The ecclesiastical cultural heritage

Kristina Axén Olin (M)

Madam Speaker! Since the divorce between the Church of Sweden and the state in 2000, there has been an agreement between the state and the Church of Sweden where the church receives a certain compensation annually to maintain and repair in accordance with the Cultural Environment Act.

Every five years, Madam Speaker, a review is conducted. It was done in 2014 and 2019, and now we have reached 2024. The compensation amount is 460 million annually that the Church of Sweden receives to take responsibility for maintenance and repairs. It has been at the same level since 2010.

That compensation amount, Madam Speaker, we shall not decide on today. The Government will return with a proposal for the compensation level in connection with the budget bill in the autumn. We can, however, state that at the review points in 2014 and 2019, the governments at that time found no reason to increase the compensation but thought it should remain at the 2010 level.

What we are doing today in the control station is that we are partially reviewing how the cooperation and the agreement between the Church of Sweden and the state have functioned. The government's communication addresses a number of different points. In general, it is considered that the cooperation and the agreements with the Church of Sweden have functioned very well.

We have 3,400 churches in Sweden. The number has decreased by 11 since the last control point, partly through sales but also because some have burned down. On the other hand, 12 churches have been added, but that is probably not because any new ones have been built, but rather because the Church of Sweden has simply become better at discovering the churches it already has.

The Government considers that the Church of Sweden, through its digitalization efforts, has gained a better overview of both buildings and inventory. It can also be stated, however, that the Church of Sweden has lost many members since the last control point and thus received much lower membership revenues.

The Church of Sweden has maintained good accessibility to our ecclesiastical cultural heritage. There is, however, potential for improvement, not least regarding opening hours, especially in large cities and suburbs, where we see a reduction in opening hours.

There is also, Madam Speaker, potential for improvement regarding the care and maintenance needs of cultural heritage sites in the form of clear plans. We also hope that the Church of Sweden will ensure that the oversight of cultural heritage authorities in the distribution process and the repair needs of our Swedish churches will be even better.

Madam Speaker! I also finally want to mention that the government has appointed a national cultural protection council in which the Church of Sweden will be included, by reason of the fact that we have all been alerted to the importance of our Swedish cultural heritage in the event of war and crisis, as well as how important it is to ensure for future generations that our Swedish cultural heritage is properly preserved, protected, repaired, and maintained.

With these words, Madam Speaker, I move for approval of the committee's proposal for a decision regarding the government's communication.

(Applause)

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

Mats Berglund (MP)

Madam Speaker! The ecclesiastical cultural heritage has long and deep historical roots. The oldest preserved church in Sweden was constructed in the middle of the 1000s, at the beginning of the Middle Ages. We therefore have nearly a thousand years of construction history with us in the matter we are discussing today.

It is a thousand years of creation, recreation, impact, and influence from virtually the whole world but mainly from Europe - but also from the near local community. How people have lived, lived, and worked has influenced the parish church's design and interior. But it has also been the opposite; the influence that the church has had over the people has been completely decisive for people's worldview - both faith in God, naturally, and the physical building, the place, the consecrated ground.

Throughout the centuries, Christianity and the church have permeated the everyday life and the lives of the people. Thus, the Swedish cultural heritage has grown across the entire country, from north to south, in the countryside, in villages and in cities. It affects us all even today, and it belongs to all of us in Sweden even today.

Cultural heritage reminds us of, and tells us about, our history and how history is connected to the time we live in today. That is how cultural heritage should be used, but it must also be preserved and developed for the future.

It is often said that Sweden was Christianized when Olof Skötkonung allowed himself to be baptized sometime around the year 1000. A more significant milestone for the matter we are debating today is perhaps Gustav Vasa's seizure of power and the Diet of Västerås, where, in his great nation-building project, he stripped the bishops of their military power. The Church lost its economic and political influence and came to obey the Swedish king instead of the Pope. With the Reformation, which began in 1527 and continued throughout the rest of the century, the state and the church were thus merged – and the Swedish state church emerged.

A more recent turning point was the split approximately a quarter of a century ago. In connection with the church being separated from the state again on January 1, 2000, the question of ownership and responsibility for the ecclesiastical cultural heritage was raised. It was also about how the management of the cultural heritage would be funded.

The Church of Sweden, which is now an independent organization, owns and manages the ecclesiastical cultural heritage. But the state, which has certain reservations in the ownership, contributes to cover costs for the care and maintenance of, for example, church buildings, church grounds, burial sites and furnishings, the so-called ecclesiastical antiquarian compensation.

Madam Speaker! In addition to the physical cultural heritage, our churches around the country contribute important, valuable and cultural infrastructure across the whole country. The church is open to everyone, is a place for meetings, a place where one can seek answers to existential questions and a place for joy, celebration and sorrow.

Our churches are incredibly important cultural carriers and cultural actors. Many times, it is precisely the church that is the most important cultural institution in the locality, in the local community, or in the district. The church is a place for concerts, music and singing, for lectures and storytelling evenings, for dance, theater and art exhibitions. There is every reason to safeguard these cultural environments that take place in the ecclesiastical cultural heritage.

Madam Speaker! The matter we are dealing with today, which we are debating and shall decide upon, is a communication from the government, The cultural-historical values within the Church of Sweden - on the management of the ecclesiastical cultural heritage.

According to the agreement between the state and the Church of Sweden stemming from the separation on January 1, 2000, issues concerning the cultural-historical values shall be followed up and monitored regularly. The Church of Sweden shall submit annual reports on how the church antiquarian compensation has been used. Every five years, a deeper analysis shall be conducted by the government based on data from both the church and the National Heritage Board and the County Administrative Boards, a so-called control station.

Today's matter, the government's communication, is the fourth in the series of such control stations since the year 2000. The first came in 2009.

The government notes, in barely 30 pages, that the system is functioning as expected. In essence, the government is satisfied with how the Church of Sweden has distributed and used the ecclesiastical heritage compensation. No major changes have occurred from previous periods. Also, the making available of cultural heritage has continued relatively unchanged.

The report concludes with a section on future issues, where, among other things, the opportunities of digitalization are discussed and also the preparedness to protect cultural heritage in times of crisis - where above all the organization for the planning is described.

Madam Speaker! Miljöpartiet agrees in broad terms with the government's assessments, but we have two reservations in the report.

The first reservation concerns the documentation of the ecclesiastical cultural heritage. The possibilities of digitalization should be better utilized both regarding the inventory of objects and regarding the accessibility of the cultural heritage.

The second reservation concerns the church antiquarian compensation. It has remained unchanged at 460 million kronor for very many years, and it is intended to cover expensive repairs and maintenance of sensitive buildings, sites, and objects that often require special expertise.

That the level of the compensation from the state has remained constant for so long - it has not changed since 2010 - means in practice a continuous erosion of the compensation due to inflation and price increases. In addition, the Swedish Church's income from other sources has fallen due to a decreasing number of members. The basis also mentions, among other things, that climate change is a challenge that entails increased costs.

I have therefore, in addition to the reservations, attached a special statement to the report where I emphasize the importance of the state appropriation needing to increase moving forward so that the ecclesiastical cultural heritage can continue to be managed, cared for, and made accessible so that it is shared by all people in the country in a sustainable and good way.

Madam Speaker! I naturally support both reservations, but in order to save time during the voting, I will content myself with moving for approval of reservation 3 in the report.

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

Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! I move for approval of the proposal in the committee's report to submit the government's communication on the ecclesiastical cultural heritage to the records, and I therefore move for the rejection of the motions.

In the document, important issues are raised regarding the church antiquarian compensation, how it should be distributed, used, and what it should look like in the future. In addition, other important issues are touched upon, for example, the accessibility to and maintenance needs of the ecclesiastical cultural monuments, cooperation within the cultural environment area, and future issues.

For me, these are important issues to stop and consider in a parliamentary debate. Even though the state and the Church of Sweden went separate ways in 2000, there is an important support from the state that gives the churches the right to certain compensation for the care and maintenance of the ecclesiastical cultural heritage.

Madam Speaker! We all know how important the churches throughout our vast country are for the Swedish people. For those who believe that the churches have played out their role, I have some examples of what is being done today.

Churches have devotions, masses, and services that gather people all around the country.

Confirmation instruction continues to be an important part of the church's work and is extremely significant for many young people.

Many concerts are organized in the churches.

Easter games and Christmas events are organized for preschool classes and school classes.

In the wake of various traumatic events affecting citizens, many turn to the open church to find comfort and meaning.

We have the cemeteries that people visit, not least on All Saints' Day, to think about those who have passed away or to place a simple flower on the grave.

The churches have sewing groups and organize pilgrimage walks and much more.

We can see that a rich spiritual life is taking place in the churches and in the parishes, in villages as well as in large cities.

To take some examples from around the country, we see it in medieval churches such as S:ta Ragnhild in Södertälje, Dalby church in Skåne - the Nordic's oldest stone church from around the year 1060 - and S:t Pauli in Göteborg.

We also see it here in Stockholm, in S:ta Clara with origins dating back to the 1200s, which every Sunday gathers many celebrating the divine service and which during the weekdays also has a large operation distributing food to homeless people and persons in need of support and help - an important and good example of the heart of civil society in reality.

Madam Speaker! The Christian Democrats safeguard the ecclesiastical cultural heritage just as we safeguard civil society's opportunities to operate in society. We see it as important, what the committee establishes – that the state should also continue to take responsibility for ensuring that the ecclesiastical cultural heritage is preserved, used, and developed. Not least, there are future issues concerning precisely the financing of the ecclesiastical cultural heritage.

Since 2010, the church antiquarian compensation has remained at the same nominal amount, 460 million kronor per year. As stated in the letter: "One effect of this is that the real value of the appropriation, adjusted for inflation, has decreased since 2010."

As the government assessed both in 2014 and 2019, the compensation should be characterized by long-term perspective and predictability and be used for culturally and historically justified costs in connection with the care and maintenance of the ecclesiastical cultural monuments.

The Government assesses that the Church of Sweden has distributed the compensation in accordance with the state regulatory framework and the Government's intentions with the compensation.

It is also important to mention the level of the compensation. There, the committee describes what is the government's intention, namely that the government shall return to the Riksdag with a proposal regarding the level of the church antiquarian compensation in the budget bill for 2025. It is something that we Christian Democrats see as important and take with us in the continued work.

Madam Speaker! There are many more things to mention regarding the importance of continuing to preserve the ecclesiastical cultural heritage, but they will not fit into this debate.

We here in the chamber also must continue to preserve this cultural heritage by visiting a church ourselves this summer – perhaps at a baptism, a wedding, or just a simple service.

Even though the state and the church are separated, the Swedish people's soul is shaped by Christianity, and it is something that I hope will continue to shape society for a long time to come.

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

Louise Thunström (S)

Madam Speaker! I have an idea or a small wish that I have been thinking about for several years. I do not know if it will ever come to fruition. Furthermore, I tell about it to everyone I meet, so soon it will probably be someone else who realizes my idea.

The wish is that I want to write a small book about a church pew. Imagine if a church pew could speak and tell about all the people who have sat in it and about everything that has unfolded there in the pew - about the greatest joy and the deepest sorrow, about thoughts, prayers, feelings and life destinies.

I do not know if I will ever write this little book. To be honest, I have never had any big author dreams. But I believe the idea comes from the insights into the church's historical role, the anchoring in the place, and the sense of community with the people who lived before us.

The Church's cultural heritage is like a room where the common human experience over time has been embodied in stories, buildings, environments, art, craftsmanship, traditions, and living conditions.

The Church of Sweden manages an enormous amount of properties of cultural-historical value, which makes it Sweden's largest manager of cultural heritage that is protected for its cultural-historical values.

It is not only a cultural heritage that is unique in many ways, but Sweden also has a unique form of management for its ecclesiastical cultural heritage in both a Swedish and international context.

The model that was chosen in connection with the changed relations between the state and the church briefly consists of that the Church of Sweden owns and manages the ecclesiastical cultural heritage, but that the state makes certain claims on them which can entail restrictions on how the Church of Sweden is allowed to use, for example, its church buildings.

The church antiquarian compensation was therefore introduced as compensation for the restrictions and increased costs that the protection provisions in the Cultural Environment Act entail.

The compensation has since 2010 amounted to the same nominal amount, 460 million kronor per year, which means that it has in reality fallen sharply in value.

The Swedish Church's report "Att möta förändring" from 2023 and the government's letter 2024 are both a consequence of the fourth so-called control station.

The control stations, which take place every five years, shall, among other things, include an analysis of the ecclesiastical cultural values and a follow-up and evaluation of the work during the last five-year period.

We Social Democrats agree in all essential respects with the government's communication. The church antiquarian compensation is of great importance for the care and preservation of the cultural heritage.

We also share the view that the state shall continue, together with the Church of Sweden, to take responsibility for ensuring that the ecclesiastical cultural heritage is preserved.

We are also aware of the economic challenges that the Church of Sweden points out regarding the size of the church antiquarian compensation. Within the Social Democrats, a discussion is now taking place on how we can meet the Church of Sweden's demands for increased funds to avoid a maintenance debt that risks damaging our cultural heritage.

The Government further assesses that it is important that the Church of Sweden ensures the cultural heritage authorities' oversight in the distribution process.

We Social Democrats would furthermore like to emphasize the importance of the antiquarian need going hand in hand with the Church of Sweden's need for an adequate operation.

The Church of Sweden's need to be able to develop its climate work and make climate adaptations, as well as increase accessibility for visitors, is of significant importance for the organization's future. A long-term sustainable management requires a proactive response to the local parish's challenges. This could, for example, involve adaptations in the church space for better utilization.

The Swedish church buildings are well-preserved and well-maintained, at least in an international comparison. The model with the church antiquarian compensation is successful in that respect. But the political goal is also that the cultural heritage should be used and developed.

Therefore, the design and application of the Cultural Environment Act may need to be reviewed, and it is an initiative that we Social Democrats believe the government needs to consider.

The Social Democrats' ambition regarding the ecclesiastical cultural heritage extends beyond protection and preservation. In many places in our country, the church is the last remaining meeting place for cultural and civic activities that form the basis for civil society and social cohesion.

Membership numbers in the Church of Sweden are decreasing, while the responsibility for cultural-historical objects is increasing. Consequently, the parishes' task of cultural preservation is becoming increasingly dominant compared to the ecclesiastical activities, such as the celebration of worship services or the important diaconal work.

Members of the Church of Sweden today bear over half of the cultural-historical costs through the church fee that they pay.

Madam Speaker! Swedish Christian history is not without its dark chapters. The political mediation of cultural heritage usually focuses on the positive stories, and the dark stories are avoided. One dark example is the witch trials of the 1600s in Torsåker, where the church was driving the persecutions and where over 70 women were executed.

What also needs to be highlighted is the Church of Sweden's reconciliation work with the Sámi people and the reporting of the violations and injustices that the church was guilty of, as well as the work to shed light on the anti-Semitic motives that exist in several churches.

Even though it is dark, it is our cultural heritage, and it needs to be visualized so that we can understand how our country has developed and hopefully learn from past mistakes. We have a common duty to remember.

Madam Speaker! We Social Democrats see cultural heritage as a living societal resource that should not only be preserved but used and developed. For this, cultural heritage needs to feel relevant to many people, and that is the case for Christian cultural heritage. Its distribution across the entire country also contributes to a strengthening structure in society, not least in restless times.

The ecclesiastical cultural heritage belongs to everyone, and a living and open church is a prerequisite for the accessibility of the cultural heritage. But for this to become a reality, I mean that there needs to be an opportunity for planning for the Church of Sweden that also highlights new areas of use and development for our country's church buildings. It is simply time to update the conditions for the ecclesiastical antiquarian compensation.

Madam Speaker! The Social Democrats support the committee's proposal for a decision. In addition, we have a special statement in the report.

(Applause)

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

Robert Hannah (L)

Madam Speaker! How should the state support the churches as part of the Swedish cultural heritage? That is the question we are debating today in the chamber. It is, however, hardly a question of the political parties having different opinions on whether the state should support the ecclesiastical cultural heritage or not, for there I believe we all agree.

Sweden has a more than thousand-year-old Christian history. Christianity has historically had a more pervasive impact on our Swedish culture than any other institution in Sweden. For better or worse, art, philosophy, traditions, architecture, craftsmanship, and music have been strongly colored by our ecclesiastical heritage.

The Church of Sweden has done a lot to create the Swedish identity. The ecclesiastical cultural heritage is therefore a matter of concern for the whole society, for there are traces from all of Sweden's history. The ecclesiastical cultural heritage is everyone's concern, regardless of whether one is a member of the Church of Sweden or not. The physical cultural heritage is also a unique treasure that is important for us as a nation to care for and protect, especially because Sweden, unlike many other countries, has not been at war for many years.

Since 2010, the state's support for the Swedish Church's cultural heritage has been around 460 million kronor annually - an amount that the Swedish Church argues today is insufficient to meet the need. The discrepancy between the Swedish Church's perceived needs and the actual size of the compensation is palpable.

The Culture Committee has during the spring ensured that we have met the Church of Sweden and the National Heritage Board, and we have also met the County Administrative Board of Skåne. All have provided different pictures of the work of caring for the cultural-historical church buildings.

When we had the National Heritage Board visiting us in the Cultural Committee during the preparation of the matter, they stated that the support has had the intended effect and that the buildings have never been as well-maintained as they are today. But the situation seems to differ between different parts of the country - that is obvious.

Kulturutskottet met with the County Administrative Board of Skåne during a visit there during the spring, when it became clear that there is a great need for funds to preserve the churches there. I believe that a large part of the solution lies in the Church of Sweden's own work with the distribution keys, which is ongoing right now, where one perhaps needs to review which parts of the country should be given more funds based on need.

Madam Speaker! The state should, together with the Church of Sweden, continue to take responsibility for ensuring that the ecclesiastical cultural heritage is preserved, used, and developed. Continued trusting cooperation between the state and the Church of Sweden will then be very significant, in fact, completely decisive. But it is only when the budget is presented this autumn that the government will announce what the support will look like going forward. I look forward to the announcement.

(Applause)

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

Runar Filper (SD)

Madam Speaker! I would like to begin by moving for the approval of our reservation number 4 regarding the ecclesiastical cultural heritage.

Sweden is today one of the world's most secular countries. Despite this, it is not possible to ignore how the Christian heritage has shaped our country for over a thousand years, right up to our present day.

Even though most Swedes today do not participate in church life in the same way as our ancestors did, the church space continues to fulfill an important function in society. Many choose to marry in the church, baptize their children, and hold church funerals, confirmations, and Lucia processions. These traditions are deeply rooted in our society and reflect our history and culture. Furthermore, Swedish churches all around the country are living cultural heritage that tell the story of how Sweden has developed through the centuries.

Madam Speaker! It is, however, a worrying development when we see how the ecclesiastical cultural heritage is deteriorating. All around Sweden, there is an enormous maintenance debt for our churches. Many of these buildings face acute renovation needs that the parishes cannot afford to address. In some cases, the maintenance need is so great that churches risk being sold or demolished because the parishes or the Church of Sweden do not have the resources to restore them.

This is a particularly hard blow to the countryside, where the church is not only an important part of the area's history but also serves as a gathering place for people in both joy and sorrow. The churches are often centers for social and cultural activities, and should the churches be decommissioned, it would be a great loss for the local communities.

Madam Speaker! The state's responsibility for the ecclesiastical cultural heritage consists today of the church antiquarian compensation. The model itself is good and has proven to be effective when it receives sufficient resources. However, the current appropriations are not enough to cover the growing maintenance needs.

The Church of Sweden has expressed that an increase in the compensation is necessary so that the maintenance debt does not become unsustainable. If we do not act now, the costs for maintenance will continue to increase, which will make it even more difficult to preserve these important cultural heritages.

Madam Speaker! We Sverigedemokrater have long pushed for the church antiquarian compensation to be increased. We continue to do this within the framework of the budget cooperation we have together with the government. It is a necessity for the state, together with the Church of Sweden, to be able to manage the maintenance debt that exists. We believe that it is not only a financial responsibility but also a cultural and historical responsibility to preserve our churches.

In addition to this, we mean that the large maintenance debt means that the state should take a greater responsibility for the ecclesiastical cultural heritage. Even though the Church of Sweden and the state are separate today, we believe that the ecclesiastical cultural heritage concerns us all, due to Christianity's vital role in the development of the Sweden we know today.

Madam Speaker! Regardless of political color or what faith one professes, it is distressing when our rich cultural heritage decays or risks disappearing, as I describe here. If nothing is done, we risk a large part of the ecclesiastical cultural heritage being sold or demolished. It would be very unfortunate if that were to happen.

That is why we Sverigedemokrater will continue to work so that the state takes a greater responsibility for the ecclesiastical cultural heritage that has shaped our country for thousands of years. This heritage is not only important for us who live today but also for future generations. It is a part of our identity and our history, and it deserves to be preserved and cared for with diligence.

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I want to emphasize that our commitment to preserving the ecclesiastical cultural heritage is not just about protecting buildings. It is also about preserving a living part of our history and culture – something that can continue to enrich our lives and societies for many generations to come. We must ensure that this rich cultural heritage receives the care and maintenance it needs.

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

Vasiliki Tsouplaki (V)

Madam Speaker! Today we are therefore debating the church antiquarian compensation, that is to say, the support that the state and thus all taxpayers contribute every year for the maintenance and renovation of those of the country's church buildings that belong to the Church of Sweden.

The Church of Sweden is an institution that plays a significant role in many people's lives, as we have heard several examples of earlier in the debate. For many, it is of course about their Christian faith, but for even more, it is about the church building itself as a place for ceremonies that mark important and emotional events in life. It can be one's own school graduation, children's baptisms, a best friend's wedding, or a beloved relative's funeral. In many places, the church is also one of the few open meeting places and an important arena for culture.

All of this is significant, but it is important to emphasize that it is not for that reason that all taxpayers are participating and contributing. It is instead because the churches and Christianity have been such a significant part of our society's development and because the buildings represent a thousand-year history, which I believe the Social Democrats, the Green Party, and the Christian Democrats have accounted for in a clear way. The cultural heritage is common, and the public should have access to it - not just the congregation members.

When the church was separated from the state, it was therefore important to create conditions to continue to jointly care for our cultural heritage and together bear the costs that arise for the Church of Sweden when it is to take care of, among other things, buildings and cemeteries in a way that actually preserves their historical value. This involves additional costs to keep the church buildings accessible and functional for both visitors and employees while the historical values in buildings, environments, and furnishings are preserved.

The agreement that was concluded in the 1990s has proven to hold up well at the assessments made at the control stations every five years. Vänsterpartiet has no own follow-up motion to the letter, but we stand behind several proposals that Centerpartiet has put forward regarding increased digitalization and improved opportunities for the county administrative boards to follow up on the work with the ecclesiastical antiquarian measures. We see that the county administrative boards generally have an all too low budget for measures linked to the cultural environment and cultural heritage, and we have in previous budget motions proposed an increase of both the county administrative boards' appropriations and the ecclesiastical antiquarian compensation.

In many parts of the country, the county museums are also an important partner, and I want to take this opportunity to highlight the need to secure the finances even for these institutions when the regions around us now actually need to cut back in many areas.

Vänsterpartiet appreciates the development work that has been carried out within both the Church of Sweden and the relevant authorities to develop routines regarding this compensation, but we view with concern the increased economic burden being placed on the country's parishes for maintenance and renovations while they struggle with a reduced number of members to bear the costs. We understand that it can be a great challenge to manage their daily operations in buildings that are to be preserved. How can one be able to create accessibility and good ventilation and afford, for example, heating while sensitive objects and paintings are to have the correct climate?

For us, it is important that parishes and foundations receive the support they need to be able to preserve and make accessible our common cultural heritage. It is about both knowledge support and financial support. Just as many parties have mentioned here earlier, we see that the compensation level has not kept pace with the cost development in a satisfactory way since the calculations were made in the 90s and that there are many interventions that cannot be made in the current situation.

Everyone knows how it is with the maintenance of properties: the longer one waits, the more the problems grow and the more expensive it becomes. Even the inflation of recent years has highlighted the need for an upward adjustment. We will therefore return with a proposal for an increase in support in our proposal for the autumn budget, and my hope is that more parties will stand behind it. Based on today's debate, I think it sounds like there is a unified, common view that an increase is needed.

In conclusion, I would like to take the opportunity to mention another issue that has not been raised earlier, and that is how the state has the possibility to support the education sector so that the correct competence is available for these interventions in the future. This morning, for example, we could hear in the cultural news on P1 about the shortage of church musicians and the new folk high school education that is to remedy the problem with large pension retirements in the future.

When it comes to the care of our cultural heritage, specialized expertise is needed, among other things, within a number of craft professions but also within conservation and those types of occupations. This therefore concerns both folk high schools and universities, but also education programs that fall under the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education. I would therefore like to advocate for us to pay attention to those parts.

With this, I move for approval of reservation 2.

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Catarina Deremar (C)

Madam Speaker! The ecclesiastical cultural heritage is on the agenda, and as the final speaker in this debate, one might wonder what is left to say. I would, however, like to begin by moving for the approval of the Center Party's reservation number 7, Madam Speaker, as I have not heard it earlier. It concerns the ecclesiastical cultural heritage and climate change.

Climate change is only briefly mentioned in the government's communication in the part dealing with the maintenance needs of the ecclesiastical cultural heritage. Climate change is already creating new challenges for the preservation of church buildings and church environments. But this also applies to the ecclesiastical cultural monuments located indoors in the form of objects, ranging from altarpieces and textiles to medieval wooden sculptures.

I mean that there will be a growing need for climate adaptations in a broader perspective, not only when it comes to being able to manage risks of flooding but also when it comes to issues concerning the preservation and care of inventories. The protection of the ecclesiastical cultural heritage needs to be climate-adapted, and that work should become part of a general preparedness to meet a growing climate crisis.

Madam Speaker! Our Swedish churches with their surrounding cemeteries are the most visited places in many municipalities and regions. We also know what the church means when a society is struck by some kind of crisis - in the event of an accident, it is often the church that opens its doors, and it is a natural place to gather. Many of our holidays in life also take place in the church.

It is certainly true that the church in the middle of the village plays a major role. Therefore, we must ensure that the cultural-historical values within the Church of Sweden and the ecclesiastical cultural heritage are preserved.

Madam Speaker! I note that the Government is satisfied with how the Church of Sweden manages the ecclesiastical cultural heritage regarding the competence concerning the management of the ecclesiastical cultural monuments and maintaining good accessibility. Furthermore, the Government assesses that the cooperation between the Church of Sweden and the authorities within the cultural environment area has continued to develop positively.

There are more examples, and it is not so surprising. The elected representatives within the Church of Sweden whom I meet are people who are committed and who truly burn for their mission and their church. I also, of course, meet people who are concerned about the economic situation, not least when we discuss precisely taking care of and preserving the cultural heritage within the respective parishes.

As several have pointed out, it is important that the state also continues, together with the Church of Sweden, to take responsibility for ensuring that the ecclesiastical cultural heritage is preserved and that the conditions for the church antiquarian compensation are characterized by long-term perspective and predictability.

I expect, Madam Speaker, that the government, in good dialogue with representatives of the Church of Sweden, recognizes the seriousness of the fact that the church antiquarian compensation has stood still for far too long. I hope that the government takes note of the underlying data that the Church of Sweden has worked out, which in my opinion appears to be a reasonable starting point for how the church antiquarian compensation can be increased.

Finally, Madam Speaker, I want to say that it is positive that the government has decided to task the Swedish National Heritage Board with investigating the conditions for establishing a national cultural protection council where the Church of Sweden is invited to participate. Several of us have seen and understood the importance and value of preserving Sweden's cultural heritage, not least the ecclesiastical heritage, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is painful that a war in our vicinity must be needed for us to understand the value of our cultural heritage. I hope that the government now realizes the importance of our ecclesiastical cultural heritage.

(Applause)

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(Decisions were made under § 16.)

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