition on equal terms, legal security”
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 establishes that the right to property is a human right and that a rule in the constitution shall guarantee full compensation for restrictions on property rights; an explicit proportionality requirement for intervention points in the same direction as strengthened constitutional property protection.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that the right to property is a human right and that a rule in the constitution shall guarantee full compensation for restrictions on property rights; an explicit proportionality requirement for intervention points in the same direction as strengthened constitutional property protection. Expropriation is described as a violation of property rights that may only occur in exceptional cases, and the plan wants an effective right of constitutional review.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att rätten till egendom är en mänsklig rättighet och att en regel i grundlagen ska garantera fullgod ersättning vid inskränkningar i äganderätten; ett uttryckligt proportionalitetskrav vid ingrepp ligger i samma riktning som ett stärkt konstitutionellt egendomsskydd. Expropriation beskrivs som en kränkning av äganderätten som bara får ske i undantagsfall, och planen vill ha en effektiv lagprövningsrätt.
- constitutional protection with compensationdecisive»därför ska en regel finnas i grundlagen som garanterar« (party programme ↗)“therefore a rule in the constitution shall guarantee”
- property rights as right»Rätten till egendom är en mänsklig rättighet« (party programme ↗)“The right to property is a human right”
- expropriation as violation»är en kränkning av äganderätten« (party programme ↗)“is a violation of property rights”
- effective constitutional review»Det ska finnas en effektiv lagprövningsrätt.« (party programme ↗)“There shall be an effective right of constitutional review.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The counter-proposal requires an explicit proportionality requirement for interventions in property rights.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal requires an explicit proportionality requirement for interventions in property rights. The plan states that property rights and entrepreneurial freedom should have strong protection in the constitution, that state and municipality can only in exceptional cases take over individuals' property, and that the constitution should have a clear catalogue of freedoms and rights with stronger court protection. The example of the forestry industry is met by the commitment to strengthen forest owners' property rights. The plan therefore supports the demand.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget kräver ett uttryckligt proportionalitetskrav vid ingrepp i äganderätten. Planen slår fast att äganderätten och näringsfriheten ska ha ett starkt skydd i grundlagen, att stat och kommun endast i undantagsfall får ta över enskildas egendom, och att grundlagen ska ha en tydlig katalog av fri- och rättigheter med starkare domstolsskydd. Exemplet skogsnäringen möts av åtagandet att stärka skogsägarnas äganderätt. Planen stöder därför kravet.
- constitutionally protected property rightsdecisive»Äganderätten och näringsfriheten ska ha ett starkt skydd i« (party programme ↗)“Property rights and entrepreneurial freedom should have strong protection in”
- restrictive interventions in property»Stat och kommun ska endast i undantagsfall få ta över enskildas egendom« (party programme ↗)“State and municipality should only in exceptional cases be allowed to take over individuals' property”
- clear rights catalogue»Vår svenska grundlag ska ha en tydlig katalog av fri- och rättigheter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our Swedish constitution should have a clear catalogue of freedoms and rights.”
- property rights in the forest»Stärka skogsägarnas äganderätt genom att formellt skydd av skog ska ske genom frivillighet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen forest owners' property rights by making formal forest protection voluntary”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan wants to strengthen the Constitution's rights protection explicitly concerning property rights and increase the opportunity for constitutional review of norms.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to strengthen the Constitution's rights protection explicitly concerning property rights and increase the opportunity for constitutional review of norms. An explicit proportionality requirement when interfering with property rights is precisely such a strengthening. The plan moreover requires strengthened property rights and that forest owners' right to manage their forests be protected, which is the counter-proposal's example from the forestry sector.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill förstärka grundlagens rättighetsskydd uttryckligen vad gäller äganderätten och öka möjligheten till normprövning i grundlagen. Ett uttryckligt proportionalitetskrav vid ingrepp i äganderätten är just en sådan förstärkning. Planen kräver dessutom stärkt äganderätt och att skogsägarnas rätt att bruka sina skogar värnas, vilket är motförslagets exempel från skogsnäringen.
- constitutionally protected property rightsdecisive»Förstärka grundlagens rättighetsskydd vad gäller yttrandefrihet, äganderätt och frihet från religion« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the Constitution's rights protection concerning freedom of expression, property rights and freedom of religion”
- strengthened property rights»Stärka äganderätten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen property rights”
- increased constitutional review»Öka möjligheten till normprövning i grundlagen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase the opportunity for constitutional review of norms”
- usage rights in forests»Värna skogsägarnas rätt att bruka sina skogar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect forest owners' right to manage their forests”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:KU25)
- Committee report full text (HC01KU25)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:1173 — Dubbelt medborgarskap av Larry Söder (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1180 — Förbud mot offentliga böneutrop av Christian Carlsson (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1181 — Att motverka islamistisk terror av Christian Carlsson (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1375 — Grundlag av Matheus Enholm m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1379 — Kommunpolitik av Matheus Enholm m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1380 — En behövlig myndighetsöversyn av Matheus Enholm m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:139 — Utredning om kristofobi av Hans Eklind (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1413 — Krafttag mot hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck av Sara Gille m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1416 — Trossamfundsfrågor av Alexander Christiansson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1444 — Förutsättningar för en grundskola i världsklass av Patrick Reslow m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1448 — En förskola i världsklass av Patrick Reslow m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:170 — Handlingsplan för att motverka förföljelse av kristna av Magnus Jacobsson (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1728 — Sveriges kristna kulturarv av Julia Kronlid och Aron Emilsson (båda SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1745 — Politik för minoriteter av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:1793 — Grundlagsskydd för aborträtten av Linnéa Wickman m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:189 — Utökade möjligheter för kommuner att stoppa moskébyggen av Jonas Andersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1934 — Konstitutionella frågor av Jessica Wetterling m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:2035 — Äganderätt och miljöundantag av Mats Green (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2112 — Utredning gällande slöjförbud i för- och grundskolan av Ellen Juntti och Lars Beckman (båda M)
- Motion 2024/25:229 — Fackförbund utan partikoppling av Josef Fransson (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament