Sweden passes controversial gender identity law amid political division

7 months ago 29

The Swedish parliament, led by conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s Moderate Party, passed a controversial Gender Identity Bill on Wednesday, despite objections from its coalition partner, the Christian Democrats and its far-right ally, the Sweden Democrats, revealing massive internal divisions within the ruling coalition.

After six hours of debate, Sweden’s ruling centre-right majority emerged from Wednesday’s vote on the controversial Gender Identity Bill weaker and more divided than ever, though the bill was approved by a large majority of lawmakers, with 234 in favour and 94 against.

The new law, among other things, decreases the age limit for those wishing to change their legal gender from 18 to 16, with the consent of a parent or guardian, and no longer requires a medical diagnosis.

In recent weeks, the issue has divided Sweden’s centre-right ruling coalition of the Moderates (EPP), Christian Democrats (CD/EPP) and Liberals (Renew Europe), supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD/ECR), who stayed out of government in exchange for implementing their migration policy.

The Gender Identity Bill was backed by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s party, the Moderates, the Liberals and the four opposition parties, while Kristersson’s coalition partners — the Christian Democrats and the far-right Sweden Democrats — were strongly opposed and tried to delay the vote with lengthy speeches.

A very divisive issue

Although the majority of lawmakers from the prime minister’s Moderate party voted in favour of the law, the issue is deeply divisive within the party and voters, who are largely opposed to it.

“Compared to recent decisions that have mobilised the party unanimously, such as the decision to join NATO, this gender identity bill is one of the biggest sources of resistance within the Moderate Party in recent years,” a source close to the Swedish Liberals told Euractiv.

“Perhaps three quarters of the party’s MPs are against it, despite the prime minister’s insistence,” the source added.

Before the vote, a Moderate source, quoted by the Swedish press agency TT, explained that the party leadership had made it clear: Those who did not vote for the proposal would lose various mandates and committee seats, hence the high turnout despite the dissatisfaction.

According to a Demoskop poll, there is a strong opposition to the new gender identity law among coalition party voters, with only six percent of the voters of the four majority parties in favour.

“The question is whether it could be any clearer. Talk about disappointing and ignoring your voters,” the far-right SD lawmaker Richard Jomshof wrote on X, criticising the Kristersson’s party and urging disappointed Moderate voters to vote for the far-right SD instead.

“It is a decision that needs to be torn up,” concluded far-right SD leader Jimmie Åkesson.

(Charles Szumski | Euractiv.com)