2025-04-092024/25:KU25 · p.15KUConstitution
Foreign Financing of Religious Activities
What's at stake: The outcome affects how quickly an inquiry into foreign financing of religious communities and other organisations comes about, which matters for the ability to counter links to extremism and islamism within civil society.
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 call on the government to swiftly set up an inquiry into foreign financing of religious activities, or whether the ongoing work within the Government Offices is sufficient without such a call.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that the Agency for Support to Faith Communities has already carried out a preliminary study and that the Government Offices are working on drafting terms of reference for an inquiry into foreign financing of religious activities. The committee therefore sees no reason for any further action, and the Riksdag rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 12 (S)
The reservation (S) welcomes an inquiry into foreign financing of faith communities and calls on the government to swiftly set one up. The reasoning is that the Agency for Support to Faith Communities already reported its preliminary study in early 2023, but the government has still not commissioned the announced inquiry into, among other things, a ban on foreign financing of faith communities and other organisations linked to islamism and extremism.
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 12 by S.
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: LLiberalerna, SDSverigedemokraterna
Ja 203–94Nej 128–169
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.
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 | Yes | Yes 20/0/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/13 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| C | Yes | Yes 19/0/0/5 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | departs from the planagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | departs from the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 62/0/0/10 | departs from the planagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2024/25:232 by Richard Jomshof (SD) requests 1 and 2, 2024/25:1181 by Christian Carlsson (KD) request 1, and 2024/25:3110 by Lawen Redar et al. (S) request 52.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2024/25:232 av Richard Jomshof (SD) yrkandena 1 och 2, 2024/25:1181 av Christian Carlsson (KD) yrkande 1 och 2024/25:3110 av Lawen Redar m.fl. (S) yrkande 52.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 50 proposals concerning freedoms and rights that were submitted in motions during the general motion period 2024. The Riksdag points in particular to previous and ongoing work in the matters that the proposals address. The proposals address in particular the right to court review, constitutional protection of abortion rights, revocation of citizenship, discrimination, and faith communities' security and safety work.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to investigate freedom of association in relation to racist organizations. (S) — Reservation 12
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 guarantees freedom of religion and counts freedom of association among democracy's most important building blocks.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan guarantees freedom of religion and counts freedom of association among democracy's most important building blocks. An investigation that explicitly aims at banning foreign financing of religious communities with links to Islamism is the kind of targeting of Muslims that the plan warns against and describes as strategic racism. The plan instead defends all people's opportunities against forces that want to shut someone out.
Original (Swedish)
Planen garanterar religionsfriheten och räknar föreningsfriheten till demokratins viktigaste byggstenar. En utredning som uttalat siktar på förbud mot utländsk finansiering av trossamfund med kopplingar till islamism är den sorts utpekande av muslimer som planen varnar för och beskriver som strategisk rasism. Planen försvarar i stället alla människors möjligheter mot krafter som vill stänga någon ute.
- guaranteed freedom of religiondecisive»Religionsfriheten ska garanteras och staten ska vara sekulär« (party programme ↗)“Freedom of religion shall be guaranteed and the state shall be secular”
- freedom of association as a building block»Några av den politiska demokratins viktigaste byggstenar är föreningsfriheten, yttrande- och tryckfriheten« (party programme ↗)“Some of the political democracy's most important building blocks are freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom of the press”
- against strategic racism»Strategisk rasism har länge varit en del av högerns retoriska och politiska verktygslåda.« (party programme ↗)“Strategic racism has long been part of the right's rhetorical and political toolkit.”
- protection against targeting»oavsett om det just den här gången handlar om sjukskrivna, muslimer eller transpersoner.« (party programme ↗)“regardless of whether it this time is about sick leave, Muslims or transgender people.”
The plan is prepared to limit religious influence in the public sphere, among other things through a ban on new religious independent schools, and the party programme requires open disclosure of contributions from external organizations and that democracy be protected against non-democratic groups.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan is prepared to limit religious influence in the public sphere, among other things through a ban on new religious independent schools, and the party programme requires open disclosure of contributions from external organizations and that democracy be protected against non-democratic groups. Promptly establishing an investigation into foreign funding of faith communities is in line with this. At the same time, civil society's freedom is a guiding principle, which makes the assessment uncertain.
Original (Swedish)
Planen är beredd att begränsa religiös påverkan i det offentliga, bland annat genom förbud mot nya religiösa friskolor, och partiprogrammet kräver öppen redovisning av bidrag från utomstående organisationer samt att demokratin värnas mot ickedemokratiska grupper. Att skyndsamt tillsätta en utredning om utländsk finansiering av trossamfund ligger i linje med detta. Samtidigt är civilsamhällets frihet en bärande princip, vilket gör bedömningen osäker.
- limit religious influencedecisive»Därför vill vi förbjuda nya religiösa friskolor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That is why we want to ban new religious independent schools.”
- openness about funding»Partierna ska vara skyldiga att öppet redovisa de bidrag de erhåller från utomstående« (party programme ↗)“The parties shall be obliged to openly disclose contributions they receive from external”
- protect democracy against extremism»Demokratin undergrävs när rasistiska och andra ickedemokratiska grupper sprider sitt hat« (party programme ↗)“Democracy is undermined when racist and other non-democratic groups spread their hatred”
- free civil society»Ett starkt och levande civilsamhälle är demokratins underbyggnad.« (party programme ↗)“A strong and vibrant civil society is the foundation of democracy.”
The plan states that everyone shall have the right to practise their faith and that all discrimination shall be countered, with equal rights regardless of religion.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that everyone shall have the right to practise their faith and that all discrimination shall be countered, with equal rights regardless of religion. An inquiry whose stated purpose is a ban on foreign financing of religious communities with links to Islamism points out religious communities as a group and stands in tension with this. The plan does want to counter extremism, but the position is derived and uncertain.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att alla ska ha rätt att utöva sin tro och att all diskriminering ska motverkas, med lika rättigheter oavsett religion. En utredning vars uttalade syfte är ett förbud mot utländsk finansiering av trossamfund med kopplingar till islamism pekar ut religiösa samfund som grupp och står i spänning med detta. Planen vill visserligen motverka extremism, men ställningstagandet är härlett och osäkert.
- freedom of religiondecisive»Alla ska ha rätt att utöva sin« (party programme ↗)“Everyone shall have the right to practise their”
- counter discrimination»All diskriminering ska motverkas.« (party programme ↗)“All discrimination shall be countered.”
- equal rights regardless of religion»Alla ska åtnjuta lika rättigheter och möjligheter« (party programme ↗)“Everyone shall enjoy equal rights and opportunities”
- counter extremism»Vi arbetar kraftfullt mot rasism och fascism.« (party programme ↗)“We work powerfully against racism and fascism.”
The plan explicitly says no to restrictions on religious freedom and wants instead to strengthen protection for persons active in religious organizations.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly says no to restrictions on religious freedom and wants instead to strengthen protection for persons active in religious organizations. The counter-proposal wants to speed up an investigation which, among other things, shall examine a ban on foreign financing of religious organizations, which is aimed at the organizations' activities as such. The plan's tightening of financing rules applies to political parties, not religious organizations. Therefore the plan rejects the demand.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger uttryckligen nej till inskränkningar av religionsfriheten och vill i stället stärka skyddet för personer verksamma i religiösa samfund. Motförslaget vill skynda på en utredning som bland annat ska pröva ett förbud mot utländsk finansiering av trossamfund, vilket riktas mot samfundens verksamhet som sådan. Planens skärpning av finansieringsregler gäller de politiska partierna, inte trossamfunden. Därför avvisar planen kravet.
- no to restricted religious freedomdecisive»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 surveillance and restrictions on religious freedom.”
- protection for religious organizations»Vi ska stärka skyddet för personer verksamma bland annat i media, religiösa samfund och offentlig förvaltning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall strengthen protection for persons active in, among others, media, religious organizations and public administration.”
- financing rules for parties»Reglerna för finansiering av politiska partier bör skärpas och deras motståndskraft mot yttre påverkan och infiltration rustas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Rules for financing of political parties should be tightened and their resilience against external influence and infiltration strengthened.”
The election manifesto explicitly promises to stop hidden financing of religious congregations so they do not become tools for extremist forces.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly promises to stop hidden financing of religious congregations so they do not become tools for extremist forces. A prompt investigation into foreign financing of religious congregations is exactly the instrument needed to fulfil that promise. The plan also establishes that no tax funds shall go to activities that oppose democracy, while the congregations' own role in civil society is valued.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar uttryckligen att stoppa dold finansiering av trossamfund så att de inte blir verktyg för extremistiska krafter. En skyndsam utredning om utländsk finansiering av trossamfund är just det instrument som krävs för att infria det löftet. Planen slår också fast att inga skattemedel ska gå till verksamheter som motarbetar demokratin, samtidigt som trossamfundens egen roll i civilsamhället värnas.
- stop hidden financing of religious congregationsdecisive»Vi vill både stärka uppföljningen av bidragsgivning och stoppa dold finansiering av trossamfund så att de inte blir verktyg för extremistiska krafter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to both strengthen the follow-up of grant-giving and stop hidden financing of religious congregations so they do not become tools for extremist forces.”
- counter Islamist separatism»Islamister och kriminella klaner spär på segregationen och hotar sammanhållningen i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Islamists and criminal gangs reinforce segregation and threaten cohesion in Sweden.”
- no tax funds to anti-democrats»Inga skattemedel ska gå till verksamheter som vill förändra det demokratiska samhället med våld« (party programme ↗)“No tax funds shall go to activities that want to change the democratic society through violence”
- congregations' role valued»Trossamfunden är en central del av det civila samhället.« (party programme ↗)“Religious congregations are a central part of civil society.”
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 election manifesto states that Islamist extremists have a decisive impact on community life in certain areas, which supports the requirement that the investigation into foreign financing be set up urgently.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto states that Islamist extremists have a decisive impact on community life in certain areas, which supports the requirement that the investigation into foreign financing be set up urgently. The party programme at the same time conditions public support to religious communities with the activity being in accordance with human dignity, and religious freedom may never be used to injure others. An investigation thus does not conflict with communities' freedom from state control.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att islamistiska extremister har avgörande påverkan på samhällslivet i vissa områden, vilket bär kravet på att utredningen om utländsk finansiering skyndsamt tillsätts. Partiprogrammet villkorar samtidigt offentligt stöd till trossamfund med att verksamheten står i överensstämmelse med människovärdesprincipen, och religionsfriheten får aldrig användas för att kränka andra. En utredning strider därför inte mot samfundens frihet från statlig styrning.
- counter Islamist extremismdecisive»Det finns också områden där islamistiska extremister har en avgörande påverkan på samhällslivet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“There are also areas where Islamist extremists have a decisive impact on community life.”
- conditional community support»Stöd ska därför utgå till de trossamfund som bedriver« (party programme ↗)“Support shall therefore go to those religious communities that conduct”
- limits on religious freedom»i trons namn kränker andra människor.« (party programme ↗)“in the name of religion injure other people.”
- communities' freedom»Det innebär att religiösa samfund ska ges goda möjligheter att verka och utvecklas i« (party programme ↗)“That means that religious communities shall be given good opportunities to operate and develop in”
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 counter-proposal demands that the investigation into foreign financing of religious communities, among other things with links to Islamism and extremism, swiftly takes place.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal demands that the investigation into foreign financing of religious communities, among other things with links to Islamism and extremism, swiftly takes place. The plan commits to stopping payments of public funds to extremists and to organisations that do not share society's fundamental democratic values, and to strengthening democracy's protection against violent extremism. The plan therefore supports the requirement.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget kräver att utredningen om utländsk finansiering av trossamfund, bland annat med kopplingar till islamism och extremism, skyndsamt kommer till stånd. Planen åtar sig att stoppa utbetalningar av skattemedel till extremister och till organisationer som inte delar samhällets grundläggande demokratiska värderingar, och att stärka demokratins skydd mot våldsbejakande extremism. Planen stöder därför kravet.
- no public funds to extremismdecisive»Stoppa utbetalningar av skattepengar till organisationer som inte delar det svenska samhällets grundläggande demokratiska värderingar utan som hotar människors frihet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop payments of public money to organisations that do not share Swedish society's fundamental democratic values but which threaten people's freedom”
- stop extremist financing»Stoppa utbetalningar av skattemedel till extremister« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop payments of public funds to extremists”
- protect democracy»Vi måste också stärka demokratins skydd mot våldsbejakande extremism och andra kriminella hot.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must also strengthen democracy's protection against violent extremism and other criminal threats”
- strengthened security service»Stärka Säkerhetspolisen för att öka deras förmåga att skydda den liberala demokratin och landets alla medborgare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the Security Police to increase their ability to protect liberal democracy and the country's all citizens”
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 wishes to prevent foreign financing of extremist religious communities and organizations and states that mosques and other communities that work for extremism shall neither receive public grants nor funds from foreign regimes.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly wishes to prevent foreign financing of extremist religious communities and organizations and states that mosques and other communities that work for extremism shall neither receive public grants nor funds from foreign regimes. The counter-proposal's requirement for a prompt investigation into a ban on foreign financing of religious communities with links to Islamism follows directly from this. The plan also requires that Islamism is combated and that grants to extremist organizations are stopped.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill uttryckligen hindra utländsk finansiering av extremistiska trossamfund och organisationer och slår fast att moskéer och andra samfund som verkar för extremism varken ska få offentliga bidrag eller medel från utländska regimer. Motförslagets krav på en skyndsam utredning om förbud mot utländsk finansiering av trossamfund med kopplingar till islamism följer direkt av detta. Planen kräver också att islamismen bekämpas och att bidrag till extremistiska organisationer stoppas.
- stoppad utländsk finansieringdecisive»Hindra utländsk finansiering av extremistiska trossamfund och organisationer« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prevent foreign financing of extremist religious communities and organizations”
- inga bidrag till extremism»Moskéer och andra trossamfund eller organisationer som verkar för extremism ska vare sig få bidrag från det offentliga eller utländska regimer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Mosques and other religious communities or organizations that work for extremism shall neither receive grants from the state nor foreign regimes.”
- bekämpa islamism»Bekämpa islamism« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Combat Islamism”
- stoppade bidrag i civilsamhället»Stoppa bidrag till extremistiska idéorganisationer inom civilsamhället« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop grants to extremist ideological organizations within civil society”
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.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:KU25)
- Committee report full text (HC01KU25)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:1173 — Dubbelt medborgarskap av Larry Söder (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1180 — Förbud mot offentliga böneutrop av Christian Carlsson (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1181 — Att motverka islamistisk terror av Christian Carlsson (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1375 — Grundlag av Matheus Enholm m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1379 — Kommunpolitik av Matheus Enholm m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1380 — En behövlig myndighetsöversyn av Matheus Enholm m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:139 — Utredning om kristofobi av Hans Eklind (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1413 — Krafttag mot hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck av Sara Gille m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1416 — Trossamfundsfrågor av Alexander Christiansson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1444 — Förutsättningar för en grundskola i världsklass av Patrick Reslow m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1448 — En förskola i världsklass av Patrick Reslow m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:170 — Handlingsplan för att motverka förföljelse av kristna av Magnus Jacobsson (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1728 — Sveriges kristna kulturarv av Julia Kronlid och Aron Emilsson (båda SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1745 — Politik för minoriteter av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:1793 — Grundlagsskydd för aborträtten av Linnéa Wickman m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:189 — Utökade möjligheter för kommuner att stoppa moskébyggen av Jonas Andersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1934 — Konstitutionella frågor av Jessica Wetterling m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:2035 — Äganderätt och miljöundantag av Mats Green (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2112 — Utredning gällande slöjförbud i för- och grundskolan av Ellen Juntti och Lars Beckman (båda M)
- Motion 2024/25:229 — Fackförbund utan partikoppling av Josef Fransson (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament