Public holidays etc.

Per-Arne Håkansson (S)

Madam Speaker! The public holidays and flag days have a good popular anchoring and are based on tradition and customs. They are fixed points to adhere to both for each of us citizens and for societal planning, and they also contribute to a good sense of community.

The Committee on the Constitution's report KU19 deals with seven motions from the general motion period. They concern issues such as May 1st, flag rules, awards for Swedes living abroad, the status of the Scanian flag, and so on. I wish to move for approval of the proposal in the report and for the rejection of the motions.

In the Act on Public Holidays, it is stated that "by public holiday is meant in law or other regulation Sundays, including Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday, New Year's Day, December 13th, May 1st, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, even when they do not fall on a Sunday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the Assumption of Mary, National Day, Midsummer Day and All Saints' Day".

Public holidays etc.

Changing public holidays and flag days based on trends or more or less temporary expressions of opinion cannot be done. The last time a change was implemented was when the national day, the Swedish flag's day on June 6, became a public holiday in 2005. This simultaneously meant that Whit Monday ceased to be a public holiday. If a new public holiday is added, one must, from socio-economic perspectives, be prepared to review whether another one has to be scrapped.

In a committee motion from the Sverigedemokraterna, it is stated that the Act on Sweden's Flag should contain more detailed rules for official flag days, regional flags, and that orders shall be issued to all agencies to follow ceremonies and fly the flag on official flag days.

For my part, in these types of questions, I want to emphasize phenomena such as popular anchoring, commitment, and volunteerism. It has proven to hold up in the long run in the Swedish model.

Furthermore, it can be emphasized that in the existing Act on the Swedish Flag, the appearance of the Swedish flag is regulated. Which days are public flag days are regulated in the Ordinance on Public Flag Days. As recently as February this year, the government decided on an amendment to the ordinance which enters into force in a few days, specifically on 1 April.

Regarding the flagging of state agencies and institutions, the committee has addressed this issue at previous occasions and emphasizes the importance that this shall be decided by the agencies themselves.

I would like to emphasize what the Foundation Sweden's National Day highlights regarding the Swedish flag, namely that the Swedish flag belongs to all of us who live in Sweden and that, as a national symbol, the flag shall be treated with respect. It is emphasized that the flag may not be used for commercial purposes. It is also pointed out, for which there may be reason to emphasize, that everyone has their own private flag days. We can all fly the flag at private ceremonies, in joy or in sorrow. Association life, sports and culture also use the flag extensively, which is worth welcoming.

Madam Speaker! In another committee motion from the Sweden Democrats, it is proposed that May 1st should be removed as a public holiday and replaced with something else with, as they put it, a "connection to the Swedish heritage." They try in various ways to find justifications for the whole thing, not without some kind of nationalist connection as a starting point.

The Committee on the Constitution has several times previously dealt with motions regarding May 1st, most recently in 2022, and in those cases, they were rejected. May 1st has, like many other public holidays, a strong anchoring in Swedish society dating back centuries. Since 1938, May 1st has been a public holiday.

It can be emphasized in this context that the labor movement's efforts—the labor movement celebrates May 1st—to build the Swedish folkhemmet and introduce, for example, an eight-hour workday, vacation rights, freedom of organization and association, equality reforms, child allowance and student grants, which have been important May 1st milestones through the years, are a significant part of our common history and the Swedish social model. They are, as I see it, well worth safeguarding and defending, and I am convinced that many stand behind them.

Everyone is welcome to celebrate May 1st. It is not about some, but about everyone. It is also one of the few holidays that has neither royal nor religious connections. The popular anchoring is the very point.

For those who do not wish to be present at the labor movement's activities on the current day, I can refer to the Nordic Museum's historical account of May 1st in Sweden. May 1st was seen in the farming society as the first day of summer, a day when the animals were released to pasture. It was a day worth celebrating and noting. Already during the Catholic Middle Ages, the day was associated with play and festivities. "Welcome, beautiful May" is, for example, a fine motto that I believe most people feel a sense of belonging to, regardless of political affiliation.

In the writings of the Nordiska museet, it is also described how one held feasts and celebrations on May 1st in the pre-industrial society. The village community (byalaget) chose an alderman, and jointly took responsibility for accounts and conducted inspections of fences and enclosures. During the 1500s, the students of the time, the djäknar, performed so-called sockengång and staged songs and puppet shows on May 1st. It appears that May 1st was celebrated as a holiday in the calendar until 1772, but that traditions and festivities continued thereafter. It took until 1938 before May 1st was reintroduced as a holiday in the calendar, and that is how we have it to this day.

This was a development from the Nordiska Museet archives. In context, the non-partisan and selfless initiative that Mrs. Beda Hallberg, involved in the voluntary poor relief in Gothenburg, initiated in 1907 through Majblomman with a collection to support children in vulnerable situations, can also be mentioned. It is an initiative with a focus precisely on May 1st that is still carried out today through the nationwide Majblommekommittén and with voluntary commitment in various parts of the country.

There is, therefore, reason to emphasize May 1st as a strong Swedish tradition and continued public holiday. The committee's position is based on the fact that the public holidays should not be changed. The committee is not prepared to advocate for May 1st being removed as a public holiday or for any new public holiday to be introduced.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Lars Andersson (SD)

Madam Speaker! I move for approval only to reservation 2, but we Sweden Democrats stand behind all of our reservations in the report.

The Committee on the Constitution's report KU19, Public Holidays etc., highlights a number of issues that are important for Swedish society in general, ranging from public holidays and flag-raising to Sweden's national anthem, symbols, memorial days, and holidays. These are areas that can lead to reflections around our Swedish identity, our history, our pride, and our national appreciation - things that unite us in community and cohesion. This is an opportunity to thoughtfully appreciate what the Kingdom of Sweden stands for and represents, not only in the present but also historically, and how we have reached this point. It also provides an indication of where we are headed as we enter the future. All points in the matter can hopefully contribute to the acquisition of a national identity that we can all be proud of.

Perhaps the very foremost symbol of our country is our beautiful blue and yellow flag with its long history, which stretches all the way back to the middle of the 1500s. What was previously called Swedish Flag Day, we call today Sweden's National Day. It is a day that has been celebrated, among other places, at Skansen since 1893. It is a day full of pomp and splendor, music and solemn speeches, always in the company of our royal family, who carry the traditions forward.

Today, there are no clear regulations governing flag-flying, even though there are certain guidelines and recommendations that one can adhere to. Without a specified regulatory framework, it happens that some authorities fly flags other than the Swedish flag, even though some flags can be perceived as representing political or ideological organizations. This is something that the Sverigedemokraterna find unfortunate, as unofficial flags on public buildings can be perceived as these authorities taking a political or ideological stance.

The Swedish flag is a symbol for our country and as such is also applicable to our authorities all around the country. Against that background, we in Sverigedemokraterna propose that the regulatory framework for flagging be gathered into a more concrete flag law that applies to everything from the flag's standard size and appearance to which days it should fly. The flag law should also establish which other flags may be included, for example the UN flag, the EU flag and, within the near future, hopefully also the NATO flag. Additionally, it naturally also concerns foreign flags in connection with, for example, international visits as well as certain agency-specific and regional flags. The flag law is naturally intended to only cover public and official use, while private flagging perhaps can be encouraged but in no way should be imposed.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Susanne Nordström (M)

Madam Speaker! It is good when one gets to learn new words. I did that the other day when I was preparing for this debate on flags and public holidays. The word I learned was vexillophile. That is a person who is a general admirer of flags or has flags as a hobby. I want to be clear that vexillology, the study of flags, is something one should take seriously. The word comes from the Latin vexillum - a square banner that was used by the Roman cavalry during antiquity.

With that said, we all know that flags have origins and are connected to history, as we have heard in the debate. A flag often has both geographical and personal significance. A flag can show belonging and pride, but also conquest or perhaps a moon landing. There is something admirable about those who want to show belonging to a flag, I think. We see it everywhere: at football matches, in pride parades, at companies, and so on.

Madam Speaker! A well-known Swedish flag is the Scanian flag. It is Sweden's most commonly occurring regional flag. It is primarily used by private individuals in Skåne, with its own flagpole or as a facade flag. It is also used in tourist contexts, in sports contexts, and by shops that perhaps want to market Scanian products. Some municipal use also occurs.

The State Heraldry Office argues that the red and yellow Scanian cross flag does not have official status. Only the state can recognize an official flag, either through legislation or a government decree.

Flags can become more or less known depending on circumstances or perhaps clever marketing. How a flag becomes known does not play such a large role. The important thing is that those who like the flag and have it hoisted know and feel the belonging, and can also show their belonging to others with the flag. All private individuals are, in fact, allowed to have and fly their flag.

Our Swedish flag, which is official, can be flown whenever one feels like it. This applies, for example, on holidays or weddings, provided, of course, that one has a flagpole. Then we have the general flag days, which have been accounted for here. A review of these flag days has recently been conducted. The new ones will come into force on 1 April 2023.

Public holidays etc.

Madam Speaker! I think it is a good mix of both holidays and flag days. I therefore move for approval of the committee's proposal.

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(Decisions were made under § 23.)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)