2025-03-262024/25:CU7 · p.25CUCivil law & housing
A Modernized Parenthood Code
A modernized, gender-neutral Children and Parents Code
What's at stake: The decision affects how quickly the terminology of the Children and Parents Code is modernized to better reflect today's family forms, including same-sex families and other families where the parents are not a mother and father in the traditional sense. A faster reform would give clearer legal status to more parents, while a delay means the current, more limited terms remain in force longer.
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 Parliament should now call on the government to promptly bring forward legislation for a gender-neutral Children and Parents Code (replacing “mother” and “father” with “parent”), or whether the matter should wait until the government completes its own processing of the underlying inquiry.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motions, noting that the question of a gender-neutral Children and Parents Code is already covered by the considerations in the inquiry Alla tiders föräldraskap (SOU 2022:38), which is still being processed within the Government Offices. The committee does not want to pre-empt the ongoing process and instead awaits the government's own initiative.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 39 (V, C, MP)
The reservation (V, C, MP) calls for Parliament to instruct the government to bring forward, as soon as possible, a bill for a gender-neutral Children and Parents Code, replacing the terms “mother”, “father” and “parent under Chapter 1, Section 9” with the single term “parent” and consolidating provisions that regulate the same situation. The reason given is that today's fragmented regulation, with separate sections for cases that are in practice identical, makes the legislation hard to overview, and that the time has now come to proceed with these needed proposals.
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 39 by V, C, MP.
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: MModeraterna
Ja 154–56Nej 94–116
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 0/20/0/4 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | Abstain 0/0/93/13 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/16/0/2 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | No 0/20/0/4 | match | 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 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| SD | Yes | Yes 62/0/0/10 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2024/25:268 by Andreas Lennkvist Manriquez et al. (V) motion 10, 2024/25:1334 by Ulrika Westerlund et al. (MP) motion 1, 2024/25:2951 by Martina Johansson et al. (C) motion 2 and 2024/25:3073 by Jennie Nilsson et al. (S) motion 24.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2024/25:268 av Andreas Lennkvist Manriquez m.fl. (V) yrkande 10, 2024/25:1334 av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP) yrkande 1, 2024/25:2951 av Martina Johansson m.fl. (C) yrkande 2 och 2024/25:3073 av Jennie Nilsson m.fl. (S) yrkande 24.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 140 proposals concerning family law contained in motions from the general motion period 2024. The motions address, among other things, waiting periods for divorce, property division and custody, residence and visitation in cases of family violence. The Riksdag refers primarily to decided legislation and to work already underway within the areas addressed by the proposals.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government to analyze how cohabitation regulations relate to informal child marriage of minors. (V, C, MP) — Reservation 39
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 demands legislation that starts from how people actually live, with modern family law, and that rainbow families get good legal protection.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan demands legislation that starts from how people actually live, with modern family law, and that rainbow families get good legal protection. A gender-neutral parental code with the joint concept of parent is precisely such a modernization. The plan also wants to introduce a third legal gender, which presupposes gender-neutral parental terms.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver en lagstiftning som utgår från hur människor faktiskt lever, med en modern familjerätt, och att regnbågsfamiljer får ett gott rättsligt skydd. En könsneutral föräldrabalk med det gemensamma begreppet förälder är precis en sådan modernisering. Planen vill dessutom införa ett tredje juridiskt kön, vilket förutsätter könsneutrala föräldraskapstermer.
- modern family lawdecisive»från hur människor faktiskt lever, med en modern familjerätt.« (party programme ↗)“from how people actually live, with modern family law.”
- legal protection for rainbow families»att ge regnbågsfamiljer ett gott rättsligt skydd« (party programme ↗)“to give rainbow families good legal protection”
- third legal gender»och införa ett tredje juridiskt kön.« (party programme ↗)“and introduce a third legal gender.”
- strengthened LGBTQIA+ rights»Vi ser det som avgörande att stärka hbtqia+-personers rättigheter i en« (party programme ↗)“We see it as crucial to strengthen LGBTQIA+ people's rights in a”
The party programme's goal is a society without patriarchy and without homophobia and transphobia, with equal rights and equal responsibility for parents in family life.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme's goal is a society without patriarchy and without homophobia and transphobia, with equal rights and equal responsibility for parents in family life. A gender-neutral Parents Code, where the terms of parenthood are brought together in the concept of parent, realizes that equal treatment in legislation. The Parents Code is not explicitly addressed in the plan, so the position is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammets mål är ett samhälle utan patriarkat och utan homo- och transfobi, med lika rätt och lika ansvar för föräldrar i familjelivet. En könsneutral föräldrabalk, där föräldraskapets termer förs samman i begreppet förälder, förverkligar den likabehandlingen i lagstiftningen. Föräldrabalken behandlas inte uttryckligen i planen, så ställningstagandet är härlett.
- society without transphobiadecisive»klasskillnader, patriarkat, rasism eller homo- och transfobi, ett samhälle utan fördomar och« (party programme ↗)“class differences, patriarchy, racism or homophobia and transphobia, a society without prejudices and”
- equal responsibility for the family»måste få möjlighet att ta lika ansvar för hem, familj och barn och att jämnt fördela det« (party programme ↗)“must be able to take equal responsibility for home, family and children and to distribute it equally”
- equal parenthood»möjligheter till ett ansvarsfullt föräldraskap.« (party programme ↗)“opportunities for responsible parenthood.”
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 commits to adapting family policy so it becomes gender-neutral and strengthening rights for all different types of families, and the party programme states that society must be adapted to different family constellations.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto commits to adapting family policy so it becomes gender-neutral and strengthening rights for all different types of families, and the party programme states that society must be adapted to different family constellations. A gender-neutral parenthood code with the shared concept of parent is exactly that commitment translated into law.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet åtar sig att anpassa familjepolitiken så att den blir könsneutral och att stärka rättigheterna för alla olika typer av familjer, och partiprogrammet slår fast att samhället ska vara anpassat till olika familjekonstellationer. En könsneutral föräldrabalk med det gemensamma begreppet förälder är exakt det åtagandet omsatt i lag.
- gender-neutral family policydecisive»anpassa familjepolitiken så att den blir könsneutral och stärka rättigheterna för stjärnfamiljer, det vill säga alla olika typer av familjer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“adapt family policy so it becomes gender-neutral and strengthen rights for blended families, that is all different types of families.”
- all family constellations»Samhället ska vara anpassat till olika familjekonstellationer.« (party programme ↗)“Society must be adapted to different family constellations.”
- equal parenthood»dubblera pappornas uttag av föräldraledighet — varje förälder ska ta ut minst en tredjedel av föräldradagarna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“double fathers' use of parental leave — each parent shall take out at least one third of the parental days.”
The party programme states that feminism is about the freedom to be who you are and that all structures that discriminate against people must be combated, regardless of gender or gender identity.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that feminism is about the freedom to be who you are and that all structures that discriminate against people must be combated, regardless of gender or gender identity. The election manifesto seeks to modernize the legal framework around parenthood and defends the rights of LGBTQ persons against restrictions. A gender-neutral parenthood act with the common concept of parent follows from these principles, even though the parenthood act is not mentioned.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att feminism handlar om friheten att vara den man är och att alla strukturer som diskriminerar människor ska bekämpas, oavsett kön eller könsidentitet. Valmanifestet vill modernisera regelverket kring föräldraskap och försvarar HBTQI-personers rättigheter mot inskränkningar. En könsneutral föräldrabalk med det gemensamma begreppet förälder följer av dessa principer, även om föräldrabalken inte nämns.
- freedom to be who you aredecisive»Feminism handlar om att försvara rätten och friheten att vara den man är.« (party programme ↗)“Feminism is about defending the right and freedom to be who you are.”
- combat discriminatory 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.”
- modernize the parental legal framework»Därför vill vi reformera föräldraförsäkringen för en mer jämställd, enkel och tydlig föräldraförsäkring anpassad till vårt moderna samhälle och arbetsliv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we want to reform parental insurance for a more equal, straightforward and clear parental insurance adapted to our modern society and working life.”
- protect the rights of LGBTQ persons»I land efter land försöker auktoritära rörelser flytta fram positionerna, inskränka kvinnors, minoriteters och HBTQI-personers rättigheter samt attackera den fria pressen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In country after country, authoritarian movements seek to advance their positions, restrict the rights of women, minorities and LGBTQ persons, and attack the free press.”
The plan requires that everyone has the same right to respect for their private and family life and that no laws may disadvantage anyone based on gender identity or sexual orientation, and that same-sex family is fully recognized.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that everyone has the same right to respect for their private and family life and that no laws may disadvantage anyone based on gender identity or sexual orientation, and that same-sex family is fully recognized. A gender-neutral parenthood act where parenthood terms are gathered in the concept of parent follows from this. The plan furthermore wants couples who have used gestational surrogacy to be recognized as the child's parents in Sweden.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att alla har samma rätt till respekt för sitt privat- och familjeliv och att inga lagar får missgynna någon utifrån könsidentitet eller sexuell läggning, samt att den samkönade familjen erkänns fullt ut. En könsneutral föräldrabalk där föräldraskapstermerna samlas i begreppet förälder följer av det. Planen vill dessutom att par som använt värdmödraskap erkänns som barnets föräldrar i Sverige.
- equal right to family lifedecisive»Alla ska ha samma rätt till respekt för sitt privat- och familjeliv.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone shall have the same right to respect for their private and family life.”
- same-sex families are recognized»för EU-samarbetet ska erkänna den samkönade familjen fullt ut.« (party programme ↗)“for EU cooperation shall fully recognize the same-sex family.”
- recognized parenthood»Vi vill möjliggöra altruistiskt värdmödraskap här i Sverige och underlätta för de par som i utlandet använder värdmödraskap att i här i Sverige erkännas som barnets föräldrar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to enable altruistic gestational surrogacy here in Sweden and facilitate for couples who abroad use gestational surrogacy to here in Sweden be recognized as the child's parents.”
- LGBTQI reforms for freedom»Sverige ska vara världens bästa land att leva i som hbtqi-person.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall be the world's best country to live in as an LGBTQI person.”
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 wants the legal family bond to be regulated through a civil law order that applies equally to different-sex and same-sex couples, and establishes that family formations other than mother, father, child shall have the same respect and support.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants the legal family bond to be regulated through a civil law order that applies equally to different-sex and same-sex couples, and establishes that family formations other than mother, father, child shall have the same respect and support. A gender-neutral parenthood code with the common concept of parent follows from this. The plan simultaneously maintains the child's right to knowledge of their origin.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill att det juridiska familjebandet regleras genom en civilrättslig ordning som gäller lika för olikkönade och samkönade par, och slår fast att andra familjebildningar än mamma, pappa, barn ska ha samma respekt och stöd. En könsneutral föräldrabalk med det gemensamma begreppet förälder följer av detta. Planen håller samtidigt fast vid barnets rätt till kännedom om sitt ursprung.
- equal civil law orderdecisive»rättslig giftermålsbalk som gäller för både olikkönade« (party programme ↗)“legal marriage act that applies to both different-sex”
- equal respect for different families»familjebildningar som ska ha samma respekt och stöd.« (party programme ↗)“family formations that shall have the same respect and support.”
- the child's right to their origin»Varje barn har rätt till kännedom om sitt ursprung« (party programme ↗)“Every child has the right to knowledge of their origin”
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 commits itself to ensuring that all family legislation is gender-neutral and observes that family policy is not contemporary in relation to how people today form families.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan commits itself to ensuring that all family legislation is gender-neutral and observes that family policy is not contemporary in relation to how people today form families. It also wants the family in its various forms to be the starting point for policy. The counter-proposal's demand for a gender-neutral parent code is thus precisely what the plan promises.
Original (Swedish)
Planen åtar sig att se till att all familjelagstiftning är könsneutral och konstaterar att familjepolitiken inte är tidsenlig i förhållande till hur människor i dag bildar familj. Den vill också att familjen i sina olika former ska vara utgångspunkt för politiken. Motförslagets krav på en könsneutral föräldrabalk är därmed precis vad planen utlovar.
- könsneutral familjelagstiftningdecisive»Se till att all familjelagstiftning är könsneutral« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure that all family legislation is gender-neutral”
- moderniserad familjepolitik»Samtidigt är familjepolitiken inte tidsenlig och utformad utifrån hur människor idag väljer att bilda familj och leva sina liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Yet family policy is not contemporary and drawn up on the basis of how people today choose to form families and live their lives.”
- reformerad föräldraskapsrätt»Verka för att altruistiskt surrogatmoderskap ska vara möjligt i Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Advocate for altruistic surrogacy to be possible in Sweden”
- familjen i olika former»Att familjen – i de olika former den kan ha« (party programme ↗)“That the family – in the various forms it can have”
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 bases family policy on there being innate differences between the sexes and that all children should have the right to both a mother and a father figure, with the family as society's fundamental community.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme bases family policy on there being innate differences between the sexes and that all children should have the right to both a mother and a father figure, with the family as society's fundamental community. Replacing the Family Code's gender-specific terms with a shared parental concept goes against that starting point and against the plan's value-conservative carefulness with established order. The Family Code's terminology is not treated explicitly.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet bygger familjepolitiken på att det finns medfödda skillnader mellan könen och att alla barn bör ha rätt till både en moders- och en fadersgestalt, med familjen som samhällets grundläggande gemenskap. Att ersätta föräldrabalkens könsbestämda begrepp med ett gemensamt förälderbegrepp går emot den utgångspunkten och mot planens värdekonservativa varsamhet med etablerade ordningar. Föräldrabalkens terminologi behandlas inte uttryckligen.
- mother and father in the child's lifedecisive»att alla barn bör ha rätt till både en moders- och en fadersgestalt« (party programme ↗)“that all children should have the right to both a mother and a father figure”
- innate gender differences»medfödda skillnader mellan de flesta män och de flesta kvinnor« (party programme ↗)“innate differences between most men and most women”
- the family as fundamental community»Familjen är den grundläggande gemenskapen i samhället där barnens välmående och trygghet byggs upp och där föräldraskap och familjetid är ovärderlig.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The family is the fundamental community in society where children's well-being and security are built up and where parenthood and family time are invaluable.”
- value-conservative carefulness»varsamhet, eftertanke och långsiktigt ansvarstagande« (party programme ↗)“carefulness, deliberation and long-term responsibility”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:CU7)
- Committee report full text (HC01CU7)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:1017 — Likvärdig myndighetsutövning vid borgerlig vigsel av Kerstin Lundgren (C)
- Motion 2024/25:1078 — Uppföljning av riskbedömningar i vårdnadsmål och utvärdering av barnkonventionens införande av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M)
- Motion 2024/25:1128 — Rätten att själv bestämma över sin kvarlåtenskap av Alexandra Anstrell och Mats Green (båda M)
- Motion 2024/25:1198 — Separerande av vigsel och välsignelse av Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)
- Motion 2024/25:1222 — Införande av registrering av testamenten och framtidsfullmakter av Ingemar Kihlström (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1226 — Testamentsregister av Larry Söder (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1299 — Vårdnadstvister och konsekvenser av Runar Filper (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1334 — Alla barns rätt till ett tryggt familjeliv av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:1389 — Familjerätt av Mikael Eskilandersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1413 — Krafttag mot hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck av Sara Gille m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1414 — Mäns våld mot kvinnor och våld i nära relationer av Michael Rubbestad m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1516 — Situationen kring gode män och förvaltare av Peder Björk och Malin Larsson (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:1522 — Registrering av testamenten av Peter Hedberg och Malin Larsson (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:1618 — Ansvar för barn till föräldrar som förolyckas av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C)
- Motion 2024/25:1657 — Kriminalisering av det ekonomiska våldet av Karin Sundin (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1865 — Ersättning till borgerliga vigselförrättare av Marianne Fundahn (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1903 — Åtgärder för att stoppa mäns våld mot kvinnor och barn av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:2047 — Borgerlig vigselförrättare av Ann-Charlotte Hammar Johnsson och Mats Sander (båda M)
- Motion 2024/25:2048 — Bodelning som drar ut på tiden av Ann-Charlotte Hammar Johnsson (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2284 — Sänkning av åldersgränsen för omyndigas rätt att disponera egna tjänade pengar till 15 år av Mattias Eriksson Falk och Roger Hedlund (båda SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament