At their party congress in Örebro, the Sweden Democrats decided to push for a comprehensive reform of the law on incitement against ethnic groups. The decision followed a close vote of 79–78, with proposals to abolish the law narrowly defeated. The party board argued for retaining the law but narrowing its scope.
The Sweden Democrats (SD) held their national congress in Örebro on November 23, 2025, where the party debated the law on incitement against ethnic groups. After a lively discussion, delegates voted in favor of the party board's proposal for a comprehensive reform, with 79 votes against 78 for complete abolition. Several motions to scrap the law were submitted and supported from the floor.
Critics within the party argued that the law does not function as intended. "The law does not work as intended. It creates arbitrariness, silences debate, and punishes statements that do not pose any real threat," said Julia Fält, delegate from Fyrbodal. Petter Nilsson, delegate from Västerbotten, added: "Through case law, it has more or less been established that Swedes cannot be subjected to incitement against ethnic groups. However, a large number of cases have concerned the 'ethnic group' of drag queens, which is quite telling."
The party board opposed full abolition, citing the law's historical background in the persecution of Jews and the Holocaust. Julia Kronlid, MP and party board member, warned: "Given the increasing antisemitism, I think it would be a big mistake to remove the law. It will be portrayed entirely incorrectly. Our party leader Jimmie Åkesson will have to stand in interview after interview answering the question 'why run for election on allowing incitement against ethnic groups.'"
Party secretary Mattias Bäckström Johansson has clarified that the reform should focus on 'ethnic groups' and not cover incitement based on sexual orientation or religious affiliation. Long-standing criticism concerns the law's failure to protect the majority population, its arbitrary application, and undue restrictions on freedom of speech.
In a related context, SD allows hateful comments on its Facebook page against Liberal leader Jan Jönsson, reflecting the party's stance on free speech. Jönsson commented: "One can definitely have opinions, even about sexual minorities. The line is drawn when it becomes incitement reaching a large audience."