Short answer: Here are decisions that have shaped Sweden, from universal suffrage to Nato, and how each party in the Riksdag voted: for, against, abstained or split. A party that had no seats in the Riksdag is shown as such. Every decision has a source.
The decisions
Decision by decision, oldest first.
1918Democracy
Equal municipal suffrage
An extraordinary session of the Riksdag gave women and men equal voting rights in municipal elections. The decision was part of the cross-party agreement that led to equal suffrage for the Riksdag.
No final vote on the whole.
SForSocial DemocratsParty in government, the proposal came from the government
MForThe RightBacked the cross-party agreement, according to Lindman in 1921
SDDid not exist
CNo dataFarmers' League
VNo dataLeft Socialists
KDDid not exist
LForLiberalsParty in government, the proposal came from the government
MPDid not exist
The sections were approved one at a time, without a final vote on the whole. The records have no lists of names, so the parties' votes cannot be counted.
The Riksdag took the second and final constitutional decision that gave women and men equal rights to vote and stand for election to the Riksdag.
Second Chamber: 151 yes, 44 no. First Chamber: 101 yes, 16 no.
SForSocial Democrats
MSplitThe RightParty leadership for, some members moved rejection
SDDid not exist
CNo dataFarmers' League
VNo dataLeft Socialists
KDDid not exist
LForLiberals
MPDid not exist
The first, provisional decision was taken in May 1919 without a vote on the main question. The records have no lists of names, so it cannot be established which members voted no.
The Riksdag introduced a statutory supplementary pension calculated on income over the working life. Why today's pension can be low despite a long working life is on Pensions and old age.
Second Chamber: 115 yes, 114 no, 1 abstained. First Chamber: 80 yes, 69 no.
Yes here means for the act. In the Second Chamber the Social Democrats and the Communists together had 115 votes and the non-socialist parties as many, so the abstention of the People's Party member Königson decided the matter. The records have no figures by party.
Women got the right to decide on abortion themselves up to and including the eighteenth week of pregnancy.
Riksdag: 214 yes, 103 no, 6 abstained.
SForGovernment proposal, a few members against
MAgainstParty motion against free abortion
SDDid not exist
CSplitFree vote for the members
VForVPK
KDNot in the Riksdag
LSplitPeople's PartyFree vote for the members
MPDid not exist
The record has only totals. The parties' positions are based on the speeches in the debate, where several parties said the members were free to vote as they wished.
After the referendum in March 1980, the Riksdag decided that at most twelve reactors could be used and that the last one would be closed by 2010 at the latest.
Riksdag: 259 yes, 68 no.
SForLine 2 in the referendum
MAgainstLine 1, did not want to fix the year 2010
SDDid not exist
CForLine 3 in the referendum
VNo dataVPKLine 3 in the referendum
KDNot in the Riksdag
LForPeople's PartyLine 2 in the referendum
MPDid not exist
In the referendum, line 1 got 18.9 per cent, line 2 39.1 per cent and line 3, phase-out within ten years, 38.7 per cent. The record has only totals; the parties' votes are based on reservations and speeches.
The Riksdag passed the act on Sweden's accession to the European Union and transferred decision-making powers to the EU.
Riksdag: 278 yes, 36 no.
SFor148 yes
MFor68 yes
SDNot in the Riksdag
CFor24 yes
VAgainst18 no
KDFor13 yesKDS
LFor25 yesLiberal People's Party
MPAgainst18 no
The accession treaty itself was approved without a counted vote. The figures refer to the counted vote on transferring decision-making powers to the EU.
The government got the right to revoke the licence to operate a nuclear reactor. The act made it possible to close Barsebäck. The whole story, from the referendum to the last closures, is on The electricity price.
The government got the right to require buses, trains and ferries to check travellers' identity documents in the event of a serious threat to public order.
Riksdag: 175 yes, 39 no, 117 abstained.
SFor110 yes, 1 abstained
MAbstained80 abstained
SDFor43 yes
CAgainst20 no, 1 abstained
VAgainst18 no
KDAbstained16 abstained
LAbstained18 abstained
MPFor22 yes, 1 no, 1 abstained
The vote was on whether to reject the bill. For means the party voted against rejection, that is, for the act.
For three years, asylum seekers were as a rule given temporary instead of permanent residence permits, and the right to family reunification was restricted.
Riksdag: 240 yes, 45 no, 30 abstained.
SFor106 yes
MFor77 yes
SDFor40 yes
CAgainst20 no, 1 abstained
VAgainst20 no
KDAbstained14 abstained
LAbstained1 no, 15 abstained
MPSplit17 yes, 4 no
The vote was on whether to reject the bill. For means the party voted against rejection, that is, for the act.
Sex with someone who does not take part voluntarily became rape, and negligent rape became a new crime.
The decision was taken without a vote.
SFor
MFor
SDFor
CFor
VFor
KDFor
LFor
MPFor
The act was passed without a vote, since no one asked for one. The only vote concerned a review of the sexual offences (item 5), where SD wanted to go further.
The Riksdag adopted the targets that electricity is to be fully renewable by 2040 and that energy is to be used 50 per cent more efficiently in 2030 than in 2005.
Riksdag: 245 yes, 38 no, 17 abstained.
SFor99 yes
MFor71 yes
SDAgainst35 no
CFor18 yes
VFor20 yes
KDFor15 yes
LAbstained17 abstained
MPFor22 yes
Independent members voted 0 yes, 3 no and 0 abstained.
Each column is one of today's parties in the Riksdag. The Moderates were called the Right Party until 1969 and have roots in the General Electoral League. The Centre Party was called the Farmers' League until 1957. The Liberals were called the People's Party from 1934 to 2015 and before that the Free-minded and the Liberals. The Left Party was called the Communist Party of Sweden and the Left Party Communists. Where the party had another name when the decision was taken, it is shown in the box.
For, against and abstained mean that at least nine in ten of the party's voting members voted that way. Otherwise the party is shown as split. The figures in the box are numbers of members, and those absent are not counted. Did not exist means the party had not been founded, not in the Riksdag that it existed but had no seats.
Before 1971 the Riksdag had two chambers that voted separately, and then the result is shown for both. The records from that time generally do not give the votes by party. The party's position then comes from the debate in the record or from historical literature, and figures are shown only where a source has them.
From the parliamentary year 2002/03, the votes are counted from the Riksdag's open data, member by member. The list includes decisions usually regarded as major in Swedish politics.
Riksdag open data: votes per member from 2002/03, records and reports.
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