Question Time

TALMANNEN

Question Time

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered today by Minister Johan Forssell, Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer, Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, and Minister 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 concerns his performance of duties. Minister Johan Forssell answers both general political questions and questions within his own area of responsibility.

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Anders Ygeman (S)

Mr. Speaker! In order to remedy unserious and unqualified labor migration, the previous government tightened the rules for labor migration on a number of points. We introduced requirements for binding employment contracts, maintenance requirements for family migrants, as well as harsher sanctions and tougher controls. Last summer, the government also presented proposals on increased wage requirements, which the Riksdag supported.

But despite this parliamentary decision, and despite the fact that the new government has been in power for over a hundred days, the government has not presented any raised wage floor. The media reports of discord within the government base. Two months ago, Minister Malmer Stenergard said here in the chamber that it would go "very quickly" for the government to present a proposal, but no proposal has been presented.

My simple question is therefore: When will the government present the proposal?

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Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question, Anders Ygeman!

The then opposition pressured the then government, where Anders Ygeman had primary responsibility for the migration issue, for a very long time to persuade it to present proposals on tightenings regarding labor immigration. After almost eight years, proposals for changes could finally be presented, even though they were far from sufficient.

I want to remember that it was on November 30 that this House reached a decision on the bill regarding increased maintenance requirements for labor migration. Since then, we have worked hard to produce a regulation that shall specify exactly what level it should be. Compared to the eight years it took for Anders Ygeman's government, I would like to say that the days that have passed since the bill was adopted are still relatively few. I can guarantee the members that we are working as fast as we can to get this in place.

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Anders Ygeman (S)

Mr. Speaker! It was a laudable and fine speech about how the government is working hard and well. But the simple question was: When will the proposal arrive?

Two months ago, the Minister said it would go "very fast." In February last year, the investigation was initiated. It was therefore hardly any surprise for the government that this would come.

So again, Minister: When will the proposal arrive?

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Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! It will go very quickly compared to the eight years it took for Anders Ygeman's government to submit the bill. I cannot state an exact date, but I can promise Anders Ygeman that it will arrive shortly.

It was also not the case that there were any finished proposals that his government had worked on that we could start from when we arrived at the Government Offices. We had to, so to speak, start with a blank sheet of paper.

But hold on! It will come - I promise you!

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Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Initially, I just want to devote a thought to the horrific things that are currently happening in Turkey and Syria. The devastation that the earthquake has caused is horrific to witness - men, women and children crushed under the concrete. It is impossible to comprehend the pain that hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing right now.

In this, we are directing aid funds to those who have been affected by the earthquake and its consequences. It is aid that reaches those in direct distress. It is aid in its most core sense.

My question is directed to Minister Johan Forssell. The Swedish National Audit Office's latest report and other experts point out that the strategies during the previous government have been very fragmented. There has been a lack of impact assessments and opportunities for follow-up, which has sometimes created counterproductive aid. How do we ensure that Swedish tax revenues provide the greatest possible aid benefit and are used in a responsible manner, for example now in Turkey and Syria?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question, Alexander Christiansson! I can only agree that what is currently happening in both Turkey and Syria is a terrible tragedy. The number of dead is increasing hour by hour.

We have worked very intensively on this ever since we received the first reports. We have been able to channel funds at two different occasions, primarily linked via the International Federation of Red Cross, but also via CERF, the UN's disaster mechanism for this. We will also continue with that. We follow the developments but also the needs on the Turkish and Syrian side very closely.

When it comes to quality, efficiency and transparency, these are issues that are very central for the government and for the coalition partner Sverigedemokraterna. We will follow this very closely. We have also said that we will develop a reform agenda, which I hope to be able to present in the near future, precisely to ensure that Swedish taxpayers' money is always used in the most efficient way and for the benefit of those who need it most.

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Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer.

Water, sanitation and hygiene are fundamental for human life. Now, voices are also being raised all over the world about the lack of clean water. Even in Sweden, we have heard such voices, among other things on Gotland a few years ago.

We in the Sweden Democrats believe that precisely water purification is central to sustainable aid work. I want to ask the Minister how you intend to work with these issues going forward. There are, in fact, some question marks. Will the government renew existing strategies, or will you work in a new or different way?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! I can only confirm that clean water is important from several aspects. We also see how water is used in other aspects than before, sometimes unfortunately also as a weapon in conflicts.

We are currently looking very broadly at the entire aid. It is a huge amount of different strategies. It is a difficult area to manage. We will now initiate a very offensive work of change where we have temporarily extended some strategies. I will return to the Riksdag with exactly which strategies will remain, which will be removed, and which we add.

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Kajsa Fredholm (V)

Mr. Speaker! The Government and SD have indicated in the Tidö Agreement that the reduction obligation shall be lowered to the EU's minimum level. Since then, the Government has presented a budget proposal that increases emissions. A significant reduction of the reduction obligation will require extensive new climate measures to reduce emissions from our transports by 70 percent by 2030.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Minister Pourmokhtari clarified that she and the government will stand up for an ambitious climate policy for continued participation in the government. My question is: Will the climate policy action plan contain concrete measures in the near term to reach the climate goals for 2030?

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Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for your question, Kajsa Fredholm!

It is true that we in the cooperation within the government base have agreed that we shall lower Sweden's reduction obligation to the EU's minimum level. Right now, this issue is being negotiated at the EU level, but just this has become very noticed because the reduction obligation we have had in Sweden has been very high. We have been the best in the EU, one could say, and had the highest reduction obligation.

As a consequence of this, prices have been driven up in such a way that people do not have the possibility to refuel their cars in the same way and that the supply of biofuels across Europe is being depleted. Many others have also pointed out the shortcomings of using the reduction obligation in that manner, which is almost the only policy being put forward to reduce emissions from the transport sector.

We therefore need to do more and different things, and that is precisely what this climate action plan is intended to address. So the answer to the question is yes.

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Kajsa Fredholm (V)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! In light of the Minister's statement in international media, I wonder if the Minister truly believes herself that sufficient proposals will be put forward by the government.

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Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! This does not necessarily have to be about the long conversation I had with Bloomberg regarding various aspects of our climate policy as a whole. Generally, it is well understood that a government works based on the goals that the Riksdag has agreed upon and set. There are no alternatives to meeting the goals we have set and doing everything we can to produce different political tools to achieve them.

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Stina Larsson (C)

Mr. Speaker! In Sweden, we have environmental quality objectives, the purpose of which is that we should reduce emissions, solve environmental problems and take care of our planet, and not hand over the problems to the next generation. A couple of weeks ago, an evaluation regarding these goals was presented, and it is unfortunately a rather gloomy reading. It is not the teeming life in our wetlands that we desire, and there are still dead bottoms in the Baltic Sea. And there are not as many small birds now as before. We will not achieve most of the goals, and now action is required.

The government, together with the Sweden Democrats, has shown during the autumn that they do not prioritize our environment. Environmental issues were given no significant space in either the government statement or the Tidö Agreement, and we have not yet seen a glimpse of the climate action plan.

My question to the Minister is therefore: What does the government intend to do to meet the environmental goals and increase biodiversity and to not pass the problems on to the next generation?

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Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! Now I shall see to it that I stick to the short speaking time that applies - I am so used to interpellation debates.

Of course, the environment is important for this government. I am both Minister for Climate and Minister for Environment, and it is not necessarily the climate action plan that one should focus on to see the environmental policy that this government intends to pursue.

One can look at the budget, where our investments, also regarding environmental policy, concern what we prioritize. We will work hard to protect the Baltic Sea in a better way and manage the eutrophication that exists there and also in many other places. And we have a close dialogue with Naturvårdsverket regarding how we can best develop the work they do for the environment on very many different fronts.

There is now a report with proposed measures, and we will, of course, look at those. In addition to this, we will also present several proposed measures in this specific area in upcoming budgets and regulatory letters.

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Stina Larsson (C)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! I do not think that is enough. I see that we need to change our entire society and our behavior. Then we cannot increase the VAT on repairs or significantly reduce the grants for the maintenance of existing natural areas. We must work more towards a circular economy and take care of our nature.

Alarm signals are heard when the money is not sufficient, for example in Skåne to manage Söderåsen National Park and in Halland to counter invasive species. There are more examples.

So I ask the question again: How does the government see that the so-called generation goal is to be achieved?

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Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! There is much work to be done. One part is the important measure you mention regarding wetlands, which are important to protect as carbon sinks but also for biodiversity. This government has made a permanent investment of 200 million kronor. I think that is a considerable sum that I hope can contribute to us being able to restore the wetlands in a wise manner.

We have also invested just over 1 billion in the marine and water environment, and we will continue to work very hard on these issues.

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Janine Alm Ericson (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Since taking office, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has announced a major reform of aid. That work began with the government abandoning the one percent commitment in its budget. Since then, the effect of that decision has become increasingly clear step by step.

During the autumn, representatives for the government parties have on several occasions stated that civil society shall be protected. But we now see that the diametrically opposite is occurring. The cuts being made affect to the highest degree civil society's opportunities to work on the ground. The reductions are also occurring in just such activities as the government says it wants to protect: girls' and women's rights, democracy building, support for opposition parties, etcetera.

Efficiency and long-term perspective are the government's watchwords, but the current management produces the exact opposite effect. Why does the government not conduct any consequence analyses of what its decisions will lead to? And why does the government choose not to listen to civil society, which are experts regarding the issues on the ground?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Janine Alm Ericson, for the question! It is true that we have signaled major changes in the aid, for example, not having a goal for how much money should be paid out but instead having clear goals regarding quality, efficiency, and transparency - much of which has historically been lacking in Swedish aid policy, which perhaps explains the fact that many countries that for many years have received very much aid despite this continue to be very dependent on just aid.

Civil society is one of several important parts of this work. Their share of our total aid is increasing with the government's budget.

We do, however, make some prioritizations when it comes to, for example, information notices. We say that it is actually more important, for example, to increase humanitarian aid, or the aid to Ukraine for that part, Mr. Speaker, than to be represented at the Book Fair or in Almedalen or to have extensive newspaper support. One might think that this is an incorrect prioritization, but for the government, it is very reasonable.

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Janine Alm Ericson (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I can state that Sweden's aid was already, even before this government took office, one of the most effective and transparent in the world. Very intensive work has therefore already been carried out there.

I did not ask about the information strike, but I also thank you for that answer.

I would like to ask a question about Myanmar. The support for the bilateral strategy has been reduced by 60 percent. Sweden has been an important partner for accountability and support for free media. This will now be hit hard. I would like to know what the Minister for Development Cooperation has to say to the people and democracy activists in Myanmar who will de facto be affected by the cuts.

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! I have a different opinion regarding the question of transparency. I would say that there is probably very much to be done to make aid more transparent and also to increase efficiency and quality – to not just look at how it has always been but to dare to make a change. Here, this is not least about the fact that we are now combining trade with aid.

But it is also a fact that we cannot prioritize everything at the same time, not even if we were to allocate 2 percent of the GNP to aid. It is true that we will reduce a little bit in Myanmar, but we are simultaneously prioritizing, for example, the humanitarian [aid] and not least Ukraine.

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Viktor Wärnick (M)

Mr. Speaker! The problems of the shadow society are becoming more and more apparent. Crime, exploitation, and pure human suffering are just a few examples. People who do not have the right to stay in Sweden, for example after a legally binding deportation decision, are nevertheless here and remain hidden. This clearly risks the legitimacy of the rule of law.

In 2010, the National Board of Health and Welfare stated in a report that up to 50,000 people were staying in Sweden without permission at that time. Since then, the figure has hardly decreased, especially considering the very large migration flows to the EU and Sweden in 2015. There are those who argue that over 100,000 people are currently in our country illegally, and that is naturally not sustainable.

That is why it is positive that the Moderate-led government has now begun the large and entirely necessary paradigm shift that is needed within migration policy and regarding return. I am well aware that change takes time, but I would still like to ask the Minister for Migration: How is the government's work progressing with streamlining and sharpening the return?

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Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Viktor Wärnick, for this pressing issue! This is, just as Viktor Wärnick says, incredibly important for maintaining confidence in the migration system. If one is denied their asylum application after a legally sound review, one must leave the country.

Now we see that far too many do not do so. It is even the case that 23 percent of the first-time asylum applications that come in are submitted by persons who already have a legally binding rejection decision. This shows that we are not succeeding with the return to the extent that we must.

This government and the Tidö parties have presented a number of proposals that we will implement. It concerns everything from transit centers to more detention centers and better cooperation between authorities. But much has already been done. We have tasked the authorities with carrying out more internal residence checks and also cooperating in a better way. We are working very hard on this issue.

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Viktor Wärnick (M)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank the Minister for Migration for the answer, and I look forward to following the continued work. But in parallel with the fact that we in Sweden are now carefully doing our homework, there are things to be done at the EU level, not least perhaps in connection with the Swedish presidency. Getting a reform of the union's return policy has historically proven to be difficult, but what I understand is that there is now a certain brightening when it comes to getting an agreement in place. Can the Minister for Migration explain how the work is progressing with getting countries outside the EU to receive their own citizens who have received a deportation decision to a greater extent?

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Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! That is correct. For the Swedish presidency, this issue is highly prioritized. That is why we also raised it when we held the agenda for the informal council meeting a few weeks ago at Arlanda. There, we discussed how we can cooperate better and also how each respective country can do its homework. I am convinced that it is then important that not only the migration minister or equivalent works on achieving the return, but that one uses all tools, such as aid, trade, and foreign policy, to ensure that these countries cooperate better.

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Kjell-Arne Ottosson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! In the Tidö Agreement, we read about many important issues for us Christian Democrats. One of them is how we are to provide hydropower with better conditions and, not least, stop the witch hunt that has been directed at small-scale hydropower.

The agreement states, among other things, about the pause that is to be made and that a new regulatory framework for review shall be developed to ensure that the interest of electricity supply shall weigh heavily, while also writing that small-scale actors shall not be affected by completely unreasonable costs as we have unfortunately seen so far in the process. These are very important issues, not least for our Swedish dam owners.

Can the Minister for Climate and Environment tell us more about when further steps will be taken and when an announcement can be made regarding the changes to be made so that we can protect, in particular, small-scale hydropower?

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Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! It is as wise as you point out, Kjell-Arne Ottosson, that we need to manage our hydropower in a wise way, especially considering the fragile situation that our energy system is in. In the situation that prevails, we really need to take care of all the energy we can get out of our different types of power. Then we must also safeguard hydropower, and also small-scale hydropower. Precisely for that reason has this pause been designed, and it applies for twelve months. During these twelve months, we hope that everyone will be given the opportunity to further adapt their environmental assessments and be able to produce the facts needed so that the assessment can proceed in the best way possible in order to also safeguard small-scale hydropower. We are working very hard to utilize the time during these twelve months to ensure that the assessments can proceed in a way that also safeguards the hydropower that we have in Sweden.

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Kjell-Arne Ottosson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! Unfortunately, we are receiving some unfortunate signals from certain county administrative boards. It is clear that they are urging hydropower owners not to wait for the pause but to proceed already, before we have the new regulatory framework in place. It can be perceived as if we have officials who are pursuing their own agendas.

In what way is the government acting against this? In what way do you carry out supervision so that we do not have this form of action?

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Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Kjell-Arne Ottosson, for raising this! We will, of course, maintain a close dialogue with all parties involved regarding how the pause is carried out and how we implement it in the wisest possible way. The dialogue that the government has conducted is primarily about ensuring that all parties know what applies, namely that it is twelve months and that after these, we expect the examinations to start again and that, for example, the Water Power Environmental Fund shall also adapt to the possibility of applying to receive funds to manage the pause and the environmental examination that follows.

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Juno Blom (L)

Mr. Speaker! I will never forget a conversation I had with a girl who asked the simple question: Why do they think that I and my sister should be forced to live with our father when they say that he is dangerous for our mother? It is a relevant question and an expression of the fact that today there is a lack of a clear child rights perspective and knowledge of what violence does to a child, and that the parental right is also enormously strong.

I have met very many children who are forced into contact with a violent father, even children who are forced into contact in prison with a father who is convicted of violent crimes. I have met mothers who have completely lost custody because the court does not consider them cooperative in relation to the violent father who has put the entire family in terror.

We cannot accept that children are the only crime victims who are forced into contact with their perpetrator. Therefore, I now pose the question to Minister Gunnar Strömmer: Can we now make a decision that no child shall be forced into contact with a violent parent?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Juno Blom, for an extraordinarily pressing question! My principled answer to that question is yes.

Then we all know that how this is to be designed legislatively is something that we will now address. One of the inquiries that has been placed on the government's table is called Safe Homes for Children, and it is fundamentally about how the principle of the best interests of the child can be clarified in the legislation so that the type of case that Juno Blom here brings up shall not occur.

The interaction between the government and the Riksdag on that issue will be extraordinarily important. I foresee that we will submit legislative proposals to the Riksdag on this issue, in the best-case scenario already during this year.

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Juno Blom (L)

Mr. Speaker! I also think that this is important for the development we see in our society, where children and young people who are criminals subject others to violence and abuse. I have met many guys who themselves put into words that they were subjected to violence in the home throughout their entire upbringing, and then no one reacted. But when they then commit violence, it is something that society obviously must distance itself from and mark against, but they feel a betrayal from the side of society.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! I can understand that one experiences a great betrayal from the side of society. Generally speaking, it will require an enormous mobilization of the rule of law and the social state in interaction if we are to be able to tackle many of the problems that Juno Blom raises. But it is well obvious that a fundamental way to ensure that young people do not become violent when they become adults is to ensure that they are not exposed to violence when they are children.

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Sanna Backeskog (S)

Mr. Speaker! Post-violence is the violence that the man continues to subject the woman to even though she has left the relationship. Examples are threats, stalking and economic extortion or that which perhaps upsets us all the most, namely when the man uses the children as a weapon to harm the woman in custody disputes and the children are forced into contact against their will. Women's shelters argue that even when there is clear legislation, it happens all too often that society's various institutions lack knowledge or application, because there is a lack of comprehensive legislation. There is a lack of cooperation and sufficient expertise.

The previous Social Democratic government has taken a number of measures, but obviously more is needed. My question to the Minister of Justice is what his ambitions are regarding men's violence against women in general and especially the aftermath of violence.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Sanna Backeskog, for another important question! Fundamentally, it is closely related to the one that Juno Blom has just posed.

I would gladly have a further conversation with the member and everyone else who is involved in these issues, both regarding how the penal code can become even clearer when it comes to men's violence against women and other aspects that we also address with legislation. Sanna Backeskog mentions several such issues.

Another question - to broaden the reasoning further - is whether one uses, for example, the division process as a means of extortion against a vulnerable party. It can range from violence to economic extortion with that process as a tool.

My ambition is extraordinarily high, and I look forward to a close cooperation with the Riksdag on these issues.

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Elsa Widding (SD)

Mr. Speaker! With a continued large-scale expansion of wind power in Sweden, a continued increased use of fossil fuels will be inevitable.

In 2022, the oil-fired power plant in Karlshamn burned 300 tons of oil and emitted 171,000 tons of carbon dioxide. That was approximately double the amount from the year before, and nothing suggests that the trend will not continue.

Without inertia in the system, we cannot manage to maintain the frequency and stability in our power grids. We are forced to burn oil to obtain both replacement power and balancing power for the wind power. My question to the Minister for Climate is therefore: What does the Minister consider to be the solution to this dilemma, relative to our climate goals?

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Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! It is a very wise question that is asked, because we have great problems with our electricity production. It is primarily about it not being robust enough, and it is a consequence of a policy that has been pursued over the last eight years where functional fossil-free electricity production has been decommissioned. It is a reality that we are now dealing with from the government's side and which we are proceeding from.

Given the situation we are in, we need both wind power and nuclear power to be able to wisely expand our fossil-free electricity production and meet not only the need that Sweden has now but also the need that will be growing in the future. Our forecast from the government's side is that we will have more than a doubled need for energy, specifically electricity, in this country. We therefore need to have a powerful expansion, and we need both wind power and nuclear power to meet the future we are facing.

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Frida Tånghag (V)

Mr. Speaker! On January 16, Minister Malmer Stenergard said in an interview with Göteborgs-Posten that Sweden must have the right immigration. At the same time, the government is reducing the number of quota refugees that Sweden accepts by 82 percent, from 5,000 to 900.

The people with quota refugee status whom Sweden receives have been selected by UNHCR because they belong to particularly vulnerable groups and have an extra strong need of receiving protection.

In light of the Minister's statement, my question is: Why does the government choose to reduce the number of quota refugees so brutally while the Minister calls for the right type of immigration? Are not those who are most vulnerable and have the greatest need for protection the right type of immigration?

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Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Frida Tånghag, for the question! Sweden has for a very long time had a very large reception, and we have not managed the integration. This government intends to take responsibility and ensure that we significantly reduce asylum migration. But at the same time, we want to promote the qualified and highly qualified labor that Sweden truly needs. It was in that context that I was interviewed.

When it comes to quota refugees, Sweden continues to take a very large responsibility. With the 900 per year, we are still in the top three - per capita - in the EU. I think it is time that other countries step forward and take a greater responsibility for these very vulnerable groups. But it is completely unsustainable that Sweden has a very large reception at the border while we are at the top, which we have done under previous governments when it comes to the reception of quota refugees with the 5,000 we have received per year.

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Anna Lasses (C)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Forssell. The goal of Swedish aid policy is to create conditions for better living conditions for people living in poverty and oppression. Now, in the Tidö Agreement, it is stated that the government wants to condition parts of the aid on the recipient country taking responsibility for its own citizens and repatriating them when necessary.

This has made me a bit curious, and therefore I want to ask a question: In what way does the government's desire to link aid to requirements for recovery contribute to fulfilling the Swedish goals for aid? I have looked into this, and I still have not found any example of when this works. Therefore, I would like to know.

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Anna Lasses, for the question! As Anna Lasses knows, all countries in the world have an international law obligation to receive their own citizens. It is a fundamental issue that unfortunately not all countries take responsibility for today.

We have pointed out that it is necessary to work on a broad front to achieve a change regarding the shadow society that we heard about in a previous question. One thing is about being able to set requirements on the countries that are recipients of aid, but it is also about being able to have a dialogue with them.

It is nothing new in this context. It has happened in a long line of other areas previously, for example when it concerns corruption and other things. Ultimately, it is always Swedish taxpayers' money that is used. Someone has worked together the money that goes to aid to other countries. Then it is important that we ensure that we get quality for them and that countries actually fulfill the obligations that they are to fulfill.

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Rebecka Le Moine (MP)

Mr. Speaker! We are living in the sixth mass extinction, where we can see that more than 1 million species are at risk of extinction. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that we now in Sweden begin to implement the global agreement, the rescue package, for biological diversity. It aims to stop the extinction and reverse the trends.

It is very beautiful words that we must now put into action. They stand in great contrast to the policy that the government pursues regarding, among other things, the eel, the wolf and the lynx, and also in contrast to the budget that has been presented, where the investment in nature conservation has been reduced by 70 percent.

Now we lack interim targets for biodiversity. The Environmental Goals Commission is to submit them in December 2024, but that is after the next party meeting. Therefore, my question is: How shall we guarantee that we do not come away empty-handed at the next party meeting?

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Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Rebecka Le Moine, for your question! We had a very successful COP meeting regarding biodiversity in Montreal, and it was very positive to see that China's presidency, with Canada's help, could be as successful as it was.

Now we have very clear goals, updated goals, to work towards, but the complicated part will be the implementation itself. When it comes to these international conventions, we participate through the EU, and the goals we are to fulfill, we shall fulfill together in the EU. We are currently working hard during the presidency to ensure that we implement what COP 15 has landed in and to best prepare ourselves for upcoming negotiations regarding biodiversity. In addition to that, the national work is taking place. As you mention, we all look forward to what the environmental committee can produce in terms of various proposals on that front, in addition to the work that takes place through our agencies.

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Merit Frost Lindberg (M)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer. A vibrant business sector is one of the decisive parts of the crime prevention work moving forward. Just the presence of local businesses is important. Shops that stay open and cafes where there are people create safe environments. The companies do not only contribute with tax revenues and jobs, but they actually also create societies where it is possible to live and reside.

Unfortunately, we must conclude that after the previous government's term, the cost of crime against the business sector is over 100 billion kronor annually. One in ten companies is considering moving due to crime, and every twentieth company is even considering closing down. Those hit hardest are the small business owners in the vulnerable areas.

What can the government now do to maintain safety and community services in our suburban centers and also strengthen security for the traders and entrepreneurs who operate there?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Merit Frost Lindberg, for this important issue! Fundamentally, one wants to see a policy for work and entrepreneurship that will lead to the growth and competitiveness that Merit Frost Lindberg demands. It is naturally still the basic agreement, but it is also no coincidence that entrepreneurs, both small and medium-sized, highlighted the issue of security as the single most important issue before the election.

The background to that is, naturally, that the state has not been able to provide safety and security for far too many individuals who run businesses, and I can mention three concrete things that the government is now doing.

The first thing, of course, is to push forward when it comes to police density. A local police presence is essential.

The second is camera surveillance. The police have been given a mandate to quadruple the number of fixed surveillance cameras. We know that this is both crime-preventing and improves the possibility of solving crimes.

The third is a new law on security guards, the first reform in 40 years, with more powers and larger areas - exactly what the municipality needs to be able to maintain law and order locally.

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Lili André (KD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Strömmer.

Swedish companies face major challenges. In addition to the ongoing recession, the vulnerability of companies to crime risks increasing, which creates concern and insecurity among the companies. There is a risk that crime and insecurity are factors that to an ever greater extent hinder the possibility of conducting business activities in Sweden.

Eight years ago, the Swedish police were centralized to get closer to the citizens, and an important part of this was to appoint area police. The problem is that many business owners continue to experience that the police presence is not sufficient for safety. The experience of present area police has decreased, mostly among business owners operating in rural areas.

My question to the Minister is: Based on the concern and insecurity that the companies experience, how is the Minister working to ensure that there are enough area police?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Lili André, for an excellent question in line with the previous questioner! It is an important reminder that the lack of police density is not just a metropolitan phenomenon, but that it is also extraordinarily palpable outside the large cities. Many of us who come from the countryside know that.

What do we do then? To begin with, we raise the level of ambition regarding police growth and say that we shall have a police density at least corresponding to the average within the EU, which means that we shall increase the number of police from roughly 200 to 300 per 100,000 inhabitants. It is a substantial increase in ambition.

The second thing, of course, is that we as a government can also direct the police through regulatory letters, special assignments and other means, and in this way ensure that this growth also reaches the capillaries.

I would like to highlight two extraordinarily important things, not least for the entrepreneurs. It is, firstly, more police out on the streets and squares and, secondly, more qualified investigators who can solve the crimes once they have been committed.

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Mattias Vepsä (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Gunnar Strömmer.

Sweden is in a very serious situation. We have war in our immediate vicinity. We have unrest nationally here at home after the Quran burnings, and we also have a very serious situation in our suburban areas with shootings and explosions among gang criminals all over the country.

The Sweden Democrats have officials placed in the Government Offices, and the Sweden Democrats' party leader sits in the inner cabinet. In the midst of this very serious security policy situation, the Sweden Democrats are now demanding the resignation of the police commissioner. It creates great concern.

The responsible minister has given a completely different message, and my question therefore becomes: Which message from the government base actually applies? What influence do the Sweden Democrats have over the appointing power?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Mattias Vepsä, for the question!

My message is very clear: I have confidence in the police commissioner, and I can assure Mattias Vepsä that the biggest security problem in this country and the biggest security problem that this government has to handle is not opinions on individual officials that can be expressed by party representatives, but it is the situation that we have inherited after eight years of Social Democratic rule.

62 fatal shootings during the past year is an incredibly dark record. From an international perspective, it is striking. We can compare with Norway and Denmark, which had four each, and with Finland, which had two. We devote day and night to trying to reverse the development we have inherited, and we must move forward on several fronts.

One of them is the police. We are adding record-breaking resources, ensuring they have tools that they have been denied for very many years, and also ensuring that we address everything else that must be done for this to be reversed in the long term: the social policy, the sentences, and all of that.

That is where my focus lies, and I can assure Mattias Vepsä that we will continue to have our full focus there.

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Staffan Eklöf (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Pourmokhtari.

Sweden needs more electrical energy. Despite this, nuclear power has been opposed by previous governments. Due to fear of nuclear energy in many EU countries and among many parties in Sweden, many are now pinning all hopes on wind power. In the EU Commission's strategy, it is established that offshore wind power is to be almost thirty-folded, even though many seabed areas have already been built upon.

Sea bottoms and offshore banks are often very biologically rich environments. New EU rules state that the expansion of offshore wind power shall be prioritized over environmental values. My question to the minister is: Shall the species of the biologically rich bottoms and offshore banks, such as the common eider and grey seal, now be sacrificed to produce the electrical energy that the previous governments hindered with their opposition to nuclear power?

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Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member Eklöf, for your question!

Just as has been mentioned, we have a great need to expand our electricity production and our energy fleet. For this purpose, we need both wind power and nuclear power. This government chose early on to make the changes that we can initiate as promptly as possible to accelerate an expansion of the nuclear power that exists in Sweden. Beyond that, we are also looking at how we can expand our wind power.

When applying to build, for example, offshore wind power, there are environmental laws and other things to comply with, and we see a potential to even utilize the offshore wind power to further protect the environment in the areas where it is built, for the marine environment that we have for animals and other living species in our seas.

We therefore intend to make the best use of Swedish environmental legislation and also the potential to use it in a sensible way for the life situation that prevails in our marine environments.

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Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Mr. Speaker! The Government has the ambition to significantly reduce labor migration to Sweden, despite knowing how badly this will hit many companies.

Over 20,000 people were granted residence permits for work during 2022, who have been completely indispensable in many industries. With a wage floor of just over 33,000 kronor per month, many of these will lose their work permits.

The government's proposal has been harshly criticized by representatives from the business community, but until now they have turned a deaf ear. However, the other day the Minister for Employment went out and said that despite everything he has listened to the criticism and believes that exceptions are needed. This immediately received a counterattack from the Sverigedemokraterna.

My question is addressed to Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard and concerns the double signals. In which professional fields does the Minister and the government believe Swedish companies should manage without the current labor immigration? Does it apply to planters, tractor drivers, forest workers, animal keepers, chefs, healthcare personnel, or any others?

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Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Christofer Bergenblock, for the question!

This government will reform labor migration. We want to focus to a much greater extent on qualified and highly qualified labor migration, and we are convinced that many of the jobs that exist in Sweden today could be performed by those who are already in Sweden. I think it is very strange that thousands come every year to work in cleaning, at fast-food restaurants, and as newspaper delivery people. I believe that the labor force exists in Sweden, and in that case, a different policy is needed.

I can give an example of the type of labor immigration that was not needed: I do not think personal assistance was needed. We shall investigate this further to see if there are additional categories that should be excluded.

I also want to remind that this is a two-stage rocket. First, we will raise the maintenance requirements, and after that, we will appoint an inquiry that looks at the requirement for median wage. One should also keep an eye on this.

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Fredrik Kärrholm (M)

Mr. Speaker! The basis for Swedish criminal law was established in the 1960s. It is based on radical ideas about avoiding prison sentences as far as possible, giving perpetrators endless new chances, as well as absurd sentence reductions and quantity discounts.

It is a construction that was flawed from the beginning, and with contemporary crime, it has serious consequences for the citizens' security. Much work is currently being undertaken by the government. Many cracks are being sealed quickly, but the house must be totally renovated. A pipe replacement needs to be done, the foundation needs to be reinforced, and the roof needs to be relaid. A complete and thorough review of the penal code is also needed. This is also the ambition in the Tidö Agreement.

I am fully aware that such a major renovation takes time. How far have the preparations progressed, Minister of Justice, and what does the timeline look like? How soon can we see the renovation completed?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Fredrik Kärrholm for an extraordinarily important question.

The short point of the long speech is: Yes, we have come a long way. The directives are being produced right now, and we will appoint an inquiry that will take the big, broad grip on Swedish criminal law later this spring.

We actually do it in two ways. The first is to not lose momentum. There is a risk when one locks in all the pressing changes in the short term in large and grandiose long-term projects. Therefore, we take on a good deal of the proposals that are on the shelf, which have been pushed forward by a majority in the Riksdag during the previous mandate period, that is to say investigations that were finished when we arrived or were on their way in. We also take the steps that sometimes make us get 50, 60 or 70 percent of the way but not all the way, in order not to lose momentum in the short term.

However, in the long run, a total renovation is required, and it has an important principle, namely that the focus on the perpetrator must out and the focus on the crime victim and the surrounding society's need for protection must in.

There we have the fundamental starting point for the major reform which will therefore get underway later in the spring.

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Yusuf Aydin (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The powerful earthquake in Turkey has caused a terrible humanitarian catastrophe with many deaths, great human suffering, and enormous destruction.

NGOs and aid organizations on the ground describe the situation as catastrophic and the needs as enormous. The situation is particularly difficult in war-torn Syria, which is already in a humanitarian crisis with a shortage of food, medicine, and fuel.

The Swedish Red Cross on site says that it is difficult to send out ambulances due to a lack of fuel. The situation has become much worse after the earthquake and with the severe winter cold.

It is good that the government has acted quickly and already decided on two packages of humanitarian aid of 7 and 30 million respectively. Sweden also has an important role as the chairing country to coordinate the joint efforts.

How does the government intend to continue the support to the earthquake-stricken areas in Turkey and Syria?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Yusuf Aydin for a very important question.

We are witnessing a catastrophe, and we are witnessing it in real time because it is ongoing while we are here in the chamber today. I am glad that after the first reports reached us, we were able to act quickly with the resources we had available there. First, we sent 7 million, and the next day we sent an additional 30 to the UN's disaster fund and to the Red Cross, which we know can work on the ground. We have also received confirmation that the support has been appreciated. This is support that goes to both Turkey and Syria.

We also announced yesterday that we, in the Swedish presidency of the EU together with the Commission, are planning a pledging conference in the near future to collect more funds. And much more will be required.

We are also looking at the various appeals coming from authorities and organizations. What is needed, and how can we help? Accordingly, we focus on doing everything in our power to alleviate the distress and help in the ways we can.

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Aida Birinxhiku (S)

Mr. Speaker! There is still not a single announcement as to when or how the companies will receive their promised electricity support, even though it was supposed to be in place by November 1. And this naturally hits hard on the companies and the jobs across the entire country.

Energy and Business Minister Ebba Busch stated at the beginning of January that the government would shortly make a notification to the commission regarding the approval of the electricity support to the companies. Since then, the minister has repeatedly responded that she cannot give the companies any information.

When I debated the issue with the minister last week, she again answered that the government has not yet made a notification to the commission.

Has the government, State Secretary Johan Forssell, currently submitted a notification to the EU Commission?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Aida Birinxhiku for an important question.

This is an issue that we have worked intensively on ever since the government took office. It is not just about the entrepreneurs, but it also naturally concerns the households, and we have accelerated the processes in the work we inherited from the previous government.

Since then, it has been a complicated economic situation. Not least, inflation has increased sharply in a very short time. It is also important to include when we think about how we manage the overall economic policy.

We will return in the near future with exactly what applies. On the budget side, our ambition is that the payments should take place as early as February. The details for that electricity support were already presented in November.

Under the leadership of Minister Busch, we are working intensively on the issue, and we will return when there is more to say.

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Tobias Andersson (SD)

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

We both come from parties that safeguard market economy and free trade, and we understand that they have to a large extent built Sweden's prosperity and enabled our welfare. Despite the fact that the EU was to be built on these values, they seem to be increasingly eroded within the union, and protectionism characterizes today both socialist and liberal representatives. This is made visible not least when the EU Commission tries to establish a response to the USA's state aid.

How is the government working to counter the situation where Sweden is forced to pay for state aid to other countries' companies through some new EU fund or the like? How are we countering a full-scale trade war between the EU and the USA?

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Tobias Andersson for an important question.

This is something that has grown in importance during the autumn. We received the European Commission's proposal for a response on IRA just a few days ago.

Sweden is now the chair of the EU, and our work is very much about finding a cohesion – a common response. It is no secret that we from the Swedish side have been skeptical about a number of things, for example, starting a full-scale trade war with the USA. It does not feel particularly justified, neither now nor ever.

The idea of trying to build competitiveness with the help of state subsidies is short-sighted. We are trying to introduce more of a perspective on what builds long-term competitiveness. In that regard, there is much to be done to make the internal market function better, for example by removing unnecessary regulations. And we are pushing for more free trade agreements within the EU.

We are working intensively on this, and I myself will travel to Washington and continue the discussions.

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Stefan Olsson (M)

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

In recent days, we have read about the crisis within the Socialdemokraterna in Botkyrka municipality, where people with links to gang crime may have infiltrated the party and thereby contributed to the removal of the party's group leader in the municipal council, who is also the chairman of the municipal executive board.

In the autumn, we could also read about turbulence in the political leadership in Södertälje municipality. The party in the center was then the Kristdemokraterna. Even here, it is claimed that infiltration by criminals may have occurred.

Could there be reason, Minister of Justice, to strengthen the state's supervision of the municipalities in order to make it impossible for criminal gangs to attempt to influence politics?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Stefan Olsson for an extremely pressing question for everyone who safeguards the democratic rule of law and the free and open society.

It is here that the word system-threatening truly takes on its meaning in the deepest sense, because it is a question of crime that does not hesitate to push its way into the entire society, including the public administration. We have seen many dramatic examples of this. And there are several examples of when criminal networks attempt to exert undue influence or even get themselves into political parties.

The systemic threat is great; it must be met with a strategy. There is a strategy against terrorism and violent extremism but not against serious organized crime. We are now developing that, as well as targeted reforms for the public administration.

I cannot go into more detail on individual cases that arise, but we in our party have experienced it before and have been uncompromising. We have excluded members etcetera. It is clear that every party affected by this must act completely uncompromisingly and purge every tendency toward the type of infiltration that Stefan Olsson raises.

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Olle Thorell (S)

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

Today marks two years since the military coup in Burma/Myanmar. Since then, a civil war has broken out. Thousands have died, and millions are in flight. Democracy activists have been imprisoned. At the same time, the brave people of Myanmar continue to fight against the military junta for democracy and human rights, and there is a wealth of democracy activists and a vibrant civil society that is more dependent than ever on the support of the outside world.

When the situation is at its darkest, the need for the world's support and solidarity is most important. Therefore, I wonder how the Minister for Foreign Affairs justifies the massive cut - which he, in response to a previous question, called cutting back a little bit - of aid to Myanmar, and how he views the consequences it entails for these brave people who are fighting against oppression.

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Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Olle Thorell, for an important question!

It is true that we will leave the one percent goal. There is broad political support for it in this chamber, including from the Social Democrats in their latest budget. We focus on Ukraine, for example. We focus on increasing humanitarian aid. But it is difficult to focus on exactly everything at the same time.

It is correct that the aid to Myanmar will decrease. At the same time, one must see that there are other strategies that dock in here. We have, for example, an initiative of a total of 1 billion kronor linked to precisely democracy, democracy fighters, and MR-defenders globally. Initiatives can occur from that. There are also regional strategies here, so I believe one must see it from a slightly broader approach than just linked to a single country.

I also want to point out that we will continue to be an important partner to Myanmar and a great support even after the change that is now taking place.

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Pontus Andersson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! It is my conviction that the Tidö Agreement has the tools to curb the serious crime in society. On page 20 of the agreement, the following states: "A special basis for increased sentencing shall be introduced, which entails double penalties for crimes that are connected to criminal networks."

The Sweden Democrats support this point. But in the government's bill *Stricter penalties for crimes in criminal networks*, which is admittedly a step in the right direction, it states that "for the crime, a prison sentence of a certain period exceeding the maximum penalty that can follow from the crime shall be imposed."

Many have perceived this as that the Tidö Agreement is not being fully fulfilled, but in the dialogues we have had with the minister, he argues that double penalties will be introduced during the mandate period. Can the minister confirm this?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Pontus Andersson, for an important question!

Yes, I can confirm that it will take place during the mandate period. It is connected to the approach I mentioned earlier in response to the question from Fredrik Kärrholm – that we cut back on the proposals on the table to get as far as possible as quickly as possible. But that in no way excludes the fact that several major systemic changes must also take place, even if it takes a bit more time for the simple reason that there is nothing to start with and we are starting over.

The question that Pontus Andersson is now raising regarding double punishment, we will return to in other legislative matters during the mandate period. The fact that it is so important is therefore because, in addition to being both principally and morally correct, it has also been a cornerstone in the strategy that has been so successful, especially in Denmark, when it comes to combating criminal gangs.

The short meaning of the long speech is, therefore, yes.

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Lars Engsund (M)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for the Minister of Justice.

On a Friday evening in September last year, 52-year-old Ulf Sandberg is murdered on the street in Oskarshamn. Ulf was a well-known local figure, and the murder of Ulf has affected me and many others in my home region. Two young perpetrators assault Ulf while one of them photographs and films the proceedings. One of the perpetrators then stabs Ulf to death.

One of the perpetrators was sentenced a few months before the murder of Ulf to two years and nine months of imprisonment for aggravated narcotics crime. Despite the risk of recidivism, that is, a relapse into crime, he was released pending the completion of his sentence.

My question is therefore: How are we to prevent criminals who are sentenced to longer prison terms from going free while waiting to serve their sentences?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Lars Engsund, for an important question! I know, and you have also told about this before, that it has engaged the entire local community that you are a part of.

You also know that I am not allowed to comment on individual cases. I must keep the answer at a principled level, but I just want to say on a general level that everyone can understand that for relatives affected by something like this, and for that matter the entire society that is involved, it is of course terrible and deplorable.

This also raises a number of fundamental questions about how one should view individuals who are convicted of serious crimes and where there is also a tangible risk of recidivism.

We want to punish recidivism more severely. We want to introduce new sentencing categories regarding detention, which fundamentally are about meeting the surrounding society's need for protection, not least against repeat offenses, and lower the threshold for mandatory detention. Now we are making it one and a half years because that is the proposal that has been on the table, but we want to bring it down to twelve months.

In such a concrete case, we must naturally look at which circumstances should lead to a person being locked up also while awaiting a sentence. I promise that we will return to that.

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Jytte Guteland (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Climate and Environment.

Global warming is the great issue of our time, and it is right now that we have the opportunity to act powerfully with an ambitious climate policy. Not least the EU presidency gives us that opportunity.

But after the government's first 100 days, the Minister for Climate and the Minister for Enterprise held a press conference regarding the climate and energy area, where the Minister for Climate and her department head accounted for the work. They then met with direct criticism from SD's spokesperson for environmental and climate policy here. The criticism was that the Tidö Agreement would have been exceeded in this area. The government base thus claims that the Tidö Agreement stands above goals in the climate area and also above legislation.

I therefore wonder how the Minister for Climate and Environment interprets this and how the government assesses it. Is it the EU's climate package or Sweden's own climate act that takes precedence, or is it the Tidö Agreement and the lack of ambition that the government base stands for?

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Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Mr. Speaker! This alleged lack of ambition - it is interesting to hear it so clearly stated that there is a lack of ambition in this government regarding climate policy, when what we are doing is sitting down and seriously taking a holistic approach to the policy we are putting forward to handle the climate work that must take place during the coming parliamentary terms.

We have goals in Sweden for net-zero 2045 and goals in the EU for net-zero for the entire EU 2050. These are very high goals, and if they are to be reached, it matters that one does not just work based on gut feeling but actually sits down and looks at what research and science say are proven methods for conducting climate policy. That is how this government intends to work.

Then we take into account both what we agree on with the government base in the city budget and what the Riksdag has voted through in the form of climate laws and other things. It is clear for the entire government and also for the base that has voted through the state budget that we work towards net-zero 2045.

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Mikael Eskilandersson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer.

The consultation period for the investigation *Alla tiders föräldraskap*, which the previous government commissioned, recently expired. The investigation has, among other things, looked at whether more adults than those who are a child's parent should be granted legal rights to the child and whether the number of guardians should be expanded to more than two.

The investigation appears to contain a great deal of political opinion but very few concrete, scientific grounds for what is in the child's best interest.

The Sweden Democrats consider that several of the proposals the investigation has arrived at are very problematic and rather aim at adults' rights than at children's rights.

Therefore, my question to the Minister is: Does Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer intend to proceed with the proposals in the investigation *Alla tiders föräldraskap*?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Mikael Eskilandersson for the question.

It is quite true that such a basis exists, and we must return to how we intend to proceed with this basis.

On a general level, I want to say two things. The first is that the principle of the best interests of the child is a self-evident starting point for the government's policy in this area, just as in a number of other areas we have discussed in the chamber today. The second is that my experience and conviction is that this starting point can also lead to different kinds of family formations, and I think that, principally, morally, and based on experience, we should be able to agree on that.

Exactly what this will entail regarding the proposals the member refers to, I must ask to return to.

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Per-Arne Håkansson (S)

Mr. Speaker! I turn to Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer.

I want to highlight the corruption index that Transparency International recently presented. It shows that, in comparison to previous years, Sweden is losing ground. It is a signal to take seriously.

The previous Social Democratic government took a number of initiatives in the fight against corruption. In 2020, a decision was made to task Statskontoret with promoting and supporting the work towards state agencies, and in 2021, the whistleblower law began to apply. As recently as June, a special investigator was appointed to review how improper influence and corruption can be countered. The investigation was to cover state, regional, and municipal activities as well as the business sector, with a particular focus on activities that are publicly funded.

This investigation is, as I understand it, discontinued and a new one is perhaps underway. But I want to ask the Minister for Justice: Will the work receive a different direction now, and if so, does the Minister for Justice not see a risk that the work will lose momentum and focus?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Per-Arne Håkansson, for raising this issue. I gladly take the opportunity to elaborate on how I view it.

It is clearly a poor grade for Sweden to drop in ranking when it comes to corruption. It is not a good conclusion to the years that lie behind us. It is quite obvious that we must tackle the issue in all its complexity and do so on a broad scale.

It is also true that we are now making a new start regarding investigations in these matters. Over the coming months, we will gradually account for how we intend to proceed. It is about putting different issues out for agency assignments and investigation assignments. It is also about securing new EU initiatives that will arrive in just a few months. It will require that we do not only conduct investigations of a mapping character, as I believe the investigation we laid down had, but that we also must to a large extent engage in sharp legislation in this area.

All the questions covered by the previous investigation will be addressed in different ways in the various initiatives that the government will take during the months ahead of us.

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Ludvig Aspling (SD)

Mr. Speaker! According to the latest forecast, which arrived this week, the number of asylum seekers is decreasing slightly over the next two years. This is, in itself, important for us to manage the permanent migration and crime crisis we find ourselves in.

In my opinion, however, the number is still far too large. I mean that we do not have the capacity to integrate tens of thousands of new asylum seekers, nor thousands or even hundreds. This also appears to be completely obvious.

The Tidö Agreement itself contains no goal regarding volumes or the number of people we are to receive, but instead, it concerns rule changes, which I think is a sensible way forward.

I would still like to ask Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard: Does she have any idea how many asylum seekers Sweden can manage to integrate over the coming years?

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

Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Ludvig Aspling for a highly relevant question.

It is true that the forecast shows some reduction, but a planning assumption of 16,000 asylum seekers per year is still far too high. Therefore, the measures we have signaled in the Tidö Agreement are so urgent for us to be able to drastically reduce asylum immigration. I am very pleased with the cooperation we have in these matters.

At the same time, the pressure in Europe continues to be high. So far, that flow does not reach Sweden, but we do not know what will happen. Keeping track of the EU's external border is absolutely crucial to ensure that fewer people who have grounds for asylum seek their way to Europe only to turn back. Here, the government is working very actively at the EU level.

When it comes to the forecast, it should be noted that it only takes into account proposed legislative changes in submitted propositions. Announced legislative changes are not included, and I believe we can do more even in the shorter term through the policy we have announced.

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

Anna-Belle Strömberg (S)

Mr. Speaker! Children are the only crime victims who are forced to meet their perpetrators. Recently, a boy died in Luleå, suspected to have been murdered by his father during visitation. Nine out of ten children who have visitation with their own or a close relative's perpetrator experience anxiety, fear, grief, and frustration from the visitation. Nine out of ten suffer lasting psychological damage.

The Gender Equality Authority's report "Information on violence is no exception" examines 814 district court judgments concerning custody, residence, and visitation. The review shows that in 64 percent of the cases, information regarding violence and abuse was presented. Despite this, the judges have not weighed it into their decisions. This is not in the child's best interest. Earlier today, we Social Democrats, the Liberals, and Unizon organized a seminar on this.

During our time in government, we took several initiatives to strengthen children's rights, and we appreciated the broad support in the Riksdag.

Now the new government must take over the baton. What does the Minister for Justice intend to do so that no children will have to meet their perpetrators?

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

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Anna-Belle Strömberg for the question.

I gladly take the relay baton and gladly carry it jointly with the member and all other members in this chamber who I know are engaged in the issue. I am also aware of your seminar, and when we are finished here, I will personally meet Unizon and receive over 70,000 name signatures that have been collected in connection with the case that Anna-Belle Strömberg mentioned.

What do we intend to do? To begin with, we shall ensure that we have continued exchange and dialogue between the different houses that handle these issues together. On the government's table is the investigation Safer homes for children, which concerns how the principle of the best interests of the child shall achieve a much clearer and stronger impact in the legislation and thus also in the practical application of the legislation.

Question Time

Anna-Belle Strömberg and all others who are strongly committed can be assured that the government also has a strong commitment to the issue and intends to come to the Riksdag with a legislative proposal as soon as possible.

Question time was hereby concluded.

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