Question Time

ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered today by Minister Andreas Carlson, Minister Niklas Wykman, Minister for Culture Parisa Liljestrand, 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 Andreas Carlson answers both general political questions and questions within his own area of responsibility.

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Teresa Carvalho (S)

Madam Speaker! The EU shall not interfere in wages in Sweden; instead, the parties on the Swedish labor market shall handle them. All parties in the Swedish Riksdag have agreed on this when the EU has pushed for the issue of legislating minimum wages, and we voted unanimously no to the minimum wage directive.

Now Denmark, which shares our view and concern, has filed an action for annulment against the directive. This means that the Court of Justice of the EU will examine whether the directive violates the EU Treaty, which we, therefore, believe it does. We Social Democrats also believe that it would be a dereliction of duty if Sweden were not with us all the way in this court process.

As late as last week, the message from Minister Brandberg was that the government did not intend to act, but after our pressure, the government wavered. Today we had a deliberation in the Committee on Employment, and after that, it is still not entirely clear how the government will actually act. Can we get a clearer statement here today? Will the government intervene in support of the Danish lawsuit?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Question Time

Madam Speaker! I must say that I do not quite share Teresa Carvalho's description of the sequence of events. It is true that Denmark a week ago submitted a claim to the Court of Justice of the EU to bring an action for annulment against the minimum wage directive. Already one day after that claim had been submitted to the Court of Justice of the EU, the government expressed that the preliminary assessment is that we find grounds to join the Danish claim.

It has only been a week since Denmark filed the claim. This is a very important issue concerning the EU's competence. Sweden de facto still does not have the possibility to intervene; we do not have it until this has been published in the EU's journal. We will analyze this carefully, but we have announced that our preliminary assessment absolutely is that we will intervene.

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Teresa Carvalho (S)

Madam Speaker! It is very good that the government has turned around and opened up for intervention, but we do not think it is enough that the government makes a preliminary assessment that it should be possible, as the position reads - especially not considering that the government's announcement as recently as the beginning of last week was that they did not want to intervene. What is it that says that the government will not change its mind again?

The Swedish labor market model, which has benefited Swedish wage earners, needs to be protected. We naturally hope that the government and the Sverigedemokraterna further clarify their position and move from words to action.

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! As has been said, there is no turnaround from the government's side. This is an issue that requires a careful analysis. We fully share the view that we must safeguard the Swedish model and that it is important. There is a great interest in seeing where the limits of the EU's competence lie.

We will analyze the issue carefully, and when Sweden de facto has a real possibility to intervene - which we do not yet - we will of course make a final position. Our message, however, is that we will preliminarily intervene.

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Bo Broman (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Culture.

During the past weekend, Rasmus Paludan burned the Quran near the Turkish embassy, and in recent times we have seen a number of other demonstrations and statements criticizing Turkey and the country's president Erdogan. These protests have caused Turkey to react by saying no to Sweden's Nato application and asserting that we should restrict our constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression. At the same time, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister have attempted to smooth over what happened through public channels by distancing themselves from these statements.

As a Sweden Democrat, I view the emerging situation with concern that other states are trying to get us to restrict our freedom of speech. Therefore, I want to ask the Minister for Culture, who is also responsible for democracy issues: How does the Minister intend to work to protect Swedish democracy and our constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech from foreign influence?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the question, Member Broman!

It is naturally the case that the government stands up for freedom of speech, and I hope that we have been clear about that. As you say, Bo Broman, Swedish freedom of speech is constitutionally protected – and shall continue to be so. My responsibility is naturally to always stand up for the democratic values, where freedom of speech is an incredibly important cornerstone in Swedish society. That openness – the possibility to say what we think – we shall naturally safeguard, and that is what I and the government will do.

Then one needs to consider that it is actually possible to hold two thoughts in one's head at the same time. That which is legal does not always have to be appropriate, and I think one can have a more ethical debate about that. This applies, for example, to the appropriateness of burning books, which historically has a very dark past.

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Bo Broman (SD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the answer, Minister!

Freedom of expression in Sweden is, as has been said, one of the foundations of our democracy. There are citizens even here in Sweden who need to learn more about freedom of expression. It means that messages may be expressed regardless of how distasteful, or for that matter uncomfortable, they are. If we tamper with this fundamental democratic right, we impoverish democracy.

How does the Minister intend to work with the issue of educating and informing our citizens about how our democracy and freedom of speech function?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Madam Speaker! Work is currently underway at the ministry that concerns precisely how we should strengthen Swedish democracy. We fundamentally have a strong democracy in Sweden. We should be proud of it, and we must safeguard it. Democracy is strong, but there are always things we can do to make things better. It can be about information and about enabling, but above all, I believe it is about having a democratic conversation regarding just democratic values.

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Malcolm Momodou Jallow (V)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Andreas Carlson.

In the investigation "Termination of tenants who have committed crimes," the investigator shall briefly review the possibilities of more easily evicting households where a family member or a co-habitant has committed a crime. It is therefore a matter of collectively punishing households that, in their rental apartment, house a child or another person who has committed a crime – that is, even if the family otherwise has not committed any crime.

If such legislation were introduced for tenants, it would not only mean that homelessness among unpunished households would increase, something that both the police and social services have expressed concern about, but it would also mean, above all, that Sweden would abandon the principles of the rule of law that each person should be judged based on their own actions. An entire group should not be collectively subjected to a punishment as a consequence for something they have not done.

Does the Minister consider collective punishment and more homeless families with children to be a reasonable way to curb crime and create safety in Sweden?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank Member Malcolm Momodou Jallow for the question.

This investigation is with the Ministry of Justice. I am also here to answer general political questions, but I cannot anticipate the investigation that is to take place.

However, I can answer what the government is doing to counteract homelessness. Of course, it is the case that everyone, not least children, has a right to a home and to a safe place. We have today a situation with skyrocketing crime. We need to turn over every stone and implement measures to break this crime. Who is it that is affected if this is not done? It is not least the children who are caught in the criminals' claws.

We are doing a lot to counteract homelessness. We have reinforced the work with Bostad först with a homelessness strategy. We have also made efforts to continue with the housing allowance that means very much for the families who are in the worst economic situation. This is also a way to work against homelessness.

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Malcolm Momodou Jallow (V)

Madam Speaker! This issue touches upon housing policy very much. As the directive in the investigation is designed, it is only the households living in rental apartments that are to be punished collectively. Is it reasonable that the legislation does not cover everyone, or does the Minister mean that it should also be possible to seize villas owned, for example, by parents of a child who has used and sold drugs in the home or somewhere else in the villa area?

When the principle that each individual shall be judged based on their own actions is replaced with collective punishment, one begins to wonder who it is that is actually carrying out organized crime in Sweden.

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! It should of course be equal. There are also other tools for the police and the judicial authorities, also in cooperation with other authorities, in the intensive work being done against serious organized crime. This applies in particular to expanded forfeiture - one can, for example, forfeit villas and other properties to access the criminals' money.

The proposals in these directives are well-balanced, Madam Speaker.

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Catarina Deremar (C)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Culture.

Societally important activity is a collective term that encompasses facilities, nodes, infrastructure, and services that are of crucial importance for maintaining important societal information within a societal sector.

My question to the Minister for Culture concerns our cultural heritage. It is important for our common history. We need to learn and be able to reflect. Above all, we need to be able to preserve our cultural heritage in the event of war or other disasters.

How does the Minister for Culture view our cultural heritage? Is it an activity of social importance?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member Deremar, for the question!

This is a very important issue. It is more important today than it has ever been, I would like to say, both here in Sweden and in Sweden's immediate surroundings, by reason of the terrible invasion of Ukraine that Russia is carrying out.

The question of cultural heritage is large and broad. It is important for us to ensure that we can also preserve our cultural heritage from a preparedness perspective. Such work is currently underway. My department is looking, together with other ministers, especially Minister Bohlin, at the possibilities for this today and at how it can be improved in the future. It is therefore about taking care of cultural heritage and about ensuring that there are proper evacuation and egress possibilities for cultural heritage and the preservation of it.

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Catarina Deremar (C)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for Culture for the answer. That sounds pleasing, but I still wish to continue.

Preserving cultural heritage involves working with removal plans, and this is being done today. However, there is potential to do better, just as the minister pointed out. There are institutions that are not covered by the ordinance on removal and destruction, for example, county museums and municipal museums. How will the minister ensure that this is implemented to a greater extent?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Madam Speaker! Just as the member pointed out, we are working today with these plans at the state level and for the state institutions. Both municipalities and regions have received an increased responsibility when it comes to civil defense. This naturally includes that they must review the cultural heritage that lies at the municipal and regional level.

It is required that we all join in. There are certainly things that need to be done from the government's side, but we must do it here together.

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Daniel Helldén (MP)

Madam Speaker! I turn to Minister Andreas Carlson.

The Minister was at a Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels at the beginning of December. There, he announced that a number of lines are being removed from a map showing where new main lines and new infrastructure in Sweden can be realized. This was done without the Riksdag being informed. The effect of this is that Sweden loses the opportunity to apply for multi-billion amounts from the EU's funds for new infrastructure. This is not about high-speed trains, but about being able to apply for funds for conventional tracks for traffic traveling at approximately 200 kilometers per hour.

I wonder if the Minister will rectify this in his continued work in Brussels during the spring.

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! It is about revisions of the TEN-T maps. It is actually not anything remarkable that these maps are adapted based on the policy that the government has clearly signaled. The government has also given the assignment to cancel the planning of the central parts of the main line project for high-speed trains in Sweden, which concerns the section Borås-Linköping and further down to the section Lund-Hässleholm.

However, the fact is that Hässleholm-Lund is part of the Southern Main Line which is on the backbone network and is also part of the backbone corridor Scanmed. If the government were to choose to invest in that section, it would be possible to apply for co-financing from the EU. However, it is not only co-financing that is on the table here, but one also commits to a pledge to expand the backbone network until 2040. That plan would have been unrealistic even if one had proceeded with main lines for high-speed trains. Now the government is not doing that, and this is a logical consequence of that decision.

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Daniel Helldén (MP)

Madam Speaker! The problem is that we now fulfill everything that is stated regarding the maps that currently exist. We have the trunk lines that we say are needed. One cannot seek more money for something that is not there.

Ostlänken remains - we can still get money for it. It runs approximately where there is already a main line.

You have deprived Sweden of the opportunity to apply for substantial funds both for Lund-Hässleholm, for Göteborg-Borås, and for the central parts if another government would like to do this. It is remarkable.

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! This is not correct regarding Lund-Hässleholm; there is an opportunity to apply for co-financing if one were to proceed with the work. It is very much needed, as there are major capacity shortages in Skåne.

It is not that we have lost any money here. Some of you may have been at a New Year's sale or a January sale and bought a sweater for 400 kronor instead of 500, with a 20 percent discount. These 400 kronor become expensive if you never use the sweater.

When it comes to the money that we are losing here, it is important to remember that we save money by not making these investments and instead can put the money on other important infrastructure, Madam Speaker.

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Noria Manouchi (M)

Madam Speaker and Minister for Finance! Organized crime is a threat to the system and a threat to people's safety. Harsher penalties and more police are completely central but rarely sufficient. New measures on a broad front are needed to push back serious crime.

The consequences of serious crime affect us in many ways. The worst is the lethal violence. The motives are most often economic. It is obvious that the illegal flow of money must be choked off, but that requires more effective policy than the kind we have seen over the last eight years.

The gangs identify weaknesses in our financial systems and often force small businesses to launder their blood money. The fight against money laundering must be successful. I wonder what the government is doing.

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! The Swedish financial systems and our banks shall be secure and stable and provide us citizens and our companies with a high level of service and efficiency. They shall be useful and resilient also in bad times.

Just as Member Manouchi points out, these systems are also used for a number of crimes and to launder various types of criminal proceeds. This must be stopped, and the criminals must be smoked out of the financial systems. They must not be able to use our financial systems to finance their crimes or launder their money.

One of the first things I did as a minister was therefore to submit a government bill to the Riksdag on more and better tools to meet this through better information sharing so that authorities and banks can together put greater pressure on crime and keep our financial systems free from it.

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Noria Manouchi (M)

Madam Speaker! As we all know, it is urgent to get these new measures in place. These tools are much needed. It is, however, obvious that it will take time, but just as we here in the chamber, I am convinced that the government has great hopes that this is on its way to being implemented.

What measures and progress can we hope to see in the near term in the fight against money laundering?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! The important bill I spoke about was introduced by the previous government and gives banks and authorities the opportunity to share information. Information sharing is, in fact, the A and O of this.

Now Sweden is the Presidency in the EU. Important work is being carried out there so that banks among themselves and the entire European Union can better prepare for this, and Sweden takes the lead in these negotiations.

At home, it is among other things about cracking down on fraudulent currency exchange operators.

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Yusuf Aydin (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is directed to Minister Carlson.

The international human rights organization Open Doors presents a list every year of the 50 countries where the persecution of Christians is greatest. Last week, this year's list was released, and it shows that the persecution has intensified and worsened and that 360 million Christians are subjected to persecution because of their faith. It is therefore the most persecuted religious group in the world.

The Christian Democrats have long advocated in this chamber that Sweden should be more active regarding freedom of religion. The previous government rightly received criticism for being very passive in this important issue.

Does the government intend to highlight and drive the issue of Christians' and other vulnerable minorities' right to practice their faith?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank Yusuf Aydin for raising an important issue and pointing out the conclusions in the Open Doors report.

Sweden is acting on a broad front to counter the restriction of freedom of religion and belief by defending and protecting the individual's freedom to choose religious and belief systems. Sweden is in ongoing contact with the leaders of religious communities, including representatives for Christian groups, regarding their situation.

We also work for the EU to have a strong and united voice in defense of freedom of religion and belief, and the EU regularly submits resolutions on exactly this to the UN Human Rights Council and the Third Committee of the General Assembly.

This is a priority issue for the government. It is an urgent matter, and the problems are, just as the member points out, large. There is much to be done here.

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Yusuf Aydin (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer.

The persecuted Christians and other vulnerable minorities need our support to be able to freely practice their faith. Here, we Christians Democrats see that Sweden has an important task. Part of this can be to set higher requirements on religious freedom in foreign policy, trade with other countries, and when it comes to aid.

In what way does the government intend to move this issue forward?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I pointed out some areas where we are already driving this today and will continue to drive it. In the reorganization that is taking place of the aid policy, this is an important area to consider. The Government is also working on preparing the foreign policy declaration that will be presented to Sweden's Riksdag in the near future. I cannot give an exact date, Madam Speaker. In this work, it is important aspects to include.

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Helena Gellerman (L)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson.

Aviation was the mode of transport hit hardest by the pandemic, not least here in Sweden. We are now the country in Europe where aviation has the most difficulty recovering.

One of the prerequisites for aviation is our airports. They were investigated in 2017, but since that investigation was conducted, much has changed dramatically. For example, we have had a rapid technical development of electric aviation, drones, and fossil-free fuels. The war in Ukraine has also completely changed our view on total defense, in which aviation is included.

How does the Minister for Infrastructure view aviation and the development of our Swedish airports across Sweden in light of the developments of recent years?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Just as Helena Gellerman says, an investigation was conducted in 2017, and there is an Arlanda investigation. At this moment, an investigation is also underway where Peter Norman is reviewing the state's responsibility, and he has been granted an extension until the middle of February. After that, the government will process the various proposals at a high pace, as it is an urgent matter.

There is a development occurring within aviation, where the industry and the Swedish aviation industry themselves have set a goal to be completely fossil-free by 2030. The Swedish Gothenburg-based company Heart Aerospace believes that we will have electric aviation in operation by 2028.

This places completely new demands on our transport infrastructure and planning, and we need to take that into account. It is also why the government has signaled and presented an intensified investment in electric aviation. It is also about preparing the state to be ready when the technology is in place so that an unnecessarily complicated regulatory framework does not put a spoke in the wheel for climate-smart flying.

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Helena Gellerman (L)

Madam Speaker! It is positive that one takes advantage of aviation's possibilities, for aviation is incredibly important for our country to hold together.

Sweden has been a leader in sustainable aviation but has now lost its leading position in several areas. The Minister for Infrastructure mentioned certain things, but how can we utilize all the development work taking place within the aviation industry and at our airports all around Sweden so that we can regain the leading position? This is important for our competitiveness and our jobs. How can we strengthen this work?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! In our partially sparsely populated country with long distances, aviation has played an important role historically and will perhaps have an even more important role in the future as developments make it a zero-emission way to travel. In the future, one might take a zero-emission train to the zero-emission flight and, after landing, continue in a zero-emission car. It will be a completely new way of traveling that places new demands on infrastructure planning.

There are many good proposals, and we will consider them collectively after Norman has completed the ongoing investigation.

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Björn Wiechel (S)

Madam Speaker! In a debate on an interpellation recently, the Minister for Finance was given the opportunity to answer the question regarding the need for statistics collection on households' assets and debts. The background to the question is that the Riksbank and the Finansinspektionen have long requested this, as it is extremely important to be able to keep track of financial stability. Even the International Monetary Fund strongly advocates for such statistics collection.

There is also an investigation on this that is out for consultation. That process should obviously take its course, but regardless of process or design, the Minister for Finance has not answered whether he even sees the need for such statistics and whether he shares the authorities' view that they are needed for financial stability. The Minister instead talks about many other things. But the Minister for Finance's view here is of course important, not least for everyone who works with financial stability. Therefore, I ask the question again: Does the Minister for Finance see the need for these statistics?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member Wiechel, for the important question! Of course, the authorities' demand for different types of statistics in order to fulfill their tasks is always legitimate. My answer remains as dry and boring as it was then, namely that we have a good order in Sweden when we appoint investigations, receive proposals, send referrals and await comments, after which preparation and analysis take place.

I do not believe, Madam Speaker, that Björn Wiechel or anyone else in this chamber fundamentally wants the Minister or Sweden as a whole to depart from that type of order. I intend to at least stick to it in my work. On the other hand, there are obviously concerns regarding how such statistics can be used. The Social Democrats' favorite regarding wealth tax has historically been a cause for concern. Such things obviously need to be considered within a joint analysis of this.

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Eric Westroth (SD)

Madam Speaker! In both the UN conventions for human rights, Article 2, as well as in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights, Article 14, discrimination is defined not only on the basis of gender, race, skin color, language and religion but also on the basis of political opinion. In Sweden's Discrimination Act, a number of these grounds for discrimination are specified, but precisely discrimination on the basis of political opinion or belief is conspicuous by its absence.

Unfortunately, today we see in Sweden organizations with exclusive powers which choose to systematically discriminate against persons on the basis of political views, which contravenes the international conventions. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister for Culture, who also has democracy issues in his portfolio, whether the government intends to act in a direction where the anti-discrimination legislation better aligns with the international conventions and thus also incorporate political views as a ground for discrimination.

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Madam Speaker! Naturally, the government stands behind the freedom we have in Sweden and wants to work to strengthen that freedom. When it comes to the Discrimination Act, I wonder if I am the right minister to answer that question; it may be that there are others who are better suited, but from a democratic perspective, I can say that it is important for the government that background, where you come from, political affiliation, or other aspects should not have any influence on where people are headed. It is a fundamental principle that this government stands by and that we also intend to build our policy around.

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Ulrika Heie (C)

Madam Speaker! Yesterday, I participated in a meeting here in the Riksdag with representatives from Skåne, both from local and regional levels and from the business sector. The question concerned new capacity on the railway. The new government was quick to say that they would cancel the project with the new main lines, and the day before Christmas, the announcement came that they would cancel the Hässleholm-Lund project as well as Göteborg-Borås and investigate capacity-increasing measures instead.

This assignment has been interpreted differently, and that contributes to both questions and frustration. At the meeting yesterday, representatives for Skåne, also belonging to the government parties, turned to me and my colleagues in the Transport Committee with a request for help in bringing clarity to what the assignment to Trafikverket actually entails. I would therefore like to ask Minister Carlson, now that both municipalities and regions are requesting increased clarity: Can and will the Minister clarify what is meant by the assignment so that local and regional representatives and business representatives, but also Trafikverket, really know what applies?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I can do that, and it has been done in the chamber before. That decision to cancel the planning in that part for new main lines for high-speed trains for the section Lund-Hässleholm applies specifically to the section as part of a network of main lines for high-speed trains up to 320 kilometers per hour. A formal decision is required to cancel that planning and instead see how those resources can best be used to increase capacity in Skåne for freight traffic and for work commuting. In that case, the section Lund-Hässleholm is specifically pointed out. This means that new conventional tracks may be built.

The plans and investigations that have been made regarding four-track and double-track lines have not come to nothing; rather, it is Trafikverket's mandate to continue working on this and maintain high momentum so that we can resolve the bottlenecks, not least regarding freight traffic and the potentially increased pressure that will occur when the Fehmarn Bält connection opens in just a few years. That is a crystal-clear message that the government has given, and we can help spread it further.

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Annika Hirvonen (MP)

Madam Speaker! Tintin was only eight years old. The father is detained suspected of murder. Tintin's mother did everything in her power to protect her child. Society failed and forced Tintin, despite him being terrified, to spend time with the father. And now he is dead.

All over our country, there are more children who, just like Tintin, are forced into contact with a parent who has been violent and whom the children are afraid of. This must be stopped. Children's rights must be at the center. We in Miljöpartiet demand a stop to forcing children into contact with parents who have committed violence. We demand a lex Tintin. Will the government introduce a lex Tintin?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Annika Hirvonen, for a very important question! The Government completely shares the view that we need to review this issue. We need to review it for the children's best interests, but also because it poses a danger to those living in violent relationships who may not dare to leave them because they are afraid for their children's safety.

An investigation has been submitted regarding that we should have a focus on the best interests of the child. The Government is working on this investigation right now. It is on my colleague Camilla Waltersson Grönvall's desk, and we will look at it and at the referral responses that subsequently come in and take this issue as a very prioritized issue. The Government completely shares the problem picture that we see.

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Merit Frost Lindberg (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Finance Niklas Wykman.

We are coming from a situation where the Riksbank conducted a zero-interest rate policy and the economy recovered from the pandemic. Now inflation is noticeably high, and many companies face a combination of high energy prices and waning demand. Furthermore, many are finding it increasingly difficult to manage their capital supply due to the rising interest rates.

This week, the government presented several important and good proposals to strengthen all of Sweden's entrepreneurs in order to create more jobs. My question is: How does the Minister for Finance view the state's opportunities to also facilitate the companies' capital supply?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for an important question.

The situation with high inflation is obviously something that affects both households and companies. Sweden and the world have historical knowledge of what high inflation entails in terms of types of problems for both the household budget and long-term investments, and for being able to assess different types of projects and their profitability.

When we in the government have presented, for example, our budget, we have therefore been clear that we will not make it difficult for the Riksbank to achieve its monetary policy in order to reach price stability.

This is in itself a question that we in the government and in politics should not occupy ourselves with, but which the Riksbank occupies itself with, but we have been clear that the fiscal policy shall go hand in hand with it. The single most important thing the government can do to stop the inflation carousel is to let the Riksbank do its job and its responsibility.

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Roland Utbult (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Culture Parisa Liljestrand. The Opera has just celebrated 250 years, and we who were there experienced a magnificent festive evening. But behind the facade, there are major deficiencies. This concerns the property, which has enormous renovation needs, and it concerns the finances and the operations, which have almost 600 employees but where musicians have to practice in the corridor, to just give one example.

We have some of the most talented musicians, singers and dancers in the world, and we shall of course have a functioning opera house and a national stage that functions even from an international perspective.

How do we take the question of the Opera's future forward, Minister for Culture?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question.

It was truly a celebration that we were invited to when the Opera turned 250 years old. It is clear that it naturally brought to mind that our fantastic national stage will get to celebrate 500 years in another 250 years and how that will happen.

I can reassure the members and others that we have a good dialogue within the Government Offices regarding the Opera's future. My view is that we will be able to handle this issue and find a viable path that will be good for both the operations and for the building.

We also have ongoing talks with the Opera, both with the board and with the operations themselves. We must not forget that this is now the fifth government to have the question of the Opera on its table, but I am positive. I am confident that we, with good forces within the government, will find good solutions to this issue.

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Paula Holmqvist (S)

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

A good working environment is important for all workers in Sweden, and an important part of a good working environment is systematic work environment management.

As Minister Brandberg is surely aware, there are differences between male-dominated and female-dominated workplaces. Both the conditions, the amount of stress, and the availability of work clothes and work shoes differ between workplaces based on gender distribution. This needs to change in order to achieve a good working environment at all workplaces.

For us Social Democrats, it is important to provide equal access to work clothes and work shoes. It is about a good working environment for everyone. Does the government share our assessment that access to work clothes and work shoes should be equal so that the working environment and conditions improve even for, for example, Kommunals occupational groups within home care, preschools, elderly care, and healthcare?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for an important question.

A good working environment is a public health issue, and it is also an equality issue. As Paula Holmqvist explains, there are gender differences in our labor market that are partly due to the fact that men and women have traditionally chosen different occupations. In that case, it is very important that we have a work environment effort and a labor law that hits both the male-dominated occupations and the female-dominated occupations so that everyone gets a good working environment in Sweden.

I visited the Swedish Work Environment Authority last week to hear about their activities regarding regulatory expansion and supervision within this area. I see it as a very pressing issue to follow up that we have a high level of work environment work within all industries, including those dominated by women.

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Per Söderlund (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Niklas Wykman.

The Swedish krona has been historically weak for some time now. This, of course, affects our society, our citizens, and our companies. The low value of the krona favors exports so that Swedish goods become more attractive abroad, but the import companies are affected negatively. It becomes more expensive to import goods, which ultimately also affects the consumers. Even going on holiday abroad becomes more expensive for the Swedes.

What perhaps worries most is that it becomes relatively cheap for foreign companies to buy up their Swedish competitors and in that way expand their market share at the expense of Swedish companies. The value of the krona also partially reflects the world's confidence in the Swedish fiscal and monetary policy, which we should all have an interest in strengthening.

To the matter it should be noted that it is the Riksbank that manages monetary policy while the government manages fiscal policy. Therefore, my question is: Does the government plan to take any measures to strengthen the Swedish krona?

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! In Sweden, we have an order that has served and continues to serve us well, with an independent central bank and a price stability target. It is not my task to comment on the Riksbank's monetary policy, and I do not intend to do so either.

I, however, share Member Söderlund's analysis that the krona's exchange rate is a complex interplay between many different factors, including that which Söderlund points out, namely the confidence in Sweden and the world's valuation of much of what exists in Sweden and Swedish assets. The single most important thing the state can do is, of course, to ensure that the public finances are robust. That is why our budget follows the framework we have, so that one shall not distrust the state's finances.

Then it is required that we get a job and growth policy back up and running in Sweden. The fact that Sweden has lagged behind in growth per capita for a long time compared to the average in the EU and USA naturally affects the value of what is here. This is something we must work more on moving forward.

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Katarina Luhr (MP)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Infrastructure and Housing.

Just a few weeks ago, southern Sweden was hit by severe flooding. Houses, basements, cars, and plots were flooded, and many private individuals worked hard to build dams.

It has previously been quite unusual to have similar floods in Sweden, especially already in January, but we have seen several serious examples during recent years, including in Gävle and Dalarna in 2021. The floods during that year are estimated to have cost over half a billion to remedy.

Since it is now clear that climate emissions are not decreasing at the rate required, the work on climate adaptation measures will need to be further strengthened. The Government has the ultimate responsibility, but according to the Swedish National Audit Office's report from December, far from enough is being done in the area of climate adaptation.

I would therefore like to ask the Minister about his plans to strengthen the work on climate adaptation going forward.

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for an important question.

We have high ambitions when it comes to reducing emissions, and we have high climate ambitions. We are working hard to reach the goals, not least when it comes to the transition of the transport sector.

What the member points out is a consequence of the situation here and now, which many are affected by. Here it is important to see that several ministers but also authorities are working with this. Not least, we have the operational work within MSB, which has an important mission to inform about which measures can be taken but also to take them in the acute situation. This work is followed very closely by the government.

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Oskar Svärd (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson.

Just a few years ago, the electrification of aviation looked like a dream and something that lies in the future. But today, more and more people are talking about electric aviation, and the Swedish aviation industry is working intensively to electrify aviation. We can therefore state that the future is already here.

A transition of aviation is important to meet the climate challenges that exist. But it also creates new opportunities to travel between cities. The development of electric aviation strengthens Sweden's regions, our growth, and our competitiveness. In addition to this, it is a fast way to travel.

In view of the development of aviation, my question to the Minister is: In what way is the government working for and supporting the electrification of aviation?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank Oskar Svärd for an important question. It is not only a question of the future but a here-and-now question. I have partially touched upon the answer to this question in a previously submitted question by Helena Gellerman. But I am happy to further elaborate on what the government is doing.

We have allocated funds, namely 15 million kronor, to enable and expand electric aviation research. We have also given a mandate to Trafikverket to collect and coordinate the efforts that are taking place better. A lot is happening in many different places. Not least in municipalities and regions, one sees the great opportunities that this provides. It is important that we handle this collectively, learn from each other, and act jointly.

We have also given a mandate that various legal obstacles should be cleared away, so that when the development has moved forward - it is moving very fast, as Oskar Svärd pointed out - one will not have to begin a preparatory process with new laws and regulations to make this work, but rather it should be already in motion. We are working at a very high pace, and it is moving very fast. I look forward to this future.

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Gudrun Brunegård (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question also goes to Minister Andreas Carlson.

According to Boverket, 87 percent of the country's population live in municipalities that have a housing shortage. Only 23 percent of the municipalities have a housing market in balance. But many construction projects have been pushed into the future due to increased costs, even though my own home municipality, Vimmerby, has just started building 32 centrally located apartments.

Despite the housing shortage that prevails, it is tough times for the housing producers with declining order volumes.

As late as last week, the Minister for Housing visited one of the timber house industries in the municipality, Boklok in Vimmerby.

What is the government doing to speed up housing construction and in that way save jobs and increase growth? There has been talk about a mandate to the county administrative boards. What does that mean?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! It is true, just as Gudrun Brunegård describes it, that there is a housing shortage in very many municipalities. Over 200 of the country's municipalities report that there is a housing shortage. This, in combination with the slowdown now in housing construction and in the housing market as a result of the recession we are entering with rising costs, rising interest rates, inflation, and reduced purchasing power among households, also affects housing construction.

What we are doing is to dampen the effects, primarily for households, with the electricity price support which will begin to be paid out on February 20. It is a way to increase purchasing power and ease the burden for many heavily burdened households.

Since then, we have had a high tempo with reforms that are to be developed to, for example, increase buildable land. And that assignment to the county administrative boards, which the member asks about, is about the county administrative boards mapping out what interventions they have made together with the municipalities. It puts pressure on getting buildable land and ensures that we can also see what additional measures are needed. We will return to this issue, you can be sure of that.

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Markus Kallifatides (S)

Madam Speaker! My question is directed to Minister for Infrastructure and Housing Andreas Carlson.

In the days before Christmas, the government announced that the Housing Segregation Inquiry is being discontinued. The investigator Erik Pelling had the assignment to develop tools and methods to strengthen the work of reducing and counteracting housing segregation in community planning.

The investigation was commissioned against the background that the socioeconomic residential segregation in Sweden has increased significantly since the 1990s. This is a reality that we, nearly 2.5 million Stockholmers, know very well. We live in an increasingly segregated metropolitan region.

In the Stockholm municipalities where we Social Democrats are in power, municipal politicians are now launching a concerted effort against segregation. But the state and neighboring municipalities must, of course, do their part to achieve the best possible results.

Why on earth did you scrap this investigation?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Markus Kallifatides and I discussed investigations as recently as last Tuesday in the chamber. We were touching on some other investigations that are not to be discontinued, which I also want to say given the minutes. But this investigation, we have discontinued. It primarily had a mapping mandate. But the government takes segregation seriously. And in order to be able to follow the development, the government has allocated 5 million kronor to Boverket in 2023 to secure continued access to analysis and follow-up tools with location data. This also occurs in combination with all other measures that we are now taking to break crime and increase safety in residential areas. In the Tidö Agreement, we have shown that we are in agreement on this among the coalition parties and will return with the measures that we will take and that will be more powerful than this mapping investigation that we have discontinued in favor of other investigations.

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Michael Rubbestad (SD)

Madam Speaker! We were recently reached by the very tragic news of the eight-year-old boy who was murdered by his own parent in Luleå. The case received great attention. And once again, criticism was raised that it is most often fathers who take the lives of their children and that children are forced to spend time with just violent fathers.

It is therefore worth noting the fact that when it comes to violence against children, there is only an 8 percent difference between the genders of the perpetrators. In 46 percent of the cases, it is a mother who unfortunately takes the life of her child, and in 54 percent of the cases, it is a father. Not infrequently, there is a connection to mental illness.

Children should of course never be forced to have contact with a parent they are afraid of, regardless of gender. Research confirms that parents who take the lives of their children is not a gender issue.

In what way does the Minister for Equality intend to act to ensure that the focus is placed on the main issue, that children are abused and in extreme cases murdered by their parents, instead of focusing on the incorrect grounds that specifically men pose a greater danger to their children?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! Children's safety and security is a very important issue. When it comes to the assessments that are to be made, we must have legislation that clearly clarifies that it is the child's best interests that should be in focus. This is an issue that lies with the Ministry of Social Affairs, to which as recently as last Friday an inquiry arrived that specifically aims at an increased child perspective. We will await the referral responses on the inquiry to see how the legislation can be strengthened so that children are protected from violence to a greater extent. Regardless of where the violence comes from, the child's best interests shall, of course, have a greater impact in our legislation. It is a very prioritized issue for this government, and I have a close contact with Camilla Waltersson Grönvall in this matter precisely because it is very prioritized.

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Ida Drougge (M)

Madam Speaker! Sweden has a high level of digitalization generally and specifically in the Swedish financial market. But unfortunately, we are at the bottom of the league if we compare our cybersecurity.

To understand the gravity of the situation, calculations show that the costs of cybercrime globally are estimated to be higher than the global costs of the entire international drug trade.

Many of the companies that are exploited and affected are located here in the Stockholm area and within the financial market.

Therefore, I want to ask the Minister for Finance what he and the government are doing to counteract these major problems.

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Statsrådet Niklas Wykman (M)

Madam Speaker! Previous questioners have asked questions about crimes and fraud in the financial systems, for example regarding money laundering. That elderly people are being robbed or subjected to fraud is also an issue that is discussed a lot. This shall be countered with force, and the government is taking several measures to, in plain Swedish, smoke out the criminals from the financial systems.

A type of advanced crime that also exists and manifests in fraud, and where people are pressured for money and information or trade secrets are stolen, is that which concerns cybercrime.

Here one can observe that the government has given a minister a mandate regarding civil defense, which is very important. Authorities now have a better opportunity to also assist in what is system-important private activity.

We also have a very important mission in protecting our financial systems. Here, we have allocated more money to the authorities responsible for this – Finansinspektion and Riksgäldskontoret – so that they shall actively work to strengthen our cybersecurity in Sweden.

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Jamal El-Haj (S)

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

Companies within the gig economy in Sweden have repeatedly been criticized for lacking collective agreements and using false self-employment as a way to circumvent responsibility. They do not only contribute to wage dumping but also to undermining the Swedish model. It is a return to the 19th-century labor market, where poor people worked for low wages with bad conditions and without security.

Does the Government intend to act to achieve better and safer conditions for gig workers, and if so, how?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question! Sweden has now taken over the presidency in the EU. One of the issues that is prioritized for the Swedish presidency is the so-called platform directive. The directive aims at precisely this issue, and much attention is being paid to the presumption regarding what actually constitutes an employee and what constitutes a self-employed person. We see many so-called false self-employed persons, who in reality may act more as employees.

This is an issue that is well-suited to be handled at the EU level. Sweden has taken a positive stance toward the directive being passed, and now the Swedish government is working to try to get a general guideline through the EU Council of Ministers so that the directive can be moved forward and then be implemented in Swedish legislation.

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Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)

Madam Speaker! Today, an informal meeting is being held between the EU's migration ministers. A central issue that is reported to be addressed is how we succeed with returns, that is, ensuring that persons who are not allowed to be in the EU actually go back.

It is said that several countries support something called a whole-of-government approach, which means that member countries should use all available means, from sanctions and diplomacy to aid and trade, to pressure the countries that do not cooperate and take back their own citizens. This sounds very positive. On the other hand, similar proposals have been discussed previously, many times without result.

My question to Minister Andreas Carlson is the following: Will Sweden's presidency ensure that the EU finally achieves effective and functioning work on returns?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Nima Gholam Ali Pour, for an important question! It is as the member says: This is a significant part of the agenda that Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer and Minister for Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard have to handle when they arrange RIF-councils here in Stockholm today.

Sweden prioritizes the work with returns and strives for a whole-of-government approach at both the Swedish level and the EU level. The issue of returns was a failure for the previous government, and this government strives for clearer results. A yes must be a yes, and a no must be a no. Without a functioning return, one cannot create a functioning asylum system.

It is worth pointing out that the goal should be that these tools are not put into use without both individual member states and the union as a whole concluding recovery agreements and having a good dialogue with countries of origin. The issue has been discussed for a long time, and it is a priority for the Swedish presidency to move it forward.

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Louise Thunström (S)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Culture. She has expressed the importance of cultural freedom and the principle of an arm's length distance to artistic creation. It is enshrined in the Tidö Agreement.

But at the same time, it has become apparent that the parties in the Tidö Agreement are making completely different interpretations of what the principle entails and that the arm's-length distance rests on a rather shaky foundation. Among other things, the Sweden Democrats' party secretary has expressed that the principle does not apply to tax-funded activities.

In light of this and of what has occurred across the country regarding storytime and Lucia processions, I wonder what the Minister for Culture intends to do so that the parties in the Tidö Agreement can reach an agreement on what arm's length distance means.

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question! Safeguarding artistic freedom and the principle of arm's length distance is one of the government's most important priorities within the cultural area.

Artistic freedom is a fundamental prerequisite for a living democracy. We also see what happens when this is not allowed. We see it in our absolute geographical proximity right now, and we see what happens then.

It is therefore completely central that the cultural sector is shielded from politicization and micro-management, and therefore it is so important that we maintain the concept of arm's length distance. The Government has made it clear from our perspective that arm's length distance shall prevail. We have also removed micro-management from, among other things, regulatory letters to ensure that arm's length distance shall prevail.

I am convinced that this government has made it clear and will continue to make it clear that the principle of arm's length applies.

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Mikael Eskilandersson (SD)

Madam Speaker! The Sweden Democrats launched Sverigehuset during the election campaign. It is a type-approved house that can be built throughout Sweden. Today's system with 290 municipalities and many thousands of officials who are to approve and make different assessments of essentially the same house is both inefficient and costly. There is much to be gained on the building permit alone.

It also reduces and complicates competition when construction companies that primarily build small houses do not know in advance whether the house will be approved or not. Previous housing ministers have often had building regulations named after them, such as the friggebod and attefallshus. But Sweden's population needs larger villas, such as the Sverigehuset, to achieve a decent standard of living.

Therefore, I want to ask Housing Minister Andreas Carlson: Does the Housing Minister intend to work towards making type-approved houses similar to Sverigehuset possible in Sweden? And will we see type-approved Carlsonhouses within the current parliamentary term?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! It was a pleasant name that Eskilandersson has come up with for his idea! But I shall primarily answer the question, and not the name.

This is something that is raised everywhere when meeting different developers and people who are involved in cutting lead times and finding simplifications in order to be able to get housing construction started. It was also mentioned when I was in Vimmerby, as Gudrun Brunegård raised in a previous question, how one can speed this up, shorten lead times, and simplify rules through standardization, innovation, and efficiency in housing construction.

Over the years, a number of different proposals have been raised. Type approval is one such proposal. Now, the reform on certified construction project companies has been developed. It has been decided upon in the Riksdag. Boverket has developed regulations. The purpose is to increase predictability and efficiency in the construction process and to facilitate repeatable processes in the construction of housing, i.e., to facilitate prefabricated houses.

We will follow this closely and design it in a wise manner. Then we may need to return with further steps to achieve what Mikael Eskilandersson points out is needed.

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Mattias Ottosson (S)

Madam Speaker! I wish to pose a question to Minister Carlson. Due to the war in Ukraine, we have seen a sharp price increase on both services and goods in Sweden. It has also affected public transport with significant increases across the country, not least on Gotland.

Gotland is Sweden's only pure island region and therefore has unique conditions when it comes to communications. Without a fixed land connection, the ferry traffic becomes crucial.

Destination Gotland AB has raised prices by approximately 50 percent over the last year. A colleague of mine traveled yesterday from Gotland to the mainland. It cost 4,000 kronor for one adult, one child, and a car. Had they not been residents of Gotland, it would have cost 6,000 kronor.

Gotlandic households and companies are, like many others around Sweden, under enormous economic pressure and dependent on as much predictability as possible in uncertain times.

My question to the Minister is: Does the Minister intend to take any measures to make the prices for traveling to and from Gotland reasonable for Gotland residents?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Mattias Ottosson, for an important question!

This is about the Gotlanders' highway, the lifeline between Gotland and the mainland. And it is not just about the Gotlanders; this is an important issue for food security because a part of our food production takes place precisely on Gotland. I have recently met a delegation from Region Gotland and am well acquainted with both the problems and the Gotlandic positions.

There is an agreement that regulates how the transport is procured. Within the framework of that agreement, the government has made the decisions we can make to provide funds that are to go to operators and be able to be used for lowered prices. Other measures that can be taken lie with other departments, but the government's actions within the framework of this agreement have been to provide the funds that we could for just ticket prices and other things.

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Jim Svensk Larm (S)

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

Despite the fact that we have a zero vision for fatal accidents at work, many still die in their jobs. During 2022, 42 people died in their work. It is a figure that makes many react. That was also the case for the Minister when she took office and received information on how many died at work. In an interview with Dagens Arbete, the Minister said that the issue needed to be put on the agenda to be discussed even more.

In five years, 220 people have now died at work. During the last week, yet another worker was crushed to death under a overturning excavator. Every accident is a failure in the work environment effort.

Has the Minister, during his time as Minister, taken any new initiatives to reduce deaths at work and to ensure that the issue is discussed more?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for an important question!

The government continues the work based on the work environment strategy that the previous government initiated and the zero vision that is to prevail. The zero vision shall prevail for deaths at work, where we as Jim Svensk Larm pointed out see far too high figures. But we must also not have people who die from their work, which is also a very important issue. We see far too many who become ill and are injured in such a way that they die from their work even if they do not die at work.

The government will carefully evaluate the strategy and the work based on it and also ensure to create conditions for those who carry out the daily work environment work at our workplaces, that is, the employees. The safety representatives also have a very important function there. We will follow the work closely to see to what extent improvements can be created to fulfill the zero vision in a much better way.

Question time was hereby concluded.

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