Sweden
Sweden is a high-performing democracy and a constitutional monarchy. With respect to its politics, Sweden has typically been characterized by its consensual political culture, politically active electorate, and its commitment to universal welfare, equal standards and redistribution of wealth. Recently, however, some suggest that this era of the tolerant, multi-cultural welfare state has ended. Sweden’s bid to join NATO in response to the Russian war in Ukraine also signals a shift away from its historical position of neutrality. Sweden’s mixed, competitive economy features sectors such as the automotive, forestry, and telecommunications industries. Over the past five years, Global State of Democracy Indices reveal limited movement across all indicators, and Sweden continues to exhibit high performance across all attributes.
Swedish politics has been undergoing transformation in two respects. Firstly, while its political system has historically been marked by the same five political parties in Parliament, that number has increased to eight since the 2010 elections. The rise of the populist far-right has been particularly transformative in this regard, and more stringent limits on immigration along with rhetoric questioning what is and is not “Swedish” identity has tapped into political debate around Sweden’s acceptance of refugees and asylum seekers. Secondly, while Swedish politics have traditionally been comparatively one-dimensionally dominated by the classic socioeconomic left-right dimension, national political competition has come to be structured along new political cleavages over time - such as in relation to the environment and immigration, as reflected in the repositioning of mainstream parties. These transformations have paved the road for a more turbulent form of politics as it has become harder to form strong coalition governments. New political actors and forms of representation have become increasingly engaged in traditionally party-centered processes – such as civil society actors and policy professionals. This has been evident in some of the key issues that have recently defined the political landscape: the rise of organized violent crime, migration and integration policies, and the welfare and health care system. There has also been some conflict between state interests and indigenous rights – with the state, for example, controversially granting mining rights on Sámi territory.
It is important to watch three key issues. The first area to watch connects to the challenges facing the decentralized nature of the country’s political framework. Municipal politics, in charge of implementing key welfare dimensions such as (but not limited to) healthcare, are increasingly challenged by issues such as (socially representative) recruitment, an ageing population, and the effects of urbanization - both in terms of the increased demand for welfare services in rapidly growing urban areas, and issues of financing and distance to public services in shrinking rural areas. These issues could impact Basic Welfare and Social Group Equality. A second area to watch is higher crime rates and rising social group inequality. Such developments may impact the country’s performance on Civil Liberties. Relatedly, also in connection to Civil Liberties, a third area to watch connects to integration policies – with refugees often struggling to access employment opportunities.
Monthly Event Reports
March 2024 | Sweden officially joins NATO
On 7 March, Sweden officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as the 32nd member of the alliance. Sweden applied for membership in NATO on 18 May 2022, at the same time as Finland, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sweden’s accession was drawn out by delayed ratification by existing members, Türkiye and Hungary, who respectively approved Sweden’s membership in January and February 2024. On entering NATO, Sweden leaves behind 200 years of military non-alignment. A long history of close cooperation with NATO and the changing security situation in Europe have led to broad political support for joining NATO, with 269 out of 349 members of the Swedish Parliament voting in favour of Sweden’s accession to NATO.
January 2024 | Parliament passes amendments to the Aliens Act
As of 1 January, new legislation allows police to physically search people suspected of being illegal immigrants for identity documents (if they fail to provide the documents voluntarily) and retain the documents until their legal status is confirmed or they leave the country. The measures were criticized by Civil Rights Defenders for the risk of ethnic profiling when they were proposed in 2022. On 1 March, further amendments to the Aliens Act will enter into force, allowing for the revocation of “alien passports” for security reasons. “Alien passports” are granted to residence permit holders who cannot safely obtain a home country passport. The changes also expand the grounds for revoking residence permits for individuals suspected of terrorism or state-sponsored industrial espionage. The Council on Legislation cautioned against the changes, due to loosely defined criteria for identifying involvement in terrorism, potentially resulting in arbitrary enforcement.
June 2023 | Parliament approves increase in penalties for crimes against journalists
Parliament approved amendments to the criminal code to strengthen the protection of journalists and prevent attacks on reporters. The changes aim to safeguard impartial reporting by journalists by minimising the risk of exposure to threats which may affect their work or lead to self-censorship. The amendments ensure that crimes committed against a person because of their role as a journalist are assessed more harshly and carry higher penalties. Recent research by Lund University found a need for increased resources and priority within the legal system to address online harassment against journalists. The changes also introduce penal provisions to expressly prevent abuse and harassment against other “socially beneficial functions,” including personnel in healthcare, social services, rescue services and schools, to ensure the uninhibited performance of duties deemed critical for society, and to protect occupations that are especially exposed to threats.
May 2023 | New law expands scope of terrorism-related crimes
Parliament approved a new terror law which criminalises participation in or support to a terrorist organisation, including through organising terrorist activities; providing funding, equipment, transport or housing to such groups; and publicly encouraging and recruiting for terrorist activities. The law was approved with 268 votes in favour, 34 votes against and 47 abstentions. The Council of Legislation (Lagrådet) criticised the bill as unnecessary and risking too far-reaching criminalisation further to a legal review completed in March. Observers have said that the move seeks to address Turkey’s blocking of Sweden’s bid to join NATO, where Ankara has accused Swedish authorities of harbouring members and supporters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). This sentiment was renewed by Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) after the PKK flag was projected onto the Swedish Parliament building by protesters in May.
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GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022
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Global State of Democracy Indices
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Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time
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