Question Time

FÖRSTE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered today by Minister for Employment and Integration Johan Pehrson, Minister Johan Forssell, Minister Niklas Wykman, and Minister Paulina Brandberg.

A question must be of an overarching and general political nature or concern a subject that falls within the minister's area of responsibility and concerns his performance of duties. Minister for Employment and Integration Johan Pehrson answers both general political questions and questions within his own area of responsibility.

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Teresa Carvalho (S)

Mr. Speaker! During the two past parliamentary terms, we Social Democrats have paved the way for a stronger and better functioning labor market. The results of the election in September testify, among other things, to the highest employment rate in 30 years - which is also in the absolute top tier in the EU - as well as, amazingly enough, a lower unemployment rate than when we entered the pandemic.

This is largely due to the fact that we have pursued a wise and active labor market policy with a broad range of measures adapted to the unemployed's needs, in combination with clearer requirements on what is expected from the individual.

Against this background, I would like to ask Johan Pehrson: Why are the government and the Sverigedemokraterna cutting the active individually tailored labor market policy by billions of kronor at the same time as we are entering a recession?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! It is important to have high ambitions when it comes to helping people who are in a very painful unemployment.

It is correct that Sweden has had a high level of employment for many years compared to many other countries in the world and Europe. Many of us, both men and women, it can be said, go to work and gain the empowerment that is so central.

But unfortunately, there are 534,000 registered at Arbetsförmedlingen. They are meeting a multitude of different measures. The reduction that is now, correctly, occurring concerns money that has not been put to use. Our assessment is that there are good opportunities to meet a potentially strong recession when the substantial investments in guarantees and programs and - soon, I hope - the upcoming establishment jobs are in place.

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Teresa Carvalho (S)

Mr. Speaker! We seem to be pleasantly enough in agreement that unemployment is too high and that long-term unemployment must be reduced. But it seems to be a magic wand that Johan Pehrson has when a quarter of the magically vanished resources for labor market measures are to be transformed into both more and better support for more people.

If the labor market training programs are not to be touched, as we have heard the government say previously, which measures does Johan Pehrson intend to remove then?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! The regulatory letters that have existed now, from the previous government, have resulted in that billions of amounts that have not been used have been sent back. It is that revenue we have now.

Our assessment is that Arbetsförmedlingen is well-equipped through the reforms that have now been implemented, the last one today, on 1 December. These ensure that one has a completely different space to be able to work calmly with the important guarantees and programs that exist in Arbetsförmedlingen. And soon it will be supplemented, I hope, with the establishment jobs, which are an important new springboard so that one can avoid the pain of unemployment.

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Rasmus Giertz (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Johan Forssell. The government's ambition for aid implies a paradigm shift that steers away from the one percent goal, which means a necessary and historical reforming of an outdated policy. Swedish aid policy has lacked follow-up on the goals and transparency. We in the Sverigedemokraterna believe that there has been a great need for analysis.

Within the framework of the Tidö Agreement, Sweden continues to be a world leader in aid giving. It is therefore very important that Sweden's taxpayers are aware that these pyramidal amounts make a significant difference.

We see linking international trade more closely to aid as necessary to lift poor countries into world trade. Sweden has previously contributed to projects in countries such as Sri Lanka and Vietnam to support large-scale industry and electricity production. Large-scale and stable electricity production is central for countries to lift themselves out of poverty. Is this something that the government continues to be prepared to support?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you very much for the question. I can only agree on the importance of Swedish taxpayers always experiencing that they get value for the money they choose to spend on aid. Next year it will be 56 billion kronor, which is a very large sum of money.

The government's stated ambition - it has appeared in both the Tidö Agreement and the government statement - is to increase both the efficiency and the quality of aid. An important part of that is, just as is mentioned here, to combine trade and aid in a completely different way than before. Those things do not stand against each other in any way, Mr. Speaker. They are, on the contrary, two sides of the same coin. Both are needed. It is not least about the important trade aspect, not just to combat poverty in the world, for that can be done with aid, but to provide a path to prosperity. This is this government's ambition, and moving forward we will express it even more clearly in, among other things, various regulatory letters.

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Rasmus Giertz (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! My follow-up question is then: How does the Minister view reducing the number of recipient countries when it comes to Swedish aid, in favor of a larger and more effective aid in fewer countries through, for example, large-scale projects within industry and electricity production? Can we get more out of the Swedish aid through fewer but larger projects?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! The number of partner countries is a question that we will have to return to. It is managed primarily through various strategies that we are currently working on and which we will return to in the regulatory letter.

But I can point out one thing: The fact that we now have a war in Europe will, in the foreseeable future, have a very large impact on Swedish aid. I would not be surprised if Ukraine next year will be the largest bilateral recipient of Swedish aid, and it will, of course, have consequences in a long range of different areas.

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Ciczie Weidby (V)

Mr. Speaker! Sweden's economy is now in a rather serious situation. Unemployment is increasing, and the number of newly arrived jobs at Arbetsförmedlingen is decreasing. In an interview in Agenda, Minister for Employment Johan Pehrson says that we are well-equipped for the upcoming recession. He highlights, among other things, the reformed Arbetsförmedlingen, the slightly improved AKA, and the transition study support. But he does not mention a word about an active labor market policy. It is also not something that can be found in the Tidö agreement.

I know that Johan Pehrson was just asked what he intends to do to get people into jobs and how to meet the unemployment we have so that they too can get a job when the economy grows.

I ask the question again: What does Johan Pehrson intend to do to have an active labor market policy?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for an important question. It is clear that many of the 534,000 people who are registered with Arbetsförmedlingen have been away from the labor market for a very long time.

We are now inventorying the possibilities of making major adjustments. One does not just inherit the difficult situation, a recession and a very high interest rate level that makes it incredibly difficult to maneuver in order to manage the long-term economic situation in Sweden.

Let me point out the reinforcements we are making to vocational adult education and on getting more people into practical placements. We are reinforcing the "nystartsjobb" (new start jobs) and ensuring that there is substantial extra support depending on how long one has been away from the labor market. This is done together with the rest of the palette.

Finally, I also want to add the importance of us listening to the industries where there is a shortage of people. There is a shortage of bus drivers and so on today. I yield the floor, Mr. Speaker.

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Ciczie Weidby (V)

Mr. Speaker! I truly hope that we have reason to return to that and that the Minister for Employment can actually talk more about labor market policy and not just about his relationship with the Sweden Democrats. The fact is that we are facing a recession where we must meet this and ensure that people get jobs in a good way and that we have a good policy for that.

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I very much look forward to speaking with the entire Riksdag about this. It is clear that there is something a bit odd in Sweden when there are 534,000 people registered at Arbetsförmedlingen while at the same time we lack bus drivers, we lack train drivers, we lack many people in healthcare, we lack people in schools and we lack police officers. We even lack JAS pilots. But I want to emphasize that it is quite difficult to imagine that they are to come directly from a labor market training. We need to do so much more to match better. It is also why we stand behind the change that we have made to Arbetsförmedlingen in order to get more power in the help to reduce the pain of unemployment.

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Helena Vilhelmsson (C)

Mr. Speaker! Men's violence against women is the eternal pandemic. It is a structural problem that primarily causes enormous suffering for the crime victims but which also consumes great societal resources.

Protected housing for the affected women and children was needed in our municipalities. The financing of them is always an issue that is topical, especially here in budget times. But one question also concerns how these residences shall be organized.

According to a referral from the Council on Legislation, the government proposes that protected housing shall be regulated and become a form of placement in social services, which is good. This ensures that the handling becomes equal across the country and that accompanying children are covered by a separate decision. The regulation also means that quality requirements are set, which facilitates things for municipalities, as private actors also operate protected housing. The plan is for this to be introduced in July next year.

My question to the Minister for Equality is: Will the plan be completed and, above all, is the funding for the municipalities' new mandate secured?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for an important question.

It is true that men's violence against women is an ongoing pandemic that we must take action against in a way that we have not done before.

In my previous role as a prosecutor, I have noted that there are very large geographical differences in our country regarding what protection one can receive if, as a woman subjected to violence, one seeks protection – seeks out a women's shelter or a protected residence – in order to be able to live safely. This is, of course, completely unacceptable. It should be at the same level throughout the country. Regardless of where in the country one lives, one should have the right to protection.

This is absolutely an important issue that this government will follow up on. How do we ensure that this protection is at a high level throughout the entire country? Exactly how this investigation will turn out, we will have to return to. But the level of ambition is crystal clear.

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Helena Vilhelmsson (C)

Mr. Speaker! I am pleased with the answer. But I flag a problem here, because SKR has completely different figures than the government for the implementation of this law. It is a bit difficult to discern from the government's budget. But it is clear that new legislation and its implementation in the form of administration and regulations on quality requirements, licensing requirements and so on, costs money.

Let me be clear. This is a very important reform and a good reform. And it must not fail because one is stalling on the financing.

My question is: Is the financing principle applied fully, that is, new obligations for municipalities and accompanying funding?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Mr. Speaker! We will ensure that protected housing will function for women throughout Sweden. There are always different ways to handle issues. We will have to return to exactly how this shall be implemented. But this government sees that the problem exists, and we will act based on that.

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Annika Hirvonen (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Women die in childbirth after not receiving the right help, children are bullied for their skin color in school, and women are harassed in the city until they are afraid to go out. Yes, the structural racism in Sweden is a threat to democracy, and in the worst cases, it kills.

For a long time, we have heard testimonies about racist harassment and about how people are mistreated in healthcare due to prejudices. In order to tackle structural racism, the knowledge must be systematized.

That Sweden is now one of the world's most equal countries is thanks to gender-segregated data. The lack of statistics linked to racism has been criticized by both the EU and the UN.

My question is: Will the government listen to the UN's criticism and introduce equality data?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! We always listen to these arguments. I was recently visited by the Equality Ombudsman. We discussed how we can take further steps to ensure that we send racism's ugly face where it belongs.

I have also recently met representatives from the newly started organization the Institute for Human Rights. It is something that we have lacked in Sweden but which will now be established with up to fifty employees. When they get started, I would like to see what tools they want and what legislation they want the government to develop and that the Riksdag can adopt with funding. It is also about what the authorities that run the operation lack.

Let me therefore return to the question when this activity is underway and when I have spoken with them properly.

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Annika Hirvonen (MP)

Mr. Speaker! The question of equality data was investigated by the Equality Ombudsman as early as 2012. The conclusion was that equality data can and should be introduced in Sweden. Miljöpartiet therefore wants that the collection of equality data be investigated and introduced, because it is completely unacceptable that children encounter racism in school and that women die in maternity care as a result of racism.

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I absolutely agree with Annika Hirvonen on this. It is completely obvious that it is unacceptable.

I see how people work at the Equality Ombudsman and how they look at and drive different cases. One does not do it to say what is unacceptable, what occurs and what is bad, but one goes into area after area and tries strategically to rectify that which causes people to suffer. It is about people whose human rights, as they are enshrined in the Swedish constitution, are simply violated.

I want to return when I have deepened our discussions at the Ministry of Employment. Then we will see whether it is a new investigation or the existing one that should, in that case, be turned over and examined. Let me therefore return.

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Oliver Rosengren (M)

Mr. Speaker! Benefits are for those in need, not for fraudsters. Therefore, it is a societal problem that 20 billion tax kronor every year disappear from security, welfare and, ultimately, the wallets of hard-working people to instead go to fraud and inaccuracies.

Yesterday, a report was received from the Swedish Unemployment Insurance Inspection which looks at incorrect payments in the unemployment insurance specifically. They found that during previous years, 600 million kronor have been incorrectly paid out. The most common reason is errors from the applicant, followed by errors from Arbetsförmedlingen, and finally errors from the a-kassorna.

My question to the Minister is: What measures does the government plan to take to stop the leakage of tax money to fraudsters?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! This is an important and completely central issue. Sweden's pillars of society often pay relatively high taxes that go to the right things – taxes that go towards financing the unemployment insurance that one pays into and earns the right to, a health insurance, or other systems that are intended to hold Sweden together. Pillars of society, however, usually become quite angry when tax money is systematically used in an incorrect way and very little happens.

Our measures to address this now involve trying to lower the secrecy thresholds that exist between different agencies. We are working on giving a reinforced mandate, in my case to Arbetsförmedlingen specifically, so that they shall intensify this. Correct a-kasse compensation shall go to the right person, not to someone who should not have it. This also applies to other compensations and not least guarantees and programs within Arbetsförmedlingen that can also be misused.

By 2024, we are in the process of launching what we call a payment authority to keep even better track of the money. Right must be right!

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Oliver Rosengren (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer!

The Minister himself touched upon Arbetsförmedlingen. Already in 2019, IAF noted that Arbetsförmedlingen abstains from imposing sanctions in eight out of ten cases where a newly arrived person does not follow their establishment plan. In the long run, this is a threat to the effect of, for example, the establishment reform.

What measures does the Minister see that we could take specifically to ensure that Arbetsförmedlingen takes fraud and inaccuracies more seriously?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! That is what we do in the regulatory letter for the new ordinance for Arbetsförmedlingen which is now coming into effect, actually today. It is important.

It is also central to consider how the supervision takes place on-site, i.e., what preliminary work is done before people go out on various forms of internship which we think should be very close to the workplace. Is this a good workplace? Is this okay?

We are also implementing reinforcements to support other actors in being able to carry out controls early and clearly so that no one is exploited, but also so that individuals do not make any mistakes themselves.

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Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! My question also goes to Minister Johan Pehrson.

Unemployment is at approximately 7 percent, of which 35 percent is long-term unemployment and 21 percent are young people. Sweden ranks in seventh worst place in Europe. The previous government saw fit to submit twelve propositions over four years, several of which concerned the EU.

At the same time, we have companies that simply have difficulty finding people. We have high unemployment, we have difficulty finding people, and the previous government did not do that much.

Then my question naturally arises: How does the Minister intend to work with this going forward?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! It is a fantastically important mission that I have in my role as Minister for Employment. It is about both equipping and matching people to a job, people who perhaps for a very long time have found themselves in a rather troublesome exclusion where the pain has become a burden that is difficult to bear and which affects entire families. The truth is that we have areas in Sweden where many people are exposed to the same pain, which can lead to other social problems in the form of exclusion.

Our goal is to work broadly and ensure that many different actors, not least non-profit ones, contribute to trying, in various programs and measures, to step by step move a person into self-sufficiency, away from the painful unemployment and the exclusion that it entails to be unemployed for a very long time.

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Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the final part of the answer! During the autumn, I have taken the time to make some study visits. As a former local politician, one is a bit curious, and I have been to Norrköping and seen how they cooperate in their own committee structure when it comes to these issues. I have also been to Örebro on two occasions, and even there, there is a strong cooperation at the municipal level. My basic position is well that the Riksdag has its role, the government has its, and the municipalities have theirs.

What is also exciting in Örebro is that civil society helps and has good activities. The question is how the Minister will now work to ensure that we get this cooperation to function.

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Many of the initiatives that have been in place since the great catastrophe when many people were forced to flee, not least from Syria, and then came to our country, are now being adapted to a new situation. We are, as is known, facing much narrower migration, something that has been debated here in the chamber in other contexts.

Many people must help, because even though it is simply stated, this is complicated, and I have heard many from almost all parties here in the chamber say that all adults who can work should also work.

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Anna Starbrink (L)

Mr. Speaker! Today is World AIDS Day. It has been 40 years since the first cases were identified, but AIDS is still a deadly disease.

Inequality, stigma, and discrimination go hand in hand with the spread of infection. Every other minute, a young woman is infected with HIV. During 2021, one and a half million people were infected - one million more than the common global sub-goal that we should strive towards.

One can become disappointed and feel hopelessness, but there is truly great hope. There are countries where the rights of LGBT people are being strengthened, and there are countries where the rights of girls and women are also being strengthened.

Sweden has a strong tradition of being proactive in the global struggle for human rights. My question goes to Minister for Development Cooperation Johan Forssell. How does the government wish to continue the important work to combat HIV and contribute to the goal of an AIDS-free generation being achieved?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Anna Starbrink, for the question! Just as I have said here earlier, Swedish aid policy will continue to be generous. It will be concentrated on a number of strategies, and we will focus on quality and efficiency in a completely different way rather than a goal for just how much money should be paid out.

One of the cornerstones will be the work for global health. We will have reason to return to this, not least within the framework of the Swedish presidency of the European Union, where we also expect important conclusions at the EU level. We will also, in our regulatory letters within just a few weeks, present more linked to different thematic priorities and, in the long run, also which organizations we shall cooperate with and in what way.

It can be noted that Sweden has for a long time, which is familiar to the questioners, provided very generous aid to organizations at several different levels. I foresee that we will continue with this moving forward.

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Anna Starbrink (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer!

I think that civil society, both in Sweden and in other countries, is an important resource in this work, as is a collaboration between them.

The Minister also mentioned the importance of working with health. Therefore, I would like to ask if he could elaborate further regarding Sweden's opportunities to contribute to improved health specifically linked to HIV. There is no cure or vaccine, but there are both suppressive medications and preventive medicines, so-called PrEP.

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! Just as I said, we will in the near future present our regulatory letters. There it will become a bit clearer exactly which organizations we will cooperate with and in what way.

Several of the strategies run for several years. Unaids started a few years ago and runs for a few more years, and there one can get some guidance. We have for several years given extensive financial support, among other things to them.

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Adnan Dibrani (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Niklas Wykman, but before I pose my question, I would like to congratulate him on the new appointment.

Mr. Speaker! Election promise after election promise is betrayed by the government and the Sweden Democrats. Furthermore, these are issues that are important for the common man and families' plans in important wallet issues. We are talking about ISK taxation, which would in principle be removed. It is now twice as high. We are talking about electricity support, which was supposed to be in place on November 1 but now, at best, will be in place in February/March. We are talking about fuel prices with 4, 6, and 10-kronor reductions that became the famous 14 öre.

An even more important issue for many in these times of interest rates is the amortization requirement.

We still do not know if support will be given or when. The current Finance Minister said she would give her full support, but nothing has happened there yet. When will support come?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

As was indicated in connection with the presentation of the budget bill, Sweden is in a difficult economic situation. We are, together with many others. It is war and price surges.

The Financial Supervisory Authority has, in its stability report – and the Riksbank has also done so – described the problems that may exist regarding the resilience of households and companies against increased interest rates. At the same time, household finances are being pressured by inflation, and we have earlier today discussed unemployment.

If one is to reverse a negative development that has persisted for a long time, certain fundamentals must be in good order. Elisabeth Svantesson has been clear that one must not disturb the fight against inflation with fiscal policy. We have furthermore clearly stated that we will return to the amortization requirement. And I have had my first meeting with the Finansinspektionen.

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Carita Boulwén (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Violence in close relationships is a major societal problem, which is gaining ever stronger hold in our society. Women, men and children are affected, but women in particular are extra vulnerable.

The Sweden Democrats therefore view positively that the government, in its press release last week, announced that it will begin work on an action program to counter violence against women. We have also heard this in the debate earlier today.

An important part of the work to protect women who flee is to ensure that they actually have somewhere to flee to. The women's shelters and protected residences that exist do incredibly important work across the country. In some municipalities, they are run under municipal management, but in many cases, they are run by non-profit organizations. It is therefore important to ensure that they maintain good quality.

The Sweden Democrats therefore argue that a national certification is of particular importance to ensure that all on-call services and housing maintain good quality with the right competence so that the vulnerable shall receive the help they deserve.

In view of this, I would like to ask Minister for Equality Paulina Brandberg if she intends to work to strengthen both the municipal and voluntary shelters and protected housing in Sweden.

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

Once again, I am glad that this issue is being highlighted. It is an incredibly important issue. In order for someone to have the opportunity to leave a destructive relationship or a violent relationship, it is important that they feel safe.

Just as it has been pointed out, Gunnar Strömmer and I held a press conference last week where we announced that we will begin the work on a new national strategy and a new action program to strengthen women and girls who are exposed to violence in close relationships.

As part of this, we will of course review how the protection works regarding women's shelters and protected housing so that we can create increased safety for women who are subjected to violence.

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Helena Bouveng (M)

Mr. Speaker! Some time ago, the EU's trade ministers met in Brussels. Not least, the question of the deteriorating trade relations between the EU and the USA, an effect of the American law Inflation Reduction Act, was up for discussion. It is a law that is expected to lead to a number of investments and jobs ending up in the USA instead of in Europe.

Svenskt Näringsliv views the new law with great concern, and the effects could be serious for both Europe and our export-dependent Sweden. Effects are mentioned in the form of weakened competitiveness for investments allocated to Sweden, as well as that research and innovation are moved back to the USA.

Mr. Speaker! I wonder if the Minister for Foreign Trade shares the concern. What solutions does the Minister consider possible to introduce?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

The short answer is: Yes, we share the concern.

Let me first say that it is naturally positive that the American administration is taking a step forward in the green transition. The problem is the way the laws are designed, which unfortunately gives them strong protectionist features. It is probably not in accordance with the WTO framework, even if it may be difficult to go exactly that way to obtain a change because their review system has been down for a number of years now.

We are following the issue closely. It occupies much of my working time, not least in a European context. I have spoken directly with the US Trade Representative Ambassador Tai and pointed out that this could have major negative consequences not only for Sweden and Europe but also for the USA because this could potentially escalate into a trade war. There are strong such forces in Europe.

The government does not want to see such a development, but we are pushing forward to try to find an agreement with the USA.

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Torsten Elofsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! A few weeks ago, I visited a medium-sized Swedish city and met the police district chief.

The city is severely affected by gang crime which creates insecurity and is a threat to the system. Despite good efforts from the police, there is a constant new recruitment of young people into the gangs. The police have identified 50 young people who are on their way to becoming serious criminals. Actually, they should be taken into custody, but places are lacking.

It is truly worrying that there is a growing number of children, in several cases under the age of ten, who are drawn to gangs and are predestined to become criminals if nothing is done. Fundamentally, it is about a lack of integration and unhealthy values that characterize the children.

How do we influence children to think in other directions and see education and jobs as the path to a good adult life? What does the government intend to do to prevent children from being drawn into the criminal environment?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

Yes, what do you do with the enormous mental poverty that so many children obviously find themselves in? It is a question of economic and mental poverty. They have no access to sensible leisure activities—the kind that would otherwise support a young person who is having a hard time.

The government is investing in parental support measures to reach families who are struggling at an early stage. Even within the school system, we are working with the aim that more social teams should be created to truly reach the guy with a V8 in his chest who needs help – perhaps in a smaller teaching group in the school.

We are also making efforts to act earlier and more clearly with a bit of coercion, so to speak, from the social services. It can involve things that start very early. We are also strengthening the conditions for child and adolescent psychiatry.

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Aida Birinxhiku (S)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by congratulating Minister Johan Forssell on the new assignment.

My question to the Minister concerns the image of Sweden. Svenska institutet notes that the image of Sweden is of great importance for promoting trade with an export-dependent country like Sweden. After the 2022 election result, however, Svenska institutet assesses that the image of Sweden may come to change in the longer term. From the agency's report, it appears that reasoning is being conducted regarding whether the image of Sweden as a country known for welfare, openness, and equality may now come to change.

I have previously noted that the government parties have been particularly concerned about how the image of Sweden has been portrayed abroad. Against this background, I would like to ask the Minister how he assesses how the image of Sweden has changed after the 2022 election result and what it means for Swedish trade and investment promotion.

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question and the greeting.

The government's assessment is that the image of Sweden abroad is very stable and in many ways also extraordinarily positive. We can state that as of today, Sweden is presented as the very best country to live in according to US News & World Reports' annual ranking. If one looks at the reports that have come from the Swedish Institute - I have personally reviewed them - one can also see that there has been a positive development for a long time. The outcome of the election has also not changed that description.

Then, of course, one can always say that the picture can change in the future. I do not believe that this election was an exception to that, but that is how it has always been previously. There are a number of problems, and if one is concerned about the image of Sweden, I believe that the very best way to handle it is to handle the very serious societal problems that exist in our country – not least linked, for example, to gang crime and insecurity. This is what this government is fully focused on doing.

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Per Söderlund (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to direct my question to the Minister for Finance.

The conditions for families to be granted loans from the bank to build small houses differ considerably depending on where in the country one wants to live and build their home. If one wants to build a house adjacent to a more expansive area, it is often easier to obtain good loan terms from the bank as the value of the house can be assumed to be higher and rise after the house is completed, in contrast to if one instead builds in the countryside or in sparsely populated areas. It also happens that people are advised by their bank that in order to have a loan granted, they should build their future home in the neighboring municipality instead of in the place where they actually want to live.

Therefore, I want to ask the Minister for Finance to what extent he considers that the state and the government have a responsibility to ensure that we obtain a more equal and fair mortgage market for the whole of Sweden.

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

Lending from a bank to a customer is, of course, something that the bank should primarily decide on. Then we know that we as a society and the financial system become very exposed if the lending becomes too expansive or is given without good grounds or in such a way that those who have taken the credits simply cannot pay them. We have seen that happen in other countries.

It is therefore not the government's intention to try to interfere in lending in such a way that credits are issued that are fundamentally, so to speak, non-repayable. On the other hand, we shall, of course, always work for an effective system. One central point, however, is that requirements are placed on banks to always have resilience if the economy worsens, but special types of specific regulations are not the way forward.

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Carl Nordblom (M)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Employment Johan Pehrson.

The Swedish tourism industry is an important sector for jobs, growth, tourism, and Swedish food and restaurant culture. The hotel and restaurant industry currently employs over 200,000 people in Sweden. 42 percent of them are foreign-born, and almost 30 percent are under 25 years old. For many, this industry offers an important first step into the labor market. But the need for labor with the right competence in these industries is great, and there is currently a shortage of staff with the right competence within Swedish hotels and restaurants.

I therefore wonder: What does the government intend to do to facilitate the supply of skills to the hotel and restaurant industry and other industries that suffer from a skills shortage and have difficulty recruiting staff?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you that, just as has been the case in the other issues, a particularly important matter is being raised. How do we ensure that this host receives employees in sufficient numbers so that Sweden can be a country where people come to tour and where people travel around to get the fantastic recreation that our beautiful country offers?

Yes, it is about increasing the attraction of these educations so that more young people feel that this is important to train for. We have had a discussion there, and not least from the Liberals' side – even though we stand united – we stand behind the new regulations for upper secondary school which mean that one can opt out of parts of the theoretical [content] if it should be relevant for such an education. It is about being able to quickly enter the workforce and about getting a degree at all.

The big problem is that there are too many young people who never even get to upper secondary school or have difficulty getting in because they finish ninth grade with insufficient grades, so that is a strong focus. Then we must do more to ensure that the vocational training matches what is needed.

I believe my speaking time is up, Mr. Speaker. Otherwise, I could speak for a very long time – that is no problem! But I will stop there, quite simply.

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Gudrun Brunegård (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Sweden has a high reputation internationally for our generous aid.

The majority parties have agreed on a reform of aid where the core support is reduced and a larger share shall be channeled through civil society organizations. There is a concern that the focus will be shifted to short-term, acute measures instead of focusing on long-term development aid. Long-term development aid gives the population in low-income countries the conditions to, for example, improve agricultural methods in order to strengthen society's resilience against poverty, hunger, and climate effects and in this way increase its independence from emergency aid. It helps the countries to take important steps towards self-sufficiency.

My question to the Minister for Development Cooperation is how we should design the aid moving forward so that Swedish aid will, to a greater extent than before, contribute to building strong, democratic and resilient societies.

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question. We have large and urgent humanitarian needs in the world, not least on the Horn of Africa, and the government has said that we will strengthen the humanitarian efforts. Ukraine is also an example of that.

When it comes to the more long-term parts, we will initiate a change of Swedish aid. In many ways, it already maintains high quality today, but one can simultaneously observe that many countries around the world that for several decades have received very large sums in Swedish aid continue to be very dependent on Swedish aid. Obviously, there is therefore potential for improvements here.

A very clear prioritization that we have made is to, in a completely different way than before, merge aid with trade. Here lies a very large potential to bring in more entrepreneurship, market economy, the rule of law and democracy, yes, everything that constitutes a good society. We do not, therefore, have lower ambitions here than before – on the contrary, I would say.

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Per-Arne Håkansson (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Paulina Brandberg.

In the autumn election, voter turnout in Sweden fell for the first time in several decades. Most alarming is that the differences in voter turnout have clear socioeconomic parallels: in prosperous areas in cities and towns, the voter turnout is high, and in vulnerable areas or in sparsely populated and rural areas, it is alarmingly low.

On the government's website, I note that the minister emphasizes that the goal should be a living democracy characterized by participation and that the opportunities for influence are equal. The previous government appointed an inquiry that submitted the report Our democracy - worth protecting every day, which contains a number of concrete proposals. What I can see is that they have largely to do with issues of integration, equality, and leveling social differences.

The question to Paulina Brandberg is what initiatives the government intends to take to strengthen democracy and increase people's participation in society.

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

This is an important issue. In order for us to have a strong democracy, it is required that we have a high voter turnout and that people in all areas of our country are involved and voting and participating in our democracy.

This government has made a special investment in the budget that I am immensely proud of. We have invested earmarked funds in the organizing of women and girls in vulnerable areas. We see that it is often they who perhaps stand furthest away from society. We think it is important - and not least an important gender equality measure - to ensure that they get the opportunity to better organize themselves, so that they can take advantage of their democratic rights and make demands on society that they have the right to make.

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Ann-Christine From Utterstedt (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Integration in Sweden has for many years been completely broken. Finally, our country, with the influence of the Sweden Democrats, is moving in a healthier direction. Measures for stricter punishments, measures against honor oppression, and limitation of access to our welfare system are some positive effects of a more Sweden-friendly policy.

More measures than those now agreed upon are required to address the segregation. There should be no doubt whatsoever about what we expect from new citizens.

I want to ask the Minister for Integration: Will the government clarify the goals in the integration policy with requirements for establishment, adaptation, and personal effort?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I have had the privilege of having been a member of Parliament before my current role. I remember when I sat in the chamber and Mona Sahlin stood here in the speaker's chair. The topic was: Should we speak Swedish in Sweden?

My answer was: Of course! However, it was not the case that all the parties in the Riksdag thought it was obvious at the time, but it became a very long debate. I am therefore very happy that we are now clarifying something that I would like to emphasize in the integration policy, namely that the person who has the right to come to Sweden – and comes to Sweden – shall be welcome and welcomed with clarity.

It must be clear: Here we work, here we speak Swedish, and here we behave. If one does not do that, one must face clear drivers to do so anyway. My view is that in 99.9 percent of cases, this also lies in the individual's interest. Who comes to a country without wanting to become a part of the country?

We are making major changes in the area of integration, and I am glad about that.

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MAGDALENA SCHRÖDER (M)

Mr. Speaker! Sweden has one of the world's largest aid budgets, both in terms of share of GNI and in absolute terms. Sweden is also one of the countries that provides the most aid in the form of unearmarked core funding to various UN organizations. Sweden is at the absolute top of the funding of many organizations, and in several organizations, Swedish taxpayers account for over 10 percent of the organization's central budget. There is an opportunity here to more clearly focus and prioritize Swedish support, for example, to be able to provide more support to Ukraine.

The Minister has announced that the government will develop a new and independent strategy for Ukraine. I wonder if the Minister can tell when this new strategy will be in place, if there is any coordination with other countries' support, and if there is any dialogue with Ukraine to ensure that Swedish aid does the greatest possible good.

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for an important question on a very pressing issue. Just as I have said before, Ukraine will, for entirely obvious reasons, become a very large recipient of Swedish aid. We have a war in Europe. The needs are enormous and are actually growing hour by hour.

Swedish aid cannot solve all problems in this, but we can still do very much to improve the situation. Not least within the framework of the EU circle, where we have begun a work that we will accelerate during the presidency to pool together the European resources, we can do very much.

These funds are starting to be channeled out right now. We will continue with that. The aid package that we gave last week is not the first and will not be the last either.

We have also initiated work on the theme of merging trade and aid, for example by granting Ukraine duty-free status. In that way, one does not only combat the acute humanitarian crisis but also begins a reconstruction of the country.

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Jytte Guteland (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is of a general political nature, and I turn to Minister Johan Pehrson.

On 1 January 2023, Sweden takes over the presidency in the EU. We have a period ahead of us that is, for many reasons, very active. Very large and for climate policy decisive parts of the EU's climate package Fit for 55 will hopefully be hammered out during this time.

My question to Johan Pehrson is what the timeline looks like and what contacts are being made in this regard. There is a fair amount of speculation that Sweden does not want to take this leading role during the presidency. It is said that the Sweden Democrats decide what Sweden should think on the environmental and energy issues. I therefore want to know if Sweden is prepared to take over the ambitious climate policy that Sweden has been characterized by under the Social Democratic government.

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Jytte Guteland, for an important question! We bear a collective responsibility for how our presidency is going and, above all, for the decisions we make, which are important for Europe and for our future.

We have said that we also cooperate on EU issues in the areas affected by the agreement that the government has with the Sweden Democrats. That is completely obvious. There may be quite a few fringe issues there that we have to judge. Where that is not the case, it is completely obvious that we must either seek support from the Sweden Democrats outside of the agreement or from the Social Democrats in the EU Committee. Therefore, the Social Democrats are to a very high degree involved in how this proceeds.

We are planning and are fully occupied with preparing the presidency in various places. We will try to take over after the Czech presidency and achieve as much as possible. It is important. We will hand over the rest with a warm hand to the Spaniards after us, but this is a very important half-year not only for the government but also for Sweden and Europe.

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Mikael Eskilandersson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Finance.

From a report from the Swedish Enforcement Authority that recently emerged, it appears that debts are growing among young people, especially young women. The increase is primarily due to consumption debts. Online trade constitutes a large proportion of the cases received against young adults and is the most common cause of debt among young people. It is naturally alarming, and measures are needed to counteract the over-indebtedness.

An investigation into measures against over-indebtedness was commissioned by the previous government following powerful pressure from authorities, experts, and the political opposition.

From the Sverigedemokraterna side, we are launching a powerful package of measures against over-indebtedness. Over-indebtedness is an enormous problem both for the indebted person, who is affected by suffering and being in danger, and for the economic stability as a whole.

My question to the Minister for Finance is how the important work of countering the growing over-indebtedness now continues.

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Mr. Speaker! Over-indebtedness, not only among young people but in society as a whole, is a significant problem. It concerns both us as a country and the individual who is affected.

Behind over-indebtedness there often also lies a deeper problem. It can be about dependency issues surrounding gambling or shopping, bipolar disorder, or other things that make it difficult for the individual to make decisions that are good and sustainable for the person themselves.

A great deal has been done and is being done. But here, there is rarely a single solution; rather, it is about setting up different types of obstacles in a number of different areas, such as information, education, consumer guidance, and lending, so that the individual does not over-indebt themselves. To mention one example, one can no longer have credit purchases as a default option. There are many more here, however, but they cannot be covered in one minute.

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Jim Svensk Larm (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Paulina Brandberg.

This week we could read in Aftonbladet that about sixty electricians at the Facebook construction in Umeå have been left without wages. The electricians are employed by a company which in turn is a contractor in several stages from the company that received the contract. This is unfortunately not uncommon, and the chain of contractors makes it difficult to follow up and demand accountability.

Crime in the workplace is spreading and has major consequences for the entire society. The Social Democratic government has developed a strategy against workplace crime that contains several points intended to give us a safer labor market, including a point on entrepreneur responsibility.

How will the government continue to work with the strategy, and what new initiatives does the government intend to take beyond the strategy to stop crime in the working life?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Mr. Speaker! Work-life crime is an area that covers many problems, and the government will continue to have a high level of ambition here. We are in the process of building up various work-life crime centers in the country, and we also have a delegation against work-life crime that looks at these issues.

Regarding contractor responsibility and ensuring that employees receive their wages across multiple contractor levels, an investigation is underway, the results of which the government will interestedly await, and we will, of course, look further into the issue.

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Michael Rubbestad (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question also goes to Minister for Equality Paulina Brandberg.

The goal of Sweden's gender equality policy is that women and men shall have the same power to shape society and their own lives, which is achieved through six gender equality policy sub-goals.

The first goal, equal distribution of power and influence, has two indicators that are both purely numerical, which risks leading to quotas, which are close at hand to achieve good statistics. This tool, unlike the previous government, the governing parties have been clear that they do not see as the right way to go.

If one looks at the purely numerical factors, a parliament with 49 percent women who have nothing at all to say would be seen as more equal than a parliament consisting of, say, 40 percent women where all of them have a concrete influence and a great opportunity to exert influence.

For the Sweden Democrats, equality means that women and men de facto have the same power and influence in practice, not that the statistics look good.

How does the government view these indicators for how an even distribution of power and influence is achieved?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Mr. Speaker! The starting point for all gender equality policy is that men and women shall be involved in shaping their own lives and participate in social processes. There are different ways to achieve this. Quotas are one way. Another way is to create drivers and enable women and men to shape their own lives and participate in different forms of processes.

The government has no plans to introduce any form of quotas as a solution, but instead, we will work very hard to create the opportunities that provide the conditions to participate on equal terms, regardless of whether one is a man or a woman and regardless of ethnic background and other things that make us different as human beings.

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Olle Thorell (S)

Mr. Speaker! Swedish aid policy is now changing fundamentally in a very worrying way. Aid is being cut, and the SD-influenced, Moderate-led government is abandoning the one percent goal. The rights perspective and the perspective of the poor and vulnerable are being sacrificed for Swedish self-interests.

Furthermore, significant cuts are now being announced in the core funding to UN agencies. This core funding is incredibly important for the UN to be able to act quickly and flexibly when crises arise and when no other organizations can reach through. When the Taliban take over, when the war in Ukraine breaks out, and when the junta in Myanmar commits crimes against humanity, it is often only the UN that remains on the ground, and they can often be there thanks to core funding from Sweden.

I therefore ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs: What impact assessments has the government made of the cut in the core support to the UN?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for the question.

The government has higher ambitions for aid than to only focus on how much money Sweden can pay out during a single year. We will set clear goals regarding quality, efficiency, and results.

In the budget process, we have worked in exactly the same way as the previous government. We have been keen to achieve long-term perspective in this. We want, for example, to avoid what happened in the spring when the previous government implemented significant cuts without any impact assessment whatsoever. We do not want to repeat this. Therefore, the government has introduced a three-year budgeting framework so that there shall be predictability and long-term perspective. In addition, we have introduced a ceiling linked to precisely the refugee deductions.

Let me also point out that even though the UN is an important player, there are more global actors, for example the European Union. I would wish that we broadened the discussion a bit, not least in light of the terrible war that is ongoing in Ukraine.

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Mikael Dahlqvist (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Employment and Integration Johan Pehrson.

The previous Social Democratic-led government made major investments to lift, secure, and modernize Swedish elderly care. Our elderly care lift, where healthcare and care staff have been given the opportunity to study during paid working hours, became a success. Over 25,000 people have so far started training to become a care assistant, nursing assistant, or other adequate competence.

The initiative is included in the government's budget but not after 2023. This will likely result in a worsened situation regarding the healthcare and care sector's competence supply and lack of language skills.

Why should Äldreomsorgslyftet be terminated after 2023 when it is a success?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! The Government is making major investments in the education system to ensure that more young people seek out, among other things, the educations that provide jobs in elderly care and the like. We prioritize this.

We also ensure that people who are subjects of the broad palette of measures within Arbetsförmedlingen are directed there where there is a crying need for labor.

As I began the question period with, 534,000 people are registered at Arbetsförmedlingen - an effect of the successful years the questioner referred to. I now want to ensure that everything can be done to ensure that these people get the jobs that are in demand. Then they can be subjects of different forms of training or retraining in mid-life.

It is this path we want to take. The jobs are there, and we must support people so that more dare to seek employment in this activity.

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Mathias Tegnér (S)

Mr. Speaker! In an article in Dagens industri on October 3, it stated: "Former Skatteverket employees help entrepreneurs evade profit tax. For 300,000 kronor, an offshore package is offered where not a single krona goes to the Swedish treasury."

We Social Democrats have always worked against tax evasion, for moral reasons but also for more pragmatic ones. My question to Minister for Finance Niklas Wykman is: What is the Minister and the government doing to stop this immoral and potentially illegal conduct?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

Tax legislation per se does not fall within my area but under another minister. But if I may expand the question slightly to my area, regarding for example the credibility of working at an agency and then returning to or making a debut in the business sector, I can say that work is ongoing within the EU regarding different types of cooling-off rules. In that regard, it has been important for Sweden to safeguard the possibility of having a cooling-off period in such a way that we do not have different types of over-exploitation of systems or knowledge that one possesses, while at the same time it is important to safeguard flexibility. One should, of course, be able to move between agencies and the private business sector because this strengthens the competence of both.

The Swedish position is very clear here. Different interests are pitted against each other, and one must safeguard the integrity of both the system and the opportunities of the labor market in general.

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Serkan Köse (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Employment Johan Pehrson.

In Sunday's Agenda, the Minister for Employment claimed that Sweden is well-prepared for an economic crisis because we have a strong employment service. At the same time, the minister's own party, the Liberals, has for many years contributed to implementing draconian cuts both to AF's administrative grants and to the Employment Service's programs.

In next year's budget, the patterns from previous years are confirmed. We Social Democrats are strengthening both programs and appropriations within the labor market policy, while the government is once again cutting measures and appropriations.

My question to the Minister for Employment is therefore: How can the Minister claim that Arbetsförmedlingen is well-equipped when the Minister's own party for years has pushed to cut the agency's possibilities to carry out job-securing and job-creating activities?

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Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! It is noticeable in many ways that there has been a change of government. The Social Democrats have forgotten that they have governed for eight years. The memory of what one has contributed to has faded quite quickly, I hear.

We in the Liberals and the government believe that the measures that have been implemented will serve the citizens well in the event that they are affected by the pain of unemployment. Much of the criticism concerns that there are measures or resources that have not been used during the current year. It has not been unusual to also, during previous years, have sent money back to the state because the regulatory letters from the Social Democratic government have been too weak and the focus on jobs and on job creation, close interventions, has been too weak.

We can talk a lot about this. I want to assert that the fantastic employees at Arbetsförmedlingen are well-equipped and have good programs and guarantees.

The question period was hereby concluded.

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