Question Time

TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions today will be answered by Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch, Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall, Minister Jessika Roswall, and Minister for Climate and Environment Romina Pourmokhtari.

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 relates to his/her performance of duties. Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch answers both general political questions and questions within her own area of responsibility.

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Fredrik Olovsson (S)

Mr. Speaker! Energy policy is an area that requires long-term perspective and predictability. The business community is clear that if they are to make these very large investments in new electricity production, stable conditions are required, and these are ultimately guaranteed by a broad parliamentary consensus. Without such, not only is the electricity production that we need here and now at risk, but also the tens of thousands of jobs that are now planned for within Swedish industry across the entire country.

Then the question to Ebba Busch is whether she is prepared to invite exactly what the business community wants: broad conversations for an agreement on Swedish energy policy.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question, Fredrik Olovsson!

Question Time

The government agrees that we need to have long-term perspective. If we are to be able to strengthen Swedish competitiveness, if we are to be able to make it possible for more mothers and fathers to have a job to go to, to put food on the table for their children and to provide for their own livelihood, if we are truly to be able to fully realize the return on the enormous investment will that exists in the northern parts of Sweden but also in the growth engine that exists in Skåne and the entire Öresund region, yes, then more electricity is needed, better electricity production and an electricity production with long-term perspective.

We welcome broad cooperation on energy issues and welcome that, not least the Social Democrats, have also moved on the issue of nuclear power. Here, all good forces really need to unite. We need both solar power, wind power, and nuclear power for a long time to come and broad support in those issues.

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Fredrik Olovsson (S)

Mr. Speaker! It sounds very good when the Minister for Energy and Business answers my question in general terms. Here we can probably agree on much. But if we are to achieve long-term agreements, it also requires that we are prepared to sit down and discuss and talk about them in order to reach an agreement.

The question is: Will there be any invitation to this type of conversation, which the business community is requesting?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I understand that the business community has not necessarily asked for an exact form, but that we should ensure there is as broad support as possible for an effective energy policy that truly stands on the side of the Swedish people and Swedish companies. If there is a possibility for broad support and cooperation, not least with the Social Democrats, in this issue, I welcome it and am happy to further discuss the forms for this.

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Ludvig Aspling (SD)

Mr. Speaker! For some time now, a disinformation campaign against Swedish social services has been ongoing. It concerns certain foreigners refusing to accept administrative decisions in custody cases and instead spreading rumors that it would involve the kidnapping of children, which is, of course, completely absurd.

In some places, the staff is under extreme pressure. There are many reports testifying that people avoid making certain decisions for fear of their own safety.

We do not think that such people should be allowed to stay in Sweden if they are not citizens. We see this as a prime example of what could constitute a lack of integrity and should be grounds for deportation.

That is what we think. But I would like to know what the Minister for Social Services intends to do to signal that behavior of this type is not acceptable.

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Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks for this very important and highly topical question from the member!

Let me first be very clear that disinformation is a threat to democracy. Ultimately, it is a threat to those we are tasked to protect, that is to say, our children. That social services are now exposed in this way is completely unacceptable.

This government will invest in preventive work and elevate the role of social services in this. We want to see social services as a hub in the preventive work. As recently as Monday, I convened all responsible authorities to jointly find a strategy to meet this threat and work together to also counteract all the parts that can be seen as purely criminal.

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Ludvig Aspling (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you very much for the answer.

I wonder, however, if the Minister agrees with me in the assessment that this behavior should have consequences for persons living in Sweden with residence permits. It is not a right to live in Sweden. It is also entirely up to us to decide when the trust that this entails is exhausted, which I think it should be in certain cases – for example, in those we are now discussing. Does the Minister agree with me that within immigration law, one should ensure that this has consequences for persons who behave in this way and who live here with residence permits?

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Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much for the question, Ludvig Aspling!

We live in something as fantastic as a democracy. In a democracy, one has freedom of expression and freedom of opinion, and these we must truly guard. It is important; I want to emphasize that. Threats, violence and harassment are, however, something else. They should at least lead to a police report.

There are a number of inquiries currently working on how we should more clearly design the protection for our social service workers. I intend to return to the matter.

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Samuel Gonzalez Westling (V)

Mr. Speaker! It has not escaped anyone that the Tidö government intends to leave half of Sweden's population, geographically speaking, without electricity price support. Even if one lives in northern Sweden, one should be considered part of Sweden's population.

Given that, it is still good that support is provided to companies and private consumers in southern Sweden. But does the Minister for Energy and Enterprise know that the electricity price, for example, on November 30 was over 425 öre per kilowatt-hour even in the part of the country that is left without support? A family with small children in Norrbotten testifies that the electricity bill for November became 3,500 kronor more expensive than last year. If the average price holds steady, as it seems to do today, the electricity bill for this homeowner will be 15,000 kronor for the month of December.

When the snowdrops can bloom for the first time in the spring in Skåne, this homeowner may still have minus 30 degrees. Does the minister see no reason to reconsider the electricity price support?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by thanking you for the question.

This is a government so that all of Sweden can live and so that all of Sweden can function. It is therefore absolutely crucial that there is enough electricity at a reasonable price from those two holes in the wall across the entire country.

For the last eight years, the Swedish electricity system has been systematically dismantled. The price for this is now being paid by Swedish households - families with children, pensioners and people with small economic margins - and Swedish companies.

Now we have high prices throughout the country. If this persists even in the northern parts, the government will return. We will not leave any part of the country behind during this difficult time.

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Samuel Gonzalez Westling (V)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the answer.

I have a slightly different follow-up question. That companies affected should also receive support is very important, regardless of where in the country they are located. But a company can raise the prices of goods or services so that the customers pay the company owner for the high electricity prices it entails. Isn't that also something that should be taken into account in the design of the electricity price support?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I am not sure that I fully understood the reversed value chain that is potentially being proposed here.

What we need to ensure we do now is, in the short term, to alleviate the situation for households. We are also following the developments in the northern parts of the country very closely. We are doing a lot to strengthen the travel deduction for those who have long distances. And a lowered reduction obligation will be extra important for those who have long distances. At the same time, we are expanding electricity production and will bring down the price in the long term.

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Rickard Nordin (C)

Mr. Speaker! The Government has promised electricity support for the coming winter. In SVT's Agenda, Energy Minister Ebba Busch said: "I want to emphasize that this is not a retroactive support. - - - It refers to the coming difficult period. It is directly incorrect to claim that it is a retroactive support when it concerns this coming difficult winter."

We have recently, even today, seen very high prices, extreme prices compared to normal conditions, even in northern Sweden. Those areas are completely excluded by the government from its electricity price support, even though they are areas that produce significantly more than they themselves consume and have thus taken their responsibility. Should they not also be allowed to share in the support if the prices remain high?

We heard the minister say that the situation will be monitored. But that does not help the person who is already receiving high electricity bills.

My question to the Minister is: If the prices remain the same, when will we receive notification from the government that northern Sweden will also be included?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

We have had this situation for a few days, in some cases a few weeks, in the northern parts. To understand the proportions, I can say that we have had large price differences in the country between the four electricity price areas. When a pastry chef in northern Sweden has had an electricity bill of 30,000, a pastry chef in Skåne has had a bill of 90,000. Now it is very expensive for everyone.

We are, of course, following it closely and are prepared to take further measures if the prices remain in northern Sweden. The forecast now for binding the electricity contract is 1 krona and 40 öre in the northern parts. In the southern parts, the forecast is 4 kronor per kilowatt-hour. It is the difference in proportions.

We need to see how this develops. In the meantime, the government is now working hard on acute measures and on releasing as much power production as is possible. Then we will slowly but surely build up the Swedish electricity production and the robust electricity system again.

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Rickard Nordin (C)

Mr. Speaker! We hear a number of figures from the Minister. But how long will the government wait? Where is the limit? What does "sufficiently high prices for a sufficiently long period" mean for the government to act? Now they are talking about weeks. Is one month enough, or does it need to be two or three months? And how high do the electricity prices need to be? Does it need to be the same electricity prices, so that it must be 4 kronor in northern Sweden as well, or is it at 2 kronor or 1.50?

Where is the limit for the government to start providing support to the north as well?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The short answer is that we will need to return to that. A lot is happening, and we are now trying to take many measures to mitigate the situation and to catch up on eight years of dismantling of the electricity system.

We simultaneously have a difficult economic situation. Wrong measures risk driving up inflation even further. It risks leading to even higher interest rate hikes, for example on mortgage loans, and it risks eating up the room and the support that we provide to households.

We are following this very closely and will come back to it.

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Marielle Lahti (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for the Minister for Energy and Business.

The Minister has repeatedly stated in the media that through the electricity price support recently presented, the election promise to not leave the Swedish people in the lurch is being fulfilled. Given what we now know about the design of the support combined with how extremely delayed it is, I mean that it is quite bold to claim that.

Now the model and the criteria for the electricity price support are ready. What did it become? Yes, customers in southern Sweden, specifically electricity area 3 and 4, shall be compensated. But it does not only concern southern Sweden. A review shows that Sweden's billionaires are among those who will receive the most money when the electricity price support is paid out next year. At the same time as every billionaire in southern Sweden receives enormous sums, all poor pensioners, single parents, and small business owners north of Dalarna are left without a single krona in support. We mean that this is deeply unfair and offensive.

I therefore want to ask the Minister why her government has launched an electricity price subsidy that gives billions to billionaires but not a single krona to households that are today enormously vulnerable just because they live in northern Sweden.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Those who now receive the electricity support receive it because they have, for a very long time, had electricity bills several times higher than those in the rest of the country. Those who receive electricity support are also those who have paid into the so-called bottleneck revenues – there is actually no such concept. Those funds are now being returned to the customers.

We are now, in addition, taking measures to, for example, alleviate the situation for households that are struggling financially, for example, single women who are in need of a housing supplement; we ensure that one can continue to receive an additional 1,300 kronor every month to ease the difficult situation. We are lowering the reduction obligation, which many parties here in the Swedish Riksdag want to continue to keep at a high level and even increase in the coming years. And we have improved the travel deduction for those who have journeys of over four miles, which particularly concerns the northern parts and many people who have small economic margins but are in need of the car.

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Marielle Lahti (MP)

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

It is true that we have different price zones. But that does not mean that the price is the same distributed across four price zones every hour, every day, all year round and during all periods. That makes it extra unfair, I mean.

In what way and when will the minister and her government compensate the customers in northern Sweden?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We will not leave any part of the Swedish people behind. The policy that brought Sweden here has resulted in Sweden being poorly equipped in a difficult, serious security policy situation and in a difficult energy crisis that now affects both households and companies. But it is not that policy that will lead Sweden out of the crisis. Therefore, we are changing it. But it will take time.

If you break a person's leg, it does not heal just any old way. The responsibility for healing this will now be taken by this government. But it will take time.

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Mats Green (M)

Mr. Speaker! I wish to ask a question to the Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch.

Sweden is in the middle of an energy crisis. It is obvious to everyone. Households and companies are struggling with sky-high electricity prices, electricity shortages prevail, and transmission problems in the grids mean that southern Sweden is hit very hard. There is also a risk of both power outages and disconnection.

Furthermore, electricity prices fluctuate greatly because Sweden's electricity production is no longer stable and predictable following the previous government's decommissioning of functioning nuclear power. Those of us who were here in this chamber remember that the Social Democrats broke into spontaneous applause and cheered when, by a single vote's margin, they managed to block our proposal to save Ringhals 1 and 2.

Given the current situation, I want to ask Minister Busch: How much impact has this had? And what does the government intend to do to stabilize electricity prices in Sweden?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! There is no quick fix after the very strange priorities of recent years, which have worsened the conditions for a green and offensive transition and the conditions for strengthening Swedish competitiveness and ensuring that we can pave the way for more jobs. This has been noticed immediately in the southern parts of the country in the form of approximately twice as high electricity bills as a direct consequence of the decommissioning of Ringhals 1 and 2. This is not something that only I am saying, but it is said by Energiforsk, which is an independent body.

This also makes it more difficult to push more renewable energy into the system, because it requires more predictable energy and large units. This has had fatal consequences for the green transition, for prices, and for our resilience in a very difficult time. The way forward is: Build, build, build - more wind power, but above all more nuclear power!

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Mats Green (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the answer. It is a fact that one had the same electricity price in all of Sweden before the Social Democrats shut down Ringhals 1 and 2.

I would also like to ask the Minister to describe his thoughts regarding the electricity-intensive companies, which are completely dependent on the availability of energy, and their very difficult situation in the current situation that the government and we are forced to handle.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We have called in all the major power producers to see what they can do to deliver even more electricity into the system. We have also tasked Svenska kraftnät with procuring more capacity during peak load hours, when the pressure is greatest, in order to ensure that large companies that provide many jobs do not suddenly risk shutting down. These are some of the urgent measures now, but we also need to think long-term.

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Camilla Rinaldo Miller (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I also wish to ask a question to Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch.

Several have already addressed the electricity support. We know that the government has placed a clear focus on helping households first. But as a self-employed person and active in several business contexts, I see that the situation for companies is acute. We are facing warnings and bankruptcies.

Already in May, the commission laid the groundwork for the possibility of using the capacity revenues, the so-called bottleneck revenues, for an electricity support. But the previous government did not give a mandate to Svenska kraftnät until August 18.

My question to the Minister for Energy and Business is: Would it have been possible to have a completed high-cost protection in place in time for the krisförordningen to be adopted on October 6 if the previous government had started the application to Svenska kraftnät earlier?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the great interest in these issues.

The short answer is yes. There is a lot that one discovers when one steps into the Government Offices. I will not go so far as to say that the barns have been empty, but there is much that could have been significantly further along given that one knew that we were so poorly equipped. The fact that no preparatory assignment was given at all, despite the commission already announcing in May that this opportunity would come, has of course resulted in a delay.

At the same time, I want to be clear that a complex system is needed to distribute 55 billion in compensation to almost 5 million households. But the straight answer is: Had one given that assignment from the previous government, this perhaps could have been in place even earlier than November 1, as it now became.

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Camilla Rinaldo Miller (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the answer. I know that the new government is working intensively to find viable paths. It is obviously not easy to set this right in a few weeks after several years of substandard work. But the information that you have given today, Ebba, still gives me hope that help is on the way and that the government is looking at other possibilities.

I want to ask one last question. Is the Minister able to say when the business sector can receive help from the electricity support?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! This is an issue that must also be harmonized with the EU's state aid rules. That is the straightforward answer as to why it is taking time. We are working around the clock at the Government Offices to ensure that the support to the companies arrives as soon as possible. Nine days after we took office, we were able to present the electricity support: This is how it will be, and this can be counted on as support. But we need to get the green light to ensure that companies do not become liable for repayment. That would be very bad.

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Louise Eklund (L)

Mr. Speaker! I would also like to ask a question to the Minister for Energy and Business.

We are facing a very serious situation, which has also been pointed out here in the chamber. The shutdown of dispatchable power that we have seen in the southern parts of the country is now beginning to become truly noticeable. It is not just cold. It also risks becoming very dark in the coming days. The load on the power grid will be high when the operational shutdown at Ringhals 4 is extended and when Oskarshamn 3 now also receives an operational shutdown between December 9 and December 18.

Against this background, I wonder how concerned the Minister is about the energy situation in Skåne and the southern parts of the country.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We are now making a significant shift from the previous government's strategy for securing the electricity supply in the southern parts of the country. That strategy relied heavily on snatching the cheap and emission-free electricity from the northern parts. We are putting a stop to that. If we are to safeguard the attractiveness of the northern parts of Sweden, we must ensure that the electricity production remains there. Southern Sweden must take responsibility for its own electricity production.

That is why the member is taking it so seriously. The discussion should now truly concern crisis awareness. We are in an energy crisis and, according to the authorities, have a real risk of disconnection from the power grid. This is palpable. We are actively planning for the event that this should occur in order to be able to provide households and companies with support to manage the situation. But the risk is real and difficult.

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Louise Eklund (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for that answer. I appreciate that the Minister for Energy shares the concern that I and many other residents in the southern parts of the country feel regarding what will happen in the coming days. I also appreciate that there appears to be a plan for how the situation will be handled if it turns out that we face a disconnection.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I will refrain from elaborating on this further.

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Linnéa Wickman (S)

Mr. Speaker! Next week, the Prime Minister will present the priorities for the Swedish presidency of the EU. In January, Sweden takes over the gavel.

In recent weeks, we have been able to read that the cooperation with the Sweden Democrats that the government has also covers large parts of EU policy. According to a list that the Sweden Democrats themselves have released, the cooperation is to include the EU's common climate and environmental policy, migration policy, agricultural policy, and so on. In several issues that are very important for Sweden, the Sweden Democrats will therefore have a decisive influence over the negotiations during the presidency.

My question to the Minister for EU Affairs is whether she considers there to be any areas where the Sverigedemokraterna should not have influence over EU policy, given that the government has made itself dependent on a party that describes itself as Sweden's most EU-critical party, which has difficulty standing behind the EU's fundamental values, which disregards the climate goals, and which is generally very critical of the EU's climate policy.

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Linnéa Wickman for the question. We are four coalition parties who have won the voters' trust to create change, and that is what we are doing. The Tidö Agreement contains seven cooperation projects where it is clearly regulated what is and is not included.

I would like to take the opportunity to say that the presidency begins in a few weeks and that my and the government's ambition is that we together – the government together with the Riksdag – shall find broad solutions to achieve a presidency that is as successful as possible. We have done it before: in 2001 under the Persson government and in 2009 under the Reinfeldt government. I hope that together we will achieve a successful presidency at all levels.

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Victoria Tiblom (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I wish to ask a question to the Minister for EU and Nordic Affairs, Jessika Roswall.

The Nordic Council's vision and direction for Nordic cooperation is declared overall as green, social, and competitive. But the concept of security is missing. Much has happened in society since the Nordic cooperation was established 70 years ago. The cooperation was born in a post-war period when peace was viewed as more secured to a greater extent. But with the developments of recent decades, we now have a new defense and security policy situation, not least for Ukraine, Sweden, and Finland.

The development has also meant that crime has escalated in tandem with growing areas of exclusion. Sweden has sometimes been described as a transit country in the Nordic region for drugs and has increased flows of weapons and fatal shootings that are breaking records.

My questions are therefore: How does the EU and Nordic Minister Jessika Roswall view the Nordic vision regarding the security and defense area? Is there a need for an updated vision narrative, and in what way would that, if so, need to occur?

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

As a newly appointed Minister for Nordic Affairs, one of my first assignments was to travel to Finland for the Nordic Council's session. It was a very rewarding and good session. It was the first time for me.

I take several things away from that session. One is the vision that was mentioned, which I think is very good and forward-looking. The other thing we need to focus on is security issues in the sense that we are in a security policy crisis. We need to cooperate more within the Nordic countries, the EU, and Nato. There was a great awareness among everyone who was there and among the cooperation ministers that we need to deepen this cooperation.

I look forward to continued good cooperation with my Nordic colleagues and together with the members of the Riksdag and the representatives of the Nordic Council here. There is more to be done, and there is a sense of urgency among us to get things done now.

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Andrea Andersson Tay (V)

Mr. Speaker! The Government is cutting its budget significantly on the protection of valuable nature. At the same time, Sweden has fixed environmental goals that have not been changed.

The goal Living Forests states that the biodiversity in the forest shall be protected. The trend for the goal is negative. Current management measures are not sufficient to achieve it. Nevertheless, the government considers that voluntary formal protection shall be the starting point in the future. The responsibility for assessing which forests should be protected will in the future lie with the individual landowners, and the money to compensate them for this is decreasing significantly.

My question to the Minister for Climate and Environment is: Can you promise that no forests with high natural values will be logged, and will the forest owners who want to have their forests formally protected receive compensation?

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Klimat- och miljöministern Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

There is a large dialogue about how our climate and environmental budget is designed. Let me start by pointing out that it is a historically strong climate and environmental budget. It is the second largest ever. More than 20 billion is being invested in effective and long-term environmental and climate measures. It is a historically strong environmental budget.

The estimated levels for the years ahead are preliminary in a spring amendment budget. We will carefully monitor how we are to ensure that we finance all the policy we want to carry out.

Regarding the protection of both forest and other valuable nature, the government will, of course, continue to work to uphold what we have committed to in accordance with the Environmental Code and other legislation that protects. But we will also review how we can develop it further.

It concerns, among other things, the international work that needs to take a significant step forward. I am traveling to Montreal next week to, together with other countries in the UN constellation, ensure that we can protect valuable nature worldwide.

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Martina Johansson (C)

Mr. Speaker! Camilla Waltersson Grönvall and I were previously in agreement that research and the implementation of the same within the work of the social services is just as important as certain adjustments in the legislation to ensure that we provide the best support to vulnerable children.

Unfortunately, I do not see that in the Tidö Agreement. I see practically the opposite. In that agreement, it is stated that prosecutors shall be able to apply for and make decisions regarding the detention of, for example, children and young people. These are people who have not received education in the area of social services. They naturally do not have knowledge of the latest research on relevant interventions for children and young people either.

Therefore, I wonder what support there is for research and implementation within the social services in the government's work. It is about obtaining better investigations to ensure that it is always the child's best interests that are put first.

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Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Martina Johansson, for the question!

Vulnerable children are an immensely prioritized part of the government's work. There are 22 points that very clearly highlight the crime-preventive and preventive work in the Tidö Agreement. It is very clear, I would rather say, that it is an important and prioritized issue in the Tidö Agreement specifically.

Given the crime that is so threatening to the system, it is important that social services and other functions in society are well-equipped to be able to work with precisely vulnerable children. Therefore, there are a number of measures in the Tidö Agreement that are difficult to elaborate on in a few minutes. But I am happy to return to Martina Johansson on that question.

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Elin Söderberg (MP)

Mr. Speaker! In light of the fact that the government's largest coalition partner, Sverigedemokraterna, has stated that they want to abolish the Swedish climate goals, is my question to the Minister for Climate and Environment: Can she guarantee that Sweden's climate goals will remain fixed or be strengthened in accordance with the Paris Agreement during this parliamentary term?

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Klimat- och miljöministern Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question, Elin Söderberg!

The cooperation between the government and the Sweden Democrats certainly stems, as everyone in the chamber knows, from the Tidö Agreement. In the Tidö Agreement, it is very clearly written that the government's climate policy shall be ambitious and effective. It is based on that we present the policy that we present. Those are the guiding principles we start from when we design all the policy that shall lead to us reaching the climate goals that Sweden has set up.

We also work in accordance with the climate laws that the Riksdag has adopted and use many of the means that have been developed over a long period so that Sweden's climate policy can move forward.

Of course, there are different opinions on climate policy both in the Swedish Riksdag and among the coalition parties. But in the Tidö Agreement, we have carefully established that the policy we pursue shall be ambitious and effective. This means that we are working towards the climate goals that have been established by the Swedish Riksdag.

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Malin Höglund (M)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to direct my question to Minister for Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall. I would like to start by congratulating her on the appointment. It is very exciting.

I have been the chairman of the social welfare committee in Mora for eight years and have followed how the social services work with close and early interventions. In a small municipality, everyone usually knows each other. That perhaps also makes it easier.

What is the government doing within the social services area to strengthen crime prevention work?

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Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you very much for the question.

To begin with, it is very important to emphasize that no child is born criminal. The social services' important task as a hub in the work cannot be overemphasized.

It will also be a priority for the government to highlight the important role of the social services and the social workers. It is something that I think has been done far too rarely in the past.

When it comes to resources, we are allocating a meager billion to crime prevention work. To mention just a few points, the 400 million for parenting support is a very important point.

We also allocate almost half a billion to ensure that there are enough places for the care of children and young people. We allocate 10 million to strengthen the social services' work. It is the beginning of a larger work. I finally want to mention Bris and its important national support line. Those are a few things.

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Lili André (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for Minister Ebba Busch.

Sweden's and Europe's business community faces major challenges today, especially regarding competitiveness. An impending recession, Russia's despicable invasion of Ukraine, and the risk of increased protectionism and state aid make life tough for Swedish companies.

That is why it is extremely important to create better conditions at home regarding the competitiveness of Swedish companies. That is how we secure jobs and welfare in the long term.

That the Tidö Agreement is clear on this point is, against that background, very pleasing. One wants to strengthen productivity and entrepreneurship so that Sweden can continue to be a wealthy welfare state. Good growth based on high productivity is then needed. Companies shall have competitive conditions and the supply of skills shall be strengthened.

My question to Minister Ebba Busch is what the government has already managed to do and will do to strengthen Swedish competitiveness.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! This is a priority issue. In addition to getting the Swedish energy system in order, which will be a slow, important but laborious task, Swedish companies - not least the small companies - need relief from bureaucracy and administration. There was a time when business issues were many and large and were not just about electricity. We need to remember that. The regulatory burden needs to decrease.

We have already, in the budget presented this autumn, carried out reinforcements of verksamt.se and the Regulatory Council. Verksamt.se is an effective tool that simplifies things for companies by collecting and making available authority information aimed at companies. The Regulatory Council reviews impact assessments and legislative proposals to ensure that the administrative burden is kept down. It is by strengthening Swedish competitiveness that we secure jobs and welfare.

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Cecilia Rönn (L)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch. For us in southern Sweden, it has been clear for a long time that previous governments' energy policy is substandard. We have a situation with shrinking capacity to produce our own energy. We have major capacity problems and sharply increased prices.

Investigating what is required for the restart of two reactors at Ringhals, R1 and R2, was an issue that I championed during the election campaign in Halland, and therefore I am very pleased that it is now a point in the Tidö Agreement. It states that we shall promptly conduct a comprehensive investigation of what is required for the restart of one or two reactors at Ringhals – that is, not whether it is possible, but what is required.

Therefore, my question to the Minister for Energy and Business is how it is going with this issue and when we can expect an answer on what is required for a restart. The need for more predictable electricity production is, as we all are aware of, acute in Halland and southern Sweden.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Through the Speaker, I now wish to turn to the residents of Hallän a bit extra in this answer.

The decision to actively contribute to a policy that meant the decommissioning of Ringhals 1 and 2 has had fatal consequences. The issue has been debated extensively in this chamber, and there have been several rounds where one could have chosen a different path forward via the Riksdag before it was too late.

Since we took office just over seven weeks ago, we have held meetings with the owners and gathered information on how they view the situation and what is required. We are analyzing it and will return with possible ways forward. It is about how we weigh the information we have received regarding what is the right decision moving forward.

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Joakim Järrebring (S)

Mr. Speaker! One of the government's primary priorities is to scale back Sweden's environmental ambitions and significantly reduce the appropriations for, among other things, the protection of biodiversity and valuable nature.

Regarding the aquatic environment, very much has been done within the framework of LOVA, local water conservation projects. It concerns investigations regarding wetlands, water plans to reduce nutrient leakage, fish counting in watercourses, mapping of bottoms and sampling to assess environmental problems with eutrophication, to mention some of the over 3,000 already funded local water conservation projects.

My question to the Minister for Climate and Environment is how she views the future of further LOVA projects in light of the government's cuts in the budget.

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Klimat- och miljöministern Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question, Joakim Järrebring! Yes, there is talk that we would have lowered our ambitions in this government - that is, the ambitions for climate and environmental work. That is not true. It is established in both the Tidö Agreement and the Government Bill that this government will pursue an ambitious climate and environmental policy, and we have already begun to implement some of the initiatives that we intend to take to fulfill this ambition.

Regarding biodiversity, and particularly the protection of valuable nature, we are investing over 2 billion on that part of the work. I do not consider those to be low ambitions or small funds. When it comes to marine and water issues, one of the first things we did was to implement what we wrote in the Government Bill, where we stated that we need to manage eutrophication and move out trawling limits.

We are, therefore, in full swing at the national level working with both marine and water issues as well as the protection of valuable nature, but of course there is always more to do.

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Tobias Andersson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! The Supreme Administrative Court has decided that the temporary permit to break limestone that Cementa has received is legal. It is an extremely positive decision. Unfortunately, this temporary joy could die out as early as next week, this being because Cementa has made a new application for its future operations and that judgment will be delivered on December 13.

Apart from growth-hostile agency activists and environmental extremists, there is likely no one who considers it appropriate to shut down Swedish cement production. It would have threatened hundreds of thousands of jobs, and central infrastructure, industry, etc., would have had to come to a complete standstill. If we had wanted to build anything at all, in such a situation, we would have been in need of importing cement to Sweden.

How does Minister Busch intend to act in this issue, which is so important for the business community, regardless of the verdict in the matter?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for the question. This is a prime example of when short-sighted symbolic politics was pursued, risking both Swedish competitiveness and Swedish companies' opportunities to offer people jobs. They withdraw funds for our common welfare and ensure that we have production in Sweden, which means that we contribute to reducing emissions overall instead of making us even more import-dependent.

It was a pleasing announcement that we received from the court this week. It means that the government knows that this is a possible way forward if it should be required. We are now following the question and the ruling very closely in the coming weeks, and we will do everything we can to pave the way for continued cement production in Sweden.

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Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall.

When a youth is committed by compulsion according to LVU, it is a very far-reaching intervention in a young person's life. When a child is additionally placed in a youth home, it means that society fully takes over the responsibility for that youth's well-being. Despite this, abuses by staff at state-run youth homes occur.

On Monday, the radio program Kaliber broadcast an episode where it was revealed that staff suspected of sexual offenses at Sis-homes are allowed to continue working with the youths during the ongoing investigation. This has also been criticized by Ivo, but it has not led to any change.

The Minister just said that vulnerable children are a priority issue. My question, therefore, is what measures the Minister intends to take so that staff suspected of sexual offenses at state youth homes are not allowed to work during an ongoing investigation.

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Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for an urgent question. Let me first say that what we are learning in this reporting is truly appalling and completely unacceptable. If there is one thing that a child or youth who has been victimized in Sweden should be able to feel secure in, it is that if they are placed in the society's care, they must also be able to be sure that they are in safety and security, and that they receive the care that society is also obligated to provide. I am very clear that when it comes to having this security, this must also occur.

I have already had several contacts with Sis, with the director-general and the management, to continue the work that I also did as a member of the Social Affairs Committee. It is important that we take all measures so that children and young people can feel this security.

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

Nicklas Attefjord (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to ask a question to the Minister for Energy. Sweden and Swedish industry need, as we all know, not more of constructed conflicts between different forces, but instead decisions that deliver new power to the green transition.

As an elected member of the Riksdag representing Skaraborg, I assume the Minister is well aware that Western Sweden is the industrial locomotive of Sweden. This locomotive is now in the midst of a green transition to be at the forefront when the world demands everything from electric trucks to recycled plastic made with hydrogen – very much thanks to the Green Party's industrial step.

Existing investments from the business sector in Western Sweden require that 1,500 megawatts be added by 2030, which means power equivalent to the entire electricity consumption of Stockholm. According to all serious assessors, it is offshore wind power that can deliver that amount by 2030, which is only seven years away.

My question to the Minister is: When will the decision from the government be made so that the construction of the wind farms on the west coast can begin? The industry wants answers, and the clock is ticking.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! It is wonderful to receive a relevant question from Västgötaslätten!

We have summarized the strategy moving forward for the new government as follows: All good forces are needed. I share the member's position that we should not pit different types of forces against each other. We need to see that they have different advantages and disadvantages, but that all are needed to form a competitive whole if we are to succeed with our high-set climate goals.

What we are doing now with the new super-ministry, the Ministry of Climate and Business - note that "climate" comes first here - is that we are merging the responsibilities that exist between Minister Pourmokhtari's area and my area in order to be able to increase the pace of the permit processes for both offshore and onshore wind power. It is an important way forward so that the industry can continue to maintain a high tempo.

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Johan Hultberg (M)

Mr. Speaker! The Moderates have high ambitions when it comes to the social services. Not least, we want to strengthen the social services' preventive work and create better conditions for early interventions so that small problems are not allowed to grow into large ones.

In many parts of Sweden, we simultaneously see that the social services are under severe pressure and are on their knees. It is difficult to recruit staff and retain staff. Recently, the problems with harassment, undue influence, and disinformation have put further pressure on the social services.

This is extremely serious for the country's social secretaries, but above all for those for whom the social services are intended: the people. This applies in particular to children who are in need of society's support so as not to suffer harm. Ultimately, this is, just as the minister previously said, a threat to our democracy.

Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister for Social Affairs if she can elaborate on how the government intends to work to meet this. What does the Minister want to do to secure the working environment for social secretaries?

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Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Johan Hultberg, for the important question! Let me be clear once again, because I do not think it can be repeated enough times: Swedish social services do not kidnap children. This disinformation campaign is to great detriment, and it is important that society reacts powerfully and builds a defense against just this. Because – and I repeat this as well – this is ultimately about the children we are tasked to protect.

Therefore, it is also important that the professional group working with this important mission, namely the social services employees and the social secretaries, feel secure in their work.

I have had a meeting with all relevant authorities. We have also had meetings with trade union organizations. They have submitted a number of proposals. There are a number of investigations underway, not least the Social Services investigation. We intend to move forward with that one, and it will be promoted during 2024. But there are also other legislative proposals that we intend to submit and implement, which I will return to in the near future with a presentation of.

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Karin Sundin (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question also goes to Camilla Waltersson Grönvall as the person responsible for children's rights.

The Tidö Agreement states that municipalities and authorities shall be obliged to inform the Swedish Migration Agency and the Swedish Police Authority when they come into contact with persons staying in Sweden without permission. The authorities are given a responsibility to ensure the person's legal right to stay in Sweden. This has created great concern among municipal employees and teachers. How can they be good educators and safe adults for their students if they are simultaneously to act as informants and border guards? Will all children even dare to go to school?

For me, this does not align with Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: All children are equally worthy and have the same rights, and no child shall be discriminated against. It also does not align with Article 28: Children have the right to education.

My question is therefore: How does the Minister intend to ensure all children's unconditional right to a good, equal and safe schooling?

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Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Karin Sundin, for the question! Let me first say that the government considers that continued and systematic work, based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the strategy to strengthen children's rights in Sweden, is required for children's rights to be realized in practice.

But with that said, I also want to say that the previous government's past policies have led to parallel societies, and in these parallel societies, both children and adults live under extremely difficult conditions.

When a decision has been made to say no - that one is not allowed to stay in the country - a no must always be a no. One must also ask the question: Who are you protecting when at least children and young people are those who have it hardest when they end up in these parallel societies?

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Yasmine Eriksson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I direct my question to the Minister for Climate and Environment. There are a number of new climate taxes or fees to be expected ahead from the EU side. These involve, among other things, Fit for 55 and CBAM, which is the carbon border adjustment mechanism for the import of goods from countries outside the EU. It is intended that a fee shall be paid when one imports, for example, cement, fertilizer or electricity.

It is possible to debate the reason why such fees are established. Some argue that it is about protecting the EU's internal market when our own operations can face competitive disadvantages with higher emission requirements. Others argue that it is about preventing companies from moving their operations to countries without these requirements and costs.

The fees are packaged in a wrapper of that the EU can put pressure on other countries to increase ambitions in the climate area. Therefore, I wonder how the Minister for Climate and Environment views these carbon tariffs and what she believes the revenues can be used for in the best way.

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Klimat- och miljöministern Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Yasmine, for the question! There is a general principle that many speak about within climate policy which is called polluters pay, meaning that the one who emits also shall pay the costs for the emissions.

Regarding the import of all possible goods, there is a gap. There is a difference between products produced in Europe after all the laws and regulations we have to live up to a certain standard, both regarding environment and climate, and products that we import from abroad. We therefore see that there are advantages with CBAM.

Then, of course, one can discuss what competitive consequences this may have, but generally speaking, it is important to encourage a good standard for both environment and climate in all products, regardless of whether we import them from abroad or from the EU or if we produce them domestically.

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Jesper Skalberg Karlsson (M)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch.

Sweden is suffering from high prices on electricity and fuels, partly due to the Russian war but to a very large extent also due to the previously conducted policy. It is excellent that the government has signaled reforms to rectify this, most recently last Tuesday to also protect gas consumers.

For my home region Gotland, the situation is very difficult. This spring, the prices for ship fuels tripled, which has led to sharp price increases for the boats in Gotlandstrafiken.

What measures does the government see as possible, and what is the government considering doing to support the people of Gotland in this difficult time and also secure our road link to the mainland?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! It seems to be a novelty for some politicians and elected representatives that winter is a recurring concept in Sweden and that Gotland is an island.

These conditions need to be followed by measures when it becomes tougher. The Government is injecting 200 million in the autumn supplementary budget for Gotlandstrafiken for the increased fuel costs during, let me underline, the current year - this because the previous government did not include it in our government bill. In the budget bill for 2023, an additional 50 million kronor is added.

Before Christmas, I will go to Brussels two more times to see, within the ministerial circle, what we can do to press the prices on gas in the long term.

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Daniel Vencu Velasquez Castro (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Ebba Busch.

Prices are rising, and many are worried about the future. The situation is strained, not only in southern Sweden but also in the north. In this difficult economic situation, small businesses are particularly vulnerable, and many are now worried that high costs could force companies to lay off workers or go bankrupt.

Four out of five jobs are created by small businesses, and Swedish growth depends on smaller companies being given the conditions to be able to grow and in this way contribute to strengthening the Swedish economy and the Swedish welfare.

The government has not given any indication of when an electricity price subsidy for small businesses will arrive - if it will come at all. Instead of focusing on the previous government's work, can the minister tell the small business owners and me how long small and medium-sized enterprises must wait for news on the electricity subsidy that was promised and which is now required to save jobs ahead of an impending recession?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I share the member's great commitment that it is Sweden's entrepreneurs who are the job creators. We as politicians and elected representatives do not create a single job opportunity. We can only pave the way for them.

There is no quick fix, no simple solution to such a massive dismantling of the electricity system as we have seen in recent years. It is not about pointing fingers at anyone else, but about stating that the way out of this is long and difficult, but the only way forward.

On November 17, the announcement came from the Energy Markets Inspectorate regarding the approval of the electricity support that we presented nine days after we took office in government. We are working around the clock to pave the way so that this reaches the companies as soon as it is possible.

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David Lång (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I direct my question to EU Minister Jessika Roswall.

From the EU, there are constant attempts to restrict the member states' tax sovereignty and move decisions on tax policy to the EU level. But during my nearly ten years in the Committee on Taxation, the Moderaterna, Kristdemokraterna, and Sverigedemokraterna have been consistently and clearly opposed to powers in the tax area being moved from the member states to the EU. However, the Liberalerna have not been as clear since 2018, and the Liberalerna is a government party.

The question is also interesting because it is now only weeks left before the Swedish presidency begins. It is, moreover, the same year that we celebrate 500 years of uninterrupted self-taxation.

I would like to have an answer from the Minister for EU Affairs: Can the Minister for EU Affairs guarantee that the government will continue to stand firmly by our national tax sovereignty?

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank David Lång for the question.

For tax decisions within the EU, unanimity is required. As the Riksdag knows, there has been a conference on Europe's future for a couple of years. Here are a number of proposals for treaty amendments that would be required if one wants to change how decisions should be made, for example regarding taxes.

Since there are such different views among the member states, I see no possibility of making changes. The government has said that in some areas one can review the decision-making procedure, but not when it comes to taxes. Unanimity is still required here.

The government can, as said, be open to changes in other areas. However, there is a lack of consensus among the member states to make changes.

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Lars Engsund (M)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for the Minister for Energy and Business.

When I began my career as a nuclear engineer over 25 years ago, Sweden had a well-functioning electricity system. The red-green politics has deliberately and committedly worked to take us out of that situation, if I may be a little ironic.

Long-term solutions are presented in the Tidö Agreement, but how are we to get out of this situation in the short term? I am primarily thinking of high electricity costs that hit companies and households hard. With the pricing model that prevails on the electricity market today, we will most likely have to live with these high electricity costs for a long time to come because the last, often dirty, kilowatt-hour sets the price on the spot market.

Mr. Speaker! My question to the Minister is the following: How do we achieve reasonable pricing on the electricity market in the short term?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Once again, I want to emphasize that it takes time to turn this ship around. It will take time to get this in order. It is difficult to know exactly which measures will also succeed in seriously lowering the price of electricity.

We agree to abolish the waste incineration tax, which can pave the way for even more combined heat and power. We sign agreements between different actors to make capacity available to Svenska kraftnät and to establish even more capacity in our electricity system. We have a referral to the Council on Legislation regarding provisions for aggregation services, for example Tibber, so that as a consumer one can control when one consumes the most electricity, reasonably when it is cheapest. We introduce a tax reduction for the installation of solar cells, and we review the environmental permits for hydropower to pave the way for as much hydropower as possible in the coming years.

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Markus Selin (S)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for EU Minister Jessika Roswall.

Behind us, we have a successful joint EU procurement of covid-19 vaccines, and the EU is our cooperation partner when it comes to civil preparedness, crisis management, cyber threats, food strategy and, of course, energy supply.

Ideas and instruments are now being presented within the EU regarding whether we should have a joint procurement of defense materiel. We Social Democrats feel a dampened enthusiasm for this because defense materiel is not just any commodity and Sweden has interests outside the EU.

What will the EU Minister's position be when these issues come up for discussion?

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Markus Selin for the question.

The main responsibility for this lies with the Minister for Defence, but let me put it this way: During our chairmanship, one of the most important issues will be security. This includes, of course, continued support for Ukraine, but also defense issues.

Exactly what that proposal from the Commission that Markus Selin brings up today looks like, we will have to return to. Then the Minister for Defence will have to get back to you, and it will be processed in the proper order in the EU Committee. But I am aware of the subsidiarity test that the Riksdag conducted earlier this autumn.

Let me say that security issues and safety issues will be a priority and occupy much of the government's work during the spring and also much of the Riksdag's work.

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Carita Boulwén (SD)

Mr. Speaker! All children and young people who are in the care of society have the right to safe and secure care of good quality, regardless of the form or basis for their placement. For some young individuals with extensive problems, placement in a locked Sis-institution is sometimes necessary, as other possible alternatives are often lacking. To meet these individuals' often complex needs, resources, conditions, and the right competence are required, where safety and continuity are important success factors for them to be able to receive the care and treatment offered.

A method that is highlighted as particularly successful and as an alternative to Sis placements is TFCO, trained family treatment homes. Can the Minister imagine looking into further strengthening the family homes by having these certified and by carrying out educational initiatives to get more so-called treatment families? We know that State Secretary Camilla Waltersson Grönvall, just as we ourselves are, is very committed to children and young people receiving good placements. We have, among other things, pushed through the issue of a national register for family homes.

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Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, member, for this question! Children's safety is a priority for the government and for me personally. We intend to take a number of measures when it comes to strengthening it.

What is pleasing for me as a newly appointed minister is to see that the very important opposition work that we have driven for a long time, not least in the Social Affairs Committee, has borne fruit. I believe that up to 30 announcements concern just those issues that Carita raises. In several cases, they are already in investigations that I hope will be completed during the coming period. There, precisely this matter of a national foster home register is an important part. But to ensure the safety for the children and also for the families who take on this important task, it is also important that we can ensure safety through a license.

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Isak From (S)

Mr. Speaker! The previous S-led government announced many important reforms for the Swedish forest. High political ambitions led to, among others, the forest industry announcing multi-billion investments. Now the new right-wing government announces a dubious attitude towards biofuels. Furthermore, the EU Commission is trying, in area after area, to put obstacles in the way of the Swedish forestry industry.

How does the government intend to handle the proposals on forest restoration and Sweden's LULUCF commitments? How does the government intend to stand up for the Swedish forestry industry in the EU, so that it does not turn out as it does in the Swedish Forest Agency's new report? It shows that 1.6 million hectares could be taken out of production, which would correspond to 10,000 jobs, not least in rural areas.

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Klimat- och miljöministern Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! There is very much to say about this, and it will be difficult to get through everything in 57 seconds.

Regarding the forest, we have now gained clarity on what is to apply. The trilogues are in full swing. I will not say anything that is not true, but the LULUCF regulation is simply settled. We assess that Sweden's goals will be manageable. We will do it in a good way, hopefully with good results when it comes to the emissions from the transport sector as well.

Let me just briefly touch upon this regarding biofuels. As the questioner mentions, a large part of the forest industry contributes to the production of biofuels. The reduction obligation that Sweden has had has led to us having to import large amounts of biofuels to manage that reduction obligation we have had. The biofuels that are now being built up, largely by the industry in various ways, including those based on residual products from the forest industry, will well come to the rescue regarding the blending we want to see within the aviation sector when it comes to aviation fuel and also for shipping.

The question period was hereby concluded.

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