Swedish parliament’s pairing system collapses after controversial vote

Sweden’s parliamentary pairing system has descended into chaos after a disputed vote on citizenship rules, with opposition parties now demanding the exclusion of the Sweden Democrats (SD) from future arrangements, reports public broadcaster SVT.

The system, used when lawmakers cannot attend votes, ensures the balance of power remains unchanged by removing an equal number of opposing members. It broke down in late April when two former SD members—now independent—voted with the opposition, while two SD lawmakers who should have been paired away participated in the vote. This allowed the governing Tidö parties to push through stricter citizenship requirements starting 6 June, without transitional rules for pending applications.

During a televised leaders’ debate, SD leader Jimmie Åkesson accused the Green Party of “buying” the independents’ support, calling it a breach of parliamentary honour. Green Party co-leader Amanda Lind dismissed the claim, telling Åkesson to “control your own independents.” One of the former SD members, Katja Nyberg, later stated she opposed the proposal because it created “legal uncertainty.”

Opposition parties, including the Left and Greens, have demanded an apology from SD and its removal from the pairing system. The Tidö parties propose a new system that accounts for independent lawmakers. Multiple cross-party meetings with the Speaker have failed to resolve the dispute.

For now, the parliament requires all members to be present for votes to avoid pairing conflicts.