The Swedish Riksdag adopted by a broad majority a constitutional amendment proposal that would add a right to terminate a pregnancy to Sweden’s basic law. The proposal was introduced by the government of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, whose Moderate Party leads the ruling coalition.
Politically, however, the debate on abortion was politically intensified early on by Ebba Busch and the Christian Democrats through their proposed “abortion contract”, while the proposal to constitutionally protect abortion was pushed especially by the Liberals, and also by the Centre Party. The concrete government bill later came formally from the Kristersson government.
The new wording would be added to Sweden’s constitution as follows: “Every pregnant person has the right to terminate their pregnancy in accordance with the provisions laid down by law.”
Legal Limits Remain Unchanged
The proposed wording would not set out a full abortion law in the constitution. Instead, it would provide basic constitutional protection while still leaving the detailed rules to Sweden’s existing abortion act. That law would therefore continue to determine the limits and conditions under which abortions are permitted.
Legal experts and critics argue that this makes the amendment less far-reaching than it may first appear. The right would be anchored in the constitution, but the practical rules governing abortion could still be changed by a simple parliamentary majority.
Under current Swedish law, abortions are generally permitted up to the 18th week of pregnancy without any special justification. After that, approval from the National Board of Health and Welfare, known as Socialstyrelsen, is required. Approval may not be granted if the unborn child is deemed viable. The current vote did not change any of these specific legal limits.
Abortion Elevated to Constitutional Status
What is new, however, is the planned elevation of abortion to the status of a basic constitutional right, a move likely to increase pressure for further liberalization of abortion law.
In the deliberations of the Committee on the Constitution, the reform was justified above all by the aim of securing long-term access to abortion against political change. Supporters explicitly referred to international developments.
In several Western countries, abortion rights have been expanded or given additional protection in recent years. In 2024, France became the first country in the world to explicitly include a “guaranteed freedom” to abortion in its constitution. In Ireland, abortion was legalized after a 2018 referendum. Rules have also recently been significantly liberalized in countries such as Argentina and Mexico.
At the same time, after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022, responsibility in the United States returned to the individual states. European supporters of liberal abortion laws often cite that decision as a warning that a “backlash” can happen at any time.
Moving the abortion question from ordinary law into national constitutions, and presenting it as a supposed women’s right or even a human right, follows the same strategy: shielding abortion rights from changing parliamentary majorities as well as rulings by supreme courts.
A Setback for Pro-Life Campaigners
Although Sweden has not yet created an absolute constitutional right to abortion, the decision still marks a political and symbolic defeat for the protection of unborn children.
Critics stress that abortion is never merely a matter of individual rights, but always concerns two human beings: the mother and the unborn child. Pro-life organizations in Sweden say the real challenge now is to shift the debate more strongly toward the human dignity of the unborn child, practical support for women in difficult situations and the broader question of whether a constitution should really be used to define abortion, and therefore the ending of human life, as a fundamental right.
The amendment approved on Wednesday is not yet final. Because this is a constitutional change, the Swedish Riksdag must vote on it a second time after the next parliamentary election before the reform can finally enter into force.
