2024-05-022023/24:FöU3 · p.1FöUDefence
Total defense duty
Total defence duty and a supplementary civil defence duty
What's at stake: A growing total defence requires more personnel, both in the military war organisation and in civil defence. The question is whether there should be a broader, voluntary route into total defence alongside reinstated conscription, and what terms - such as leave of absence and compensation - it should carry.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The motion called for military conscription to be supplemented by a voluntary civil defence duty in the form of a resilience service with a right to leave of absence and financial compensation, while the committee held that ongoing inquiries and the forthcoming defence policy bill should be awaited before parliament acts.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motion, pointing out that the reinstated basic training with conscription is a prerequisite for a larger war organisation, that the civil defence duty has already been reactivated in two areas, and that ongoing inquiries and a forthcoming defence policy bill should be awaited before further decisions are made.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 3 (MP)
The reserving party (MP) wants to supplement military conscription with a civil defence duty in the form of a resilience service comprising basic and refresher training, which could be carried out in voluntary defence organisations or a suitable public body, while keeping participation in military defence voluntary with the option of weapons-free service, and with a right to leave of absence and financial compensation equivalent to that for conscription.
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 MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: KDKristdemokraterna
Ja 164–13Ja 151–26
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.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 18/0/0/6 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | Abstain 0/0/93/13 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/13/0/5 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | Abstain 0/0/20/4 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 11/0/0/5 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 13/0/0/6 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 62/0/0/10 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2023/24:726 by Magnus Resare (M), 2023/24:829 by Anne-Li Sjölund (C), 2023/24:2028 by Fredrik Lundh Sammeli et al. (S) claim 4, 2023/24:2136 by Mattias Eriksson Falk and Roger Hedlund (both SD), 2023/24:2450 by Emma Berginger et al. (MP) claims 46 and 47, 2023/24:2456 by Mikael Larsson et al. (C) claims 9-12, 2023/24:2564 by Peter Hultqvist et al. (S) claims 25, 28, 29 and 50 as well as 2023/24:2662 by Ingela Nylund Watz et al. (S).
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:726 av Magnus Resare (M), 2023/24:829 av Anne-Li Sjölund (C), 2023/24:2028 av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S) yrkande 4, 2023/24:2136 av Mattias Eriksson Falk och Roger Hedlund (båda SD), 2023/24:2450 av Emma Berginger m.fl. (MP) yrkandena 46 och 47, 2023/24:2456 av Mikael Larsson m.fl. (C) yrkandena 9-12, 2023/24:2564 av Peter Hultqvist m.fl. (S) yrkandena 25, 28, 29 och 50 samt 2023/24:2662 av Ingela Nylund Watz m.fl. (S).
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 50 proposals concerning personnel provision in motions from the general motion period 2023. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to work already underway on the issues covered by the proposals. The proposals deal, among other things, with personnel and skills provision within total defense, gender distribution and equality, civil service and voluntary defense organisations.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to complement military service with civil service in the form of resilience service with the possibility of unarmed service. (MP) — 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 establishes that the conscription act shall continue to provide the possibility of both military and civilian service and that general conscription is the foundation of democratic control over the military system.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that the conscription act shall continue to provide the possibility of both military and civilian service and that general conscription is the foundation of democratic control over the military system. A civilian service obligation in the form of resilience service, with retained voluntary choice for military service and possibility of non-violent service, aligns with this and strengthens the civilian part over militarization.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att pliktlagen även i fortsättningen ska ge möjlighet till både militär och civil tjänstgöring och att allmän värnplikt är grundbulten i den demokratiska kontrollen av det militära systemet. En civilplikt i form av resilienstjänstgöring, med bibehållen frivillighet till det militära och möjlighet till vapenfri tjänst, ligger i linje med detta och stärker den civila delen framför militarisering.
- civilian service within conscriptiondecisive»Pliktlagen ska även i fortsättningen ge möjlighet till såväl militär som« (party programme ↗)“The conscription act shall continue to provide the possibility of both military and”
- universal obligation for all»Allmän värnplikt måste gälla såväl kvinnor som män.« (party programme ↗)“General conscription must apply to both women and men.”
- democratic control over the military»Det är av yttersta vikt att det militära systemet underställs en demokratisk kontroll.« (party programme ↗)“It is of utmost importance that the military system be subject to democratic control.”
- civil preparedness before militarization»Vänsterpartiet anser att Sverige ska vara en röst för fred och rättvisa, inte för ökad militarisering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party believes Sweden shall be a voice for peace and justice, not for increased militarization.”
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 election manifesto promises to strengthen civil defence and crisis preparedness and to build a strong national defence with reintroduced conscription.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto promises to strengthen civil defence and crisis preparedness and to build a strong national defence with reintroduced conscription. A civil duty in the form of resilience service with basic training is a means for precisely such construction. However, the plan does not specify such a form of service, so the coverage is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar att rusta upp det civila försvaret och krisberedskapen och att bygga ett starkt folkförsvar med återinförd värnplikt. En civilplikt i form av resilienstjänstgöring med grundutbildning är ett medel för just den uppbyggnaden. Planen anger dock ingen sådan tjänstgöringsform, varför täckningen är härledd.
- strengthened civil defencedecisive»Rusta upp det civila försvaret. Arbetet att förstärka det civila försvaret och krisberedskapen måste fortsätta« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen civil defence. Work to strengthen civil defence and crisis preparedness must continue”
- a strong national defence»Sverige behöver bygga ett starkt folkförsvar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs to build a strong national defence.”
- duty as foundation»Vi har återinfört värnplikten. Takten i upprustningen ska öka ytterligare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We have reintroduced conscription. The pace of rearming shall increase further.”
- broad resilience»Arbetet för att stärka förmågan att stå emot cyberattacker och desinformation ska stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work to strengthen the ability to resist cyberattacks and disinformation shall be strengthened.”
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 requires a civilian service as a complement to military service to give more people the knowledge and training needed in crisis, which is exactly what the counter-proposal's resilience service means.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly requires a civilian service as a complement to military service to give more people the knowledge and training needed in crisis, which is exactly what the counter-proposal's resilience service means. The plan also wants to allocate a larger share of defence spending to civil defence and make local communities less vulnerable. That voluntariness for military defence is retained aligns with the plan's principle of voluntary participation.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver uttryckligen en civiltjänstgöring som komplement till värnplikten för att ge fler kunskap och träning inför kris, vilket är exakt vad motförslagets resilienstjänstgöring innebär. Planen vill också lägga en större andel av försvarets pengar på det civila försvaret och att lokalsamhällena blir mindre sårbara. Att frivilligheten till det militära försvaret behålls stämmer med planens princip om frivilligt deltagande.
- civilian service alongside military servicedecisive»införa en civiltjänstgöring som komplement till värnplikten för att ge fler den kunskap och träning som behövs i kris.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“introduce civilian service as a complement to military service to give more people the knowledge and training needed in crisis.”
- prioritise civil defence»satsa en större andel av försvarets pengar på det civila försvaret, och öka anslagen till krisberedskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“allocate a larger share of defence spending to civil defence, and increase appropriations for crisis preparedness.”
- voluntariness for military defence»Deltagande i det militära försvarets verksamheter ska bygga på frivillighet.« (party programme ↗)“Participation in military defence activities shall be based on voluntariness.”
- reduced vulnerability locally»Sverige som land och även lokalsamhällena måste bli mer självförsörjande och mindre sårbara.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden as a country and also local communities must become more self-sufficient and less vulnerable.”
The plan explicitly states that civil defence is also vital and that civil defence and society's preparedness shall be strengthened as part of a strengthened total defence.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly states that civil defence is also vital and that civil defence and society's preparedness shall be strengthened as part of a strengthened total defence. A civilian duty in the form of resilience service with basic and refresher training is a concrete way to build that preparedness. Maintaining the voluntary nature of military defence and the possibility of unarmed service also aligns with the plan's libertarian fundamental approach.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger uttryckligen att också det civila försvaret är livsviktigt och att civilförsvaret och samhällets beredskap ska rustas, som en del av ett stärkt totalförsvar. En civilplikt i form av resilienstjänstgöring med grund- och repetitionsutbildning är ett konkret sätt att bygga den beredskapen. Att frivilligheten till det militära försvaret behålls och att vapenfri tjänst är möjlig ligger dessutom nära planens frihetliga grundhållning.
- strengthened civil defencedecisive»Vi måste rusta civilförsvaret och samhällets beredskap inför krig och kris.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must strengthen civil defence and society's preparedness for war and crisis.”
- strengthened total defence»Vi behöver rusta Sveriges totalförsvar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We need to strengthen Sweden's total defence”
- adapted defence capability»Därför måste vi också anpassa vår försvarsförmåga efter nya hot mot landet.« (party programme ↗)“Therefore we must also adapt our defence capability to new threats against the country.”
- the role of voluntary defence»Tusentals har anmält sig till militären och frivilligorganisationer för att försvara vårt land.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Thousands have registered for the military and voluntary organizations to defend our country.”
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 election manifesto establishes that the civil defence shall be strengthened at the same pace as the military and that more than today shall undergo basic training to strengthen Sweden's total defence capacity.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto establishes that the civil defence shall be strengthened at the same pace as the military and that more than today shall undergo basic training to strengthen Sweden's total defence capacity. A civilian duty in the form of resilience service is a direct application of that commitment, and the plan also wants to increase the scope for voluntary contributions within total defence. Resilience service is not mentioned by name, however, so the conclusion is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att det civila försvaret ska stärkas i samma takt som det militära och att fler än i dag ska genomgå grundläggande utbildning för att stärka Sveriges samlade försvarsförmåga. En civilplikt i form av resilienstjänstgöring är en direkt tillämpning av det åtagandet, och planen vill dessutom öka utrymmet för ideella insatser inom totalförsvaret. Just resilienstjänstgöring nämns dock inte, så slutsatsen är härledd.
- civil defence at pace with militarydecisive»Antalet anställda och värnpliktiga i krigsorganisationen ska öka, ny materiel tillföras och det civila försvaret stärkas i samma takt som det militära.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The number of employees and conscripts in the wartime organization shall increase, new materiel shall be added and the civil defence strengthened at the same pace as the military.”
- more in basic training»För att stärka Sveriges samlade försvarsförmåga ska fler vapenföra än i dag genomgå en grundläggande militär utbildning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To strengthen Sweden's total defence capacity, more armed-bearing citizens than today shall undergo basic military training.”
- voluntary contributions in total defence»Utrymmet för ideella insatser i vård och omsorg, utbildning och kultur, bistånd och totalförsvar ska öka.« (party programme ↗)“The scope for voluntary contributions in healthcare and elderly care, education and culture, aid and total defence shall increase.”
- duty when defence requires»Om det krävs för landets försvar ska en könsneutral värnplikt kunna tillämpas på nytt.« (party programme ↗)“If necessary for the country's defence, a gender-neutral draft can be applied again.”
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 party programme establishes that alternative defence forms shall be a complement to military defence and an opportunity for those who without weapons wish to participate in the defence of Sweden.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that alternative defence forms shall be a complement to military defence and an opportunity for those who without weapons wish to participate in the defence of Sweden. It also says that military training as far as possible shall be based on voluntariness and that those who for reasons of conscience refuse armed service shall be treated with respect and offered service with civilian duty. A resilience service with retained voluntariness to military defence is precisely the construction the plan favours.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att alternativa försvarsformer ska vara ett komplement till det militära försvaret och en möjlighet för den som utan vapen vill delta i försvaret av Sverige. Det säger också att militärutbildning så långt möjligt ska bygga på frivillighet och att den som av samvetsskäl avstår vapentjänst ska beredas civilplikt. En resilienstjänstgöring med bibehållen frivillighet till det militära försvaret är precis den konstruktion planen förordar.
- civil defence forms as a complementdecisive»Civilmotstånd och andra alternativa försvarsformer ska vara ett komplement till det militära försvaret och vara en möjlighet till aktiva insatser för medborgare, som utan att bruka vapen vill delta i försvaret av Sverige.« (party programme ↗)“Civil resistance and other alternative defence forms shall be a complement to military defence and be an opportunity for active efforts for citizens who without bearing arms wish to participate in the defence of Sweden.”
- voluntariness and civilian duty»Militärutbildning bör så långt som möjligt bygga på frivillighet och de som av samvetsskäl inte vill göra vapentjänst inom totalförsvarsplikten, ska bemötas med res- pekt och beredas tjänstgöring med civilplikt.« (party programme ↗)“Military training should as far as possible be based on voluntariness and those who for reasons of conscience do not wish to do armed service within total defence duty, shall be met with respect and offered service with civilian duty.”
- total defence's protection of the population»Det samlade totalförsvaret måste ha tillräckliga resurser för att kunna garantera befolkningen ett gott skydd mot effekterna av såväl civila katastrofer som aktuella militära hotbilder.« (party programme ↗)“The combined total defence must have sufficient re sources to be able to guarantee the population good protection against the effects of both civil disasters and current military threats.”
flags: citat_migrerat
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 plan states that military defence cannot perform its tasks if civil defence does not function, and commits to strengthening civil defence's personnel supply and securing its long-term planning.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that military defence cannot perform its tasks if civil defence does not function, and commits to strengthening civil defence's personnel supply and securing its long-term planning. A civil service in the form of civil protection service with basic and refresher training is precisely a way to staff civil defence. The plan does not mention the form of the compulsory service, so the support is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att det militära försvaret inte kan lösa sina uppgifter om det civila försvaret inte fungerar, och åtar sig att förstärka det civila försvarets personalförsörjning och säkra dess långsiktiga planering. En civilplikt i form av resilienstjänstgöring med grund- och repetitionsutbildning är just ett sätt att bemanna det civila försvaret. Planen nämner inte plikttjänstens utformning, varför stödet är härlett.
- bemanna civila försvaretdecisive»Förstärka det civila försvarets personalförsörjning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen civil defence's personnel supply”
- totalförsvarets samband»Fungerar inte det civila försvaret så kan inte heller det militära försvaret lösa sina uppgifter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“If civil defence does not function, military defence cannot perform its tasks either.”
- långsiktig civil planering»Säkra en långsiktig planering för det civila försvaret« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Secure long-term planning for civil defence”
- starkt civilförsvar»Tryggheten i Sverige förutsätter också ett starkt civilförsvar« (party programme ↗)“Security in Sweden also requires a strong civil defence”
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 wants to re-establish a total defence armed for war, where civil defence together with military defence forms the whole, and appropriations for civil defence and preparedness shall increase.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to re-establish a total defence armed for war, where civil defence together with military defence forms the whole, and appropriations for civil defence and preparedness shall increase. A civil duty in the form of resilience service with basic training and refresher training is a way to realise the total defence the plan seeks, with retained voluntariness for military defence.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill återupprätta ett totalförsvar rustat för krig, där civilförsvaret tillsammans med det militära försvaret bildar helheten, och anslagen till civilförsvar och beredskap ska öka. En civilplikt i form av resilienstjänstgöring med grundutbildning och repetitionsutbildning är ett sätt att förverkliga det totalförsvar planen efterfrågar, med bibehållen frivillighet till det militära försvaret.
- re-established total defencedecisive»Återupprätta ett totalförsvar som är rustat för krig« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Re-establish a total defence armed for war”
- civil defence part of total defence»tillsammans bildar dessa ett robust Totalförsvar.« (party programme ↗)“together these form a robust total defence.”
- strengthened civil defence»Anslagen till de myndigheter som har övergripande ansvar för civilförsvar, krisledning och beredskap bör öka och stödet till civilorganisationer med samhällsuppdrag ska stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Appropriations to the authorities that have overall responsibility for civil defence, crisis management and preparedness should increase and support for civil organisations with societal assignments should be strengthened.”
- strengthened crisis preparedness»Sverigedemokraterna vill stärka samhällets beredskap för alla typer av kriser som kan uppstå.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to strengthen society's preparedness for all types of crises that can occur.”
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 (2023/24:FöU3)
- Committee report full text (HB01FöU3)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:2028 — Samarbete och säkerhet i Norrbotten av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2103 — Krigsplacering av frivillig personal av Thomas Ragnarsson (M)
- Motion 2023/24:2136 — Utökning av Plikt- och prövningsverkets verksamhet i norra Sverige av Mattias Eriksson Falk och Roger Hedlund (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2366 — Bemanning i verksamheter nära medborgarna av Gunilla Svantorp m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2450 — En förstärkning av det civila försvaret och krisberedskapen av Emma Berginger m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:2456 — Krisberedskap och utveckling av militärt och civilt försvar av Mikael Larsson m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2564 — Försvar och samhällets krisberedskap av Peter Hultqvist m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2662 — Fler värnplikts- och civilpliktsutbildningar i Stockholms- och Mälardalsregionen av Ingela Nylund Watz m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2677 — En socialförsäkring med människan i centrum av Annika Hirvonen m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:726 — Urvalsprocessen för värnplikt av Magnus Resare (M)
- Motion 2023/24:778 — Militärt försvar av Sven-Olof Sällström m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:829 — Civilpliktsutbildning av Anne-Li Sjölund (C)
- Motion 2023/24:879 — Ökat stöd för veteraner av Markus Wiechel och Björn Söder (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:995 — Ett modernt och demokratiskt statsskick av Jessica Wetterling m.fl. (V)
Source: The Swedish Parliament