2025-05-072024/25:KU28 · p.12KUConstitution
Truth and reconciliation commission for Tornedalians, Kvens and Lantalaiset
Follow-up on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Tornedalians, Kvens and Lantalaiset
What's at stake: The commission has pointed to historical assimilation policies that damaged the language and culture of Tornedalians, Kvens and Lantalaiset, and the question is how quickly and in what way the state should act on the commission's findings and proposals for redress.
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 Riksdag should issue a formal statement directing the government on how to act on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report on Tornedalians, Kvens and Lantalaiset, or whether the government's ongoing processing of the report should continue without such a directive.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes the measures already taken following the commission's proposals and that the report is still being processed within the Government Offices, and therefore sees no reason to recommend a formal statement on the commission at this time.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 15 (S)
The reservation wants the government to continue engaging with the commission's inquiry and, first and foremost, acknowledge the historical violations against the minority, while also considering the inquiry's other proposals, since the commission showed how the assimilation policy damaged language, culture and identity and that the state and church bear a moral responsibility for redress.
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 15 by S.
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: VVänsterpartiet
Ja 214–93Ja 193–114
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 | Yes 21/0/0/3 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/13 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 16/0/0/2 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 17/0/0/2 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/9 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects motion 2024/25:3193 by Ida Karkiainen et al. (S) request 20.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2024/25:3193 av Ida Karkiainen m.fl. (S) yrkande 20.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately sixty proposals on minority issues in motions submitted during the general motion period 2024. The reason is, among other things, that work is already underway on several of the issues that the motions raise. The proposals dealt with, for example, indigenous status for Tornedalians, Kvens and Lantalaiset, Sámi policy, Jewish life in Sweden, Roma inclusion, and Swedish Finns' right to language and culture.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government to recognize the historical violations and consider the proposals from the investigation. (S) — Reservation 15
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 establishes that the Swedish state has historically subjected indigenous peoples and national minorities to serious wrongs and that Sweden has a special task to strengthen their rights to identity, language and cultural heritage.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that the Swedish state has historically subjected indigenous peoples and national minorities to serious wrongs and that Sweden has a special task to strengthen their rights to identity, language and cultural heritage. First acknowledging the historical violations against Tornedalians, Kven and Loantalaiset and then proceeding with the investigation's proposals is a direct implementation of that commitment. The plan also emphasizes that knowledge about these structures needs to be spread.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att den svenska staten historiskt utsatt urfolk och nationella minoriteter för allvarliga oförrätter och att Sverige har en särskild uppgift att stärka deras rättigheter till identitet, språk och kulturarv. Att först erkänna de historiska kränkningarna mot tornedalingar, kväner och lantalaiset och därefter gå vidare med utredningens förslag är ett direkt genomförande av det åtagandet. Planen betonar också att kunskapen om dessa strukturer behöver spridas.
- acknowledge historical wrongsdecisive»Den svenska staten har genom historien utsatt urfolk och nationella« (party programme ↗)“The Swedish state has throughout history subjected indigenous peoples and national”
- special responsibility for indigenous peoples and minorities»Sverige har en särskild uppgift att stärka urfolks och« (party programme ↗)“Sweden has a special task to strengthen indigenous and”
- language and cultural heritage as right»de nationella minoriteternas rättigheter till identitet, språk, kulturarv« (party programme ↗)“national minorities' rights to identity, language, cultural heritage”
- spread knowledge about the structures»Sverige behöver överhuvudtaget bygga upp och sprida kunskap om« (party programme ↗)“Sweden altogether needs to build up and spread knowledge about”
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 party programme commits to upholding and supporting national minorities' opportunities to maintain and develop their own language and culture, and states that the party is anti-racist and wants to promote interculturality.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme commits to upholding and supporting national minorities' opportunities to maintain and develop their own language and culture, and states that the party is anti-racist and wants to promote interculturality. Recognition of the historical wrongs against Tornedalians, Kvens and Lantalaiset follows from that fundamental perspective. However, the plan does not address the commission as such.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet åtar sig att hävda och stödja de nationella minoriteternas möjligheter att behålla och utveckla eget språk och kultur, och slår fast att partiet är antirasistiskt och vill verka för interkulturalitet. Ett erkännande av de historiska kränkningarna mot tornedalingar, kväner och lantalaiset följer av den grundsynen. Planen behandlar dock inte kommissionen som sådan.
- support for national minoritiesdecisive»I detta ska också ingå att hävda och stödja nationella minoriteters möjligheter att« (party programme ↗)“This should also include upholding and supporting national minorities' opportunities to”
- anti-racist party»Socialdemokraterna är ett antirasistiskt parti, som strävar« (party programme ↗)“Social Democracy is an anti-racist party, which strives”
- interculturality»Vi socialdemokrater vill verka för interkulturalitet, som är ett utbyte mellan människor med« (party programme ↗)“We Social Democrats want to promote interculturality, which is an exchange between people with”
The plan requires that national minorities' special position, culture and language are respected and strengthened and that Sweden works for human rights nationally.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that national minorities' special position, culture and language are respected and strengthened and that Sweden works for human rights nationally. It also states that structural discrimination must end. To acknowledge the historical abuses against Tornedalians, Kvens and Lule Sámi and then proceed with the investigation's proposals aligns with these commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att de nationella minoriteternas särskilda ställning, kultur och språk respekteras och stärks och att Sverige arbetar för mänskliga rättigheter nationellt. Den slår också fast att strukturell diskriminering ska upphöra. Att erkänna de historiska kränkningarna mot tornedalingar, kväner och lantalaiset och därefter gå vidare med utredningens förslag ligger i linje med dessa åtaganden.
- strengthened minority rightsdecisive»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 must commit to follow the international convention on indigenous peoples' rights (ILO 169).”
- minorities' special position»Deras särskilda ställning, med egen kultur och eget« (party programme ↗)“Their special position, with their own culture and their own”
- redress for structural oppression»Strukturell diskriminering och rasism ska upphöra.« (party programme ↗)“Structural discrimination and racism must end.”
- HR also domestically»mänskliga rättigheter nationellt och internationellt.« (party programme ↗)“human rights nationally and internationally.”
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 manifesto promises to strengthen protection of minorities and the status of minority languages, which requires that historical wrongs against Torne Valley Finns, Kvens, and Lantalaiset are acknowledged and the process continues.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The manifesto promises to strengthen protection of minorities and the status of minority languages, which requires that historical wrongs against Torne Valley Finns, Kvens, and Lantalaiset are acknowledged and the process continues. The party programme stipulates that structures that oppress or discriminate against people shall be combated and that no one shall be disadvantaged due to their origin. An acknowledgement is precisely such a reckoning with an assimilation policy.
Original (Swedish)
Manifestet lovar att stärka minoritetsskyddet och minoritetsspråkens ställning, vilket bär kravet på att de historiska kränkningarna mot tornedalingar, kväner och lantalaiset erkänns och att beredningen förs vidare. Partiprogrammet slår fast att strukturer som förtrycker eller diskriminerar människor ska bekämpas och att ingen ska missgynnas på grund av härkomst. Ett erkännande är just ett sådant uppgörande med en assimileringspolitik.
- strengthened 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, protection of minorities 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.”
- counteract discrimination»Diskriminering, strukturell rasism och intolerans, i alla dess former, ska motverkas.« (party programme ↗)“Discrimination, structural racism, and intolerance in all its forms shall be counteracted.”
- no one disadvantaged for their origin»Vi måste fortsätta arbetet för ett Sverige där ingen missgynnas på grund av kön, härkomst eller funktionsnedsättning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must continue working for a Sweden where no one is disadvantaged due to gender, origin, or disability”
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 explicitly establishes that the Tornedalians' status as a national minority shall be maintained and that the public sector shall support language and culture with minority language profile.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly establishes that the Tornedalians' status as a national minority shall be maintained and that the public sector shall support language and culture with minority language profile. Recognition of the historical violations and continued preparation of the commission's proposals lie in line with this commitment. The plan also requires that all pupils gain knowledge about Sweden's national minorities and that cultural heritage is kept alive.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår uttryckligen fast att tornedalingarnas ställning som nationell minoritet ska upprätthållas och att det offentliga ska understödja språk och kultur med minoritetsspråksprofil. Ett erkännande av de historiska kränkningarna och fortsatt beredning av kommissionens förslag ligger i linje med detta åtagande. Planen kräver också att alla elever får kunskap om Sveriges nationella minoriteter och att kulturarvet hålls levande.
- national minorities' statusdecisive»Samernas, sverigefinnarnas, tornedalingarnas, judarnas och romernas ställning som nationella minoriteter och samernas ställning som urfolk ska upprätthållas.« (party programme ↗)“The status of the Sámi, Swedish Finns, Tornedalians, Jews and Roma as national minorities and the Sámi's status as an indigenous people shall be maintained.”
- support for minority languages»Det offentliga ska understödja ett språk-, kultur- och medieutbud med minoritetsspråksprofil.« (party programme ↗)“The public sector shall support language, culture and media provision with minority language profile.”
- knowledge about minorities»Skolan ska ge alla elever kunskap om Sveriges urfolk, nationella minoriteter och minoritetsspråk.« (party programme ↗)“Schools shall provide all pupils with knowledge about Sweden's indigenous people, national minorities and minority languages.”
- living cultural heritage»Kulturarvet – vårt gemensamma minne i form av historiska lämningar, kulturlandskap, arkiv, traditioner, dialekter och annat – utvecklas ständigt genom att samtiden ger sitt bidrag.« (party programme ↗)“Cultural heritage – our shared memory in the form of historical remains, cultural landscapes, archives, traditions, dialects and more – is constantly being developed as the present makes its contribution.”
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 highlights reconciliation between peoples as an important part of policy and makes it a central public task to support minorities' own efforts to maintain and further develop their culture.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan highlights reconciliation between peoples as an important part of policy and makes it a central public task to support minorities' own efforts to maintain and further develop their culture. First recognizing the historical violations against Torne Valley Finns, Kainulaiset and Lantalaiset and then reviewing the investigation's other proposals follows from this and from the fact that the languages are described as a valuable part of Swedish culture. The committee's grounds are not affected by the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen lyfter fram försoning mellan folkgrupper som en viktig del av politiken och gör det till en central offentlig uppgift att stödja minoriteters egna insatser att behålla och vidareutveckla sin kultur. Att först erkänna de historiska kränkningarna mot tornedalingar, kväner och lantalaiset och därefter pröva utredningens övriga förslag följer av detta och av att språken beskrivs som en värdefull del av den svenska kulturen. Utskottets beredningsskäl berörs inte av planen.
- reconciliation between peoplesdecisive»En viktig del av den internationella politiken är tanken om försoning mellan folkgrupper« (party programme ↗)“An important part of international policy is the idea of reconciliation between peoples”
- support for minorities' culture»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 maintain and further develop”
- status of minority languages»stark ställning genom lagstiftning.« (party programme ↗)“strong position through legislation.”
- stewardship of cultural heritage»En god kulturpolitik måste sträva efter att ta tillvara det värdefulla kulturella arv« (party programme ↗)“A good cultural policy must strive to preserve what is valuable in the cultural heritage”
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 does not address truth and reconciliation commission or national minorities.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address truth and reconciliation commission or national minorities. The closest principle is that the majority must never do what it wants to minorities and that rights and opportunities shall apply equally for all, which speaks for that historical violations against a minority are acknowledged. The plan however gives no support for any specific redress measures beyond that.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte sannings- och försoningskommissionen eller de nationella minoriteterna. Närmast liggande princip är att majoriteten aldrig får göra vad den vill mot minoriteten och att rättigheter och möjligheter ska gälla lika för alla, vilket talar för att historiska kränkningar mot en minoritet erkänns. Planen ger dock inget stöd för några bestämda gottgörelseåtgärder utöver det.
- protection for minoritiesdecisive»Majoriteten får aldrig göra vad den vill mot minoriteten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The majority must never do what it wants to minorities.”
- equal rights for all»Sverige ska vara ett fritt och öppet samhälle där rättigheter, skyldigheter och möjligheter gäller lika för alla.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall be a free and open society where rights, obligations and opportunities apply equally for all.”
- protection for freedoms and rights»Stärka domstolarnas oberoende och skyddet för medborgarnas fri- och rättigheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the courts' independence and protection of citizens' 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 explicitly exempts the national minorities from general assimilation efforts and wants to give them far-reaching cultural autonomy, with the Tornedalian nation as a specifically named example.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly exempts the national minorities from general assimilation efforts and wants to give them far-reaching cultural autonomy, with the Tornedalian nation as a specifically named example. Recognition of the historical injustices that assimilation policy caused follows from this position. However, the plan says nothing about compensation or the commission's other proposals, so the conclusion is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen undantar uttryckligen de nationella minoriteterna från allmänna assimileringssträvanden och vill ge dem långtgående kulturell autonomi, med den tornedalsfinska nationen som ett namngivet exempel. Ett erkännande av de historiska kränkningar som assimileringspolitiken orsakat följer av den hållningen. Planen säger däremot inget om gottgörelse eller om kommissionens övriga förslag, varför slutsatsen är härledd.
- cultural autonomy for minoritiesdecisive»ska de som grupper undantas från allmänna assimileringssträvanden och ges långtgående kulturell autonomi« (party programme ↗)“should be exempted as groups from general assimilation efforts and given far-reaching cultural autonomy”
- recognized national minorities»Närliggande exempel på detta är den svenska statens relation till de samiska och tornedalsfinska nationerna« (party programme ↗)“A nearby example of this is the Swedish state's relation to the Sámi and Tornedalian nations”
- protect minorities' culture»Urfolkens ställning och kulturella värden ska värnas i den utrikespolitiska inriktningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The indigenous peoples' position and cultural values should be protected in foreign policy direction.”
- cultures should be recognized»De skilda kulturerna är mänsklighetens gemensamma arv och bör erkännas och skyddas till allas gagn.« (party programme ↗)“The different cultures are humanity's common heritage and should be recognized and protected for everyone's benefit.”
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 (2024/25:KU28)
- Committee report full text (HC01KU28)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:1071 — Utredning om älvdalskans status som språk för ett framtida erkännande som landsdelsspråk av Gudrun Brunegård och Mathias Bengtsson (båda KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1288 — Teckenspråk av Carita Boulwén (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1321 — Politik för tornedalingar, kväner och lantalaiset av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:1421 — Nationella minoriteter och urfolk i Sverige av Michael Rubbestad m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:171 — Tornedalingar som urfolk av Cecilia Engström och Magnus Oscarsson (båda KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1745 — Politik för minoriteter av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:1746 — Politik för romer av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:1747 — Politik för sverigefinländarna av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:1754 — Politik för samer av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:1932 — Språk och litteratur av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:1935 — Åtgärder för de nationella minoriteterna och minoritetsspråken av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:2372 — Älvdalska - ett eget språk av Malin Höglund (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2643 — En rättvis framtid: strategier för att bekämpa rasism och främja social rättvisa av Leila Ali Elmi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:3040 — Judiskt liv i Sverige av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:3110 — Utgiftsområde 17 Kultur, medier, trossamfund och fritid av Lawen Redar m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:3159 — Konstitution och demokrati av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2024/25:3193 — Utgiftsområde 1 Rikets styrelse av Ida Karkiainen m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:61 — Åtgärder för att motverka den muslimska antisemitismen av Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament