2023-03-292022/23:KU18 · p.10KUConstitution
Investigation of the opposition's position
Inquiry into the position of the opposition in legislative work
What's at stake: Today, much of the division of power between the majority and the opposition in parliament is governed by unwritten practice rather than law, which gives flexibility but also leaves the arrangement vulnerable if political polarization increases or the practice stops being respected.
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 a cross-party committee should be set up to examine and formalize the position of the opposition in legislative work - for example how chairing positions are allocated - or whether today's arrangement, which rests on practice between the parties, should be kept.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motion calling for an inquiry into the position of the opposition in legislative work, and currently sees no grounds for taking any initiative for such a review.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 3 (C)
The reserving party (C) wants a cross-party committee to be set up to review decision-making in parliament and put today's practice into law, arguing that relying too heavily on unwritten practice is risky - in some countries polarization has caused such practice to break down, and in others the governing party has exploited the lack of legislation to silence the opposition; the committee should among other things propose how chairing positions can be allocated with respect for the opposition.
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 3 by C.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | Yes 93/0/0/14 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 15/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| C | No | No 0/21/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: high | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 59/0/0/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 64/0/0/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects motion 2022/23:1882 by Malin Björk et al. (C) amendment 4.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2022/23:1882 av Malin Björk m.fl. (C) yrkande 4.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected 18 proposals concerning the Riksdag's working procedures. The proposals were submitted during the general motion period in 2022. The motions address issues including the opening of the Riksdag, the right to submit motions, and members of parliament's economic conditions. The Riksdag issued a formal request (tillkännagivande) to the Riksdag Board. The request concerns the Riksdag Board establishing an investigation to review the matter of the government's consultation with the EU Committee regarding the EU's A-items. At meetings of the European Council, there are A-items and B-items on the agenda. A-items are characterized by the possibility of an agreement being reached without debate, while B-items require discussion among member states. The Riksdag's parliamentary EU Committee has previously noted that consultation in the Riksdag regarding A-items could be improved.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to provide greater opportunities to combine parliamentary work with work in the constituency and family life. (C) — Reservation 3
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 makes the right to organize opposition and scrutinize those in power one of democracy's indispensable building blocks that shall be defended, strengthened and deepened, and the fundamental laws shall protect democracy.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme makes the right to organize opposition and scrutinize those in power one of democracy's indispensable building blocks that shall be defended, strengthened and deepened, and the fundamental laws shall protect democracy. For a parliamentary committee to review decision-making and codify practices that protect the opposition is a way to make this less dependent on temporary majorities. The plan does not express itself on this committee, which is why the conclusion is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet gör rätten att organisera opposition och granska makthavarna till en av demokratins omistliga byggstenar som ska försvaras, stärkas och fördjupas, och grundlagarna ska värna demokratin. Att en parlamentarisk kommitté ser över beslutsfattandet och lagfäster praxis som skyddar oppositionen är ett sätt att göra just detta mindre beroende av tillfälliga majoriteter. Planen uttalar sig inte om denna kommitté, varför slutsatsen härleds.
- right to organize oppositiondecisive»rätten att organisera opposition« (party programme ↗)“the right to organize opposition”
- deepened democracy»Den rätten ska försvaras, stärkas och fördjupas.« (party programme ↗)“That right shall be defended, strengthened and deepened.”
- fundamental law protecting democracy»Grundlagarna ska värna demokratin och människors rättigheter« (party programme ↗)“The fundamental laws shall protect democracy and people's rights”
- defend democratic achievements»Vänsterpartiet försvarar de demokratiska landvinningar« (party programme ↗)“The Left Party defends the democratic achievements”
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 programme requires that conflicts be resolved in democratic forms and that the democratic process be built on openness and transparency, and the election manifesto shows a will to entrench democratic safeguards in law by constitutionally protecting public broadcasting.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The programme requires that conflicts be resolved in democratic forms and that the democratic process be built on openness and transparency, and the election manifesto shows a will to entrench democratic safeguards in law by constitutionally protecting public broadcasting. That speaks for the counter-proposal's demand for a parliamentary committee to review the balance of power between majority and opposition. The matter is not as such addressed in the documents, so certainty is low.
Original (Swedish)
Programmet kräver att motsättningar löses i demokratiska former och att den demokratiska processen bygger på offentlighet och insyn, och valmanifestet visar en vilja att befästa demokratiska skyddsvärden i lag genom att grundlagsskydda public service. Det talar för motförslagets krav på en parlamentarisk kommitté som ser över maktbalansen mellan majoritet och opposition. Frågan behandlas inte som sådan i dokumenten, varför säkerheten är låg.
- conflicts in democratic formsdecisive»kräver av alla en beredskap att lösa motsättningarna i just demokratiska former.« (party programme ↗)“requires of everyone a readiness to resolve the conflicts in precisely democratic forms.”
- legally enshrined democratic protection»Vi vill grundlagsskydda public service.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to constitutionally protect public broadcasting.”
- openness and transparency»Den demokratiska processen och samhällsförvaltningen måste bygga på offentlighet och« (party programme ↗)“The democratic process and public administration must be built on openness and”
- protect representative democracy»Den representativa demokratin är det mest effektiva demokratiska beslutssystemet.« (party programme ↗)“Representative democracy is the most effective democratic decision system.”
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 the opposition's position, but the election manifesto wishes to protect the constitution against rapid changes and the party programme is built on a democracy with active citizens where power can always be scrutinized.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address the opposition's position, but the election manifesto wishes to protect the constitution against rapid changes and the party programme is built on a democracy with active citizens where power can always be scrutinized. Seeing over and formalizing the rules of the game between majority and opposition in a parliamentary committee precisely protects these institutional safeguards. The demand is therefore supported, with low confidence since the plan only provides the principle.
Original (Swedish)
Planen tar inte upp oppositionens ställning, men valmanifestet vill skydda grundlagen mot snabba förändringar och partiprogrammet bygger på en demokrati med aktiva medborgare där makten alltid ska kunna granskas. Att i en parlamentarisk kommitté se över och formalisera spelreglerna mellan majoritet och opposition värnar just dessa institutionella skydd. Kravet stöds därför, med låg säkerhet eftersom planen bara ger principen.
- protect the constitutiondecisive»skydda Sveriges grundlag mot snabba förändringar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect Sweden's constitution against rapid changes.”
- scrutiny of power»kunna granska makten. Alla former av korruption« (party programme ↗)“be able to scrutinize power. All forms of corruption”
- participatory democracy»Vi tror på en demokrati med aktiva och delaktiga« (party programme ↗)“We believe in a democracy with active and participating”
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 demands that the opposition's position in the Riksdag is protected, that it becomes harder to amend the constitution and that the courts' independence is strengthened.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly demands that the opposition's position in the Riksdag is protected, that it becomes harder to amend the constitution and that the courts' independence is strengthened. A parliamentary committee that formalizes practice for decision-making is precisely such an institutional safeguard. The plan also states that the democratic institutions should remain strong regardless of political governance and that liberal democracy must be cared for and further developed.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver uttryckligen att oppositionens ställning i riksdagen skyddas, att det blir svårare att ändra grundlagen och att domstolarnas oberoende stärks. En parlamentarisk kommitté som formaliserar praxis för beslutsfattandet är just ett sådant institutionellt skydd. Planen slår också fast att de demokratiska institutionerna ska stå starka oavsett politiskt styre och att den liberala demokratin måste vårdas och vidareutvecklas.
- protect the opposition's positiondecisive»Vi vill göra det svårare att ändra grundlagen, skydda oppositionens ställning i riksdagen och stärka domstolarnas oberoende.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to make it harder to amend the constitution, protect the opposition's position in the Riksdag and strengthen the courts' independence.”
- institutions regardless of governance»Våra demokratiska institutioner och principer — oberoende domstolar, äganderätten, den fria pressen, likheten inför lagen och många fler — ska stå starka oavsett politiskt styre.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our democratic institutions and principles — independent courts, property rights, free press, equality before law and many more — should remain strong regardless of political governance.”
- nurture liberal democracy»Den liberala demokratin får aldrig tas för given. Den ska vårdas, värnas och vidareutvecklas — idag och för kommande generationer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Liberal democracy must never be taken for granted. It shall be cared for, protected and further developed — today and for coming generations.”
The election manifesto demands strengthened constitutional protection for the democratic system of government, increased judicial independence and a constitutional court, and the party programme stipulates that constitutional protection for democracy shall be strong and that legal security needs to be strengthened.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto demands strengthened constitutional protection for the democratic system of government, increased judicial independence and a constitutional court, and the party programme stipulates that constitutional protection for democracy shall be strong and that legal security needs to be strengthened. Formalizing today's practice in law and protecting the opposition's status is the same kind of protection against majoritarian abuse. The plan does not mention the opposition's formal status, which is why the support is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver ett förstärkt grundlagsskydd för det demokratiska statsskicket, ökat domstolsoberoende och en författningsdomstol, och partiprogrammet slår fast att grundlagsskyddet för demokratin ska vara starkt och att rättssäkerheten behöver förstärkas. Att formalisera dagens praxis i lag och skydda oppositionens ställning är samma slags skydd mot majoritetsmissbruk. Planen nämner inte oppositionens formella ställning, varför stödet är härlett.
- strengthened constitutional protectiondecisive»Vi vill se ett förstärkt grundlagsskydd för vårt demokratiska statsskick, öka domstolarnas oberoende och verka för en författningsdomstol som ska kunna häva lagar eller bestämmelser som strider mot grundlagsskyddade fri- och rättigheter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to see strengthened constitutional protection for our democratic system of government, increase judicial independence and work for a constitutional court that shall be able to overturn laws or provisions that conflict with constitutionally protected freedoms and rights.”
- strong constitutional protection»Grundlagsskyddet för demokratin och de individuella fri- och rättigheterna ska vara starkt.« (party programme ↗)“Constitutional protection for democracy and individual freedoms and rights shall be strong.”
- strengthened legal security»Rättssäkerheten och skyddet för de medborgerliga fri- och rättigheterna behöver förstärkas.« (party programme ↗)“Legal security and protection for civil freedoms and rights need to be strengthened.”
- democracy must be won anew»Varje generation behöver på nytt erövra demokratin.« (party programme ↗)“Each generation needs to conquer democracy anew.”
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 imperfection doctrine means according to the plan that too much power must not be vested in a single party and that majority decisions can oppress a minority, which is why the boundaries between centres of power shall be clarified in the constitution and effective means against abuse of power exist.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The imperfection doctrine means according to the plan that too much power must not be vested in a single party and that majority decisions can oppress a minority, which is why the boundaries between centres of power shall be clarified in the constitution and effective means against abuse of power exist. A parliamentary committee that formalises practice and safeguards the position of the opposition answers to this. The plan does not mention the position of the opposition particularly.
Original (Swedish)
Ofullkomlighetstanken innebär enligt planen att för mycket makt inte får läggas i ett enskilt partis händer och att majoritetsbeslut kan förtrycka en minoritet, varför gränserna mellan maktcentra ska tydliggöras i grundlagen och effektiva medel mot maktmissbruk finnas. En parlamentarisk kommitté som formaliserar praxis och värnar oppositionens ställning svarar mot detta. Planen nämner inte oppositionens ställning särskilt.
- separation of powers against power concentrationdecisive»makt inte får läggas i en enskild människas, grupps eller partis händer« (party programme ↗)“power must not be vested in a single person, group or party”
- protection against majority tyranny»med majoritetsbeslut kan också en minoritet förtryckas« (party programme ↗)“majority decisions can also oppress a minority”
- separation of powers in the constitution»mellan dessa maktcentra ska tydliggöras i grundlagen.« (party programme ↗)“between these centres of power shall be clarified in the constitution.”
- consensus over confrontation»Sökandet efter samförstånd« (party programme ↗)“The search for consensus”
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 states that democracy's foundations need to be strengthened, that the majority must never do what it wants against the minority and that there are major needs to reinforce the separation of powers and clarify responsibility for public decisions.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that democracy's foundations need to be strengthened, that the majority must never do what it wants against the minority and that there are major needs to reinforce the separation of powers and clarify responsibility for public decisions. A parliamentary committee that reviews how decision-making is distributed between majority and opposition and formalizes practice serves precisely this purpose. The plan does not mention such a committee, but the direction has support.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att demokratins grundvalar behöver stärkas, att majoriteten aldrig får göra vad den vill mot minoriteten och att det finns stora behov av att förstärka maktdelningen och tydliggöra ansvaret för offentliga beslut. En parlamentarisk kommitté som ser över hur beslutsfattandet fördelas mellan majoritet och opposition och formaliserar praxis tjänar just detta syfte. Planen nämner inte en sådan kommitté, men riktningen har stöd.
- protection of minoritiesdecisive»Majoriteten får aldrig göra vad den vill mot minoriteten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The majority must never do what it wants against the minority”
- strengthened separation of powers»Vi ser stora behov av att förstärka domstolarnas oberoende och förtydliga hur ansvar kan utkrävas för offentliga beslut.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We see major needs to strengthen the courts' independence and clarify how responsibility can be demanded for public decisions”
- strengthened democratic foundations»Demokratins grundvalar behöver stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Democracy's foundations need to be strengthened”
- genuine separation of powers»medborgarnas fri- och rättigheter, verklig maktdelning« (party programme ↗)“citizens' freedoms and rights, genuine separation of powers”
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 to strengthen the principles of the rule of law through increased separation of powers, strengthened constitutional review and a stronger position for the Council on Legislation, and increase transparency and the possibility of holding politicians accountable.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to strengthen the principles of the rule of law through increased separation of powers, strengthened constitutional review and a stronger position for the Council on Legislation, and increase transparency and the possibility of holding politicians accountable. A parliamentary committee that reviews how decision-making is distributed between majority and opposition and formalizes practice in law is a means for the same thing. The demand is therefore supported.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill stärka de rättsstatliga principerna genom ökade inslag av maktdelning, stärkt normprövning och en starkare ställning för Lagrådet, samt öka transparensen och möjligheten till politiskt ansvarsutkrävande. En parlamentarisk kommitté som ser över hur beslutsfattandet fördelas mellan majoritet och opposition och formaliserar praxis i lag är ett medel för samma sak. Kravet stöds därför.
- increased separation of powersdecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill stärka de rättsstatliga principerna i den svenska förvaltningsmodellen genom ökade inslag av maktdelning och ett stärkt oberoende av domstolsväsendet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to strengthen the principles of the rule of law in the Swedish administrative model through increased separation of powers and a strengthened independence of the judiciary.”
- protection against majority abuse»Lagrådets ställning bör stärkas genom att utreda möjligheten att fordra kvalificerad majoritet i riksdagen vid antaganden av lagförslag om vilka Lagrådet riktat kritik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The position of the Council on Legislation should be strengthened by investigating the possibility of requiring a qualified majority in the Riksdag when adopting legislative proposals which the Council on Legislation has criticized.”
- transparency and accountability»Tjänstemannaansvar ska införas och åtgärder ska genomföras för att öka transparensen och möjligheten att utkräva politiskt ansvarsutkrävande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Official responsibility should be introduced and measures should be taken to increase transparency and the possibility of holding politicians accountable.”
- strengthened constitutional review»Öka möjligheten till normprövning i grundlagen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase the possibility of constitutional review in the Constitution”
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:KU18)
- Committee report full text (HA01KU18)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1080 — Återinförande av riksdagens öppnande i Rikssalen av Camilla Brunsberg (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1250 — Riksdagsledamöternas arvoden av Jessica Wetterling m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1266 — Förtroendevaldas närvaro och arvodessystemet av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1267 — Ökad transparens i utskott och tydliggörande av handlingar av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1478 — Skapa en utställning av Petter Löberg (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1553 — Missbruk av förtroendevaldas ersättningar av Gustaf Lantz och Petter Löberg (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1691 — Övernattningsbostad och straffavgifter av Cecilia Rönn (L)
- Motion 2022/23:177 — Riksmötets öppnande i Rikssalen av Björn Söder (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:178 — Villa Bonnier som talmansbostad av Björn Söder (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:179 — Ändrad placering av ledamöter i plenisalen av Björn Söder (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1882 — En starkare liberal demokrati av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1990 — Svenskt kött och svenska livsmedel i riksdagens restauranger av Malin Larsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2161 — Riksdagsledamöternas övernattningslägenheter av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2022/23:2227 — Hörselskadade och riksdagen av Eric Palmqvist (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:297 — Samordning av villkor för statsråd och riksdagsledamöter av Jan Ericson (M)
- Motion 2022/23:802 — Avskaffande av den allmänna motionstiden av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli (S)
Source: The Swedish Parliament