2024-03-072023/24:KU8 · p.9KUConstitution
An investigation into racism in public activities
A dedicated inquiry into racism in encounters with public services
What's at stake: Without deeper knowledge of how racism manifests in encounters with public authorities, it becomes harder for public services to introduce effective measures against racism and discrimination, which particularly affects the groups that have already reported such experiences.
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 ongoing, more general work against racism in public services is sufficient, or whether a dedicated authority should be tasked with investigating specifically how racism manifests in encounters with, for example, the police, social services, schools and healthcare.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motion and points to work on racism in public services that is already under way.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 4 (V)
The reservation (V) cites a knowledge review showing that racism in Sweden occurs across several areas of society, including in encounters with the police, the National Board of Institutional Care, social services, schools, universities and healthcare, but that knowledge of people's specific experiences of racism in encounters with public services is lacking. It calls for the government to task a suitable authority with investigating in more detail how different forms of racism manifest in public services, so that these services can more easily develop measures against racism and racist discrimination.
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 4 by V.
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: MPMiljöpartiet, SSocialdemokraterna
Ja 276–20Ja 171–125
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 | No 0/20/0/4 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | Yes 91/0/0/15 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| MP | No | Yes 14/0/0/4 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | Yes 20/0/0/4 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 59/0/0/9 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Yes 62/0/0/10 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects motion 2023/24:463 by Tony Haddou et al. (V) demand 3.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2023/24:463 av Tony Haddou m.fl. (V) yrkande 3.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected around 40 proposals in motions on public administration from the general motion session of 2023. The motions concern, among other things, promotion of democracy, state employment, corruption and protection of decision-makers. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to current regulations and ongoing work.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants an investigation into how different forms of racism manifest in public activities. (V) — Reservation 4
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 explicitly requires that welfare services and the justice system be organized so they do not reproduce structural racism in their concrete operations.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly requires that welfare services and the justice system be organized so they do not reproduce structural racism in their concrete operations. Investigating how racism expresses itself in public operations is a prerequisite for being able to do so. The plan also states that racist structures exist in Swedish society and specifically points to encounters with police.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver uttryckligen att välfärdstjänster och rättsväsende organiseras så att de inte reproducerar den strukturella rasismen i sin konkreta verksamhet. Att utreda hur rasism tar sig uttryck i offentlig verksamhet är en förutsättning för att kunna göra det. Planen konstaterar också att rasistiska strukturer finns i det svenska samhället och pekar särskilt ut mötet med polisen.
- public operations free from racismdecisive»reproducerar den strukturella rasismen i deras konkreta verksamhet.« (party programme ↗)“reproduce structural racism in their concrete operations.”
- structural racism in Sweden»Rasistiska strukturer finns också i det svenska samhället.« (party programme ↗)“Racist structures exist also in Swedish society.”
- racism in encounters with police»Många unga, särskilt med utländsk bakgrund, som bor i fattiga områden, utsätts även för rasism och övervåld från polisen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Many young people, especially with foreign backgrounds, who live in poor areas, are also subjected to racism and police brutality”
- active antiracist politics»Vår strategiska målsättning är att marginalisera såväl rasistiska krafter som rasistiska föreställningar.« (party programme ↗)“Our strategic goal is to marginalize both racist forces and racist ideologies.”
The party programme establishes that racist structures exist in Swedish society and that the Social Democrats are an anti-racist party striving for equality regardless of skin colour, ethnicity and religion.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that racist structures exist in Swedish society and that the Social Democrats are an anti-racist party striving for equality regardless of skin colour, ethnicity and religion. It also requires that authorities consider equality before the law for all and observe objectivity and impartiality. That investigating how racism manifests itself in public activities is a direct expression of these commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att det finns rasistiska strukturer i det svenska samhället och att Socialdemokraterna är ett antirasistiskt parti som strävar efter jämlikhet oavsett hudfärg, etnicitet och religion. Det kräver också att myndigheterna beaktar allas likhet inför lagen och iakttar saklighet och opartiskhet. Att utreda hur rasism tar sig uttryck i offentlig verksamhet är ett direkt uttryck för dessa åtaganden.
- racist structures existdecisive»I vårt samhälle finns också rasistiska strukturer, som begränsar vissa människors liv samtidigt som de ger andra privilegier.« (party programme ↗)“In our society there are also racist structures, which limit some people's lives while giving others privileges.”
- anti-racist party»Socialdemokraterna är ett antirasistiskt parti, som strävar efter jämlikhet oavsett hudfärg, etnisk och kulturell tillhörighet eller religion.« (party programme ↗)“The Social Democrats are an anti-racist party, striving for equality regardless of skin colour, ethnic and cultural affiliation or religion.”
- equality before the law in authority»Myndigheterna ska beakta allas likhet inför lagen och iaktta saklighet och opartiskhet.« (party programme ↗)“Authorities shall consider equality before the law for all and observe objectivity and impartiality.”
- comprehensive view of oppressive structures»Jämlikhetspolitik måste riktas mot alla former av över- och underordning, och dessa måste ses i ett helhetsperspektiv där olika förtryckande strukturer samverkar och förstärker varandra.« (party programme ↗)“Equality policy must be directed at all forms of over- and subordination, and these must be seen in a comprehensive perspective where different oppressive structures interact and reinforce each other.”
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 requires that systematic statistics be compiled to illuminate discrimination and racism in society, which in fact is the same as the counter-proposal's assignment to investigate how racism manifests itself in public activities.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto requires that systematic statistics be compiled to illuminate discrimination and racism in society, which in fact is the same as the counter-proposal's assignment to investigate how racism manifests itself in public activities. The party programme states that structural discrimination and racism must cease and that work against discrimination must become more effective. The knowledge base that the counter-proposal seeks is a prerequisite for that work.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver att systematisk statistik tas fram för att belysa diskriminering och rasism i samhället, vilket i sak är samma sak som motförslagets uppdrag att utreda hur rasism tar sig uttryck i offentlig verksamhet. Partiprogrammet slår fast att strukturell diskriminering och rasism ska upphöra och att arbetet mot diskriminering måste bli effektivare. Kunskapsunderlaget som motförslaget efterlyser är en förutsättning för det arbetet.
- knowledge base on racismdecisive»ta fram systematisk statistik för att belysa diskriminering och rasism i samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“compile systematic statistics to illuminate discrimination and racism in society.”
- stop structural racism»Strukturell diskriminering och rasism ska upphöra.« (party programme ↗)“Structural discrimination and racism must cease.”
- more effective anti-discrimination»Om samhället ska bli öppnare behövs ett effektivare arbete mot alla former av diskriminering.« (party programme ↗)“If society is to become more open, more effective work against all forms of discrimination is needed.”
- strengthened discrimination protection»stärka lagstiftningen mot diskriminering och se över rätten till rättshjälp i diskrimineringsfall.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen anti-discrimination legislation and review the right to legal aid in discrimination cases.”
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 more must be done against discrimination and that the authorities' work against discrimination shall be strengthened, and the party programme that structural racism in all its forms shall be countered in all functions of society.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto states that more must be done against discrimination and that the authorities' work against discrimination shall be strengthened, and the party programme that structural racism in all its forms shall be countered in all functions of society. A government mandate to map how racism manifests itself in public activities is a means to exactly that. The plan does not mention the mandate specifically, so the support is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att mer måste göras mot diskriminering och att myndigheternas arbete mot diskriminering ska stärkas, och partiprogrammet att strukturell rasism i alla dess former ska motverkas i samhällets alla funktioner. Ett myndighetsuppdrag att kartlägga hur rasism tar sig uttryck i offentlig verksamhet är ett medel för just det. Planen nämner inte uppdraget specifikt, varför stödet är härlett.
- strengthened work against discriminationdecisive»Mer måste göras mot diskriminering. Vi vill stärka myndigheternas arbete mot diskriminering och höja ersättningen till dem som utsatts, samt lägga till kön och funktionsnedsättning som hatbrottsgrunder.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More must be done against discrimination. We want to strengthen the authorities' work against discrimination and increase compensation for those affected, and add gender and disability as grounds for hate crimes.”
- counter structural racism»Diskriminering, strukturell rasism och intolerans, i alla dess former, ska motverkas.« (party programme ↗)“Discrimination, structural racism and intolerance, in all its forms, shall be countered.”
- xenophobia as a threat to democracy»Främlingsfientlighet är ett av de mest allvarliga hot vårt samhälle och vår demokrati står inför.« (party programme ↗)“Xenophobia is one of the most serious threats our society and our democracy face.”
- public spaces free from racism»Skolan ska vara en trygg plats — fri från rasism, homofobi och trakasserier grundade på kön — där barn kan växa och utvecklas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“School shall be a safe place — free from racism, homophobia and harassment based on gender — where children can grow and develop.”
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 the state to actively combat all forms of racism, discrimination and intolerance, and particularly points out the labor market, education and healthcare as areas where deliberate work is needed.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires the state to actively combat all forms of racism, discrimination and intolerance, and particularly points out the labor market, education and healthcare as areas where deliberate work is needed. To map how racism manifests itself in public activities is a means to that commitment. The plan does not mention any such assignment, however, so the conclusion is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen ålägger staten att med kraft bekämpa all slags rasism, diskriminering och intolerans, och pekar särskilt ut arbetsmarknad, utbildning och hälso- och sjukvård som områden där ett målmedvetet arbete behövs. Att kartlägga hur rasism tar sig uttryck i just offentlig verksamhet är ett medel för det åtagandet. Planen nämner dock inget uppdrag av detta slag, så slutsatsen är härledd.
- the state shall combat racismdecisive»Därför ska staten med kraft bekämpa all slags rasism, diskriminering och intolerans.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore, the state shall actively combat all forms of racism, discrimination and intolerance.”
- combat prejudice and discrimination»Sverige ska vara ett öppet och tolerant land. Fördomar och diskriminering ska bekämpas.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall be an open and tolerant country. Prejudice and discrimination shall be combated.”
- modernize the discrimination act»Vi vill modernisera diskrimineringslagen, prioritera polisens hatbrottsverksamhet och säkerställa att alla skolor står upp för alla människors lika värde.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We wish to modernize the discrimination act, prioritize the police's hate crime activities and ensure that all schools stand up for the equal worth of all people.”
- effective work against discrimination»ett effektivt arbete mot diskriminering« (party programme ↗)“effective work against discrimination”
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 is based on the fact that every human being has the same absolute and inviolable value regardless of ethnic affiliation and requires legislation against discrimination.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan is based on the fact that every human being has the same absolute and inviolable value regardless of ethnic affiliation and requires legislation against discrimination. Christian Democracy's explicit fight against human contempt and racism points in the same direction. That mapping how racism manifests in public activity follows from these principles, but the plan does not address such an investigation.
Original (Swedish)
Planen bygger på att varje människa har samma absoluta och okränkbara värde oavsett etnisk tillhörighet och kräver lagstiftning mot diskriminering. Kristdemokratins uttalade kamp mot människoförakt och rasism ligger i samma riktning. Att kartlägga hur rasism tar sig uttryck i offentlig verksamhet följer av dessa principer, men planen behandlar inte en sådan utredning.
- all humans' equal valuedecisive»och har samma absoluta och okränkbara värde oavsett« (party programme ↗)“and have the same absolute and inviolable value regardless of”
- legislation against discrimination»Därför behöver det finnas en lagstiftning mot diskriminering.« (party programme ↗)“Therefore, there must be legislation against discrimination.”
- opposition to racism»Kampen stod mot människoförakt, rasism,« (party programme ↗)“The fight stood against human contempt, racism,”
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 makes opposition to identity politics' collectivism a matter of principle and states that each person should be judged by their person and actions, not by background.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme makes opposition to identity politics' collectivism a matter of principle and states that each person should be judged by their person and actions, not by background. A government commission to map how different forms of racism manifest goes out from precisely such group categories and sits aside from that line. That the plan at the same time does not excuse racist behaviour does not change the position on the requested commission.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet gör motståndet mot identitetspolitikens kollektivism till en principfråga och slår fast att var och en ska bedömas efter sin person och sina handlingar, inte efter bakgrund. Ett myndighetsuppdrag att kartlägga hur olika former av rasism tar sig uttryck utgår från just gruppkategorier och ligger vid sidan av den linjen. Att planen samtidigt inte ursäktar rasistiskt beteende ändrar inte ställningstagandet till det efterfrågade uppdraget.
- the individual before the collectivedecisive»kommer alltid hävda individen mot kollektivismen« (party programme ↗)“will always assert the individual against collectivism”
- equality before the law»Det jämlika människovärdet är grunden för likheten inför lagen,« (party programme ↗)“Equal human worth is the foundation for equality before the law,”
- equal conditions for all»Sverige ska vara ett fritt och öppet samhälle där rättigheter, skyldigheter och möjligheter gäller lika för alla.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall be a free and open society where rights, responsibilities and opportunities apply equally to all.”
- racism not accepted»Den ursäktar inte homofobiskt eller rasistiskt« (party programme ↗)“That does not excuse homophobic or racist”
The plan explicitly opposes staffing authorities for activist symbolic politics and requires clear citizen benefit for every public investment.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly opposes staffing authorities for activist symbolic politics and requires clear citizen benefit for every public investment. A new authority task to map how racism manifests itself in public operations is precisely such an investment without concrete benefit according to the plan's measure. The party programme also states that skin color and ethnicity are politically irrelevant categories, which speaks against building state knowledge gathering around them.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vänder sig uttryckligen mot att myndigheter bemannas för aktivistisk symbolpolitik och kräver tydlig medborgarnytta för varje offentlig satsning. Ett nytt myndighetsuppdrag att kartlägga hur rasism tar sig uttryck i offentlig verksamhet är just en sådan satsning utan konkret nytta enligt planens måttstock. Partiprogrammet slår dessutom fast att hudfärg och etnicitet är politiskt irrelevanta kategorier, vilket talar emot att bygga statlig kunskapsinsamling kring dem.
- stop for activist authority politicsdecisive»anställning av personal på myndigheter som driver aktivistisk symbolpolitik« (2022 manifesto ↗)“employment of personnel at authorities conducting activist symbolic politics”
- ethnicity politically irrelevant»Kollektiva egenskaper som hudfärg och etnicitet är däremot för Sverigedemokraterna« (party programme ↗)“Collective characteristics such as skin color and ethnicity are on the other hand for Sweden Democrats”
- requirement for citizen benefit»Begära tydliga resultat för varje offentlig satsning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Demand clear results for every public investment”
- fewer authority tasks»Stoppa slöseriet inom myndigheterna och slå samman myndigheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop waste within authorities and merge authorities”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:KU8)
- Committee report full text (HB01KU8)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1123 — Opinionsbildande myndigheter och statliga bolag av Helena Storckenfeldt och Lars Püss (båda M)
- Motion 2023/24:1153 — Precisering av proportionalitetsprincipens tillämpning i förvaltningslagen av Staffan Eklöf (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1265 — Offentlig information på lättläst svenska av Anne-Li Sjölund och Ulrika Heie (båda C)
- Motion 2023/24:1394 — Begränsning av rätten till tolk av Josefin Malmqvist (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1628 — För ett tryggare Malmö och Sverige av Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)
- Motion 2023/24:1671 — Stärkt demokrati av Alexandra Völker och Azadeh Rojhan (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1688 — Införandet av tjänstemannaansvar av Larry Söder (KD)
- Motion 2023/24:173 — Ukrainsk stavning på Ukrainas huvudstad av Markus Wiechel (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1874 — Statliga jobb och statlig service i hela landet av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:2170 — En säkrare myndighetsutövning av Helena Storckenfeldt (M)
- Motion 2023/24:24 — Åtgärder mot korruption, vänskapskorruption och nepotism inom kommunala och regionala verksamheter av Johnny Svedin (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2413 — Kampen mot separatismen av Mauricio Rojas m.fl. (L)
- Motion 2023/24:2455 — Digitalisering för hela Sverige av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2490 — Demokrati och konstitution av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2527 — Ett transparent skattesystem av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2685 — Utgiftsområde 1 Rikets styrelse av Ida Karkiainen m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:415 — Post och it i hela landet av Jimmy Ståhl m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:443 — Regional tillväxt - För ett levande Sverige av Tobias Andersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:463 — Ett Sverige fritt från rasism av Tony Haddou m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2023/24:468 — Offentlig förvaltning av Matheus Enholm m.fl. (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament