Municipalities' and regions' ability to boycott states that violate human rights
What's at stake: The decision determines whether municipalities and regions can themselves decide not to trade with or invest in activities linked to states condemned for serious breaches of international law, for example through a UN or ICC ruling. It concerns both the scope of action available to municipalities and regions and residents' ability to influence how their tax money is used in relation to such states.
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 municipalities and regions should be given a statutory right to take boycott measures against states that violate human rights and international law, or whether the current arrangement without such a right should remain.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee sees no reason to support a call for giving municipalities and regions the ability to take boycott measures against countries that violate human rights and international law. The motion is rejected.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 3 (V)
The reservation (V) wants the government to return with a legislative proposal giving municipalities and regions the ability to take boycott measures against states that violate human rights and international law, pointing to the temporary law that gave municipalities and regions such a power during the apartheid regime in South Africa. The boycott decision should be based on, for example, a ruling by the UN or the International Court of Justice, or an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
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: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 3 by V.
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
Vown reservation
–
No 0/18/0/4
S
–
Yes 93/0/0/13
MP
–
Yes 16/0/0/2
C
–
Yes 21/0/0/3
L
–
Yes 12/0/0/4
KD
–
Yes 17/0/0/2
M
–
Yes 60/0/0/8
SD
–
Yes 62/0/0/9
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects motion
2025/26:3440 by Håkan Svenneling et al. (V) demand 39.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said no to 29 proposals in motions on municipal and regional issues, which were submitted during the general motion period 2025.
Among other things, the proposals deal with issues of municipal cooperation, a new free municipality experiment (frikommunförsök), municipal competence, municipal party support, the conditions for elected officials, representation and minority protection, audit and accountability review, and municipal referendums (folkomröstningar).
The Riksdag refers, among other things, to previous positions and ongoing work.
Counter-proposals
The counter-proposal wants the government to present legislation giving municipalities and regions the ability to take boycott measures against countries breaking human rights and international law. (V) — Reservation 3
Motion 2025/26:1302 — Krav på förtjänst och skicklighet vid kommunala och regionala anställningar av Dzenan Cisija (S)
Motion 2025/26:1388 — Stärkta regioner för stärkt regional utvecklingspolitik av Karin Sundin m.fl. (S)
Motion 2025/26:148 — Regelverk för kommunala konkurser av Eric Palmqvist (SD)
Motion 2025/26:1717 — Möjliggörande av fler folkinitiativ av Jonas Andersson (SD)
Motion 2025/26:1760 — Avpolitisering av den kommunala revisionen av Boriana Åberg (M)
Motion 2025/26:2536 — Krav på folkomröstning vid förslag om sammanslagning av kommuner och regioner av Mattias Eriksson Falk och Roger Hedlund (båda SD)
Motion 2025/26:2552 — Möjlighet för domstol att återkalla uppdrag som ledamot eller ersättare i kommun- och regionfullmäktige vid allvarlig brottslighet av Mattias Eriksson Falk och Roger Hedlund (båda SD)
Motion 2025/26:2594 — Reglering av utskott i kommunallagen av Mattias Eriksson Falk och Roger Hedlund (båda SD)
Motion 2025/26:2968 — Kommunanställda som förebilder i egen beredskap av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M)
Motion 2025/26:3086 — Förtroendevaldas rätt och möjlighet till närvaro av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
Motion 2025/26:3119 — Inrättande av en revision för kommunal verksamhet av Hans Eklind och Larry Söder (båda KD)
Motion 2025/26:3130 — Modernisering av lokaliseringsprincipen för att möjliggöra regional verksamhet av Kristina Axén Olin (M)
Motion 2025/26:3185 — Livskraft och framtidstro på Sveriges landsbygder av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist m.fl. (C)
Motion 2025/26:3440 — Israels ockupation av Palestina av Håkan Svenneling m.fl. (V)
Motion 2025/26:3645 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S)
Motion 2025/26:436 — Öka kommuners möjlighet att använda demokrativillkor av Kristina Axén Olin m.fl. (M)
Motion 2025/26:446 — Rätt att vara föräldraledig och fritidspolitiker av Serkan Köse (S)
Motion 2025/26:550 — Tomma stolar i kommunfullmäktige av Johan Andersson (S)
Motion 2025/26:85 — Kommunjurist som lyder under oppositionen av Josef Fransson (SD)
Motion 2025/26:86 — Sänkta partistöd för en stärkt demokrati av Josef Fransson (SD)