(cont. from § 5) Regional development (cont. NU2)
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
KD calls for approval of the committee's proposal and rejection of the motions 1. KD argues that rural regions require a shift in perspective away from urban norms 1 and that the transport subsidy is crucial for reducing cost disadvantages for companies 1. KD emphasizes that the government has improved the price of fuels 1 2 and increases productivity through efficient procurement. C considers that the regulations for regional business support should be adapted for smaller companies 3. L considers that reasonable electricity prices and infrastructure are important for entrepreneurs 4. MP rejects a saving of 100 million kronor 5 and wants revenues from wind and water to strengthen welfare in sparsely populated municipalities 5 6. SD argues that production values should remain in the production areas 7 and that it is beneficial for poor municipalities in the inland of Norrland to receive a different reimbursement 7.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Lili André (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by moving to approve the committee's proposal for a decision on expenditure area 19 Regional development, and I move to reject all motions. This is a budget amounting to 4.3 billion kronor.
Today we stand before a time of great opportunities but also challenges for Sweden. This government wants to meet the societal challenges, seize opportunities and find solutions with a regional development policy where cities and urban areas as well as sparse and rural areas are given the opportunity to develop based on their specific conditions.
The regions' opportunities differ very greatly. To achieve the goal of the regional development policy, a breadth of measures from several policy areas is required. I will highlight something that becomes quite clear when talking to actors in rural regions. It is the need for a change of perspective, away from the more urban norm with a focus on cities.
Sweden's rural regions are strong and vital and are absolutely crucial for our welfare. Therefore, it is important to continue providing our rural regions with real conditions.
Mr. Speaker! A challenge in the rural regions is the long distances. To counteract higher costs for companies, the transport subsidy is a central part of this budget. It now amounts to 550 million kronor. This subsidy is crucial to reduce cost disadvantages for companies in just rural and countryside areas.
By strengthening the transport infrastructure, we create better conditions for jobs and investments throughout the country. We see this already now through the bill with historically large investments that the government has presented. It is over 200 billion kronor in framework funding in fixed prices over the coming twelve years. This will contribute to creating growth in regions that have previously found it difficult to compete on equal terms, Mr. Speaker.
For households, we have already implemented adjustments in the reduction obligation. This government was able to carry this out after only one year in government. The price of diesel and gasoline is today approximately 10 kronor lower per liter than when diesel and gasoline were at their most expensive, and that with an increased reduction obligation.
Good conditions for companies and the business sector are fundamental for the regions' growth and development and for being able to live, work and reside in all of Sweden.
For the growth of Sweden's regions, innovation and entrepreneurship are priorities. Next year, 2 billion kronor will be allocated to regional development measures, with a focus on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. Through strategic investments in education, digitalization, and innovation systems, we create the conditions for a competitive business sector throughout Sweden.
Vital regions are built when people and society's actors collaborate locally with strength and will from a bottom-up perspective. Enthusiasts who burn for an idea can mean a lot for a locality's development. Therefore, it is pleasing that the government has also decided to increase the grant by 25 million kronor to strengthen civil society organizations. It is crucial for a sustainable regional development that they are involved.
In the countryside, there are great development opportunities, not least within the tourism industry and the experience industry, Mr. Speaker. But they also exist within the production of renewable energy and environmental technology, production of food, development of sustainable aquaculture or within the forestry industry - to give some examples.
Regional development is largely about development projects, both national and EU projects. One can apply for funds to be able to work together with other actors such as academia, the business sector, public activities, and civil society. Cooperation with the EU plays a decisive role in achieving the goals of sustainable regional development. Through the European Regional Development Fund and the Just Transition Fund, the government invests 1.7 billion kronor in projects that contribute to climate transition, innovation, and competitiveness. These programs strengthen our regions while simultaneously creating new opportunities for future generations.
To meet various societal challenges, seize opportunities and find solutions, a regional development policy is required where the entire country is given opportunities to develop based on its specific conditions. A breadth of measures is required to gain access to development resources based on one's conditions, regardless of where in the country one lives. Therefore, the government has appointed an inquiry to review the regional development policy and the rural policy.
We will continue to present proposals that shall strengthen regional conditions and circumstances for growth and development, so that people can live, reside and work in the entire country. But we also await this investigation with confidence.
Mr. Speaker! With that, I would like to once again urge approval of the committee's proposal.
Isak From (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the speech, Lili André!
I actually agree with many parts. Without viable regions, this country would be nothing. It is out in the country that it is produced. It is also absolutely crucial.
I still wanted to request the floor as it almost appeared as if it was the reduction obligation cut that fixed the entire diesel price. That is not true. The world market price has gone down by just as much, even a little more. When the reduction obligation was lowered to the EU's minimum level, it meant approximately 4.60. The rest is in large part a lower world market price. It is quite important to include that, I think.
Now the government has increased the reduction obligation a little bit. We welcome that. But as I said in my speech, with the centralization policy that the government pursues, it becomes even more crucial that one strengthens those who have the greatest need of the car. Therefore, our support for those in rural and sparsely populated areas is immensely important.
It is astonishing that the government proceeds with deteriorations in so many areas and at the same time can stand and praise the budget when it comes to regional policy. Many of the measures actually worsen the conditions for those who actually build the country strong.
Lili André (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you for your comments, member!
I do not agree, however. The government has increased the reduction obligation to some extent but has also lowered the tax on our fuels. It is an improvement for households and companies in rural regions. I stand by that.
To work even more with our sparsely populated and rural areas, we need to work on many different levels. We have very recently received a fantastically high framework increase for our infrastructure. It will also help residents in the sparsely populated areas to move around, as it is far between the places one travels to.
I am pleased with what the government has done so far but also look forward to the measures that will come in the near future.
Isak From (S)
Mr. Speaker! I read what Lili Andrés' party colleague, Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren, wrote in the newspaper ATL: "We are only halfway there." It can be alarming if we are only halfway there and it has already gone this badly. Will we get even more unemployed? Will there be more bankruptcies? We will have to follow up on that. But we simply do not see that it is being delivered in this area.
We expected a bit more, and I believe that also applies to the industry, regardless of whether it is located in Småland, Gävleborg, Västernorrland, or Norrbotten. The railway is severely neglected, and investments in it were needed to get everything started. It is part of the engine and completely crucial for getting freight to and from the industries out in the country. It is not really sufficient to lay down an infrastructure plan with only a 5-percent increase for the railway.
Lili André (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for his contribution.
We have been in government for two years. It has required an incredibly hard work to get to where we are today. The government has presented an infrastructure bill very quickly, faster than when the Social Democrats produced their infrastructure bill.
The proposition is crucial for ensuring that people can get to work and for households to be able to live and manage their life's puzzle. It is a historically high budget framework for the infrastructure in Sweden. We will ensure that all roads are restored. The railway will also get its share.
When the Social Democrats were in government, the productivity development in the infrastructure area was very weak. What is happening now with the new government is that we are increasing productivity among all involved actors. Procurements are extremely essential, and the government has a focus on procurements on many levels. When it comes to infrastructure specifically, we need efficient procurements, and we will get there.
Malmbanan will be expanded. We are investigating the implementation of the financing of the Eastern Connection. We are continuing to work on a financing solution for double track between Luleå and Boden. I could rattle off many things that are happening now with this government. I look forward very much to Sweden getting increased growth ahead.
Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C)
Mr. Speaker! I abstain from taking a position regarding the budget decision and refer to our considerations in our special statement.
Three out of four who live in the countryside think that the state has abandoned the countryside. At the same time, three out of four think that they themselves have a responsibility to develop the place where they live. Three out of four feel optimism about the future where they live. Three out of four do not think that one should wait for the state, but rather that one should take action on one's own problems.
These are figures from a survey that Hela Sverige ska leva has conducted and published this year. I am, of course, both shocked and happy to read this. I envision many of the communities in Jämtland, in Västerbotten, on Öland and in Hälsingland, where I grew up and still spend a large part of my time. I see how the wave of black, empty storefronts has created despondency and how schools and health centers have been closed, the bus has stopped running and the roads have become worse.
In Strömsund Municipality in northern Jämtland, about fifty children have been born this year. Strömsund is, as is known, approximately as large as Skåne or Cyprus. Arranging a preschool and eventually a school for fifty children with such distances is incredibly challenging. That is why the Center Party considers local self-government to be important. Decisions on how best to take care of these 50 children can only be made locally, and then the politics, both from here and locally, must provide space for that. Today, it creates great problems when one tries to find solutions that fit locally.
Regional development, which we are debating today, is a complicated political area. It is 4 billion that are to be distributed in the country to subsequently be matched against funds from the EU. At the regional level, county administrative boards and regions have not entirely found the forms for who should do what. That depends a bit on how long one has been a region. To that comes a number of different agencies that handle parts of the regional development policy.
Mr. Speaker! The green transition makes it possible for many municipalities to increase the value of their natural assets. Unfortunately, there are strong voices arguing that rural areas, especially in northern Sweden, should continue to be exporters of raw materials. This has been raised during several debates this afternoon. It is said that the conditions are lacking to extract these on-site. That is a completely unreasonable starting point.
For the Center Party, it is obvious to do everything to support the positive development. These are investments that are not initiated by the state, and it is important to emphasize this. They have been made by private capital that sees that there is business potential. And when we see that there are great challenges in obtaining permits on site, in getting people to move and in building housing in areas that are outside the major cities, it is our job to remove obstacles so that growth can occur.
Centerpartiet is putting in a significant amount of money so that people can receive grants to move to where the jobs are. We assume that all people want and can work based on their own circumstances. The purpose of the grant is therefore that it should not cost anything to relocate, but rather it should be encouraged.
It must also be possible to build in the countryside. Four miles from Åre center, it is not profitable to build. Not even the municipality can build. Many measures, both large and small, are needed. An investigation must review the regulatory frameworks so that residential construction does not come into conflict with the EU's state aid rules. There are problems with annual reports as well as a number of problems with how the credit guarantees are used today.
If people in rural areas have an optimistic belief in the future and realize that they cannot wait for the state to return and everything to become as it was before, one must of course think that one should do better moving forward. Then one must also reasonably get something back for new mines being started and for wind power being built. Getting back a part of the value that is generated locally is a very old Center issue. Many seem to believe that hydropower just flows by and does not create any major effects or inconveniences in nature. Such people have never experienced what it means to live by a regulated river or lake.
Mr. Speaker! Local commercial services are also important for rural areas to be able to function. That people can and want to stay and that one can attract new residents, companies, and not least visitors may seem like a small issue, but many describe it as decisive for viable communities outside the cities. By that, I mean cities such as Hudiksvall and Norrtälje.
Centerpartiet is increasing the support but also wants to evaluate it so that the shops and services remain. When I analyze the support today, I see that it is divided into eight different items and distributed by several different agencies. Some are distributed by Tillväxtverket and others by the regions or county administrative boards. This must be reviewed to ensure that the funds actually reach the companies and do not get stuck in a multitude of administrative links.
The regulations for the regional business subsidies and the transport grant would also need to be reviewed to be better adapted for smaller companies. There should also be a unified administration of the structural funds at a single agency so that it becomes easier for all parties involved.
We also have bureaucratic red tape that in itself makes it difficult to run businesses during short seasons. This is not at all adapted for smaller communities. If one is to serve beer, a kitchen that can prepare hot food is required. Salads and sandwiches are still not considered food. For a bar that has a long season, it is bad economics to build a hot kitchen, but for a place with a few months' season, it becomes impossible. With these requirements, it also becomes harder to run a pub in smaller towns year-round. Even if one has a kitchen to cook hot food, there is probably no economy in having a chef there every evening. For people to feel good, it would surely be better if they drank together rather than sitting in their respective cottages and doing so.
And so we have the distances. To reach fantastic experiences, but not least to be able to travel to and from work, relatives, and friends, transport is needed. Centerpartiet has throughout the entire mandate period demanded and submitted proposals for a crisis commission for infrastructure. Centerpartiet has also been clear that during the transition from surplus targets to balance targets in the state finances, funds must be reserved to upgrade the transport infrastructure.
In this budget, we are allocating an infrastructure billion for acute measures, including the rescue of night trains, mobile coverage on roads and trains, and a guarantee for rapid repair of potholes on public and private roads. Regional airports in crisis are saved with a special support.
Mr. Speaker! I choose to see that the glass is half full. Three out of four believe that they themselves have a responsibility to develop the place where they live. Three out of four feel a sense of optimism about the future where they live. Three out of four think that one should not wait for the state but take action on one's own problems. With a policy for growth in the entire country, there are very good conditions for all of Sweden to stand strong.
I wish my colleagues and the secretariat in the Committee on Industry, as well as the Speaker's Bureau and the staff, a Merry Christmas.
Louise Eklund (L)
Mr. Speaker! There is no structural difference between development in different parts of the country. Reasonable electricity prices, access to functioning infrastructure, and education that meets the needs of the business sector are the types of conditions that entrepreneurs need, regardless of whether they operate in Stockholm or in Sjöbo.
What can be highlighted as special regarding regional development is that the tourism industry in many cases constitutes a significant part of the local economy. It is therefore in this area that I will focus in my speech. Sweden is an attractive country to visit. We have natural and cultural environments that many want to travel to. That we continue to care for and take care of our cultural heritage, which is not only located in Stockholm, is important for many reasons. The potential for tourism is one of them.
Mr. Speaker! In the same way that we need to take care of our cultural heritage, we also need to take care of our completely unique nature in Sweden. From the Liberals' perspective, we believe that strengthened ownership rights are a prerequisite for good stewardship of nature. Therefore, we also believe that ownership rights should be strengthened.
Last year, storm Babet swept across the country. It had major consequences along primarily our southern coastal stretches, where property owners in places such as Beddingestrand and Smygehamn saw their houses be washed out into the sea. This points to the need for active coastal protection. I believe we have much to learn from how countries like Denmark and Holland have worked with, for example, beach nourishment to protect their nature and their valuable coastal stretches both as recreation and tourist destinations and for those who live there. I look forward to the investigation report that will arrive in the spring.
The tourism industry has for some time been one of Sweden's fastest-growing industries. It concerns companies that are often run as small family businesses and which are strongly linked to the local area. These companies must be given the conditions to operate and develop their business in the very places where they operate. Many positive examples can be found. I have previously highlighted the development that has occurred in Halland, where hotels and restaurants have made the region a gastronomic destination. There is an influx of visitors not only from Sweden but also across national borders from far away.
Here in Skåne, we have seen a similar development, largely driven by the weak krona, which has led to increased tourism primarily from Denmark but also Germany. We are traditionally food-producing and have succeeded well in taking the step to also create a tourist destination with a focus on food and drink. There is enormous potential here, but there is also very much more to be done from the legislative side. It is about how we view food and drink and those who want to run their businesses within these areas.
I raise this because it shows that the bill the government has now presented regarding farm sales of alcoholic beverages is enormously important for many individual entrepreneurs in the country. We have debated the issue of farm sales for a long time. It has been investigated three times, I believe, with different results. Now there is a proposal in place. In my eyes, this is a long-awaited freedom reform that allows a growing industry to continue to develop. Entrepreneurs who have driven their business forward with craftsmanship but had limited opportunities to sell their product shall now be able to do just that. What should be obvious, that customers who visit a vineyard or a microbrewery should be able to buy a bottle to take home, shall now be able to happen even in Sweden. I believe that it will make it so that the Swedish tourism industry, Swedish craftsmanship, and Swedish tradition get the opportunity to develop.
This, in combination with the reduction of the alcohol tax on beer produced by microbreweries announced in the budget bill for 2025, I believe will mean a great deal for regional development and for Sweden to be able to continue to position itself as an attractive food and drink region. From the Liberals' side, we want to go further and also allow wine and beer to be sold in license stores. I believe that it would provide great opportunities for Swedish beverage production, while we continue to have a safe and responsible sale of alcoholic beverages in Sweden.
Mr. Speaker! Finally, I would like to make an addition to colleague Eric Palmqvist's previous contribution. Aimpoint, with its spearhead technology and its fantastically successful entrepreneurial journey, is not only in Gällivare; the company, as the member himself, has its origin in Malmö, where the headquarters is also located. On behalf of my constituency, I would like to emphasize this.
Mr. Speaker! I vote in favor of the Committee on Industry's proposal regarding expenditure area 19 Regional development.
Nils Seye Larsen (MP)
Mr. Speaker! Sweden is undeniably a very long country. It is something that I have become aware of, as I was born and raised very close to the southernmost tip but have lived for the last two and a half decades in Umeå in the northern part of Sweden.
We are discussing, as mentioned, the expenditure area regional development. We in Miljöpartiet will abstain on the decision in this matter, as we have presented another budget that could, as a whole, benefit all of Sweden well. I thought I would go into that a bit, because it is difficult to just talk about regional development without looking at the whole.
I want to give a small picture of the county I come from and the others of the northernmost counties. The four northernmost counties account for 50 percent of Sweden's area, and 8 ½ percent of Sweden's population live there. But if one removes the large urban areas and only looks at all municipalities under 15,000 inhabitants, it is approximately 32 percent of Sweden's area and 1 ½ percent of Sweden's population. It is an area that is larger than England.
The sad thing is that there has been a very negative development over a very long period. The population has been nearly halved. Now there are only about 150,000 inhabitants there. It is an aging population. Over half are 50-plus. There are much lower income levels than in the country as a whole. The median income is 22,700 kronor. The municipal tax is also much higher than in the rest of the country. Due to the regional development and in particular the vulnerable situation that these very sparsely populated municipalities in northern Sweden have, they are forced to have a higher tax burden in order to be able to finance and maintain what is mandated by law.
We would need a regional policy that creates better conditions and prerequisites throughout the country. There, things go hand in hand with each other. We need, for example, to make investments in welfare in order to be able to secure healthcare and everything else that is needed to be able to have good life conditions in our municipalities and regions.
We in Miljöpartiet have presented a budget where we point out the investments we want to make for a sustainable countryside. We invest, for example, more than the government just on welfare.
I also want to say that it is municipalities that are not actually poor. If we look at what we get out of these municipalities in the form of energy, natural resources and other things, they should be rich. The challenge is that it is very rare that those monies come to these municipalities in part.
Once again, we can look at the Green Party's policy. We can, for example, take our proposal regarding revenues from wind and water. In that case, these municipalities would receive the money they need to maintain their welfare.
Regarding the budget proposal for regional development, we reject the proposed saving of 100 million kronor. We believe that all support is needed to ensure close access to commercial services and community services.
This is, as has been said, only a part of the regional development pot. Regional politics would really need to be seen in a broader perspective.
We in Miljöpartiet have a policy where we advocate for a regional policy that keeps all of Sweden together rather than the government's colonial policy.
I would like to conclude by mentioning that, precisely when it comes to the climate transition that needs to be made, one must remember that many of these municipalities with very large areas are also those that are most vulnerable to the consequences of the climate crisis.
They need to receive strong support when it comes to, for example, climate adaptation for forestry and agriculture. They need to be given the conditions to be able to contribute to the climate transition.
I will not go off on a tangent in the debate. Much could be said. In any case, we need a new regional policy for Sweden 2026.
Eric Palmqvist (SD)
Mr. Speaker! It is nice to see that a wheelchair-bound colleague is needed in the committee to ensure that there is development potential in the chamber for those who have that type of disability. Welcome to the committee, by the way, and our first exchange of remarks, likely not the last!
Member of Parliament Nils Seye Larsen will still be the one responsible, I believe. It concerns the budget item that the Social Democrats had in their budget. It was 2.5 billion that they wanted for compensatory measures for high fuel prices, which we previously debated here. That would mean that the entire expenditure area's budget would be doubled.
I am starting from somewhere, and it might be foolish to do so, that if the Social Democrats make the assessment that housing in Sweden's countryside will need 2.5 billion in compensatory measures for increased fuel prices, then you will raise those fuel prices together with your party. You will be strongly driving behind it. That is a starting point I have.
With the attitude that Miljöpartiet normally has regarding private car use, I wonder: Is it such an initiative that your party would stand behind to compensate residents in rural areas for their need for the car? Or are you recklessly opposed to that type of compensatory measure?
Nils Seye Larsen (MP)
Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank Eric Palmqvist for the kind reception in the Committee on Industry.
I definitely believe that we will be able to talk things through with the Social Democrats until 2026. However, we make a slightly different assessment regarding what we believe would be the best solution, precisely in order to be able to help people in rural areas who are dependent on the car.
It is a challenge that the policy now pursued by the government and the Sverigedemokraterna makes us even more dependent on imports of fossil fuels from dictatorships in volatile regions.
Perhaps for the sake of robustness, but also for the climate transition, we want to be able to offer opportunities. We have an investment of 2.5 billion just targeted at people who live in rural areas. There, they will be able to receive 2,500 kronor a month for leasing an electric car.
It is a much better targeted measure that specifically targets people in rural areas who have slightly lower incomes in order to compensate for the climate transition that needs to be made.
I can state that we see very differently on that. I can sometimes think it is a bit of a pity that regional policy is diminished to only being about fuel costs.
A unified package is needed where we also present investments in infrastructure and public transport that make it possible to expand the conditions in the countryside.
We are sitting today in a situation in Västerbotten where cuts are constantly being made. With the reduced appropriations from the government, it is now even more difficult for the region to be able to maintain public transport. Furthermore, it is one of the regions that is burdened with large deficits in a very challenging context. Everything is connected.
Eric Palmqvist (SD)
Mr. Speaker! If the member had listened earlier during my speech, I just mentioned how important the infrastructure is. Travel time and travel costs are, of course, linked.
If you have taken note of our committee motions in this area, you know that we also advocate for the issue that a part of the production values should remain in the production sites. In that regard, we have something in common in any case.
We share the view that it would be beneficial for many of the poor municipalities in the inland of Norrland that would receive a completely different reimbursement.
Let us go back to the fuel prices. The member speaks about the dictatorships that we purchase fuel from today. I share the view that it is a problem.
When it comes to manufacturing batteries for electric cars, oil is boiled to produce graphite for batteries. Many of those minerals are today controlled by China and rogue states in Africa and so on.
Even if we were to increase our production, we would not cover the need if everything were to be electrified. We would still be at the mercy of many. We would be choosing between pest and cholera when it comes to the dependence on various rogue nations in the world.
I still cannot allow myself to be worried that people think that 2.6 billion is needed to compensate residents in rural areas for increased fuel costs. It is 2.6 billion just for those in rural areas. How much will the Swedish taxpaying public be hit with in total then?
The tradition among the Social Democrats is not that one fully compensates for the damage one causes, but rather that one gives back a few dutiful crumbs.
I am afraid of what the Social Democrats are prepared to achieve with the fuel prices together with your party.
Nils Seye Larsen (MP)
Mr. Speaker! I am pleased that the Sweden Democrats also realize that it may not be foolish for municipalities and regions to receive a share of the revenues that can be obtained from, for example, wind and hydropower, which is important for us to be able to get electricity in the near term in our transition.
Now, I am not going to enter into a long debate about battery manufacturing and such. But it is nevertheless the case in Sweden that the life cycle over time leads to a much lower climate impact. We are far behind in Europe when it comes to, for example, the manufacturing of batteries. It would be needed.
But more than that is needed to be able to transform our society. That is why I believe in the investments in the expansion of public transport. When it has been done in Germany, we have seen that it has led to a very large development. The buses that run in the countryside, but also other types of infrastructure, are important to be able to create a living countryside. We never know when something suddenly happens, there is war in the Middle East and the price of gasoline and diesel skyrockets. Then it is the countryside that is affected.
What I believe is common between the Social Democrats and our proposal is that we consider the substantial tax cut that the government has pushed through on fuels and the reduction obligation to be something that has benefited city dwellers and wealthy people very much, even those who are completely dependent on the car.
We do not think it is more than right that people who live in large cities and who have the opportunity to make sustainable choices should do so. Those who are dependent on the car must be given the conditions to continue to be able to live, work, and travel - but then in a sustainable way. That is why we propose these investments.
The deliberation was hereby concluded.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.