Sweden Democrats Propose Major Reform of Hate Speech Law Amid Heated Party Debate

At its 2025 national conference in Örebro, the Sweden Democrats (SD) decided to pursue a significant reform of the hate speech law known as 'hets mot folkgrupp'. The decision came after a lively and tightly contested debate resulting in a narrow vote of 79 to 78, where motions to abolish the law entirely were narrowly defeated.

Critics within the party, including delegate Julia Fält from Fyrbodal, argued that the current law fails to protect Sweden’s majority population and creates arbitrariness by punishing statements that do not pose real threats. Fält stated, “The law does not function as intended. It creates arbitrariness, silences debate, and punishes statements that pose no real threat.” Petter Nilsson from Västerbotten also expressed concerns that the law disproportionately targets groups such as drag queens rather than addressing real ethnic group issues.

Despite calls from some members to repeal the law, SD party leadership opted for a reform focusing specifically on protections for “folk groups” (ethnic groups), excluding categories like sexual orientation and religion. Mattias Bäckström Johansson, party secretary, emphasized this approach as the preferred path forward.

However, dissenting voices remain within SD, with party board member Julia Kronlid warning against fully abolishing the law. Kronlid cited the historical persecution of Jews and recent rises in antisemitism as reasons why repealing the law would be a "great mistake" and could lead to damaging media portrayals of the party.

The proposed reform has also sparked broader concerns regarding freedom of expression and the limits of permissible speech. For instance, the party has faced criticism for allowing hateful comments against L-party leader Jan Jönsson on its Facebook page, with Jönsson himself emphasizing that opinion expression is acceptable until it crosses into incitement of hatred targeting a wide audience.

The party’s push to reform the hate speech legislation marks a critical moment in the ongoing debate about balancing free speech and protection against hate crimes in Sweden. The coming months will reveal how these proposals impact both legislation and Sweden’s political discourse.