2023-05-102022/23:KU28 · p.5KUConstitution
Rights for national minorities and indigenous peoples
Rights of national minorities and the Sámi indigenous people
What's at stake: The question concerns how far Sweden should go in codifying and strengthening the rights of minorities and the indigenous Sámi people, including rights to land and water. It affects the Sámi and other national minorities, as well as Sweden's compliance with international indigenous rights law.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
Whether parliament should call on the government to strengthen the rights of national minorities and the Sámi indigenous people, including Sámi rights to land and water and a Nordic Sámi Convention, or whether the committee considers ongoing work to already address these issues.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee maintains its earlier positions on indigenous rights, Sámi rights to land and water, and a Nordic Sámi Convention, pointing to ongoing work by a parliamentary committee, minority-policy inquiries, and a truth and reconciliation process for the Sámi people, and therefore rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 9 (V, MP)
The reservation (V, MP) wants active and strengthened efforts for national minorities and the Sámi indigenous people, with secured and strengthened rights to land and water, a shared Nordic rights framework, a Nordic Sámi Convention, and Swedish ratification of ILO Convention No. 169, arguing that current legislation and its application fall short.
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 9 by V, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: LLiberalerna
Ja 205–34Ja 191–48
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 | No | No 0/21/0/3 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | Yes 94/0/0/13 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 1/13/0/4 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 60/0/0/8 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Abstain 0/0/63/9 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Broke with the party line
| MPRebecka Le Moine (MP, Östergötlands län) | Yes — party line: No |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2022/23:181 by Märta Stenevi et al. (MP) point 17, 2022/23:988 by Michael Rubbestad et al. (SD) point 12, 2022/23:1474 by Amanda Lind et al. (MP) points 15-17 and 2022/23:2098 by Amanda Lind et al. (MP) points 7, 8, 15 and 16.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:181 av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP) yrkande 17, 2022/23:988 av Michael Rubbestad m.fl. (SD) yrkande 12, 2022/23:1474 av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP) yrkandena 15-17 och 2022/23:2098 av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP) yrkandena 7, 8, 15 och 16.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said no to approximately 35 proposals in motions from the general motion period of 2022 on minority issues. The reason is among other things that work is already underway in the issues the motions address. The motions deal with Jewish life in Sweden, Roma inclusion, the truth commission for the Sami people, Sami policy and the composition of the Sámi Parliament, rights for national minorities and indigenous peoples, the status of Älvdalen, sign language as a minority language, information center on national minorities, evaluation of the Consultation Act, implementation, oversight and monitoring of minority policy, support to organizations and contact channel for dialogue between the Sámi Parliament and the Riksdag.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the investigation's directive to be supplemented to establish administrative areas for Yiddish. (V, MP) — Reservation 9
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 requires that Sweden prioritizes work to ratify ILO 169 on indigenous peoples' rights and that the Sami Parliament's self-determination is strengthened.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme explicitly requires that Sweden prioritizes work to ratify ILO 169 on indigenous peoples' rights and that the Sami Parliament's self-determination is strengthened. It also establishes that much remains to be done for the national minorities' rights and that all who belong to a minority shall be able to participate in decisions. The counter-proposal's requirement for strengthened rights to land and water, indigenous rights and a Nordic Sami convention directly respond to these commitments, and Nordic inter-state cooperation is advocated in the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver uttryckligen att Sverige prioriterar arbetet med att ratificera ILO 169 om urfolks rättigheter och att Sametingets självbestämmande förstärks. Det slår också fast att mycket återstår att göra för de nationella minoriteternas rättigheter och att alla som tillhör en minoritet ska kunna medverka i beslut. Motförslagets krav på stärkt rätt till mark och vatten, urfolksrätt och en nordisk samekonvention svarar direkt mot dessa åtaganden, och nordiskt mellanstatligt samarbete förordas i planen.
- ratify ILO 169decisive»Sverige måste prioritera arbetet med att ratificera konventionen ILO 169 om ursprungsfolk och stamfolks rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden must prioritize work to ratify the convention ILO 169 on indigenous peoples' and tribal peoples' rights.”
- Sami as indigenous people»Samer är Sveriges ursprungsbefolkning« (party programme ↗)“Sami are Sweden's indigenous people”
- minorities' participation in decisions»Ett demokratikrav är att alla som tillhör en nationell minoritet ska ha möjlighet« (party programme ↗)“A requirement of democracy is that all who belong to a national minority shall have the opportunity”
- Nordic inter-state cooperation»regionala organisationer som Nordiska rådet« (party programme ↗)“regional organizations such as the Nordic Council”
The party programme commits itself to upholding and supporting national minorities' opportunities to maintain and develop their own language and culture, and that all shall have equal conditions and equal opportunity to participate.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme commits itself to upholding and supporting national minorities' opportunities to maintain and develop their own language and culture, and that all shall have equal conditions and equal opportunity to participate. The election manifesto binds the party to international law and human rights internationally. Strengthening minority and indigenous policy, clarifying legislation according to indigenous rights law and joining conventions is in line with these principles, but the plan does not address Sámi rights to land and water.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet åtar sig att hävda och stödja nationella minoriteters möjligheter att behålla och utveckla eget språk och kultur, och att alla ska ha lika förutsättningar och lika möjlighet till delaktighet. Valmanifestet binder partiet till folkrätten och mänskliga rättigheter internationellt. Att förstärka minoritets- och urfolkspolitiken, tydliggöra lagstiftningen enligt urfolksrätten och ansluta sig till konventioner ligger i linje med dessa principer, men planen behandlar inte samisk rätt till mark och vatten.
- support for national minoritiesdecisive»I detta ska också ingå att hävda och stödja nationella minoriteters möjligheter att« (party programme ↗)“In this shall also be included upholding and supporting national minorities' opportunities to”
- equal participation for all»Vi socialdemokrater vill att alla ska ha lika förutsättningar och lika möjlighet till delaktighet« (party programme ↗)“We Social Democrats want all to have equal conditions and equal opportunity to participate”
- international law and human rights conventions»Vi har en lång historia av att stå upp för folkrätten, solidaritet, nedrustning, demokrati och jämställdhet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We have a long history of standing up for international law, solidarity, disarmament, democracy and gender equality.”
- human rights fundamental»Respekten för de mänskliga rättigheterna är en förutsättning för demokrati.« (party programme ↗)“Respect for human rights is a prerequisite for democracy.”
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 strengthen national minorities' and the Sámi people's rights and that Sweden shall commit to following ILO 169.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly promises to strengthen national minorities' and the Sámi people's rights and that Sweden shall commit to following ILO 169. The party programme wants Sweden to ratify the convention as soon as possible and that minorities' position be respected and strengthened, and that the party is driving for minorities' rights in the Nordic region. The counter-proposal's demands on strengthened right to land and water, Nordic Sámi convention and ratification are thus the plan's own line.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar uttryckligen att stärka nationella minoriteters och urfolket samernas rättigheter och att Sverige ska förbinda sig att följa ILO 169. Partiprogrammet vill att Sverige snarast ratificerar konventionen och att minoriteternas ställning respekteras och stärks, samt att partiet är pådrivande för minoriteters rättigheter i Norden. Motförslagets krav på stärkt rätt till mark och vatten, nordisk samekonvention och ratificering är därmed planens egen linje.
- strengthened indigenous rights, ILO 169decisive»stärka nationella minoriteters och urfolket samernas rättigheter och att Sverige ska förbinda sig att följa den internationella konventionen om urfolks rättigheter (ILO 169).« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen national minorities' and the Sámi people's rights and that Sweden shall commit to following the international convention on indigenous peoples' rights (ILO 169).”
- ratify ILO 169»bör snarast ratificera FN:s konvention om urfolks rättigheter, ILO 169.« (party programme ↗)“should as soon as possible ratify the UN convention on indigenous peoples' rights, ILO 169.”
- minorities' special status»Deras särskilda ställning, med egen kultur och eget språk, måste respekteras och stärkas.« (party programme ↗)“Their special position, with their own culture and their own language, must be respected and strengthened.”
- Nordic minority cooperation»vara starkt pådrivande i att riva ned gränshinder även i Norden, förbättra den skandinaviska språkförståelsen och nationella minoriteters rättigheter« (party programme ↗)“be strongly driving to break down barriers even in the Nordic region, improve Scandinavian language understanding and national minorities' rights”
The plan explicitly commits to strengthening minority protection and the status of minority languages, and to combating structures that oppress or discriminate against people.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly commits to strengthening minority protection and the status of minority languages, and to combating structures that oppress or discriminate against people. More active work for Sámi people and national minorities, including clearer rights and a Nordic rights platform, is in line with this and with the plan's emphasis on Nordic cooperation. However, the question of rights to land and water is only addressed indirectly.
Original (Swedish)
Planen åtar sig uttryckligen att stärka minoritetsskyddet och minoritetsspråkens ställning, och att bekämpa strukturer som förtrycker eller diskriminerar människor. Ett mer aktivt arbete för samer och nationella minoriteter, inklusive tydligare rättigheter och en nordisk rättighetsplattform, ligger i linje med detta och med planens vikt vid nordiskt samarbete. Frågan om rätt till mark och vatten berörs dock bara indirekt.
- strengthen minority protectiondecisive»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 other things, property rights, the prohibition on discrimination, minority protection and the status of minority languages, and provide constitutional protection for the right to abortion and reproductive health.”
- combat oppressive structures»Vi bekämpar alla strukturer, formella och informella, som förtrycker eller diskriminerar människor.« (party programme ↗)“We combat all structures, formal and informal, that oppress or discriminate against people.”
- Nordic cooperation»Det nordiska samarbetet, som överbryggar många europeiska konstellationer, spelar en viktig roll.« (party programme ↗)“Nordic cooperation, which bridges many European constellations, plays an important role.”
- protect fundamental rights»Våra grundläggande rättigheter får inte tas för givna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our fundamental rights must not be taken for granted.”
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 party programme explicitly requires that the Sámi's right to practice reindeer herding and use land according to immemorial custom be protected, that a Nordic Sámi convention be established and that ILO Convention 169 be ratified after consultation.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme explicitly requires that the Sámi's right to practice reindeer herding and use land according to immemorial custom be protected, that a Nordic Sámi convention be established and that ILO Convention 169 be ratified after consultation. The counter-proposal's demands for strengthened land and water rights, Nordic rights platform and ratification of an indigenous convention thus coincide point for point with the plan. The plan also states that minority and Sámi status should be maintained.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver uttryckligen att samernas rätt att utöva renskötsel och nyttja marker enligt urminnes hävd värnas, att en nordisk samekonvention upprättas och att ILO-konvention 169 ratificeras efter samråd. Motförslagets krav på stärkt rätt till mark och vatten, nordisk rättighetsplattform och ratificering av en urfolkskonvention sammanfaller därmed punkt för punkt med planen. Planen slår också fast att minoriteternas och samernas ställning ska upprätthållas.
- Sámi land rightsdecisive»Samernas rätt att utöva renskötsel och utnyttja marker i enlighet med urminnes hävd ska värnas.« (party programme ↗)“The Sámi's right to practice reindeer herding and use land in accordance with immemorial custom shall be protected.”
- ratify ILO 169»ILO-konvention 169 ska ratificeras efter samråd med olika intressegrupper« (party programme ↗)“ILO Convention 169 shall be ratified after consultation with various interest groups”
- maintained minority status»Samernas, sverigefinnarnas, tornedalingarnas, judarnas och romernas ställning som nationella minoriteter« (party programme ↗)“The status of Sámi, Sweden-Finns, Tornedalians, Jews and Roma as national minorities”
- strengthened minority language rights»Individens möjligheter att använda minoritetsspråk i kontakten med myndigheter« (party programme ↗)“The individual's opportunities to use minority languages in contact with authorities”
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 grant the Sámi linguistic and ethnic rights, value reindeer herding as part of Sámi culture and sees it as a central public task to support minorities' own efforts.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to grant the Sámi linguistic and ethnic rights, value reindeer herding as part of Sámi culture and sees it as a central public task to support minorities' own efforts. More active work with clearer legislation and a Nordic Sámi convention aligns with that. However the plan's principled support for individual ownership and the coupling between land ownership and hunting and fishing rights makes support for expanded right to land and water more conditional.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill tillerkänna samerna språkliga och etniska rättigheter, värna rennäringen som del av samisk kultur och ser det som en central offentlig uppgift att stödja minoriteters egna insatser. Ett mer aktivt arbete med tydligare lagstiftning och en nordisk samekonvention ligger i linje med det. Planens principiella stöd för enskild äganderätt och kopplingen mellan markägande och jakt- och fiskerätt gör dock stödet för utvidgad rätt till mark och vatten mer villkorat.
- rights for Sámi and minoritiesdecisive»Genom att tillerkänna samer, sverigefinländare,« (party programme ↗)“By granting Sámi, Sweden-Finns,”
- valued reindeer herding»Rennäringen ska värnas eftersom den är en betydelsefull del av samisk kultur samt viktig för sysselsättning« (party programme ↗)“Reindeer herding shall be valued because it is a significant part of Sámi culture and important for employment”
- public support to minorities»Det är en central offentlig uppgift att stödja minoriteters egna insatser för att behålla och vidareutveckla« (party programme ↗)“It is a central public task to support minorities' own efforts to preserve and further develop”
- individual ownership of land»för den enskilda äganderätten och generationers erfarenhet av enskilt ägande av skogs- och jordbruksmark« (party programme ↗)“for individual ownership and generations' experience of individual ownership of forest and agricultural land”
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's only concrete commitment on the matter is that mountain hunting shall be accessible to all Swedish hunters on equal terms, which pulls in the opposite direction from a secured and strengthened Sámi special right to land and water.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's only concrete commitment on the matter is that mountain hunting shall be accessible to all Swedish hunters on equal terms, which pulls in the opposite direction from a secured and strengthened Sámi special right to land and water. The party programme holds fast that freedoms and rights belong to individuals and rejects collectivism's claims, and that the Swedish state does not rest on ethnicity. A strengthened indigenous right through new conventions and legislation thus lies outside the plan's line.
Original (Swedish)
Planens enda konkreta åtagande på området är att fjälljakten ska vara tillgänglig för alla svenska jägare på lika villkor, vilket drar i motsatt riktning mot en säkrad och stärkt samisk särrätt till mark och vatten. Idéprogrammet håller fast vid att fri- och rättigheter tillhör individer och avvisar kollektivismens anspråk, och att den svenska staten inte vilar på etnicitet. En förstärkt urfolksrätt genom nya konventioner och lagstiftning ligger därmed utanför planens linje.
- equal terms for huntersdecisive»Se till att fjälljakten är tillgänglig för alla svenska jägare på lika villkor« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure that mountain hunting is accessible to all Swedish hunters on equal terms”
- individual rights»Fri- och rättigheter tillhör individer« (party programme ↗)“Freedoms and rights belong to individuals”
- rejected collectivism»Nya former av kollektivism får samtidigt allt större utrymme i« (party programme ↗)“New forms of collectivism meanwhile gain ever more space in”
- strong individual ownership rights»Den enskilda äganderätten är central i förvaltarskapstanken« (party programme ↗)“Individual ownership rights are central in stewardship thinking”
The plan's core principle is that all citizens regardless of national origin shall be equal before the law and have equal rights and obligations, and that minorities' cultural autonomy must not be opposed to general legal principles.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's core principle is that all citizens regardless of national origin shall be equal before the law and have equal rights and obligations, and that minorities' cultural autonomy must not be opposed to general legal principles. Specially strengthened land and water rights for the Sámi and ratification of an indigenous convention go beyond that framework. The plan also wants to strengthen property rights and national self-determination.
Original (Swedish)
Planens bärande princip är att alla medborgare oavsett nationstillhörighet ska vara lika inför lagen och ha samma rättigheter och skyldigheter, och att minoriteters kulturella autonomi inte får stå i motsats till allmänna rättsprinciper. Särskilt stärkta mark- och vattenrättigheter för samerna och ratificering av en urfolkskonvention går utöver den ramen. Planen vill dessutom stärka äganderätten och det nationella självbestämmandet.
- equality before the lawdecisive»anser samtidigt att alla medborgare oavsett nationstillhörighet skall vara lika inför lagen« (party programme ↗)“believes at the same time that all citizens regardless of national origin shall be equal before the law”
- autonomy within legal principles»Denna autonomi får dock inte i något avseende stå i motsats till allmänna« (party programme ↗)“However, this autonomy must not in any respect be opposed to general”
- strengthened property rights»Stärka äganderätten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen property rights”
- against international conventions»Stärka det nationella självbestämmandet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen national self-determination”
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.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:KU28)
- Committee report full text (HA01KU28)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1214 — Åtgärder för de nationella minoriteterna och minoritetsspråken av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1326 — Teckenspråk av Carita Boulwén (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1474 — Politik för de nationella minoriteterna av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:181 — Stärk demokratin och de mänskliga rättigheterna av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:1881 — Konstitutionella frågor av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:2098 — Politik för det samiska folket av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:418 — Skydda och bevara älvdalskan av Staffan Eklöf (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:624 — Erkännande av älvdalska som språk av Mathias Bengtsson och Gudrun Brunegård (båda KD)
- Motion 2022/23:81 — Bevara och levandegör språket älvdalska av Robert Stenkvist och Anders Alftberg (båda SD)
- Motion 2022/23:901 — En äldreomsorg med trygghet och valfrihet i hela landet av Christofer Bergenblock m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:988 — Nationella minoriteter i Sverige av Michael Rubbestad m.fl. (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament