The government's bill on doubled penalties for crimes linked to criminal networks and tougher sentencing scales
What's at stake: The proposal raises penalties for a wide range of offenses and introduces a new rule on doubled penalties for offenses linked to criminal networks, making the definition of 'criminal network' and the proof of such a connection decisive for how harshly individuals are affected - not least people who have themselves been exploited in criminal environments. The proposal also means more people can be held in pre-trial detention for 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 the Riksdag should adopt the government's overall bill - with nearly 50 tightened penalty scales, doubled penalties for crimes linked to criminal networks, life imprisonment as a joint sentence for repeated serious offenses, and an expanded presumption for pre-trial detention - or whether the proposal is instead too incoherent and insufficiently worked out to be adopted as designed.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that the Criminal Code and the sanctions system have not undergone a general review since 1989, and that society has changed markedly since then through a pronounced rise in serious violent crime, increasingly influential organized crime, a culture of silence around testifying or talking to the police, and new opportunities to commit crime as a result of globalization and digitalization. Although the humanitarian values behind the 1989 reform should not be abandoned, the committee shares the government's assessment that the current sentencing system in some cases produces outcomes that do not reflect the seriousness of the crime, and therefore approves the government's overall bill.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 2 (MP)
The reservation (MP) has no principled objection to tougher penalties as such, but argues that the increases now proposed are incoherent, insufficient and in several respects directly flawed - an assessment shared by several major consultation bodies and the Council on Legislation, which described the proposal as rushed. The reservers point in particular to the proposal on doubled penalties for offenses linked to criminal networks, which goes further than the original inquiry's proposal and risks being difficult to apply since it is unclear how a 'criminal network' should be defined and such a connection proven in an individual case - something that could disproportionately harm people who have themselves been exploited in criminal environments, not least girls, women and children, and relatively devalue other serious crime such as domestic violence. They also question whether a new rule is even needed and consider the package of nearly fifty tightened penalty scales insufficiently worked out.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
V–
S–
MP–
C–
L–
KD–
M–
SD–
YesNoAbstainAbsent
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: adopting the government's legislative proposal and rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 2 by MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The plan's stance / Actual vote
AI
Vote
Confidence
Evidence
V
–
Yes 19/1/0/1
S
–
Yes 105/0/0/1
MPown reservation
–
No 0/18/0/0
C
–
Abstain 0/0/24/0
L
–
Yes 16/0/0/0
KD
–
Yes 19/0/0/0
M
–
Yes 66/0/0/0
SD
–
Yes 70/0/0/0
Broke with the party line
VJessica Wetterling(V, Västra Götalands läns västra)
No — party line: Yes
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
The Riksdag adopts the Government's proposals for
1. Act amending the Penal Code,
2. Act amending the Code of Judicial Procedure,
3. Act amending the Tax Offences Act (1971:69),
4. Act amending the Act (2000:1225) on penalties for smuggling,
5. Act amending the Bribery Offences Act (2007:612),
6. Act amending the Act (2014:307) on penalties for money laundering offences,
7. Act amending the Act (2016:1307) on penalties for market abuse on the securities market,
8. Act amending the Subsidy Offences Act (2025:1267).
Thereby, the Riksdag approves Government Bill 2025/26:218 points 1-8 and rejects the motions
2025/26:3027 by Noria Manouchi (M) requests 3, 5 and 6,
2025/26:3229 by Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M),
2025/26:3586 by Teresa Carvalho et al. (S) request 16,
2025/26:4111 by Ulrika Liljeberg et al. (C) requests 3 and 4,
2025/26:4114 by Ulrika Westerlund et al. (MP) request 1 and
2025/26:4121 by Lorena Delgado Varas et al. (-).
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen antar regeringens förslag till
1. lag om ändring i brottsbalken,
2. lag om ändring i rättegångsbalken,
3. lag om ändring i skattebrottslagen (1971:69),
4. lag om ändring i lagen (2000:1225) om straff för smuggling,
5. lag om ändring i bidragsbrottslagen (2007:612),
6. lag om ändring i lagen (2014:307) om straff för penningtvättsbrott,
7. lag om ändring i lagen (2016:1307) om straff för marknadsmissbruk på värdepappersmarknaden,
8. lag om ändring i subventionsbrottslagen (2025:1267).
Därmed bifaller riksdagen proposition 2025/26:218 punkterna 1-8 och avslår motionerna
2025/26:3027 av Noria Manouchi (M) yrkandena 3, 5 och 6,
2025/26:3229 av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M),
2025/26:3586 av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S) yrkande 16,
2025/26:4111 av Ulrika Liljeberg m.fl. (C) yrkandena 3 och 4,
2025/26:4114 av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP) yrkande 1 och
2025/26:4121 av Lorena Delgado Varas m.fl. (-).
Riksdag decision: The Government wants penalties in a better way to reflect the seriousness of the crime, for the victims' perspective to have greater influence and for public safety to be improved. The Riksdag approved the Government's proposal.
The proposal means that
the ten-year limit for time-limited sentences is removed
nearly 50 criminal penalty scales are enhanced
a new regulation of the combined penalty scale in cases of multiple offences is introduced which means that the highest sentence that can be imposed is the highest maximum sentence doubled
life imprisonment can be imposed as a joint sentence for certain serious cases of repeated violent and sexual crimes
a new sentence enhancement provision is introduced which aims at all crimes that are connected to criminal networks
the conditions for detention are expanded to include the crimes of gross violation of a woman's integrity, gross violation of integrity and honor-based oppression.
The legislative amendments enter into force on 1 August 2026.
Counter-proposals
The counter-proposal wants not to implement the extensive penalty increases the government proposes, particularly doubling sentences for crimes in criminal networks and life sentences for repeated serious violent or sexual crimes. (MP) — Reservation 2
Motion 2025/26:3586 — Utgiftsområde 4 Rättsväsendet av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S)
Motion 2025/26:4111 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:218 Dubbla straff för brott i kriminella nätverk och skärpta straffskalor av Ulrika Liljeberg m.fl. (C)
Motion 2025/26:4114 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:218 Dubbla straff för brott i kriminella nätverk och skärpta straffskalor av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
Motion 2025/26:4119 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:218 Dubbla straff för brott i kriminella nätverk och skärpta straffskalor av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
Motion 2025/26:4121 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:218 Dubbla straff för brott i kriminella nätverk och skärpta straffskalor av Lorena Delgado Varas m.fl. (-)
Proposition 2025/26:218 — Dubbla straff för brott i kriminella nätverk och skärpta straffskalor