Popular education

Magnus Manhammar (S)

Madam Speaker! Now it is time for a debate on popular education. Debate on popular education in this chamber cannot be enough, for it is an incredibly important subject that affects us all.

I will make a small digression that is still related to the subject. If you look at the clock now, you can see that it is approximately 12 or 13 minutes until Sweden becomes a member of Nato. It is truly a historical event, and there is every reason to discuss and look forward to how our role can be the most constructive and wise in Nato and how it can affect our role in the world in the best possible way.

The White House has today expressed in a press release that it welcomes Sweden into Nato. It says that Sweden is a strong democracy with a strong military that shares our values and visions for the world. It says, therefore, that Sweden is a strong democracy. That is the first thing it writes, and that is why it is so important for the USA that we become members of Nato. That we are a strong democracy in Nato, it means, is important because it is democracy and democratic values that it is built on.

Had there been a strong democracy in Russia, the war of aggression against Ukraine would probably never have happened. Had there been a strong democracy there, we would probably have had a close cooperation with Russia today, as one had had previously. Democracy would have been moving forward, and one would probably have had a flourishing society in many ways.

It is democracy that we here in Sweden want to exist everywhere. We want all people to have the right over their lives and that all human rights shall be fulfilled.

Democracy is based on civil society. We have talked about it before here in the chamber. Had Russia had a civil society worth the name – today one has a civil society whose representatives live hidden or are imprisoned or persecuted – it would also have been a democracy. A civil society is the prerequisite for democracy. All research in the world shows this, and so do the UN and others who look at democracy and human rights. It is civil society, that is, association life and NGOs, non-governmental organisations, that builds democracy.

I myself have worked to build democracy through civil society and not least popular education in Ukraine but also in Russia.

When I was in Russia four years ago – I sought out Russia to work with precisely civil society building and Swedish democracy assistance – it was among other things folk education that they worked hard with. There are so many passionate souls in all countries in the world, including Russia, who thirst for democracy and a strong civil society.

I have, as I have said, also been to Ukraine and worked with these issues. Civil society and democracy are connected. There is no democracy if there is no civil society.

Then we come back to what the USA says – that it is very good that Sweden is now in Nato, because Sweden is a strong democracy.

The lifeblood of civil society is popular education. It is the energy and the power in civil society; it is that which allows civil society to live so that one can educate oneself and develop. It is the money that comes in there that makes civil society able to become strong. Without popular education, there will not be a civil society.

That is why it concerns me very much that this government has proposed a cut of one-third of Swedish folk education – one-third of the study associations' activities, and study associations are in some way the backbone of folk education along with the folk high schools, which are also having a hard time. The folk high schools and study associations have taken a lot of hits from the cut of one-third. This means, therefore, that one weakens Swedish democracy by up to one-third.

Whether one fights for Swedish democracy as a party or as a member here in the Riksdag, it is completely incredible to me that one cuts and weakens Swedish democracy, especially in these times. When we see how dictatorships all around the world are strengthening and how fake news is becoming stronger and stronger, we must strengthen democracy and civil society, and the foundation for that is popular education.

Now that we are soon to be in Nato - now there are only seven or eight minutes left - we must all realize that this is for real. We must safeguard the popular education in Sweden. We must safeguard the study associations, and we must safeguard the folk high schools.

I have heaps of papers here with all the possible consequences of the cuts to popular education that this government has made.

I will begin by reading an example that comes from Wendela. She is a circle leader for Synskadades Riksförbund and has various circles for the visually impaired. This is how she writes about the cuts:

Synskadades riksförbund (SRF) has a good operation with many good study circles. I myself both participate in and lead study circles. The circles I lead are mindfulness, which I started leading in the autumn of 2022, as well as an iPhone circle which I led this autumn. I love helping others and contributing to others feeling well.

The study circles are important, especially for those of us who are also visually impaired and are therefore more limited in what we can do and have more difficulty finding our way to new places. Through the circles, we get the opportunity to learn new and important things as well as meet and socialize with new and old friends, which is important for social and mental health.

"The government's cut to the study associations would mean that we cannot have as many circles and that the participation fees would need to become much higher. This would in turn mean that fewer people would have the means to participate. It will lead to many circles having to be closed, people will become more lonely and isolated and lose an important context that provides security and social interaction."

This is just one of myriads of examples of how fantastic activities all over Sweden are now being torn down - a third of the study associations' activities.

It is already one of Sweden's ten central study associations that has ceased its operations. One would have to lay off over 40 percent of its staff and realized that it was not possible to keep the operations going. It simply had to be shut down.

It is the consequence of this government's policy. It is the consequence for Swedish democracy. It is the consequence for an enormous number of people and for the social glue that holds this country together.

There is so much good that the study associations do. I have so many examples; I don't really know where to start. But there is a lot to read in the media.

Many reports have come in now in the beginning of 2024 from all around the country.

Gefle Dagblad reports that Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan is now leaving its music house in Gävle. The money is no longer sufficient. One can read that the music house in Luleå is closing down. Studieförbundet's music house in Falun is also closing its doors again.

One can read about PRO in Kalix, where they also have to shut down. They have had incredibly important activities at special housing. Among other things, they have had ballroom dancing for the elderly, one of the few things that gets the elderly to move, stay active, and meet each other. It is being shut down because of this.

Above all, the media describe that it is in the countryside that the cuts to popular education hit the hardest.

I have read about Elisabet, Karin, and Monica in Jämtland, who for decades have run a weaving activity for women. They are now forced to shut down the activity, which has been able to help people out of involuntary loneliness.

I have read about Mohammed, who is a retiree, and Fartun, who is a woman in the middle of life. They are also active in Jämtland, in Torvalla in Östersund, where there are many activities for newcomers. The wonderful meeting place they have is also being closed down, and the premises are being surrendered due to the cuts.

There are so many things that one could tell about here. Some write to me from Jämtland and tell about what is happening, about all the closures around in towns and in districts. They mean that this is a type of collective punishment. There has been cheating in some places around the country, and now one contributes with collective punishment from the government's side.

Collective punishment is something I thought we had left behind in these times. It is 2024, and this is a modern society. We behave civilised towards one another.

If we did the same with the parliamentary parties and the members of parliament, we would look at members who have had dual residences and made mistakes in their reporting or engaged in embezzlement, which has occurred in some parties here. Collective punishment would in that case mean that all members in those parties would have to resign. So we do not do that either. The one who has made a mistake must make it right, and it must be rectified.

As has been said, there is very much to say. A fantastically positive example of exactly folkbildning is from Uppsala län. There, proactive work has been carried out for Ukrainian refugees. Study circles have been started so that they can get jobs. 50 participants were gathered, and of those, 35 have now obtained employment, some type of job, or been able to continue their studies thanks to these study circles.

There are example after example of people with disabilities who come into the activity, and of young and old who meet all over the country. People meet in suburbs and in the countryside and in the hum of epatractors and form together. They build Sweden strong. They have study circles in democracy. They are now working on how Sweden can become much more resilient in the future against influence from, for example, Russia, but also from fake news and much more.

I would like to say that popular education in many ways is what binds our country together. It is popular education that makes me feel a little extra proud of Sweden, so it is with sorrow that I see that this government is cutting back on popular education and that people do not care about popular education. Sometimes it is said here in the speaker's chair that popular education is important, but when it comes to the crunch, they shut down activity after activity.

I hope that we here inside can influence each other in a positive way, just as one does in folkbildning – that we can talk about these matters and that one can change their perspective. I hope that the government perhaps does not make the same cuts this year as last year, but perhaps even reverses the cut it made then, comes back with those funds and prioritizes folkbildning and Swedish democracy. That is my wish and my hope.

I also, of course, wish that we receive as much support as possible for what we have written. We have written very much good about this from the Social Democrats' side. We have a specific statement on these issues, and we stand behind it. I also wish that we have a good debate about this.

(Applause)

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Madam Speaker! Popular education through study associations and folk high schools is of immense importance for our country – for education, for culture, and for the growth and maintenance of democracy.

The non-profit and professional folk education reaches 1 million people in Sweden annually. It exists in every Swedish municipality, and in some places in our country, the study associations' premises are perhaps the only meeting place that exists for the municipality's citizens and association life. Folk education is a fundamental pillar in democratic cultural policy, and it is central that human free and voluntary organization and education take place and are given space.

Madam Speaker! We have debated popular education in this chamber earlier, in connection with the budget debate. We are now seeing the effects of the draconian cuts to popular education - nearly a third of the state support, spread over three years. Magnus Manhammar gave a number of examples here before me, and I can add: Kulturens Bildningsverksamhet, one of the study associations we have in Sweden, has ceased its activities.

It is deeply concerned representatives from study associations from all over our country who are contacting me. I have met them in Härnösand, in Linköping, in Uppsala and in Malmö. They are forced to lay off staff, they are forced to give up premises and they are forced to cut back activities. They live in great uncertainty and above all in a feeling that they might be able to hold out for a year but that it really will show in year two and three.

It is not the study associations and activities that are now affected by the government's cuts that are cheating, Mr. Speaker. It is not them that one wants to get to when talking about tightening the democratic conditions and enforcing the rules for those who utilize the systems, but these are hard-working people who are committed to education and people all around our country. It is sad to see these consequences now.

Mr. Speaker! It is also the case that the entire cultural ecosystem is affected when folk education is shaken in its foundations. The libraries have warned that the cuts to study associations affect their conditions to hold program activities, for example, author talks. Tommy Bildström, who is the library manager in Nordmaling in Västerbotten, states that the cooperation between study associations and public libraries has been completely central, not least for reaching out with programs for the elderly. Now, one is forced to cease that.

Mr. Speaker! Miljöpartiet safeguards the freedom and independence of popular education. We see a need for the support model for study associations to be developed. We have advocated for it. Cheating and irregularities shall, of course, not occur, and I welcome the study associations' own development work in this area. We know that new changes came into force at the turn of the year. This occurs at the same time as the large popular education inquiry is ongoing, which will present its proposals this summer, with choices for the future regarding the governance and monitoring of the state support for popular education.

Already when we debated this in the budget process, I expressed that I am deeply critical of the government not waiting with the major blows against popular education until a comprehensive support is in place. In the budget, the choice was made to split the state support to the study associations and the folk high schools respectively, and this was done before the comprehensive picture—with the popular education inquiry and its proposals—was ready. To carry out these changes, that is to say making heavy cuts in the budget, while the study associations themselves are restructuring their work and at the same time one does not know what the future holds in the form of the major inquiry that will come, obviously puts all of Folkbildningssverige in a very uncertain and worrying position.

Mr. Speaker! In connection with the budget debate and the budget bill, the Green Party made several requests in motions that are being addressed in this committee report. We believe that the government should return to the Riksdag with a unified proposal for the management and monitoring of folkbildningen and not proceed with what was presented in the handling of the budget. We also believe that the government should promptly return with a consequence analysis of these large cuts.

I mean that this is completely central, Mr. Speaker. When I listen to representatives for the government parties, I hear that they use completely different arguments for why the cut is being made. Some speak of it being necessary and about economic priorities, while others seem to be driven by an ideological joy in getting to hit the student unions. They seem to have longed for it for a long time.

As a friend of popular education, this naturally makes me very concerned, not least when we see the consequences for cultural life across the entire country – a policy area that we have heard many representatives from all parties speak passionately about. Now, rehearsal rooms are closing, and cultural centers are forced to shut down. Important activities are being cancelled. Surely these are not the consequences the government wanted to see?

Mr. Speaker! Today, folkbildning reaches very many, but we must also remember that many stand outside. Not least, the folk high schools have an incredibly important role in reaching out to all those who need a general course - who perhaps need to move forward after a primary school period that has not functioned or a high school period that, for various reasons, could not be achieved in the regular school system. Having a primary school education and high school eligibility is in many cases necessary in our time, both to be able to get a job and to be able to study further, and to get a second chance through the folk high schools is an opportunity I want to give many more young people in our country.

Here we know that the economic cuts obviously have significance, Mr. Speaker, but I also believe it is central to talk about how we can further develop the central role of folk education—and in this case, the folk high schools—moving forward. What development ideas are there in this chamber for how we can strengthen the folk high schools in the work of reaching out to more people who are in need of moving forward with both their education and their training through the unique pedagogy that the folk high schools stand for?

We have a proposal and a motion being addressed in this report, which aim for the folk high schools to take a clearer and stronger role when it comes specifically to reaching out to more people and, not least, to carry out the social introduction mission that is so important for newcomers. Here we know that the folk high schools play a very important role, and I believe they could play an even greater role in the future if they were given the power and the prerequisites.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker: Education - that we learn together and meet across borders - is of the utmost importance for our democracy. I want to see more education in our society, not less, and I look forward to the continued debate.

I vote in favor of reservation 6.

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

Jonas Andersson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Today we are debating the Committee on Culture's report on popular education here in the chamber. During my years in the Riksdag, I have stood in this speaker's chair numerous times to speak precisely about issues of popular education. And I am happy to do so again, because a functioning popular education policy is, of course, important for Sweden.

I am convinced that all parties fundamentally want study associations and folk high schools to be given the conditions to be the positive force we desire, instead of being a policy area overshadowed by serious problems. Issues of popular education, and in particular the question of study associations, received great attention already in our expenditure area debate at the end of last year. Therefore, the debate we are to have today can in some ways feel like round two in the same match.

Mr. Speaker! In February, I and other members participated in the Culture Committee at Folk och Kultur in Eskilstuna – Sweden's largest cultural policy convention. There, I participated in a panel discussion together with representatives from the other Tidö parties. I thought it was a good discussion, where representatives for the study associations also participated. It became a good discussion about folk education in general and about the reduced appropriation for study associations in the state budget in particular.

As the title for the panel discussion, however, they had set "The Threat to Public Education". I reacted quite a bit to that. From the left wing of Swedish politics, we are often told that precisely the policy that SD and the government parties are driving with the Tidö Agreement as a starting point would be the threat to public education. Some left-wing debaters almost imply that our democratic system of government would be in danger because the budget allocations are being adjusted downwards. It is, in my opinion, a type of absurdity and political theater.

Mr. Speaker! If we are to use such strong terms as threats – let us then speak about what is the real threat to popular education. Study associations and the reporting surrounding them have for years been characterized by the fact that the state subsidy, that is, the taxpayers' money, goes to everything other than what it should – and this on an enormous scale. An extremely naive and lax view of requirements, control, and follow-up has led to tax money leaking to the right and left.

A significant part of the problem is due to how the system of study circle hours is structured, with too much focus on quantity instead of quality. The Swedish National Audit Office's review of the study associations, which was presented in the autumn of 2022, found that there was a lack of basis for payment in almost 44 percent of the 370 events that were reviewed – that is, in almost half of the cases. This is a threat to popular education and to how the public views the tax financing of it.

The threat to study associations and folk education does not only come from cheating and trickery. Islamists and gang criminals have also infiltrated folk education in their own ways. The study association Ibn Rushd has apparently for a long time subscribed to Islamist elements in its activities. The latest case, which has received a lot of attention, is from December last year. It concerns the fact that they were caught teaching children about Sharia laws and are therefore forced to pay back state subsidies.

That gang criminals have entered parts of the study associations became particularly clear in the case of ABF in Botkyrka, where they had gang criminals working at their youth centers, which were also filled with weapons and drugs. This is a real threat to folkbildningen and how the public views its funding.

If previous red-green governments over eight years had done their job, this threat to popular education would not have existed. The high-toned rhetoric from the red-green parties aims to shift the focus from their own responsibility. They are laying out smoke screens regarding popular education.

Mr. Speaker! The Tidö parties are spending a lot of time and energy during this parliamentary term cleaning up the study association chaos that the red-greens left behind. It is an ungrateful task, but it is important. We will ensure that we do this job.

We do it through sharpened guidelines to the Folkbildningsrådet with a focus on control and follow-up. We do it by taking control over what the state grant for folk education goes to by having the studieförbunden and the folkhögskolorna receive their own respective appropriations in the state budget instead of a joint one, before the reduction that has been implemented of the grant to the studieförbunden and the supplement that has come to the folkhögskolorna.

We do this through supplementary directives to the ongoing folk education inquiry, where proposals shall be submitted to, among other things, strip the Folkbildningsrådet of the responsibility to distribute state grants, so that it is instead transferred to a proper agency.

This is a selection, and more is in the works from the Tidö parties. It was not we who caused the alleged threat to the formation of the people, but it is we who have to clean up the mess that the red-greens left behind.

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

Magnus Manhammar (S)

Mr. Speaker! We hear the Sweden Democrats say from the rostrum that it is a kind of political theater when all the activists across Sweden are now describing the cuts to folkbildningen as a threat to our society, to our democracy, to culture and to the social glue that we have in Sweden.

I do not think that the functional movement, the pensioner organizations, and the Cultural Education activities, which have now been forced to shut down, think that this is political theater. This is a political reality that hits very hard and which weakens our society.

It is a political reality that the Sweden Democrats have implemented together with the Christian Democrats, the Liberals, and the Moderates. It is something that I truly regret and something that I hope these four parties will change so that the formation of the people can be built up again.

This is a time when we need more than ever to have more study associations, more study hours, more activities, more general education, more democracy and more human rights. It is needed in Sweden, and it is needed in the world.

I shall read a few words from SPF Seniorerna and from their association chairman Eva Eriksson. She says the following regarding folkbildning: "Folkbildning creates context, reduces exclusion, and makes us less lonely. Therefore, it is so important to safeguard."

What Eva says is not a haze of folkbildning, as the Sverigedemokraterna speak of. She says that folkbildning is important to safeguard because it has an incredibly great significance for the individual human being and for society as a whole. This is not political theater; this is serious.

I hope that the four parties that now govern this country change their minds and safeguard the education of the people and our democracy.

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

Jonas Andersson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Magnus Manhammar spoke about Kulturens Bildningsverksamhet – the study association that no longer exists and is no longer a state-subsidized study association. It is interesting that representatives from several parties bring up just this study association, because it is one of those that has cheated in an extensive way. The highest management had ordered incorrect reporting from the study association's side.

It is clear that this is regrettable, but it is precisely this type of behavior that is a threat to the legitimacy of the folk education policy - when hard-working Swedes see that their tax money goes to cheating and fraud and to Islamists and that type of problem. There is, of course, also a responsibility on the part of the study associations to ensure that the money is handled in a good way.

What I meant was the threat to popular education, which is what I took up earlier. I was not referring to the fog coming from, for example, pensioner associations or other associations of that type that have opinions on our popular education policy. I meant that the fog comes from representatives of the red-green opposition, who paint a picture that our democratic system of government would basically stand or fall with us reducing a two-billion-kronor grant in the state budget by 250 million kronor this year. I think that this is a type of exaggeration that does not belong in a serious political debate.

Even with the smaller grants that the associations receive, there are great opportunities to prioritize. We have heard about some good things happening in the study associations. I think Magnus Manhammar highlighted some positive activities.

But there is also a great deal of unserious activity among the study associations, and one must be aware of that. It can, for example, involve lunch discos, where people are supposed to stand and dance at lunch for the taxpayers' money. That is done, among other places, at ABF in Skäggetorp in Linköping, where I live. It is a particularly vulnerable area where we have had riots. One would probably need to invest in more serious activity both there and in many other places in the study associations.

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

Magnus Manhammar (S)

Mr. Speaker! In Norrköping and in Linköping, very good activities are taking place. I have examples of what is being done in folk education in the Skäggetorp area, which the member mentions. There are folk education courses in Swedish, in social studies, in democracy and in health. There are networks to get jobs, people get to engage in civil society and there is a long-term effort so that people will actually get jobs and learn Swedish. This has been going on for twelve years.

Now, a part of this activity risks being shut down. That people then choose to dance at lunch is well, incredibly much better than what the member himself mentions about "chicken riots," which would then be some kind of opposite.

It is a wonderfully fine activity that the study associations engage in. It builds trust and a social glue in society.

I am saddened and worried when I see what is happening. That a third of the study associations' activities are being shut down is not a haze but a serious reality that weakens our democracy when it needs to be at its strongest. We know that Russian influence is occurring both against the Riksdag and against our entire society. They are trying to undermine our democracy, trying to get people not to vote and trying to get people to adopt more extreme views, fight with one another and turn against each other.

We need to strengthen democracy in some way, and then public education is one of the most effective ways. To then cut back on public education, to destroy people's opportunities to educate themselves and develop as human beings but also democracy's resilience in this time, is irresponsible. It actually makes me sad and worried for the future.

I think we should do the opposite. We should invest in popular education. We can absolutely invest in lots of additional democratic requirements and other things, just as we also propose from the Social Democrats' side. Popular education is the way forward.

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

Jonas Andersson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! As I have said in previous remarks, I know that there is a great deal of good activity within the scope of what the study associations do. However, it is not serious to portray it as if exactly all the activity they engage in would be constructive for our democratic system of government. Sometimes it almost sounds like it is this that our democracy depends on, according to social democratic debaters. I think it is a type of exaggeration that is not serious. It is not the case that dog parkour, lunch discounts, and those types of courses are what determine whether we have democracy in Sweden or not.

To avoid Sweden ending up in a situation equivalent to the one we unfortunately see in Ukraine, I believe it is important that we do such things as the Sverigedemokraterna and this government have done together, for example, to invest in the Armed Forces, civil defense, and those parts. It is probably many times a more important part than hundreds of millions of kronor going to the Socialdemokraternas close-knit study association ABF.

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! In several speeches from the rostrum, we have received many examples of what study associations contribute to society. I have personally spoken with very many study associations that describe how the new economic conditions hit their operations. These are large amounts that are to be cut. It is not solved by removing one or another course, but it concerns the cost-driving parts one has in their operations – for example, premises, employees who organize the operations, not least in rural areas and sparsely populated areas, or courses that take up very many economic resources. That is where one is forced to make the cuts. Then one destroys the infrastructure that is so important for the useful courses that Johan Andersson seems to advocate for to also be able to be held.

Mr. Speaker! To call it a haze or political theater when we point out that student unions are forced to make these cuts, I believe is indecent. It is painful to see the consequences of the cuts all around Sweden. I wonder if Johan Andersson has even met with student unions recently and seen in black and white what the cuts actually result in.

For Miljöpartiet, it is central that folkbildning is free and voluntary. There may be courses that Johan Andersson likes or that I like and would participate in, but the point is the self-organization, which also creates added value and creates democratic training. Democracy is not just voting every four years, it is also about practicing democracy in everyday life. Civil society and folkbildning are two extremely central arenas precisely for practicing democracy.

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

Jonas Andersson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! As I said in my main speech, I have met with study associations recently. I met them at Folk och Kultur about a month ago. I have also been to Studiefrämjandet in Uppsala, which I have mentioned in this chamber earlier. I have made quite a few visits to them. The Sweden Democrats naturally also have contact with these actors in various ways.

It came up that this was supposed to be important for the countryside. Surely some good things are being done there. I think that it is still billions of kronor that the study associations will have left, both this year and also in the future with the increased cuts that will take place. Within the framework of these relatively large sums that it is about, there should be room to prioritize and then, for example, prioritize the countryside. I absolutely have nothing against that. I think it is much better to prioritize that than to prioritize lunch discounts or dog parkour, for example, which some of these courses can involve – including at ABF.

If the Green Party truly wants to support the countryside, I suggest that you instead stand behind the proposals that the Sweden Democrats and the Tidö parties stand behind, for example, such as lowering the reduction obligation. I believe those are proposals that are more in harmony with how reality looks in the countryside. I live outside the city myself and know what is important out there for many people. That type of issue is considerably more important, I believe, than not making the reduction on student unions that Amanda Lind talks about. But there is, of course, a reason why the Green Party's support in the countryside all over Sweden is not particularly strong.

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Now we are talking about the infrastructure of culture and education throughout our country.

The way Jonas Andersson and the Sweden Democrats argue is naive. We can listen to what consequences these large cuts to public education will have. It is premises in the countryside that are being laid off. It is staff who cannot assist in maintaining important public education activities. It is courses for the elderly, for persons with disabilities, and for all parts of our society that are being cancelled. Because it is not small amounts that are being cut. It is a third of the state support.

To believe that it does not affect the operations is naive. To believe that it does not affect the infrastructure for culture in the countryside is also naive. To call it smoke screens and political theater is indecent.

I hope that the other parties in the Tidö cooperation have a different view than the Sweden Democrats on the importance of popular education and the importance of infrastructure for culture throughout our country. I also hope that they achieve greater impact in the upcoming budget work.

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

Jonas Andersson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! What I consider indecent in the folk education policy is how terribly poorly the red-green parties managed this policy area when they held government power. You had every opportunity to ensure that good things were done so that one did not end up in this situation with the enormous cheating, with the contributions to the Islamists, and with gang criminals in tax-funded youth centers. You really could have ensured that it was stopped.

Instead, it was exactly the opposite. Now we have to clean up the mess that you have caused. It is truly a very big mess, so we have a substantial task ahead of us this mandate period with these issues.

I stand by what I said. I do not intend to back down a single word from calling it political theater and smokescreens, because that is what I think several red-green representatives are doing.

I do not accuse the student unions themselves of engaging in that. I believe they nevertheless mean what they say about how they experience this. I naturally take their concern seriously. But to try to use this as a whipping boy in the debate and insinuate that one undermines our democratic society in various ways when making these types of cuts, I think is truly indecent.

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

Catarina Deremar (C)

Mr. Speaker! I do not intend to start a NATO debate either. But I still want to start there today. We are becoming members of Nato at this very moment. As the world looks, it feels like an important and good day for us in Sweden.

It is important to remind that it is not the Armed Forces that becomes a member of Nato, but the country Sweden. If one needs to learn more about what it means, what it actually entails that we become members of the defense alliance Nato, a study circle is an excellent and important tool for us to learn it a bit more thoroughly.

Studieförbunden have an infrastructure across the entire country and can reach very many people. We have seen that previously. When many have needed to flee from their countries and have come to Sweden, studieförbunden have stood there and warmly welcomed them. They have had a good operation so that one can quickly enter our society and get the first contact with one's new country.

Another example of how study associations will need to make an important educational effort is when AI steps in and takes over – that which we perhaps do not understand. Here, study associations will play a role. What opportunities and what dangers exist with AI? We also need to learn that in the general public. It will be useful.

There will be many subjects where the knowledge of our citizens will play a role. I therefore want to once again from this rostrum truly regret the government's prioritization to reduce the budget for folk education.

The study associations themselves have taken great initiatives to clean up. It is the study associations themselves who have identified many of the parts where cheating has occurred. And we agree that there should be no cheating with the taxpayers' money.

Studieförbunden and the folk high schools are of great importance for educational activities throughout the country. They welcome everyone, regardless of background, disability, or life situation. Popular education contributes to cohesion and education and is a way to actively participate in society.

Folkbildningen gives people a chance to get a new start. For example, the opportunity to take a course at a folk high school can provide new strength, inspiration, and knowledge that contributes to moving forward in life. There is also the opportunity to study for upper secondary school competence. This activity fulfills an important function in society and cannot be replaced by other educations arranged by the public sector or by educational companies.

It is important to safeguard free public education. It only exists in democracies, because it is based on the fact that people can educate themselves without interference from state governance. The principle of arm's length distance between politics and education must be upheld.

Centerpartiet attaches great importance to free folk education because it broadens our horizons, increases our freedom and empowerment, and strengthens the democratic foundation for society and the possibilities for lifelong learning.

Mr. Speaker! I would like to move for approval of the Centerpartiet's reservation 1 under point 1.

In this speech, Magnus Manhammar (S) agreed.

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

Carl Nordblom (M)

Mr. Speaker! As I have surely said earlier in this rostrum, society is greater than the state. It is worth repeating. All associations, sports teams, religious communities, and clubs across the country contribute to freedom of choice and to a more vibrant society. A strong and vibrant civil society is therefore very important in a country like Sweden.

This also includes popular education, not least all the folk high schools that throughout the country contribute with education and an opportunity to improve one's study results. Many folk high schools are also an important place of education for jobs and skills development. The Government will invest an extra 100 million per year in the folk high schools over the coming years, in order to resume an investment in these after several tough years with increased costs and concluded temporary pandemic support.

Study associations are also an important part of Swedish civil society. Following deficiencies and criticism from the National Audit Office in 2022 regarding the incorrect use of our common tax funds within parts of the study associations, the government has taken measures. The government has introduced stricter reporting requirements for the Folkbildningsrådet and simultaneously strengthened Folkbildningsrådet's role and given them the opportunity to withdraw state grants from recipients who do not meet the conditions for these. The Council shall also be able to request financial reporting, prepared by an authorized auditor, from the recipient.

Another very important measure that the government has taken is that it is now the Riksdag, not the Folkbildningsrådet, that decides the distribution between the folk high schools and the study associations. This provides a more purposeful distribution of the state grant.

It is of the utmost importance that the taxpayers' money intended for folkbildningen is used in as effective and correct a way as possible. This has not occurred to the full extent previously. The government's measures are a way to try to rebuild the trust for folkbildningen and studieförbunden again.

In the 2024 budget, we continue to see large investments, over 4 billion, in popular education. Over 1.7 billion goes to study associations, and almost 2.5 billion goes to the folk high schools. Through this new distribution, there will be a decrease for study associations and an increase for the folk high schools.

Mr. Speaker! In addition to this, major investments are being made by the government in other parts of civil society, not least in sports and association life.

Mr. Speaker! Civil society is important and a priority for the government. That children and young people, in particular, should have meaningful leisure activities is of the utmost importance for public health, integration, safety, and cohesion. A well-functioning folk education contributes to more people from all parts of society getting the opportunity to influence their life situation and participate in social development. It raises the general level of education and increases the interest in participating in cultural life.

Overall, popular education contributes as one of several parts to maintaining a vibrant civil society. Therefore, it is also, once again, correct that the government is now taking action against cheating and irregularities and investing tax money where it does the most good.

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

Magnus Manhammar (S)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for the speech. It always feels good to hear that education is important. Then one simply wants politics to also show that.

A few minutes ago, while this debate has been ongoing, we joined Nato. The White House expressed that it is very good that Sweden is in Nato because Sweden is a strong democracy and that it is an important reason.

The Defence Preparation Board has produced a report called Kraftsamling, which all parties support. It concerns the direction of the total defense and the design of the civil defense. In it, it is stated that civil society and cultural life have "important roles in Sweden's collective total defense capability. The civil and military defense are mutually reinforcing."

It is further stated: "The education system has an important role in preparing and educating the population in critical thinking and in being able to analyze and evaluate the contemporary information landscape. The actors in popular education, including the study associations, also fulfill an important function in this regard. It is also of importance that trust and cohesion in society remain strong."

All parties are therefore behind Kraftsamling. It is important for the total defense that we have a strong civil society and strong public education that can educate us in critical thinking. It is in poor harmony with the fact that one cuts a third of the study associations' grants. During the debate, we have noted that it leads to closures all over Sweden, from north to south, from central towns to rural areas and suburbs.

We need investments in study associations, investments in civil defense, and investments in our democracy. I hope that the government will change its mind and invest in precisely democracy, study associations, and civil society. Otherwise, it rhymes poorly with the fact that we have just joined Nato. They say that our strength is precisely democracy. What do the Moderates say about that?

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

Carl Nordblom (M)

Mr. Speaker! I do not entirely share Member Manhammar's view. There have been historically large investments in defense and the justice system, and that naturally forces the government to prioritize. However, I do not agree that it is a deprioritization of civil society and democracy.

There is an economic reduction to the study associations, but at the same time, there is an increase to the folk high schools. The measures the government has taken show that it is very important that the tax money that goes to folk education is used in the right way. We have seen examples of that they do not. We have read the report about it. It is pure cheating and fraud. The taxpayers' money has disappeared to purposes other than those they were intended for.

There are still major investments in popular education. It concerns over 4 billion per year. I think it can be described as a clear prioritization from the government.

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

Magnus Manhammar (S)

Mr. Speaker! If one had removed 4 billion per year from folk education, we probably would no longer have any democracy in Sweden. It is grateful that the government thinks it is important with democracy.

I have also perceived in all our discussions that people think it is important with democracy. That is why it is so strange that one cuts so massively on student unions. They are, in many ways, the backbone of civil society, and civil society is the backbone of the Swedish resilience against fake news and influence from Russia and other dictatorships. We must have a strong backbone in this. The Defence Preparedness Commission even notes in the report Kraftsamling, which I mentioned, that the White House notes that Sweden's democracy is a strength even for Nato. How can we then in this chamber just watch when the government worsens and weakens it?

Cheating has absolutely occurred, and in that case, the study associations have also implemented changes point by point so that it cannot happen again. It was in a very small part that cheating had occurred. When one finally went through that small part – the 3 percent it concerned – one realized that many of the errors found could be rectified by contacting organizations, finding the correct receipts, or speaking with the right person.

From the government's side, the cheating is being exaggerated in order to somehow explain why this reduction is being made. But it is about collective punishment of all study associations and the entire folk education sector because some cheating has occurred on a few occasions. I agree that no cheating should occur, and there are very good control mechanisms for that in the study associations today.

We should instead invest in the study associations and democracy. I hope that the government changes its mind and wants to invest in Swedish democracy and civil society. The study associations are crucial for both democracy and Sweden's future.

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

Carl Nordblom (M)

Mr. Speaker! I do not agree with the description of reality that Member Manhammar is now highlighting. Investments are being made in democracy and civil society. I believe that one must see the state's budget in its entirety. The Government prioritizes and invests almost 800 million per year on the leisure card. It is a historical investment that will enable association life, democracy, and sports for even more young people than today.

There are also more investments in civil society in the form of 100 million per year for people in vulnerable situations, 100 million to counteract involuntary loneliness among the elderly, and 80 million via the municipalities for the reception of Ukrainian refugees. Another example is 40 million extra per year for the public libraries. These are not cuts, Mr. Speaker, but prioritizations and continued large-scale investments in popular education - 4 billion per year - and in civil society and democracy in Sweden.

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

Vasiliki Tsouplaki (V)

Mr. Speaker! For Vänsterpartiet, it is of utmost importance that folk education can be organized freely without party-political views governing the content and the pedagogy. That is the strength and the unique aspect of education through study associations and folk high schools. One can quickly adapt to changes in society and meet people's needs and interest in learning something new and relearning. The national goals for folk education as established by the Riksdag shall be maintained at an overarching level.

I regret, just like some of the speakers before me, that the government, with the support of the Sweden Democrats, has decided to significantly cut support to student unions and that they have removed the extra money that the folk high schools received during the pandemic. These activities are particularly important for, among other things, lonely elderly people, newcomers, and persons with disabilities. I see that there is a great risk that the money saved at one end will have negative effects at the other end when people lose their social context and their opportunities for increased independence and strengthened self-confidence.

Vänsterpartiet has for many years pursued the opposite policy. We have proposed increased resources for folkbildningen in order to be able to raise the compensation per participant within the folkhögskolan and continue with targeted resources to studieförbunden for study circles in Swedish for newly arrived people. We have also proposed a specific investigation into new financial support for folkhögskolor with boarding. They are hit extra hard by the price developments that have occurred in recent years and also stood empty during the pandemic, so here there is a need to make an effort. In the budget for 2024, we have invested over 700 million kronor more than the government on folkbildningen.

Mr. Speaker! Let me take an example. We have heard many positive examples here today, but I have another one that shows how good it can become when civil society is allowed to organize people's education. Earlier this year, I visited Valjevikens folkhögskola in Sölvesborg. It is run by Neuroförbundet and offers a number of different educations in areas such as music, sports, and health. Through a well-thought-out physical environment with swimming pools, a training hall, and a gym, students can combine studies with rehabilitation. They also offer 24-hour support on the internet, provide the possibility for personal assistants to live at the school, and have extra support staff during the lessons. It provides study opportunities to people who otherwise would not have had them. Young people with disabilities can move out of their homes and lead a more independent life.

Unfortunately, today's subsidy level is not sufficient to maintain Valjevikens fine operations. I also hear that several of the country's educational programs aimed at people with Down syndrome are being discontinued. Targeted support is needed so that the folk high schools can continue to reach this target group so that they can also continue to learn and educate themselves throughout their lives.

Mr. Speaker! In the autumn of 2023, the government parties and the Sweden Democrats decided to preempt the ongoing investigation on the governance and follow-up of folkbildningen that the previous government appointed. They submitted a bill on increased political power over the resource allocation for folkbildningen.

Vänsterpartiet opposed the procedure and, together with the Socialdemokraterna and Miljöpartiet, submitted a proposal for a committee initiative where we demanded both that the bill be handled within the framework of the ongoing investigation led by Christer Nylander and that the consequences of the major cuts to student unions be investigated.

I regret that the initiative did not gain traction in the committee, because then the government and the Sweden Democrats could have backed down. It would have been discovered that there would be major consequences. One would have heard about all the examples that, among others, Magnus Manhammar highlighted here today. Amanda Lind had several examples, especially regarding how activities in rural areas and in sparsely populated areas have been affected. The cuts are actually a hard blow not only against student unions but against civil society as a whole. Such a consequence analysis could have shown that.

Most associations can today receive support for their study activities through study associations. When the government and the Sweden Democrats weaken the possibilities for study associations to conduct activities, it hits very broadly. We had a debate earlier today where we spoke about how 6 million Swedes are involved in association activities. This affects all of those associations' study opportunities.

I have, just like Member Magnus Manhammar, noted the closures of several music houses. I would like to emphasize how important music activities specifically are for reaching young people. It is an important part of the preventive work that I think sometimes gets lost in the debate we have in the Swedish Riksdag, where there is very much focus on punishing children and young people. People talk about youth prisons and higher sentences. But we must make substantial investments at the other end. We cannot back down from that, and the cultural activities that exist, among others in the study associations, are an important part of the preventive work.

People need to be able to develop together with others. In many places, it is precisely the study associations that offer this meeting place. One is one of few actors, sometimes the only one, that offers cultural activities and a meeting place. I believe I hear that the Sverigedemokraterna representative has not fully understood why premises are being closed and activities are being discontinued in the countryside. It is precisely because most of the study associations' activities are carried out by voluntary forces. If one is to reduce costs due to reduced state support, it is precisely the fixed costs – the premises and the few employees – that one can reduce. This small number of employees is needed to maintain administration and perform the extensive reporting required of study associations today. Then it is the premises that remain. Therefore, we will unfortunately in several places in the country see that it is precisely premises that one has to divest.

The current administrative situation is something that the study associations themselves have taken on. I think Catarina Deremar explained it in a clear way. It was the study associations themselves who discovered fraud a few years ago. Since then, they have worked very hard to introduce new IT systems and increased controls. One needs to log in. As a study circle leader, one needs to register with BankID. This is the most controlled association activity we have at the present time, I would like to claim, and there are very few opportunities to cheat with these grants today. This has been introduced by the study associations themselves. It is not the Sverigedemokraterna and the government who have cleaned up, as Jonas Andersson just expressed it, but the study associations themselves have wanted to establish a control system so that money does not end up in the wrong place. These are people who want to get the most possible activity out.

Finally, I want to say something about the National Audit Office report, because I believe there are exaggerations and inaccuracies being made from the rostrum. It is not that the National Audit Office has said that there is extensive cheating. What the National Audit Office says is that there are deficiencies in risk assessment and follow-up systems, and this has been worked on since then. I think it is important that this is said here from the rostrum.

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

Roland Utbult (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I vote in favor of the committee's proposal and against the motions.

We now have a culture debate, and at the same time, we are becoming members of Nato. That means I will remember where I was when we joined Nato – I was in a culture debate in the Swedish Riksdag. It will be unforgettable. I think Catarina Deremar made a very intelligent connection: Nato is something that one can learn about in a study circle. I think that was very intelligent and smart. That is said.

We are, therefore, debating popular education. In some way, it affects us all. Many of us either personally have a connection to a folk high school or a study association, or know someone who has chosen to pursue continuing education within popular education. We Christian Democrats are keen on popular education and cherish it. Therefore, we believe that the state grant remains strong in the government's budget. We see the importance that folk high schools and study associations have for many people in their everyday lives when it comes to continuing education and, not least, community.

One of the most significant parts of human life is education. It shapes us and gives us the tools we need to be able to realize our goals in life. One can say that we take away something that becomes a capital. However, it is not the same for everyone. Some families read a lot, others read a little. It is not about poor or rich, but about traditions and how the families behave - more about tradition in the family, that is!

According to research, one has a vocabulary of approximately 15,000 words if one is 17 years old and has not read that much. But if one has read a lot as a child and as one has grown up, one has over 50,000 words to use. It is a large, significant and serious difference.

Mr. Speaker! The path of education is not the same for everyone. Some feel ready early, others begin their education late. Furthermore, education can take different forms beyond the traditional. This means that there is a need for different ways to educate oneself through, regardless of when one begins their studies and what form the studies take. Folkbildningen is a manifestation of this need.

Studieförbunden play an important role in promoting people's participation in society. They target, among other things, people who are far from the labor market, people with disabilities and involuntarily lonely elderly – and those who just want to learn in different ways. They also offer an infrastructure for associations through premises, equipment and staff. They create community and can in that way contribute to reduced mental ill-health.

Mr. Speaker! A very tiresome and completely unacceptable behavior is the fraud with grant money and the other irregularities that have occurred in some study associations, including Ibn Rushd. The Folkbildningsrådet has conducted a review of certain activities, as it is called, in the study association Ibn Rushd. It has been found that the organization lacked compliance with the democratic conditions: "It concerns two study materials on religious issues where themes concerning child marriage, child abuse and homosexuality are included. That type of material can be permitted in folk education activities, but it then requires that the study association takes responsibility and ensures that the content is problematized and that democratic values are highlighted."

So, this is about state grants. It is about 30 million per year to an activity that, according to the Folkbildningsrådet, is judged to be undemocratic. Ibn Rushd themselves proposed, according to their own statement, that they should pay back a sum. The sum was 146,900 kronor of these 30 million per year. It shows how little one takes the criticism to heart.

Mr. Speaker! The unique role of the folk high schools lies, among other things, in their pedagogy and democratic role. Their distinctiveness is the ability to bring people into social contexts where they can acquire knowledge and gradually find work. Those who lack high school eligibility can turn to folk high schools to find their way forward. It becomes a second chance, as someone here mentioned. Furthermore, folk high schools offer specific vocational training.

Mr. Speaker! The activities of folkbildning were hit hard by the pandemic and the restrictions that were taken to prevent the spread of infection. During 2022, many of these restrictions were eased, and folkbildning is on its way back to a new normal.

During 2022, study associations and folk high schools gathered approximately 750,000 participants with the support of state funds. Here comes something important that has been raised, but which has still not been stated here. The Council for Adult Education assesses that when it comes to the study associations, they are economically stable, despite the reduction that we have heard several speakers mention here.

The government has therefore chosen to transfer funds from the state grant for study associations to the folk high schools, which, unlike the study associations, can provide eligibility for further studies and vocational training.

Mr. Speaker! In a strained economic situation, priorities unfortunately must be made. It would have been great to be able to distribute money to the right and the left, but we must stay within the frameworks that apply. The student unions and the folk high schools will continue to have strong support of over 4 billion per year.

At the same time, the government is making other significant investments in civil society to meet one of the study associations' missions, namely that more people should participate in society. The government and the Minister for Social Affairs have decided on permanent support of 100 million kronor to be added annually, where the main part of the funds goes toward strengthening civil society's opportunities to provide support to the vulnerable.

We Christian Democrats will continue to work for more popular education. My own wish, if I am finally allowed to present it, is that we shall continue to safeguard and develop popular education, and that we continue to support popular education.

I believe it was Member Manhammar who expressed here that we might return to an increased investment in popular education, study associations, and folk high schools. Nothing is ruled out in the future, as everyone knows.

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

Magnus Manhammar (S)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member Utbult, for the speech!

It was nice to hear how the member partially sang the praises of folk education. I just wonder a little bit when the member mentioned that the Folkbildningsrådet had in some way described that the studieförbund now stand stable despite the cuts.

One can read what the study associations and the Folkbildningsrådet say themselves. I have checked it. The Secretary General of Folkbildningsrådet spoke out when the cut became public. She said: We regret the government's decision to cut the grants to the study associations. It will have major consequences for people's access to education and training throughout the country.

I think it is quite clear that she does not mean that the student unions stand stable, but on the contrary that the rug is being pulled out from under their feet and that it is being ruined for the student unions. The student unions will face major problems.

I have a statement here from Fredrik Wallin, who is the operations manager for Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan in Örebro. There, they have already had to lay off many premises, offices, and staff. He says: Actually, I would need to lay off almost two-thirds already now to achieve financial balance by 2026, but then nothing will be left. Then we will have no one who can run the operations.

It is the reality now out there in Sweden. It is the reality when the government, together with the Sweden Democrats, tears down popular education in Sweden and weakens Swedish democracy. I hope, just as the member mentioned, that the government can change its mind and that we can together strengthen popular education and Sweden. It should be our future that we build Sweden better and stronger, not weaker.

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

Roland Utbult (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The factual documents suddenly contradict each other here. The documentation I have received is that the Folkbildningsrådet assesses that when it comes to the study associations, they are financially stable despite the cut. The member has a different basis. I do not know what is fake news. I am going by my documentation. We will have to stop there and check each one.

I agree that it is deeply sad that cuts are being made to the study associations. The folk high schools are not in the same situation, but we are focusing on the study associations. I agree that it really is sad. I wish it were not so. But there are reasons for it that concern priorities. In the end, we do not have an unlimited amount of money. In some positions, one might have means that express a wish more than what is reality.

The government's priorities concern healthcare and the judicial area. In the situation we are now entering with the military part, it is also about increased defense. At one time, defense cost 40 billion. I do not sit on the Defense Committee, but it is in any case now over 100 billion. It is increasing. It is also about the situation of the elderly. Above all, healthcare is in a deep crisis and needs to be addressed. That is where much of the prioritization lies.

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

Magnus Manhammar (S)

Mr. Speaker! It is not that one has to cut back on study associations, and one does not have to cut back on popular education. That is not what we do in our budget. It holds Sweden together. In our budget, we invest in study associations so that they have the 250 million that the government is now cutting. They would have remained with the study associations if it had been the government with Magdalena Andersson that continued to govern after the election. But now it became a different government, and so it is.

The new government can also prioritize. Just as Member Utbult says, it does not prioritize student unions and it does not prioritize folkbildningen. It is clear. I would have liked the government and the Sverigedemokraterna to have been clear.

From the rostrum here, one sings the praises of popular education quite a lot. One sometimes describes oneself almost as the defender of popular education. But one is not the defender of popular education if one does not defend popular education. One must oneself be the change.

If you believe in popular education, you also invest in popular education. If you do not believe in popular education, you cut back on popular education. It is completely obvious that you do not believe in popular education because you are cutting back on popular education. You must be the change yourself.

I know that I myself and many of my colleagues in my own party are also trying to be the change at home in our counties and where we live, in our communities and in our residential areas. We engage in the local associations. We run study circles.

I know that the member mentioned here that it would have been good to have a study circle about Nato. One of the associations that I myself am active in is currently starting one. The member is welcome in that study circle if the member is interested.

Study circles are needed for all sorts of things. It strengthens our country, it strengthens us as individuals, and it makes the future better. I sing the praises of folk education. I also do that in reality, and not just with words but also with money and in action.

(Applause)

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

Roland Utbult (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We Christian Democrats have a deep commitment to popular education. That is what I want to say. This exchange of remarks will not diminish that. I am now going to join a NATO circle, so I am fully occupied with that.

There are several reasons beyond priorities. The People's Education Council took care of the money earlier, which was then distributed to the study associations. Then, one had no control over it. It has been huge problems. That is how it is. One let go of the control when the money ended up in the study associations.

I agree with previous members in the debate who have pointed out that measures have also been taken by the Folkbildningsrådet and Studieförbunden in cooperation. There has been an 18-point program, and so on. Good things have been done.

I have my own wish, to safeguard and develop popular education so that we can catch up when the economy in society becomes better. Then we can push forward popular education again. It is also something that Member Manhammar has expressed here. Perhaps we can return to such a situation.

But the world will not end because of this reduction for the study associations. Not even the study associations will go under. That activity will continue.

Let us hope and wish that there will be a time ahead when the education of the people is back in the same position as before.

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(A decision was to be taken on 14 March.)

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