2022-11-162022/23:KU7 · p.3KUConstitution
Other bills
Other legislative proposals on foreign espionage (the Penal Code and related acts)
What's at stake: The new legislation would criminalize disclosing secret information that damages Sweden's international cooperation, while giving authorities expanded powers for preventive surveillance and communications-data collection — weighing the protection of sensitive cooperation against citizens' privacy and freedom of expression.
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 new espionage-like offence should be introduced into the Penal Code, together with complementary rules on preventive coercive measures and the collection of electronic communications data, or whether these legislative proposals should be rejected for lack of a sufficiently substantiated criminalization.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee shares the government's assessment that there are gaps in the protection of secret information within international peace- and security-promoting cooperation, and therefore supports the proposed amendments to the Penal Code and the complementary laws on preventive coercive measures and communications-data collection, with some legal-technical adjustments.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 3 (V, MP)
The reservation holds that the government's case for a new criminal offence is inadequately substantiated and therefore wants to reject the amendments to the Penal Code as well as the laws on measures to prevent particularly serious crimes and on the collection of electronic-communications data.
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: adopting the government's legislative proposal.
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 3 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: CCenterpartiet
Ja 270–37Ja 249–58
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: medium | derived |
| S | Yes | Yes 94/0/0/13 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| MP | No | No 0/16/0/2 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
| L | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/2 | match | confidence: medium | explicit |
| KD | Yes | Yes 17/0/0/2 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 60/0/0/8 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| SD | Yes | Yes 64/0/0/9 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag adopts the government's proposals for 1. a law amending the Criminal Code, 2. a law amending the Act (2007:979) on measures to prevent certain particularly serious crimes with the change that Section 1 shall have the wording that the committee proposes in Annex 4, 3. a law amending the Act (2012:278) on obtaining information about electronic communication in the criminal enforcement authorities' intelligence activities with the change that Section 2 shall have the wording that the committee proposes in Annex 4. Thereby the Riksdag grants proposition 2021/22:55 point 3 and partially grants proposition 2021/22:55 points 5 and 6.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen antar regeringens förslag till 1. lag om ändring i brottsbalken, 2. lag om ändring i lagen (2007:979) om åtgärder för att förhindra vissa särskilt allvarliga brott med den ändringen att 1 § ska ha den lydelse som utskottet föreslår i bilaga 4, 3. lag om ändring i lagen (2012:278) om inhämtning av uppgifter om elektronisk kommunikation i de brottsbekämpande myndigheternas underrättelseverksamhet med den ändringen att 2 § ska ha den lydelse som utskottet föreslår i bilaga 4. Därmed bifaller riksdagen proposition 2021/22:55 punkt 3 och bifaller delvis proposition 2021/22:55 punkterna 5 och 6.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said yes to the government's proposals for amendments to law and constitutional amendments. The constitutional amendments are a so-called dormant proposal, which means that the Riksdag has made a decision on that part at an earlier time. The bills mean, among other things, that foreign espionage, serious foreign espionage and serious unauthorized handling of secret information based on foreign espionage are criminalized and incorporated into the Criminal Code. The Riksdag also said yes to the dormant proposal for amendments to the two constitutional laws the Press Freedom Ordinance and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression. The amendments mean, among other things, that foreign espionage as well as the forms of unauthorized handling of secret information and negligence with secret information that are based on foreign espionage also become criminalized as press and freedom of expression crimes. The amendments to the law also involve restrictions on the right to communicate and the right to obtain information, that is the right to communicate and obtain information for publication in constitutionally protected media forms. Since the proposal in certain parts concerns amendments to constitutional laws, it is required that the Riksdag votes in the same way twice and there must be an election between the votes. The first decision on the constitutional proposal was made on 6 April 2022 and then the Riksdag voted yes. After that there has been a Riksdag election. The amendments to the law enter into force on 1 January 2023.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to reject the government's proposals on new criminalization. (V, MP) — 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.
Supplementary rules on preventive coercive measures and collection of communications data are precisely the expanded surveillance and registration that the programme wants to counter, and the party defends everyone's right to a broad private sphere.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
Supplementary rules on preventive coercive measures and collection of communications data are precisely the expanded surveillance and registration that the programme wants to counter, and the party defends everyone's right to a broad private sphere. The plan also rejects special legislation alongside ordinary legal frameworks, which argues for rejecting the new criminalization. Protection of information in international military cooperation does not weigh heavier, as the plan opposes deepened NATO and EU cooperation.
Original (Swedish)
Kompletterande regler om förebyggande tvångsåtgärder och inhämtning av kommunikationsdata är precis den utökade övervakning och registrering som programmet vill motverka, och partiet försvarar allas rätt till en bred privat sfär. Planen avvisar också särlagstiftning vid sidan av ordinarie rättsramar, vilket talar för att avslå den nya kriminaliseringen. Skyddet av uppgifter i internationella militära samarbeten väger inte tyngre, då planen motsätter sig fördjupat Nato- och EU-samarbete.
- counter growing surveillancedecisive»och registrering ska motverkas« (party programme ↗)“and registration shall be countered”
- protection for privacyweak support»Alla människor har rätt till en bred privat sfär« (party programme ↗)“All people have the right to a broad private sphere”
- no to special legislation»avvisar en särskild terroristlagstiftning« (party programme ↗)“rejects special terrorism legislation”
- opposition to military NATO cooperation»Därför är Vänsterpartiet motståndare till Sveriges allt djupare militära samarbete med NATO och EU« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore the Left Party is an opponent of Sweden's ever-deepening military cooperation with NATO and EU”
flags: citat_svagt
The plan identifies espionage, hybrid attacks and cyber attacks as threats requiring a reorientation of Swedish security policy, and wants to strengthen intelligence capability and give police more tools.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan identifies espionage, hybrid attacks and cyber attacks as threats requiring a reorientation of Swedish security policy, and wants to strengthen intelligence capability and give police more tools. A strengthened criminal-law protection of classified information in international peace and security-promoting cooperation, with supplementary rules on preventive coercive measures and collection of communications data, follows from these commitments. The counter-proposal wants to reject precisely these changes and thus deviates from the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen pekar ut spionage, hybridattacker och cyberangrepp som hot som kräver en omläggning av svensk säkerhetspolitik, och vill stärka underrättelseförmågan och ge polisen fler verktyg. Ett stärkt straffrättsligt skydd för hemliga uppgifter i internationella freds- och säkerhetsfrämjande samarbeten, med kompletterande regler om förebyggande tvångsåtgärder och inhämtning av kommunikationsdata, följer av dessa åtaganden. Motförslaget vill avslå just dessa ändringar och avviker därmed från planen.
- protection against espionagedecisive»Vi måste kunna försvara oss militärt, men också mot hybridattacker, spionage och cyberangrepp.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must be able to defend ourselves militarily, but also against hybrid attacks, espionage and cyber attacks.”
- more coercive measures for police»Polisen behöver också fler verktyg, som bättre möjligheter till avlyssning och husrannsakan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The police also need more tools, such as better opportunities for wiretapping and house searches.”
- security cooperation in Nato»Ett svenskt medlemskap i Nato är den bästa vägen för vårt lands säkerhet och Sverige har därför lämnat in sin medlemsansökan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish membership of Nato is the best way for our country's security and Sweden has therefore submitted its application for membership.”
- withstand cyber attacks and disinformation»Arbetet för att stärka förmågan att stå emot cyberattacker och desinformation ska stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work to strengthen the ability to withstand cyber attacks and disinformation must be strengthened.”
The plan rejects laws with disproportionate privacy infringements, and preventive coercive measures and collection of communications data are precisely such.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan rejects laws with disproportionate privacy infringements, and preventive coercive measures and collection of communications data are precisely such. At the same time, the plan wishes to protect and strengthen the principle of public access and messenger freedom and legislate for protection of whistleblowers, which new criminalization of revealing secret information risks pushing back. With weakly grounded basis for criminalization, the plan supports the demand to reject the changes.
Original (Swedish)
Planen avvisar lagar med oproportionerliga integritetsingrepp, och förebyggande tvångsåtgärder och inhämtning av kommunikationsdata är just sådana. Samtidigt vill planen värna och stärka offentlighetsprincipen och meddelarfriheten och lagstifta till skydd för visselblåsare, vilket en ny kriminalisering av att röja hemliga uppgifter riskerar att tränga tillbaka. Med svagt underbyggd grund för kriminaliseringen stöder planen kravet att avslå ändringarna.
- no disproportionate infringementsdecisive»alla lagar som innebär oproportionerliga ingrepp i« (party programme ↗)“all laws that entail disproportionate inroads into”
- messenger freedom protected»Offentlighetsprincipen och meddelarfriheten måste« (party programme ↗)“The principle of public access and messenger freedom must”
- protection for whistleblowers»skyddar så kallade whistleblowers och som gäller« (party programme ↗)“protects so-called whistleblowers and which applies to”
- resistance to increased surveillance»De ökade möjligheterna till övervakning« (party programme ↗)“The increased possibilities for surveillance”
The election manifesto rejects preventive wiretapping as a method and the party programme demands that all legislation is tested for proportionality against personal integrity.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto rejects preventive wiretapping as a method and the party programme demands that all legislation is tested for proportionality against personal integrity. Supplementary laws on preventive coercive measures and collection of communications data are directly affected by this commitment. When the foundation for the new criminalization is not well substantiated, integrity protection takes precedence, and the plan therefore supports rejection.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet avvisar preventiv avlyssning som metod och partiprogrammet kräver att varje lagstiftning proportionalitetsprövas mot den personliga integriteten. Kompletterande lagar om förebyggande tvångsåtgärder och inhämtning av kommunikationsdata träffas direkt av detta åtagande. När grunden för den nya kriminaliseringen inte är underbyggd väger integritetsskyddet över, och planen stöder därför avslag.
- no to preventive coercive measuresdecisive»Vi säger därför nej till visitationszoner, kollektiv bestraffning, omvänd bevisbörda, anonyma vittnen, preventiv avlyssning och inskränkningar av religionsfriheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We therefore say no to search zones, collective punishment, reversed burden of proof, anonymous witnesses, preventive wiretapping and restrictions on freedom of religion.”
- integrity review of legislationweak support»All lagstiftning bör prövas mot dess påverkan på människors personliga integritet.« (party programme ↗)“All legislation should be tested against its impact on people's personal integrity.”
- integrity as cornerstone of democracy»Respekten för den enskildes personliga integritet är en grundsten i varje demokrati.« (party programme ↗)“Respect for the individual's personal integrity is a cornerstone in every democracy.”
- integrity protection in digital sphere»Centerpartiet motsätter sig en ökad reglering av internet.« (party programme ↗)“The Centre Party opposes increased regulation of the internet.”
flags: citat_svagt
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's defining commitment is that secret coercive measures and surveillance shall be able to be used for more crimes than today, and that international cooperation against crime shall be strengthened.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's defining commitment is that secret coercive measures and surveillance shall be able to be used for more crimes than today, and that international cooperation against crime shall be strengthened. The counter-proposal wants to reject both the new criminal legislation and the complementary coercive measures acts, which contradicts this. The requirement that integrity intrusions shall be proportionate qualifies the position but does not reverse it.
Original (Swedish)
Planens bärande åtagande är att hemliga tvångsmedel och inhämtning ska kunna användas vid fler brott än i dag, och att den internationella samverkan mot brott ska stärkas. Motförslaget vill avslå både den nya strafflagstiftningen och de kompletterande tvångsmedelslagarna, vilket strider mot detta. Kravet på att integritetsingrepp ska vara proportionerliga kvalificerar ställningstagandet men vänder det inte.
- secret coercive measures for more crimesdecisive»Avlyssning och andra hemliga tvångsmedel ska kunna användas både vid misstanke om fler brott än i dag och efter domstolsbeslut mot organiserade gängmedlemmar även utan konkret brottsmisstanke.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Interception and other secret coercive measures shall be able to be used both when suspecting more crimes than today and by court order against organized gang members even without concrete criminal suspicion.”
- international cooperation against crime»I ett samhälle med öppnare gränser krävs också starkare internationell samverkan mot brott.« (party programme ↗)“In a society with more open borders, stronger international cooperation against crime is also required.”
- EU as a security policy forum»Europeiska unionen är det främsta forumet för svensk utrikes- och säkerhetspolitik.« (party programme ↗)“The European Union is the foremost forum for Swedish foreign and security policy.”
- protection for integrity»Skyddet för den enskildes integritet ska stärkas.« (party programme ↗)“Protection for individual integrity shall be strengthened.”
The counter-proposal wants to reject both the amendments to the criminal code and the supplementary laws on preventive coercive measures and the obtaining of communications data.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal wants to reject both the amendments to the criminal code and the supplementary laws on preventive coercive measures and the obtaining of communications data. The plan bases criminal policy on respect for the law being maintained firmly and that Sweden shall participate in international security cooperation, which presupposes that secret information in such cooperation can be protected by criminal law. The plan thus speaks against rejection, while it also requires caution with personal integrity.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget vill avslå både strafflagsändringarna och de kompletterande lagarna om förebyggande tvångsåtgärder och inhämtning av kommunikationsdata. Planen bygger rättspolitiken på att respekten för lagarna ska upprätthållas med fasthet och att Sverige ska verka i internationell säkerhetssamverkan, vilket förutsätter att hemliga uppgifter i sådana samarbeten kan skyddas straffrättsligt. Planen talar därmed mot avslag, samtidigt som den kräver försiktighet med den personliga integriteten.
- maintained respect for the lawdecisive»Respekten för lagarna ska därför upprätthållas« (party programme ↗)“Respect for the law shall therefore be maintained”
- international security cooperation»Sveriges säkerhetspolitik ska präglas av samarbete, förutseende och helhetslösningar« (party programme ↗)“Swedish security policy shall be characterised by cooperation, foresight and comprehensive solutions”
- cross-border crime prevention»motverka allvarlig gränsöverskridande brottslighet« (party programme ↗)“prevent serious cross-border criminality”
- privacy protection in information handling»försiktighet och respekt för den personliga integriteten« (party programme ↗)“caution and respect for personal integrity”
The party programme states that the state's hard core must never be negotiable, and the election manifesto wants to strengthen defence intelligence capability, counter hybrid threats and protect security-sensitive activities against espionage from foreign powers.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that the state's hard core must never be negotiable, and the election manifesto wants to strengthen defence intelligence capability, counter hybrid threats and protect security-sensitive activities against espionage from foreign powers. Rejection of the criminal legislation and complementary regulations on preventive coercive measures would leave secret information in international cooperation less well protected. The counter-proposal's demands are therefore rejected.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att statens hårda kärna aldrig får vara förhandlingsbar, och valmanifestet vill stärka försvarsunderrättelseförmågan, motverka hybridhot och skydda säkerhetskänslig verksamhet mot spionage från främmande makt. Ett avslag på strafflagstiftningen och de kompletterande reglerna om förebyggande tvångsåtgärder skulle lämna hemliga uppgifter i internationella samarbeten sämre skyddade. Motförslagets krav avvisas därför.
- protection against espionagedecisive»Ge företag som är engagerade i säkerhetskänslig verksamhet bättre stöd från staten att kunna möta cyberattacker, spionage och stöldförsök från främmande makt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Give companies engaged in security-sensitive activities better support from the state to meet cyberattacks, espionage and theft attempts from foreign powers”
- counter hybrid threats»Införa en handlingsplan med konkreta åtgärder mot hybridhot och cyberattacker« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce an action plan with concrete measures against hybrid threats and cyberattacks”
- strengthened intelligence capability»Stärka försvarsunderrättelseförmågan« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen defence intelligence capability”
- the state's hard core»Statens hårda kärna får aldrig vara förhandlingsbar.« (party programme ↗)“The state's hard core must never be negotiable”
The counter-proposal wants to reject both the new criminal legislation and the supplementary rules on preventive coercive measures and gathering of communication data.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal wants to reject both the new criminal legislation and the supplementary rules on preventive coercive measures and gathering of communication data. The plan instead requires that the justice system is given more effective tools, that procedural obstacles are removed and that Sweden is prepared for a worsened security situation. A rejection would reduce the state's ability to protect national security, which the plan counts among the state's core functions.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget vill avslå både den nya strafflagstiftningen och de kompletterande reglerna om förebyggande tvångsåtgärder och inhämtning av kommunikationsdata. Planen kräver tvärtom att rättsväsendet får mer effektiva verktyg, att processuella hinder undanröjs och att Sverige rustas för ett försämrat säkerhetsläge. Ett avslag skulle minska statens förmåga att skydda nationens säkerhet, som planen räknar till statens kärnuppgifter.
- better tools for the justice systemdecisive»Rättsväsendets samverkan mellan myndigheter och verktyg för att upptäcka och lagföra kriminella ska förbättras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The justice system's cooperation between authorities and tools to detect and prosecute criminals should be improved.”
- gathering of communication data»Åtgärder ska vidtas för att bättre kunna kartlägga gängaktiva genom t.ex. underrättelsearbete och informationsinhämtning, spaning, kameraövervakning och avlyssning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Measures should be taken to better map gang activity through, for example, intelligence work and information gathering, surveillance, camera surveillance and wiretapping.”
- sharpened security situation»Rusta Sverige inför en ny säkerhetspolitisk situation i vårt närområde« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prepare Sweden for a new security situation in our neighbourhood”
- state's core functions»centrala samhällsfunktioner såsom rättsväsende, försvar och väsentliga delar av vår infrastruktur« (party programme ↗)“central state functions such as the justice system, defence and essential parts of our infrastructure”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:KU7)
- Committee report full text (HA01KU7)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Proposition 2021/22:55 — Utlandsspioneri
Source: The Swedish Parliament