2025-05-072024/25:KU19 · p.3KUConstitution
Enhanced protection for part-time elected officials
Protection against threats and violence for part-time (non-salaried) local politicians
What's at stake: The decision determines whether part-time, non-salaried local politicians - who often have a more limited role but can still face threats and violence - are covered by the same protection as full-time municipal and regional commissioners, or risk being left entirely outside the law's scope. It therefore affects the safety of a large group of local politicians and their willingness to remain engaged.
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' statutory duty to prevent threats and violence against elected officials should also cover part-time, non-salaried local politicians regardless of how much of their time they devote to the role, or whether the duty - as the government proposes - should be limited to elected officials serving full time or a substantial part of full time.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that elected officials with full-time or substantial part-time roles face threats and violence to a greater extent than part-time, non-salaried politicians, and therefore shares the government's assessment that the duty to prevent ill health and accidents caused by threats and violence should be limited to that group. Against this background, the committee sees no reason to back a call for extending protection to part-time politicians, and the motion is rejected.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 3 (S, V)
The reservation (S, V) considers that municipalities and regions need to be prepared for elected officials' exposure regardless of how extensive their role is, since threats and violence also affect elected officials without a full-time or substantial part-time role, and exposure can vary over time. The reservation therefore wants the legislation to be needs-based and for the government to return with a proposal ensuring that responsibility for elected officials' safety also covers part-time politicians, so the law is not read as excluding this group entirely.
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 3 by S, V.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
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 | No | No 0/21/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/13 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 16/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 17/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motion 2024/25:3323 by Jessica Wetterling et al. (V) demand 1.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2024/25:3323 av Jessica Wetterling m.fl. (V) yrkande 1.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag approved two amendments to the Municipal Act. One amendment means that more measures must be taken to prevent elected officials in municipal and regional politics from being subjected to threats and violence. The other amendment means that it shall become clearer that preventing errors and irregularities, such as corruption, is part of municipalities' and regions' internal control. The amendments come into force on 1 July 2025.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants safety provisions for elected officials formulated with practical possibilities for municipalities to implement. (S, V) — 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.
The plan wants to break up the structures that keep many from participating on equal terms in political life, and sees municipal self-government as a meaningful part of democracy.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to break up the structures that keep many from participating on equal terms in political life, and sees municipal self-government as a meaningful part of democracy. Letting responsibility for the safety of elected officials also include part-time politicians follows from this, since a delimitation risks excluding those who lack major assignments. The plan also requires rules that ensure serious protection work.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill bryta upp de strukturer som håller tillbaka många från att delta på jämlika villkor i det politiska livet, och ser det kommunala självstyret som en betydelsefull del av demokratin. Att låta ansvaret för förtroendevaldas trygghet omfatta även fritidspolitiker följer av det, eftersom en avgränsning riskerar att stänga ute dem som saknar tunga uppdrag. Planen kräver också regelverk som säkrar ett seriöst skyddsarbete.
- participation on equal termsdecisive»Vi vill bryta upp de gamla strukturer« (party programme ↗)“We want to break up the old structures”
- serious protection work»Det behövs regelverk och strukturer som säkrar ett seriöst« (party programme ↗)“There need to be rules and structures that ensure serious”
- value of municipal self-government»Det kommunala självstyret är en betydelsefull del av den svenska« (party programme ↗)“Municipal self-government is a meaningful part of Swedish”
- protect democracy»Grundlagarna ska värna demokratin och människors fri- och« (party programme ↗)“The fundamental laws shall protect democracy and people's freedom and”
The party programme states that democracy is undermined when politicians are frightened into silence and makes it society's absolute duty to protect individuals against threats.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that democracy is undermined when politicians are frightened into silence and makes it society's absolute duty to protect individuals against threats. Since representative democracy is sustained by elected representatives who should reflect the population, the plan argues for responsibility for elected representatives' safety to include also local politicians. Exempting that group would weaken broad recruitment to the positions.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att demokratin undergrävs när politiker skräms till tystnad och gör det till samhällets absoluta skyldighet att skydda enskilda mot hot. Eftersom den representativa demokratin bärs upp av folkvalda som ska spegla befolkningen, talar planen för att ansvaret för förtroendevaldas trygghet omfattar även fritidspolitiker. Att undanta den gruppen skulle försvaga den breda rekryteringen till uppdragen.
- protect politicians from threatsdecisive»över nätet och försöker skrämma enskilda personer, journalister och politiker till tystnad.« (party programme ↗)“over the net and try to frighten individuals, journalists and politicians into silence.”
- society's duty of protection»Det är samhällets absoluta skyldighet att skydda friheten och den personliga integriteten« (party programme ↗)“It is society's absolute duty to protect freedom and personal integrity”
- elected representatives shall reflect the people»Våra folkvalda ska avspegla befolkningens sammansättning.« (party programme ↗)“Our elected representatives shall reflect the composition of the population.”
- protect representative democracy»Den representativa demokratin är det mest effektiva demokratiska beslutssystemet. Men« (party programme ↗)“Representative democracy is the most effective democratic decision-making system. But”
The plan establishes that everyone should be given the opportunity to work politically during some part of life and applies a rotation principle, which presupposes that also part-time politicians can work safely.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that everyone should be given the opportunity to work politically during some part of life and applies a rotation principle, which presupposes that also part-time politicians can work safely. Democracy shall be defended and everyone has the right to a good work environment. That allowing responsibility for the safety of elected representatives to include also part-time politicians therefore follows from the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att alla bör få möjlighet att arbeta politiskt under någon del av livet och tillämpar en rotationsprincip, vilket förutsätter att också fritidspolitiker kan verka tryggt. Demokratin ska försvaras och alla har rätt till en god arbetsmiljö. Att låta ansvaret för förtroendevaldas trygghet omfatta även fritidspolitiker följer därför av planen.
- everyone shall be able to work politicallydecisive»Demokrati betyder folkstyre. Alla bör få möjlighet« (party programme ↗)“Democracy means popular rule. Everyone should be given the opportunity”
- rotation among elected representatives»en rotationsprincip.« (party programme ↗)“a rotation principle.”
- defence of democracy»Demokratin måste försvaras med demokratiska« (party programme ↗)“Democracy must be defended with democratic”
- secure work environment»god fysisk och psykosocial arbetsmiljö.« (party programme ↗)“good physical and psychosocial work environment.”
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 manifesto requires that hate, threats and violence against democracy-bearing institutions must stop and that protection for those working in public administration be strengthened, without excluding any group of elected officials.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The manifesto requires that hate, threats and violence against democracy-bearing institutions must stop and that protection for those working in public administration be strengthened, without excluding any group of elected officials. The party also wants decisions to be taken close to people, and local democracy is in practice carried by part-time politicians. Need-driven support that also covers them thus follows from the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Manifestet kräver att hat, hot och våld mot demokratibärande institutioner ska upphöra och att skyddet för dem som verkar i offentlig förvaltning stärks, utan att undanta någon grupp förtroendevalda. Partiet vill dessutom att besluten fattas nära människor, och den lokala demokratin bärs i praktiken upp av fritidspolitiker. Ett behovsstyrt stöd som även omfattar dem följer därför av planen.
- protection for democracy-bearersdecisive»Hat, hot, trakasserier och våld riktade mot demokratibärande institutioner måste upphöra. Vi ska stärka skyddet för personer verksamma bland annat i media, religiösa samfund och offentlig förvaltning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Hate, threats, harassment and violence directed at democracy-bearing institutions must stop. We shall strengthen protection for persons active among other things in media, religious communities and public administration.”
- care for democracy»Den liberala demokratin får aldrig tas för given. Den ska vårdas, värnas och vidareutvecklas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Liberal democracy must never be taken for granted. It shall be cared for, protected and developed”
- local democracy close to people»Decentralisera mera. Människor ska få bestämma mer själva, och politiska beslut ska fattas nära dem som berörs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Decentralise more. People shall get to decide more themselves, and political decisions shall be taken close to those affected.”
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 requires that threats and harassment against politically active people and elected officials be actively combated, without distinguishing between the scope of the assignment, which supports the counter-proposal's demand that protection also cover lay politicians.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that threats and harassment against politically active people and elected officials be actively combated, without distinguishing between the scope of the assignment, which supports the counter-proposal's demand that protection also cover lay politicians. The plan establishes that democracy requires that citizens want and dare to engage politically, and it is precisely the lay politicians who carry local engagement. The plan furthermore wants to vitalize the local political debate.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att hot och trakasserier mot politiskt aktiva och förtroendevalda bekämpas aktivt, utan att skilja på uppdragets omfattning, vilket bär motförslagets krav på att skyddet omfattar även fritidspolitiker. Planen slår fast att demokratin förutsätter att medborgare vill och vågar engagera sig politiskt, och det är just fritidspolitikerna som bär det lokala engagemanget. Planen vill dessutom vitalisera den lokala politiska debatten.
- protection for all elected officialsdecisive»Den grundläggande rättigheten att engagera sig politiskt måste värnas och hot och trakasserier mot politiskt aktiva och förtroendevalda måste aktivt bekämpas.« (party programme ↗)“The fundamental right to engage politically must be protected and threats and harassment against politically active people and elected officials must be actively combated.”
- dare to engage politically»Demokratin förutsätter att medborgare vill och vågar engagera sig politiskt.« (party programme ↗)“Democracy requires that citizens want and dare to engage politically.”
- protection against persecution»Socialsekreterare och andra offentliganställda ska skyddas mot förföljelse och utsatthet genom att ett nytt brott – tjänstemannaförföljelse – införs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Social workers and other public employees shall be protected against persecution and exposure through the introduction of a new crime – official persecution.”
- vitalized local debate»Den politiska debatten i lokala och regionala frågor behöver vitaliseras.« (party programme ↗)“The political debate on local and regional matters needs to be vitalized.”
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's ideal of democracy is that each citizen is given the opportunity for participation and influence continuously, which presupposes that the person who takes a position of trust can do so without being subjected to threats and violence.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's ideal of democracy is that each citizen is given the opportunity for participation and influence continuously, which presupposes that the person who takes a position of trust can do so without being subjected to threats and violence. That the support is needs-based and includes part-time elected officials follows from this and from the fact that worker protection according to the plan must take account of both physical and mental health. However, the costs for municipalities must be handled in accordance with the financing principle.
Original (Swedish)
Planens demokratiideal är att varje medborgare ges möjlighet till deltagande och inflytande kontinuerligt, vilket förutsätter att den som tar ett förtroendeuppdrag kan göra det utan att utsättas för hot och våld. Att stödet utformas behovsstyrt och omfattar även fritidspolitiker följer av detta och av att arbetarskyddet enligt planen ska ta hänsyn till både fysisk och psykisk hälsa. Kommunernas kostnader måste dock hanteras enligt finansieringsprincipen.
- continuous participation in democracydecisive»deltagande, inflytande och delaktighet, inte bara vid« (party programme ↗)“participation, influence and involvement, not just at”
- protection for those who hold office»Staten ska bland annat genom rådgivning, stöd och kontroll aktivt verka för en förbättrad« (party programme ↗)“The state must, among other things, through advice, support and supervision actively work for improved”
- firmness against threats and violence»med fasthet och förövare av brott ska skyndsamt lagföras.« (party programme ↗)“with firmness and offenders of crime must be swiftly prosecuted.”
- the financing principle»Finansieringsprincipen måste respekteras när staten ålägger kommunerna nya uppgifter.« (party programme ↗)“The financing principle must be respected when the state imposes new tasks on municipalities.”
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 demands zero tolerance for all types of threats and violence, not least when directed at elected officials and the democratic processes—with no limitation to the scope of office.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan demands zero tolerance for all types of threats and violence, not least when directed at elected officials and the democratic processes—with no limitation to the scope of office. It furthermore bases democracy on people willing to set aside time and effort for elected positions, that is, in practice on volunteer politicians. To exempt them from responsibility for elected officials' security therefore contradicts the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver nolltolerans mot alla typer av hot och våld, inte minst när det riktas mot förtroendevalda och de demokratiska processerna - utan någon avgränsning till uppdragets omfattning. Den bygger dessutom demokratin på människor som är villiga att avsätta tid och kraft för förtroendeuppdrag, alltså i praktiken på fritidspolitikerna. Att undanta dem från ansvaret för förtroendevaldas trygghet strider därför mot planen.
- protection for elected officialsdecisive»inte minst när detta riktas mot förtroendevalda, våra demokratiska processer och vår rättsordning.« (party programme ↗)“not least when it is directed at elected officials, our democratic processes and our system of law.”
- volunteer work sustains democracy»engagera sig politiskt, att avsätta tid och kraft för förtroendeuppdrag« (party programme ↗)“engage politically, to set aside time and effort for elected positions”
- living local political life»Sverige ska ha ett levande politiskt liv« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall have a living political life”
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 establishes that every citizen's right to express themselves freely without being subjected to threats or reprisals shall be protected and strengthened, and that legal security is necessary for citizens to dare to engage politically.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that every citizen's right to express themselves freely without being subjected to threats or reprisals shall be protected and strengthened, and that legal security is necessary for citizens to dare to engage politically. Part-time politicians are precisely those citizens whose engagement is based on this. Allowing responsibility for the safety of elected representatives to also include them therefore follows from the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att varje medborgares rätt att uttrycka sig fritt utan att utsättas för hot eller repressalier ska värnas och stärkas, och att rättstrygghet är nödvändig för att medborgare ska våga engagera sig politiskt. Fritidspolitiker är just de medborgare vars engagemang bygger på detta. Att låta ansvaret för förtroendevaldas trygghet omfatta även dem följer därför av planen.
- protection against threats and reprisalsdecisive»Varje journalists, konstutövares och medborgares rätt att uttrycka sig fritt utan att utsättas för hot eller repressalier ska värnas och stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Every journalist's, artist's and citizen's right to express themselves freely without being subjected to threats or reprisals shall be protected and strengthened.”
- citizens should dare to engage»mötesfrihet, föreningsfrihet och rättstrygghet är helt nödvändiga inslag för att medborgarna skall kunna och våga informera sig, engagera sig och fullt ut utnyttja sin rösträtt i fria och hemliga val« (party programme ↗)“freedom of assembly, freedom of association and legal security are absolutely necessary for citizens to be able to and dare to inform themselves, engage and fully exercise their voting rights in free and secret elections”
- fight against threats and violence»Stärka kampen mot våld och överfall« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the fight against violence and assault”
- security in assignment»Ingen ska behöva avlida eller skadas allvarligt på jobbet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“No one should have to die or be seriously injured at work.”
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.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:KU19)
- Committee report full text (HC01KU19)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:3323 — med anledning av prop. 2024/25:80 Stärkt skydd för vissa förtroendevalda och en tydligare intern kontroll i kommuner och regioner av Jessica Wetterling m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:3328 — med anledning av prop. 2024/25:80 Stärkt skydd för vissa förtroendevalda och en tydligare intern kontroll i kommuner och regioner av Ida Karkiainen m.fl. (S)
- Proposition 2024/25:80 — Stärkt skydd för vissa förtroendevalda och en tydligare intern kontroll i kommuner och regioner
Source: The Swedish Parliament