A clear decision procedure for participation in NATO's collective defence and deterrence activities
New decision-making procedure for Swedish participation in NATO's collective deterrence and defence activities
What's at stake: The decision affects how much influence and oversight the Riksdag has over decisions to deploy Swedish armed forces abroad within NATO cooperation, while also affecting how quickly and flexibly Sweden can act within the alliance's ongoing deterrence and defence activities.
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 new legislation should give the government its own authority to deploy a limited Swedish armed force, in order to protect "important Swedish interests", as part of NATO's deterrence and defence activities without Riksdag approval in each individual case, or whether the bill should be rejected on this specific point.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that NATO membership entails an ongoing commitment to contribute to the alliance's collective deterrence and defence activities, which requires Sweden to be able to make decisions on participation quickly, effectively and continuously. The committee therefore agrees with the government's assessment that such decisions should not rest on the constitutional provision on consent in a particular case, but that new legislation should specify the conditions under which the government may deploy Swedish armed forces as part of such activities. The committee welcomes that, as a general rule, the Riksdag's approval will continue to be required for such deployments.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 2 (C)
The reservation (C) argues that the proposal raises principled questions, including that it is unclear what is meant by "important Swedish interests" in the proposal to let the government decide on its own to deploy a limited Swedish armed force to protect such interests. The reservation holds that there is a risk of arbitrariness if the government can take such far-reaching action for a period of time without either informing the Riksdag or letting the Riksdag decide through an expedited process. The reservation therefore proposes that the Riksdag reject the government's bill on this specific point, namely the third paragraph of Section 1 of the Act on Operational Military Support.
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 C.
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
–
Abstain 0/0/19/3
S
–
Yes 91/0/0/15
MP
–
Abstain 0/0/15/3
Cown reservation
–
No 0/19/0/5
L
–
Yes 14/0/0/2
KD
–
Yes 16/0/0/3
M
–
Yes 58/0/0/10
SD
–
Yes 61/0/0/11
Committee proposal
Parliament adopts the government's proposal for
1. a law amending the Act (2020:782) on operative military support,
2. a law amending the Protection Act (2010:305).
Thereby Parliament approves Government Bill 2025/26:6 points 1 and 2 and rejects the motions
2025/26:275 by Mikael Larsson and Kerstin Lundgren (both C) claim 1 and
2025/26:358 by Emma Berginger et al. (MP).
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen antar regeringens förslag till
1. lag om ändring i lagen (2020:782) om operativt militärt stöd,
2. lag om ändring i skyddslagen (2010:305).
Därmed bifaller riksdagen proposition 2025/26:6 punkterna 1 och 2 samt avslår motionerna
2025/26:275 av Mikael Larsson och Kerstin Lundgren (båda C) yrkande 1 och
2025/26:358 av Emma Berginger m.fl. (MP).
Riksdag decision: Parliament approved the government's proposal on a clear decision procedure for participation in NATO's collective defence and deterrence activities. The proposal means that a regulation in law is introduced on how decisions on deploying Swedish armed forces in such activities shall be made.
According to the main rule, it is continuing to be Parliament that makes decisions on the framework for Swedish participation in NATO. In urgent situations, however, the government shall have its own mandate to deploy numerically limited armed forces for a limited time.
The law changes enter into force on 1 December 2025.
Counter-proposals
The counter-proposal wants parliament to reject the government's proposal to unilaterally decide to deploy armed forces to protect Swedish interests. (C) — Reservation 2
Motion 2025/26:275 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:6 En tydlig beslutsordning för deltagande i Natos samlade verksamhet för avskräckning och försvar av Mikael Larsson och Kerstin Lundgren (båda C)
Motion 2025/26:309 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:6 En tydlig beslutsordning för deltagande i Natos samlade verksamhet för avskräckning och försvar av Hanna Gunnarsson m.fl. (V)
Motion 2025/26:358 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:6 En tydlig beslutsordning för deltagande i Natos samlade verksamhet för avskräckning och försvar av Emma Berginger m.fl. (MP)
Proposition 2025/26:6 — En tydlig beslutsordning för deltagande i Natos samlade verksamhet för avskräckning och försvar