Question Time

ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered by Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson, Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall, Minister Jessika Roswall, 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/her performance of duties. The question shall therefore not concern, for example, conditions within political parties. Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson answers both general political questions as well as questions within her own area of responsibility.

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Eva Lindh (S)

Madam Speaker! We find ourselves in the toughest economic situation in decades. Food prices have increased by 20 percent over the last year. Three out of ten single parents with a salary of up to 35,000 kronor per month have difficulty putting nutritious food on the table for their children.

In the autumn, the government prioritized a tax cut of 1,000 kronor per month for high-income earners over investments in welfare and families with children. The government could have corrected this in the spring budget but did not take the chance. The investments for families with children were omitted.

We Social Democrats have proposed a temporary increase in child and study grants this summer and an increased maintenance support throughout the year. The supplements that would have then been provided would have made Sweden safer through the crisis.

My question to Finance Minister Svantesson is: What is her advice to all those parents who, despite working and having a salary right now, are finding it difficult and are struggling to make ends meet?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member Lindh, for a very good question!

It is a burning issue right now. Perhaps no one believed two years ago or even a year ago that inflation would remain so high for so long and affect so many people so severely. Everyone feels the inflation. But those who are affected are those who have the smallest margins, which Eva Lindh is also touching upon.

That is why we are now, in the spring budget, extending but also increasing the housing allowance for families with children that exists. We increased it by 40 percent. It is a very accurate way to ensure that those with the smallest margins now receive a proper reinforcement.

It will still be very tough. There are so many people who are struggling right now. Of the housing allowance, 60 percent goes to single mothers and 10-11 percent to single fathers. They often work, but they have small incomes and find it very tough to make the finances work.

It is an accurate way. We have not made a decision on it, but the proposal is now on the Riksdag's table.

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Eva Lindh (S)

Madam Speaker! The only measure that the government, Finance Minister Svantesson, is making is the addition to the housing allowance. It is good and important. But anything else would have been completely unreasonable in these times. It should also be said that the addition only reaches one in ten families with children in Sweden.

I still want to ask the question: What advice does Finance Minister Svantesson have for all the families with children and single parents who are struggling with their finances right now?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! I do not think I will give people advice. But I will do everything I can so that we can get through this tough situation where many people are struggling.

With the budget that we submitted and which now applies for this year, we have lowered fuel prices. We have a large electricity support this year that will reach many who have struggled with high electricity prices. The government is making active investments to facilitate. But it will be tough.

I can only state that it is good that the Social Democrats, in their budget motion, take inflation seriously. We share the view that more people need to be supported. I am following the developments closely and will continue to do so. But it will be tough.

Priority number one for everyone who is struggling is now that we are fighting down inflation. The government takes responsibility for that.

(Applause)

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Anna-Lena Blomkvist (SD)

Madam Speaker! The starting point in a democratic and prosperous society is that men and women are given the same opportunities and rights. This is completely fundamental for the Sweden Democrats. We know, however, that reality does not look like that.

What we see today is widespread violence in society that particularly affects women. This is deeply unworthy of a strong welfare country like Sweden, which has long been one of the most egalitarian countries in the world.

Over the weekend, 20-year-old Saga was found deceased after a severe assault. Not only did Saga lose her life, but also her unborn son in her womb. Every time a woman or a child dies because of a violent partner or a close relative, it is an enormous loss for society. Here we need to truly rally together, everyone together.

Does the Minister for Equality intend to work to stop the violence that women and children are subjected to in Sweden?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Anna-Lena Blomkvist, for a very important and relevant question!

Violence in close relationships is a huge societal problem. It is also a problem that I feel we talk about too little. Every year, approximately 15 women die. They are murdered by a partner or a former partner. In addition to that, we have many thousands of reports regarding violence in close relationships.

I will never accept this as a normal situation. What one can be sure of is that if one continues to do what one has previously done, one will not get any other result.

We have begun the work of developing a new action program that will start running in 2024. We have also begun the work on a new national strategy that will start running from 2026 to find new powerful measures that actually make a difference for this incredibly vulnerable group.

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Anna-Lena Blomkvist (SD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the answer, Minister! I hear that there is broad agreement on the issue here in the chamber, and that pleases me.

The Sweden Democrats argue that violence needs to be curbed even before it is committed in order to truly tackle the problems. Everyone deserves to feel safe in Sweden, whether it is in the city, through the park, or in their own home.

Does the Minister intend to take any concrete measures to ensure that social services and other important actors receive better tools in reality to improve the situation for women who need society's protection, and what are these measures?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! To solve this, one needs to work very broadly with both the repressive but also with the preventive.

We need to put much more focus on young relationships. It is when our youth enter their first relationships that we can set the norms and influence the norms. How does one behave towards someone that one is in a relationship with, and is jealousy actually romantic?

That is where we must focus. We must also make it easier for those exposed to violence to leave relationships where they are subjected to violence.

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Ali Esbati (V)

Madam Speaker! The crisis reports on the economy of households and welfare are now almost as frequent as the Sweden Democrat attacks on everything other than the economy of households and welfare.

The M-SD government's response to the crisis has, as is known, been to do practically nothing. It has not even given notice to heavily pressured municipalities in a situation where they really would have needed it.

But not everything is silent. A recently referred tax proposal would mean that someone with a salary approximately like the Finance Minister's would get a bit over 30,000 kronor lower tax, around 3,000 kronor a month. Someone who earns 200,000 kronor a year and works hard for hours gets 138 kronor lower tax per year with that proposal.

My question to the Minister for Finance is: Is there anyone in her vicinity who could tell us that there are other problems in Sweden than marginal taxes and that there exist other measures to take than further tax cuts for high-income earners?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Ali Esbati for the question. I believe that Ali Esbati misses an important point, besides that the referrals that are now being sent out shall be a basis for a negotiation in the autumn. He also misses the point that it is the employees who are now hit hardest by the high inflation.

So, it is about those who do not have their benefits or compensations revised due to inflation. A guaranteed pensioner now has approximately 850 kronor more per month. We think that is good; we agree on having this system. But this applies to ordinary wage earners. An assistant nurse who works 82 percent and who perhaps drives a car to work because it is quite far there is hit very hard. Fuel is expensive, electricity prices are high, and one sees their salary decrease in value.

Lowering taxes for low- and middle-income earners is important to me. It is also part of the Tidö Agreement that we shall lower taxes so that those who work also get to keep more of their salary. And it is even more important in an environment with high inflation.

(Applause)

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Ali Esbati (V)

Madam Speaker! I note that the Finance Minister's perception of what constitutes ordinary wage earners is somewhat divergent.

The point of the proposals being referred, which can also be seen in the bars that are so nicely included in the referral itself, is that these are tax cuts that are very clearly aimed at those who have the very, very highest incomes in Sweden. They are the ones who already have better margins, and they are the ones the Finance Minister wants to support – while at the same time she does not want to do anything for a large part of the wage earners and nothing for the welfare.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! It surprises me a little that Ali Esbati, whom I know is a wise person, has not read the tables and the papers a bit more carefully.

This is going to referral. It can be scaled up, and it can be scaled down - above all, it can be scaled up. And yes, I have read this. Exactly how the whole thing lands we will return to, but I still believe that it is important that it becomes more profitable to work and that the wage earner who has now lost a lot in real wage cuts shall get more in the wallet.

When that happens, we will return to it. Will it be 2024 or 2025? We will return to that. But I will stand up for hard-working people, who are having a very tough time right now.

(Applause)

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Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! The reports are coming in thick and fast. For example, a report from Svenska kraftnät arrived as recently as this week showing that their grid expansion will not be sufficient. This applies in particular to Western Sweden, where we have large investment needs due to, among other things, battery factories and chemical clusters. Simply put, a lot of new electricity production is needed very quickly.

Therefore, the incentive study that was submitted to the government as recently as last Thursday is also welcome. The investigator was, however, quite critical and argued that while some of the problems with neighbors will be solved, the municipalities are not being brought along. Simply put, new incentives are needed.

Then it was welcome that the Prime Minister stated in SVT on Thursday that incentives were needed for the municipalities. The same thing was said by the Minister for Climate at the press conference: Support is needed for the municipalities.

My question to the Minister for Finance is quite simply: What support will be provided to the municipalities to expand new electricity production quickly?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Rickard Nordin, for the question! Since the investigation has just been completed and is now to be prepared, as we often say – but that is how it must be done – we will, of course, have to return to exactly what the support will look like.

Regardless of which party we belong to here in the Riksdag, we all know that we need more electricity. That is exactly what the investigation is about, and that is what the government is also working on. We need to expand in every possible way. We need to have more nuclear power, not less. We need to have more wind power, and to have wind power, we need nuclear power. We need more solar power, and we will need to save more energy during the winter to come. We also need to encourage energy efficiencies.

The government's policy holds together. More must be produced, and we shall facilitate drivers and provide incentives. Exactly how it will look regarding the municipalities, we will have to return to.

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Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! The investigation is to be sent out for consultation, and it has been said that proposals will be presented next spring. This is excellently done by the government.

The problem was that the investigation was circumscribed: It was not allowed to propose things that concern the municipalities. The circumscriptions came from both the old government and from this government.

Still, the Prime Minister says that incentives are needed for the municipalities, and the Minister for Climate and Environment says the same thing. Can the Minister for Finance mention some examples of what the government sees it could be? What incentives does the government imagine for the municipalities at all when it is now emphasized as important?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! We will absolutely return, Rickard Nordin. But the point is that incentives were needed because we need more wind power, just as we need more other electricity production. We also need more nuclear power, as I said, and the municipalities may need to be on board with that as well. Where our nuclear power plants are located now, the municipalities are very positive.

Again: The government's focus is to reverse a negative development with energy systems that have actually cracked and to build new electricity as quickly as possible in the best way. That is why we are now ensuring that the permit processes will go significantly faster than before.

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Camilla Hansén (MP)

Madam Speaker! The devil is in the details. Last week, the government appointed members to the boards of all the country's state universities and colleges. A few days earlier, the nominees and the educational institutions were informed that the government is halving the term of office because, on the next occasion, they want to be able to nominate persons with security policy competence.

The decision had, as far as I understand, not been discussed with the universities' rectors, who reacted quickly and unanimously with a joint letter to the government where, in their criticism, they express concern about increased political steering.

It may seem like a trivial matter to halve the term of office for board members based on an important security policy aspect. But the devil is in the details, and the government's decision to halve the term of office is such a detail.

My question is: Will the government listen to all principals at Sweden's educational institutions and immediately rethink?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Camilla Hansén, for the question! What is it that Sweden cannot afford? We cannot afford to be naive.

When we receive signals that something is not sufficiently security-classified or not sufficiently assessed, this government makes an active and rapid decision to ensure that the processes are secured. That is what this is about.

I believe that we all in here fundamentally think that it is wise that we know who sits on the boards and that there is in no way any improper influence. The question is important. But this is not about political appointments, it is about security. We simply must know who is in our important university boards. Therefore, it is wise to also have a shorter perspective in the appointments right now.

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Camilla Hansén (MP)

Madam Speaker! Everyone in this chamber knows that the security policy situation is serious. We have expert agencies that very clearly and openly describe the security policy situation.

What the government has done now is to damage the trust that the government respects academic freedom. What I want to know is: Why is this specific measure important when there is an urgency? Why not clearer instructions to the expert agencies? Why not the usual agency dialogue with the universities?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! I do not know if we share the same goal. Sweden has been naive. I worked at Örebro University for many years, and I believe that I never . But I will not go into details.

I believe it is very important that we now find criteria based on different security risks, which we perhaps did not have when I worked there. There were problems then too, but it is incredibly important that we do this now. It is not about academic freedom, and it is not about politicization. It is about not being naive - period.

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Boriana Åberg (M)

Madam Speaker! The work line has served Sweden well, and it must be protected. In order to maintain our welfare society, everyone who can work must be available to the labor market and strive to get a job and become self-sufficient. Everyone who can work shall work; it is an important principle.

Therefore, there must be incentives to take the step from benefits to work, but also to educate oneself and take greater responsibility in the workplace.

I would like to ask Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson: What measures does the government intend to take in the autumn budget to strengthen the work line?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Boriana Åberg for the question, which is incredibly important. We know that in order to build a strong society and a country, everyone who has the capacity to work must participate and contribute according to their ability.

We are currently seeing a challenge in that very many people are not self-sufficient. Even though we have a high employment rate, there are very many people who are not.

What is needed then? What will the government do during the mandate period? We will introduce a subsidy reform in several parts. It is about activity from the person who has subsistence support - to be full-time active, to participate and contribute. It is about a subsidy ceiling, which is a way to ensure that one can never be able to stack subsidies to the extent that it does not pay to take a job.

But it is also, of course, about qualification for welfare and taxes. It must pay to work. We know that for many families in Sweden right now, it does not. So, one cannot build a strong society. So, one cannot get more money for welfare.

Focusing on the work line and growth are therefore important priorities for the government, but also for the Sweden Democrats. We agree on lowering taxes and introducing a benefit reform.

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Boriana Åberg (M)

Madam Speaker! A report from the Institute for Labour Market and Education Policy Evaluation shows that the tapering of the job tax credit introduced in 2016 has led to those who have received higher taxes choosing to work less. Consequently, there have been fewer tax revenues and less money to invest in those who truly need it.

Does the government intend to abolish the tapering of the job tax credit?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Boriana Åberg, for the follow-up question!

We are now referring a number of different tax proposals that we will include in the discussions ahead of the autumn budget. We will return to exactly which tax cuts will be included in the budget for next year. It must be the right time and the right situation, and it must be able to be financed in a way that is sustainable if we have high inflation.

For us, it is important that it pays to work but also to educate oneself. Sweden shall be a country where diligence and perseverance pay off, for that is what builds not only strong people but also a strong country.

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Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is directed to EU Minister Jessika Roswall.

Recently, we Kristdemokrater have been approached very much by both LSS staff and rescue service personnel who are reacting to the working hours directive. As I have understood it, this directive has exceptions for strategic groups. Therefore, my question is whether the Minister shares the view that there exists a possibility for exceptions in this directive.

(ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN: After consultation between the ministers, it is Paulina Brandberg, Liberalerna, who will answer this question.)

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! This is an extremely important issue, but it is also an issue that does not lie on the political table. This concerns a new collective agreement between the parties in the labor market. From the perspective of the Swedish model, I believe it is important that we have confidence that the parties in the labor market can resolve such an issue.

The EU's working time directive is not a new directive. It has existed since 2003, and it has been possible to find solutions before. I have good hopes that it will be possible to find solutions this time as well.

Negotiations and supplementary negotiations are currently underway for certain professional groups, including firefighters and personal assistants. Out of respect for the parties' independence, I do not interfere in those negotiations. I have confidence that this will be resolved by the parties in the labor market.

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Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Following that report from Paulina Brandberg, I perceive it as that she and I perceive the situation exactly the same way: Here is a directive, here is an exception, and today it is a question for the parties in the labor market. This means that the S-led SKR leadership now has a responsibility to resolve these questions.

I thank you for the answer, Madam Speaker.

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question and, of course, I am following the process closely.

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Carl B Hamilton (L)

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

We received a pleasing piece of news with this morning's coffee, namely that food prices, according to an index, have gone down by 0.4 percentage points. It is very little, but it is still in the right direction. It is naturally a long way off until the inflation target Sweden has of 2 percent. There is a long distance left to cover.

The problem here – or perhaps it is not a problem – is that it is the Riksbank that handles the interest rate setting and has a decisive influence over inflation. Then the question is, since the interest rate setting and the interest rate policy have some distributional disadvantages, how the Minister for Finance intends for one to be able to counter the effective Riksbank policy that must be implemented.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Carl B Hamilton, for the question!

We find ourselves in a situation that we have not had for many decades, with very high inflation while we are at the beginning of a recession. In normal recessions, we usually stimulate demand to get the economy moving and be able to lift it. Today, that would drive up inflation.

My and the government's plan is to fight inflation and at the same time support households. That is also what the member is getting at: How can we support households in the midst of this time? It concerns, for example, the housing allowance, which we are both increasing and extending. It concerns that we ensure an electricity subsidy returns to the households. It also concerns several other parts so that we can counter this situation.

The faster we get down the inflation, the easier it will become moving forward. It will not be easy, but it will make things easier for us. It is a very important point. If the inflation and the inflation rate are not lowered – because fighting inflation is actually not about prices going down but about them stopping increasing – we will, in fact, have very large problems in the economy, and households will have enormously large problems moving forward.

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Carl B Hamilton (L)

Madam Speaker! The Minister for Finance usually uses the word "accurate" in these discussions. It should be accurate measures. I believe that many who are watching this debate, perhaps on TV, wonder why one cannot have broad, more generous grants to those who are struggling. Why does it have to be so accurate? Explain that, Madam Minister for Finance!

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! I would be happy to. When it comes to, for example, child allowance, I have full respect for the view that it is a good way to compensate families right now. The point, however, is that the vast majority of families are managing the situation. It is tough, but they are getting by.

That we here inside should get an increased child allowance - now I have no small children - is not accurate. What is accurate is to direct efforts towards those who have it toughest.

The same applies to the VAT. I have full respect for the view that lowered VAT can be a way to provide relief, but lowered VAT will not affect the underlying inflation. It is also a very blunt tool for reaching those who have it the toughest.

That is why we are investing in targeted measures to facilitate things for households.

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Johan Andersson (S)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Jessika Roswall, also Minister for Nordic Affairs.

In 1962, cooperation in the Nordic region was regulated through the so-called Helsinki Accords between the Nordic countries. This means that it turned 60 years old last year. Much has happened during these 60 years, especially when it comes to our security situation and defense situation.

Today there is cooperation in a number of areas - however not in defense matters and security matters, which in the light of what is now happening in Ukraine has truly become topical. Soon, hopefully, the Nordic countries will also be in Nato - so also Sweden, when the process is complete.

My question to the Minister is: How does the government view expanding the Helsinki Accords? There are also discussions ongoing in the other Nordic countries regarding this.

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the question, Johan Andersson!

For me, Nordic issues are extremely important. The Prime Minister was also clear in the government's statement that we need to increase cooperation within the Nordic region and the Nordic-Baltic cooperation.

The Helsinki Accords have served our cooperation well. It has existed for a long time. But that does not mean it needs to be evaluated. My view is that we should focus on solving the challenges we have within the Nordics and the Baltics in order to be able to increase cooperation.

I believe we have many very important things to focus on. We should not get stuck in different changes of existing agreements. They have, as has been said, functioned well. Society has developed during these 60 years, and we have constantly developed the Nordic cooperation to stay in step with the challenges we have.

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David Perez (SD)

Madam Speaker! The Swedish pension system is built on the premise that the employee shall perform their duty during a long working life in order to be able to claim their right in the form of a decent pension.

The previous Social Democratic government unfortunately changed the basic deduction, which resulted in those born in 1957 paying a higher tax on their pension than what was promised. And if nothing is done, it will also affect those born in 1959.

My question to Finance Minister Svantesson is therefore whether the government will rectify the unfair tax that the 57:as pay on their pension and compensate them for the Social Democrats' betrayal.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the question, David Perez!

It is a situation that is troublesome to say the least that very many 57:s have ended up in, especially those who want to retire, after the Social Democrats did not inform all those who are affected.

We came to power in October and cannot influence and have retroactive taxation during the current year. It is a concerning situation. I understand that many are both upset and strongly affected by this.

We are having a discussion about how we should view the tax situation for pensioners in general moving forward and how we should strengthen the position and economy for pensioners, just as for those who work. But right now, there is no finished proposal regarding the 57s.

It is a question that no party in this chamber raised last spring, when the proposal was on the table. It is two parties that have done so this year, with the spring amendment budget, despite the fact that they surely know that it is not possible to change taxes retroactively.

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Ciczie Weidby (V)

Madam Speaker! I turn to Paulina Brandberg.

No one should have to die at their work. No one should also have to die from their work. Despite the fact that the previous government actually expanded its zero vision regarding fatal accidents, unfortunately, people continue to die both at and from their jobs. According to a report from Arbetsmiljöverket, approximately 3,000 people die prematurely due to illnesses or injuries caused by unhealthy work environments. In addition to that, around 50 people die every year due to workplace accidents.

I could list many measures to stop that development. But I am more curious about what different solutions the government thinks exist to achieve the zero vision, that no one should have to die either at or from their work.

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for a question that is important for several reasons. It is also an important equality issue. When we look at it, we see that it is primarily men who die at work and primarily women who die from work. We must, of course, find measures for both groups.

The government continues to work towards the zero vision that the previous government worked towards and with - I see that as a self-evident matter - to find new ways forward to bring down the figures.

An important measure I see is to combat the shadow society that exists today on the Swedish labor market. There, unscrupulous companies can do better business because they do not have an equally serious work environment effort. In this way, they can outcompete the serious companies. An important measure is therefore to tackle the crime in the working life and the shadow society on our Swedish labor market.

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Anna Lasses (C)

Madam Speaker! Few are as dependent on transport and its functioning as the more than 60,000 people who live on Gotland. That the prices on the ferry traffic have gone up by 50 percent in just the last year is nothing other than a death blow to the residents and the entire society's existence on the island.

Business is affected, not least all food producers who are to transport food to the mainland. The important tourism industry is affected. And the people are affected. Everyone loses out on it.

The government had the chance to at least partially compensate for that in the budget for the year's changes - but no! Now my question is: What is the Finance Minister and the government doing about this? I mean now, in this acute situation and not what happens before the procurement that is to be completed in a number of years.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the question, Anna Lasses!

I know that it is an important and major issue for many, of course especially for everyone who is dependent on traveling both to and from Gotland. Over the last year and the last half-year, it has become clear that it has become more expensive and is problematic for many.

I am following the issue closely. In the autumn budget amendment, it did not come, just as Anna Lasses said, with resources and money for it. I promise to follow it closely and keep it in mind for the budget we present this autumn, before next year. I know that many are affected. That traffic must work. It must be possible to travel, and one must be able to afford to travel.

The question is therefore with me at the Ministry of Finance. I will have to come back to it in more detail later. It is not included in the year-end budget, but it has not been forgotten.

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Malte Roos (MP)

Madam Speaker! All around the country, we hear about cuts to children's and students' education when the government refuses to share the burden with the municipalities regarding increased costs and inflation due to war and the pandemic.

In my home municipality Malmö, all parties, including the Moderaterna, submitted proposals for either efficiencies within all activities, including the school, or very large tax increases to make their respective budget proposals balance. The situation looks similar in municipalities across all of Sweden.

Representatives for the government parties have previously washed their hands of it and said that the school is the municipalities' responsibility and that they must show they can prioritize the school if they think it is important. The government's position is therefore that the increased costs, which the municipalities in no way have caused or been able to influence, should be handled by the municipalities themselves. They simply have to prioritize.

My question to Finance Minister Svantesson is: What does the Finance Minister think the municipalities should prioritize away?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the question, Malte Roos!

It is important to emphasize that in the budget for this year, 2023, we ensure that 12 billion reaches the welfare sector. Large parts go to the school. 12 billion was approximately one third of the reform space that existed then.

For us and for me, it is incredibly important that we support the municipalities during a tough time. But let me remind you – and this is the difficult part – that everything has become expensive for everyone, for households, for companies, for municipalities, for regions, and for the state.

We are in a situation where there is no free money. I know that Miljöpartiet has put forward quite a lot of unfunded [expenditures] in their budget proposals for both the autumn budget and now. It would drive up inflation and make it more expensive for the municipalities. I am fighting inflation and supporting the municipalities.

I know that the needs are great, and I know that it is tough. I am following the issue very closely. We will also return before next year with exactly how the supports and grants are to look like then. But we must get through this. And we will get through it together.

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Jesper Skalberg Karlsson (M)

Madam Speaker! The Ministry of Justice, the police, and the rest of the justice chain are currently doing everything they can to push back the organized crime that has taken hold in Sweden. It is a welcome increase in tempo.

But what can Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall do to ensure that not a new generation of young people is drawn into crime and then takes over when today's gang leaders are soon behind bars?

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Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Jesper Skalberg, for an extremely important question! Yes, Sweden is in an extremely serious situation with escalating gang crime. It is one of the government's and the Tidö parties' highest priority issues to push it back.

What is perhaps not as often highlighted is the fact that there are no fewer than 22 points in the Tidö Agreement that speak about preventive measures, and in that, the social services are an incredibly important part. Therefore, the government is now drafting the investigation that came in 2020, but which was not drafted by the previous government. It means that the social services will receive completely different conditions to work preventively.

We are adding school social teams to be able to work early and preventatively, and we ensure that work is carried out in a different way with confidentiality so that different actors can exchange relevant information in a timely manner. All this to prevent and hinder more children and young people from being drawn into crime.

(Applause)

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Cecilia Engström (KD)

Madam Speaker! In 2019, the Nordic prime ministers adopted a vision that the Nordic region should become the world's most sustainable and integrated region by 2030. We do not have many years left, but unfortunately, there is a long way to go regarding the integration between the Nordic countries. For me, who is from Skåne, it became particularly evident during the management of the pandemic, when the countries closed borders and had different rules that made life difficult for those of us coming from the border areas. There are also many different border obstacles between the countries in the form of rules and laws that have not been resolved yet.

My question is directed to our Minister for Nordic Cooperation, Jessika Roswall. In what way will the government increase the pace to get closer to the vision of the Nordic region as the world's most sustainable, integrated region by 2030?

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Cecilia Engström, for the question! The vision to become the world's most sustainable and integrated region by 2030 is firm. The Government and I are working hard to get there, and just as the member highlights, an important part of that is breaking down border barriers, for example by increasing the possibilities for commuting in the Öresund region.

What the government is doing is working at the ministerial level with my Nordic ministerial colleagues, and there it is about prioritizing the work on how we are to reach the vision. It is also about the budget. We have also had tough discussions about that when it comes to how we are to prioritize in order to get it right.

Here at home, I have tasked all departments to review how we can sharpen our tools regarding what we can do in Sweden. There are many things we can do. That mandate exists. It is also about what can be done at the local level and bilaterally, between countries.

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Yasmine Bladelius (S)

Madam Speaker! The new, tough economic situation is causing problems for many Swedish households. Children tell about how they choose to stay home from school when it is cold because they have not been able to afford to buy winter jackets, how they refrain from PE because the sneakers have become too small, and how they refrain from participating in excursions and leisure activities because the money simply does not suffice. It is an incredibly tough economic situation, and it places demands on politics. The children should not pay the cost of the crisis.

The Social Democrats' proposal for the spring budget puts children first. We want to temporarily increase the child allowance, add two additional study grants during the summer, and increase the maintenance support for single parents. We are making a powerful investment in more leisure activities with lunch during the summer holidays.

Why do the Minister for Children and the government not do more to ensure that children do not suffer in the wake of the economic crisis?

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Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you very much, Yasmine Bladelius, for another important question! It makes me very concerned. Families across Sweden are having a very tough time today, but what makes this even more serious is that the situation is not new. It is a fact that in 2022, Sweden was ranked as the country in the Nordic region with the highest child poverty - it is not a particularly flattering position - after many years of economic boom. This means that the responsibility also falls heavily on previous governments.

Almost 200,000 children are identified as being in child poverty. But to support and help the most vulnerable families, the government is investing in the measure that we know has the absolute greatest effect, namely an increased housing allowance. We also have other measures where an expanded social service will be able to work earlier and more preventatively with these families.

(Applause)

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Jessica Stegrud (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Finance Minister Svantesson. It is now known that we find ourselves in a situation - due to political decisions - where power shortages are alternated with electricity surpluses. The Government, in cooperation with the Sweden Democrats, has identified that more predictable, fossil-free electricity production needs to be built.

Vattenfall has received a very clear mandate to invest in, among other things, nuclear power. I see that Vattenfall is focusing on so-called small modular reactors, SMR, and my fear is – given my background as an investment controller in the nuclear power industry – that in this early stage, one is focusing on one technology and not simultaneously reviewing the possibility of large-scale, traditional nuclear power. I wonder if the Minister shares my fear and what she can eventually do about the matter.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Jessica Stegrud, for a very important question! Vattenfall is, as you know, a wholly state-owned company, to which we are now also giving very clear instructions and clear direction. There is a majority here in the Swedish Riksdag for more nuclear power. As Jessica Stegrud knows, one might sometimes think when hearing about the small modular reactors that they are tiny, but one must remember that they are quite large. Two or three such reactors provide a great deal of power. But it is of course so that we do not exclude anything—on the contrary. One needs to look at the full range of different technologies, both large and small.

We will return to this in different ways in our cooperation, naturally, but also in dialogue with Vattenfall. Right now, Vattenfall has taken clear steps. Political governance plays a role. Who is in charge matters, and that there is a majority in here for nuclear power matters. Furthermore, it is the first time in 40 years that we have it. It is a good foundation for being able to move forward in different ways. Vattenfall, but also other actors, can now build nuclear power.

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Nadja Awad (V)

Madam Speaker! How are Muslims described today? According to what is said here in the chamber, they are extremists, potential terrorists, criminal benefit fraudsters and oppressors of women. There is a very fine line between when Muslims are given some of these epithets and when they are not. All social problems are attributed to Muslims without anyone caring about the racism behind these arguments.

Decisions are made on political proposals intended to discipline Muslims to either abandon their religion or return to their so-called home countries - otherwise, life will become unbearable for them. There are proposals to ban the hijab, choke off funding to Muslim organizations and religious communities, and ban certain religious practices such as how Muslims are married. In the Swedish plan against racism, Islamophobia is not recognized.

To Minister Paulina Brandberg: If the government considers that Muslims are human beings and have rights, what rights do they have? Why must Muslims always prove that they are human beings before they can enjoy the same basic human rights as the rest?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! Muslims naturally have exactly the same human rights as everyone else in our society. The Government will continue the work of combating racism. We will also continue to significantly ramp up the work of eliminating honor oppression.

We see that Muslims, among others, are not granted the same rights and freedoms as others in society. Small children are, for example, forced to wear hijab in preschool, and there is preschool staff who help to ensure that the hijab stays on all day. It is a type of honor oppression that this government will never accept, precisely because these children should have exactly the same freedoms and rights as all other children in our society. It is important to take measures to defend everyone's rights in our society.

(Applause)

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Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)

Madam Speaker! During last week's question period, Education Minister Mats Persson was in the chamber. The Education Minister did not consider that Sweden's schools needed the government's support; the municipalities should take responsibility for the financing themselves. This is quite arrogant, one might think.

The reality is that the municipalities are to bear the costs of the high inflation, a cost they have not caused themselves. They are to take the costs for bringing the many newcomers into school, a cost they have not caused themselves. They are also to take the costs when all Ukrainians are to receive SFI, a cost they have not caused themselves. While the government is very happy to take the nice headlines about investments, the municipalities in practice and in reality are to take the large part of the bill. Furthermore, the government is cutting the state's education budget itself while complaining that the municipalities are not investing extra. It is not reasonable.

Sweden's students and the schools they attend cannot live on the government's arrogance. They need money. I therefore want to ask the Minister for Finance if the government will take its responsibility to prevent the mass resignations that now risk occurring within Swedish schools.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question.

Since I know Mats Persson well and since we negotiated the budget for this year, I can say that Mats Persson also thinks that municipalities and regions need money. It was because many children do not receive the knowledge they truly need that we jointly negotiated 12 billion but also targeted grants to municipalities and schools. And in our amendment budget, we are investing in more smaller teaching groups. We are therefore continuing the work.

I believe that Mats Persson was out for it is a tough situation, which I have also said. It is going to be tough in many ways. I wish it were not so, but inflation is still high. When we get it down, we can make further reinforcements. But do not forget that a third of the reform space in the autumn, before this year's budget, went to the welfare sectors including the school.

(Applause)

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Elin Söderberg (MP)

Madam Speaker! I turn with my question to EU Minister Jessika Roswall.

The Energy Charter Treaty hinders today's climate transition and thus our conditions to meet the Paris Agreement. Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Slovenia, Germany and Luxembourg have all in different ways signaled that they have the intention to withdraw from the ECT. The EU Parliament wants to see a coordinated exit for the entire EU from the Energy Charter Treaty.

Does the government want Sweden to leave the ECT, and does the government intend to work during its presidency to ensure that the EU withdraws from the ECT collectively?

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Elin Söderberg for the question.

To begin with, the government has prioritized four things during the Swedish presidency, and one of them is the green transition. We have acted and intended to negotiate important parts of the so-called Fit for 55 package so that we can collectively achieve the green transition and our climate goals. It is one of the most important issues for all of us, and we do it best together at the EU level.

The government will continue to prioritize this in various parts. But how different things are being negotiated in the issue right now, I unfortunately cannot answer. I can, however, say this much: the government will place the green transition – everything that is included in the EU's Green Deal and Fit for 55 – high up on the agenda.

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Malin Höglund (M)

Madam Speaker! I would like to direct my question to Minister for Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall.

Yesterday, the Chamber debated the work of the social services, and I chose to highlight the importance of foster homes. Foster homes give children and young people who, for various reasons, cannot live with their biological parents a chance at a secure and loving upbringing. By providing children and young people with a stable home and a family to belong to, we can help create a positive future.

I am proud to live in a municipality - Mora - that has invested a lot in foster homes, but that is not the case in all municipalities in Sweden. How can the Minister for Social Affairs and the government be helpful in the work so that the municipalities can get more foster homes?

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Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Malin Höglund for a question that is very close to my heart. Despite the fact that Sweden is one of the world's leading welfare countries, far too many children suffer. In that regard, the large and strong contribution of foster homes is immensely valuable. There is actually only one big problem with foster homes. It is that there are far too few of them.

The government is therefore investing 100 million in the budget to strengthen and expand foster homes. We are also allocating resources to inform the public about what important actions one can take as a foster parent. There is therefore an information initiative. The government is also making an investment in knowledge support to the municipalities and is additionally appointing a national coordinator. I welcome this and hope that with this we can get more important foster homes.

(Applause)

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Serkan Köse (S)

Madam Speaker! I turn to the Minister for Equality and Deputy Minister for Employment Paulina Brandberg with my question.

The Minister for Gender Equality and the government say they want to increase gender equality, but the government's decision in the autumn budget regarding a large tax cut for high-income earners has been shown to benefit twice as many men as women, according to calculations from the Riksdag's investigation service. I therefore wonder which factors influenced the minister's decision to push through the tax cut, even though it goes against the government's stated goal of promoting gender equality.

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question.

The reason why certain tax reforms hit specifically men or women is that we have an inequality in the economy today. The most important measure to address this is, of course, to level out the economic inequality between men and women, that is to say, to give women better economic conditions so that life incomes between men and women are leveled out. In this way, different reforms will hit men and women equally.

It is by increasing economic equality that one creates equality, and not by tailoring tax cuts based on different groups.

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David Lång (SD)

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

We have for a long time seen how the EU tries to bypass the requirement for unanimity on decisions regarding taxation in order to move to qualified majority. This could deprive the member states, including Sweden, of tax sovereignty.

The justification from the EU can sometimes be that they want to improve competition within the EU or that they want to prevent tax evasion and money laundering. They refer to Europe's recovery after the pandemic and to the war in Ukraine. These are a lot of arguments that are completely irrelevant to whether we should be allowed to keep our right to tax ourselves.

My question is: What is the government's strategy to counter the EU's frequently recurring, never-ending and constantly escalating attempts to bypass national tax sovereignty?

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Statsrådet Jessika Roswall (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank David Lång for the question.

This question pops up now and then. I am a good deal in both Brussels and Strasbourg, especially during this half-year. I would probably assert that it does not pop up particularly often. On the other hand, I think that the EU over a long period, but especially after the outbreak of war on February 24, has rather shown the competence and the possibility to maintain unity on matters important for the EU.

Here, David Lång points out something that we have a broad consensus on in Sweden, that is, that we shall not depart from the unanimity when it comes to the tax. I do not see any sharp proposal on that on the table right now. The Government continues to hold the same principled and important view on the issue going forward.

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Frida Tånghag (V)

Madam Speaker! My question is to Minister Paulina Brandberg.

Men's violence against women is a distinct societal problem. It exists in all of society, regardless of social class. The violence is structural and systematic. At the same time, the violence is arbitrary and unpredictable. It can affect anyone, and it can lead to death.

The police warn that the work regarding violence against women must take a backseat in favor of the work with organized crime, which can be summarized as violence against men. Here are the funds that the government is prepared to provide infinitely in relation to the latest initiative to prevent violence against women, which was at a mere 5 million kronor.

How does the Minister intend for the investments to look moving forward?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for an important question.

It is the case that we have widespread gang crime that consumes a very large amount of resources in our society. It is a major problem. We must manage to handle that situation and at the same time handle the enormous societal problem that violence in close relationships entails.

The government has made major investments in the justice system because we need to be able to combat this crime. In that case, the police, prosecutors, courts and also the correctional services need to receive substantial resource increases, which we have also provided.

If we are to work with this and achieve long-term results, we must also start significantly earlier. We must begin with the young people's relationships and establish healthy values there. We must also ensure that we have functioning sheltered housing and remove obstacles that today prevent people from leaving relationships where they are subjected to violence.

Here we have an intensive work in progress, and we will develop both a new action program and a new national strategy where we look at these issues.

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Johan Hultberg (M)

Madam Speaker! Today we know far too little about how we can effectively prevent social problems, but one thing we know for certain is that a successful schooling is important to give a person a good start in life and for him or her to have an independent life with self-sufficiency and good health.

To prevent exclusion, unemployment, and not least crime, it is important that we get the school in order. I am pleased that the new Moderate-led government has already managed to make important investments in more special education teachers and expanded holiday school, and started the work of increasing the amount of teaching time in school. But what is also important so that no child is left behind is that we have a functioning cooperation between the school and other actors, not least social services.

In the spring budget, the government is making an important investment in school social teams. I want to ask the Minister for Social Services how the government intends to strengthen the cooperation between school and social services and how the investment in school social teams can contribute to that work.

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Statsrådet Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you very much, Johan Hultberg, for an important question!

Yes, not least for me as a former junior high school teacher, this is something that is very welcome that the government is now implementing. Finding different new ways for not least the school and social services to cooperate will be of decisive importance for us to be able to meet children in different types of vulnerability very early.

That is why the government is now investing in school social teams, which provide an opportunity for teachers, social secretaries, and social pedagogues to work side by side in the school. It is about achieving a safer school environment and countering gang crime. It is also about ensuring that fewer children end up in exclusion by being home-sitters. We want to counteract that early on.

75 million is being allocated this year, and it will be increased over the coming years to 250 million to ensure that this is implemented throughout Sweden.

(Applause)

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Sofia Amloh (S)

Madam Speaker! Everyone who can work shall work. It is an important slogan that we must not give up on.

Women born abroad are a group that is largely outside the labor market. Clear governance with targeted measures is required so that these women have the same opportunity for independent lives as others.

During the previous parliamentary term, the S-government succeeded in breaking the trend, and foreign-born women moved from unemployment to employment.

My question to Minister Brandberg is: Why has this government not taken this important work further? And why has the clear direction been abandoned by not including foreign-born women in the regulatory letter to Arbetsförmedlingen?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! The Government has not lowered the level of ambition when it comes to opening up the labor market for foreign-born women.

This is an incredibly important equality issue, because we see that it is precisely the group of foreign-born women who are the group that stands furthest from the labor market.

It is also most important now, when we have a difficult economic situation and a post-pandemic period, that we really ensure that those who are furthest from the labor market do not end up even further away from the labor market.

I am proud that this government has invested 20 million kronor as a special initiative for the organizing of girls and women in vulnerable areas. I believe that these are very important funds so that these women can become more integrated into Swedish society and to a greater extent become a part of society.

We must also not forget the language key, which is incredibly important for opening up the labor market for this group. It is also something that this government is prioritizing measures regarding.

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Angelika Bengtsson (SD)

Madam Speaker! The Social Democrats have set up systems that have benefited them themselves during all their years as a governing party. We still see it within a number of institutions, not least within culture, study associations and trade unions.

The Social Democrats started their lottery operations in 1956 and have adapted the legislation to their own advantage. It is reprehensible, and it is immoral. On a number of occasions, we have been able to read about how, over the years, pensioners have been driven to the Enforcement Authority. And in recent days, we could read in Expressen about how sellers of S-lotter systematically used a sales script to deliberately deceive elderly people into subscribing to S-lotter.

SD is clear: Parties shall not engage in such activities. How will the government act to put a stop to this immoral and dishonest activity?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Angelika Bengtsson, for the question!

I became angry and deeply affected when I read and saw what the sellers of this lottery have said to the elderly and how people are actually being deceived. They have pre-written scripts about a poor pensioner in one's family and try to convince the elderly person, who perhaps cannot even afford to buy food, that they should buy a ticket. It is immoral, and it is shameless.

This is a question that we in the government are reviewing right now because it was a long time since we reviewed the rules for the public benefit lotteries.

It is also so - I share that image - that when the Social Democrats have used government power when it comes to lotteries, they have ensured that the non-profit sector and the lotteries are simply exempted from taxation. Furthermore, one should be able to sell lotteries on credit. I think that is bad.

We are reviewing the rules and will return to the format with our four parties. But it is time to review the lotteries. And, once again, one does not behave that way towards elderly people who are pressured in a difficult situation.

(Applause)

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Alexandra Anstrell (M)

Madam Speaker! In a position statement from April 2021, the Swedish Tax Agency stated that horses, including both trotting and galloping horses, constitute assets that can also be used for private purposes.

This prompted the Swedish Tax Agency to establish in a position paper that the person who only has competitive activities with their horses cannot conduct economic activity according to the VAT rules and therefore shall be deregistered from VAT.

This leads to a lack of neutrality towards other horse owners and is furthermore questionable with regard to EU law.

The horse industry in Sweden consists of an enormous number of skilled entrepreneurs who are now being affected by a ruling from an authority. My question to the Minister for Finance is therefore whether the government intends to support the horse industry in this matter, for example by tasking the Swedish Tax Agency to review its position in light of the developments within the competitive activities within the horse industry.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Alexandra Anstrell, for the question! One must love question periods, because there are so many different types of questions.

I know that this issue affects very many. The horse industry is enormously large in Sweden, in different ways. I also know that this decision has an impact.

I am the responsible minister for the Swedish Tax Agency, but I cannot in any way interfere in its decisions or interpretations of regulations – it is the Swedish Tax Agency that itself interprets and makes these regulatory assessments. The entire basis here is an EU directive, and the Swedish Tax Agency argues, just as the member said, that this cannot be done in the same way going forward.

What I can say, even if it is a tedious answer, is that I cannot overrule Skatteverket's decision. Will we need to review the issue in another way? I do not rule that out, but here and now I will not overrule Skatteverket's decision - and nor will I later. It is not a task for either me or anyone else in the government.

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Isak From (S)

Madam Speaker! It is obvious that several representatives for the government have landed on saying one thing before the election and then another after the election.

We have this week been able to hear several representatives for the government, both the Minister for the Environment, the Prime Minister and now here in the chamber also the Minister for Finance, say that wind power is important, especially offshore wind power. Yet the government and the Minister for Finance, both in the autumn budget and now in the spring revision budget, cut the appropriations to the County Administrative Boards and SGU. One reprioritizes; one says one thing first and does something else afterwards.

SGU had the assignment to map the seabed for possible establishments of offshore wind power. Now the government is cutting the appropriations and reprioritizing the appropriation to SGU. One thing is said before the election, namely that this is important, and at the same time, the conditions for the authorities to complete the permit processes are being withdrawn.

Were the Minister for Finance and the Ministry of Finance aware of this?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Isak From, for the question! We said before the election that we need more electricity. Now we are starting to deliver on that – it concerns both wind power, nuclear power and other electricity production. Furthermore, we are delivering when it comes to energy efficiencies.

The biggest problem is not a queue at an agency. The biggest problem is that the environmental review in general and the legislation must be changed. That work is ongoing. We will ensure that the agencies that handle permit reviews also have resources so that we can get more electricity in place.

There are many parts in this chain. I completely agree with Isak From that it is important to have the resources one needs. But the legislation must also be such that we can establish both nuclear power and wind power.

If you heard me before the election, which I believe you did, you heard that I spoke very much about nuclear power, because Sweden needs it. But I also spoke about wind power, because we need all the new electricity production we can get if we are to meet all the challenges we face.

The question period was hereby concluded.

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