Question Time

TREDJE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions today will be answered by Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch, Minister Erik Slottner, Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, and Minister Paulina Brandberg. Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch will answer both general policy questions as well as questions within her own area of responsibility.

Question Time

A question must be of an overarching and general political nature or concern a subject that falls within the Minister's area of responsibility and relates to his performance of duties. The question shall therefore not concern, for example, conditions within political parties.

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Aida Birinxhiku (S)

Madam Speaker! There have been many turns regarding the electricity support, to say the least. First, the government promised that it would be in place by November 1, 2022. After that, the government announced that municipalities and regions would have to wait until the end of May to be able to apply for the support. Now, several municipalities and regions risk losing millions in electricity support. In short, it is about the fact that they are regarded as agricultural producers according to the government's electricity support ordinance because of a greenhouse or a nature-based gymnasium. In my constituency, both Falkenbergs kommun and Region Halland are affected.

This could reasonably not have been the government's intention when designing the electricity support, especially in light of the difficult economic situation that the country's municipalities and regions are in. Therefore, I would like to ask if Minister Ebba Busch intends to take any measures to prevent this from happening.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! This has been an incredibly heavy period for very many households and companies as well as for many organizations and associations, including of course many municipalities and regions.

This government has alleviated and supported during this difficult time, but it is not possible to design a system that is perfect and that fully manages to compensate for a dismantled electricity system that does not have enough power where it is needed when it is needed.

Compared to previous electricity support under an S-led government, this is many times more. However, it is difficult to find a model that allows one to compensate fully and where, without losing a lot of time, one manages to design the whole thing in such a detailed way that there are no cases where anyone ends up being squeezed.

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Aida Birinxhiku (S)

Madam Speaker! This is about the government not having taken this situation into account and, for example, introduced a limitation or an exception rule in the ordinance that has been developed. First, they did not want to take any responsibility for the welfare crisis that the country's municipalities and regions are in, and now they also do not want to take any responsibility for yet another betrayed election promise.

Will the government take responsibility this time and ensure that municipalities and regions receive the electricity support that has been promised?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! I think it is something quite bold of a Social Democrat, who left behind a track record with almost 160,000 patients in illegally long care queues, a dismantled electricity system, and a record number of postponals, to say that we are abandoning the Swedish people.

The electricity support of around 50 billion that has been paid out, and which can be compared with the very limited electricity support that was issued during the previous government, has been an important relief and compensation. However, it has not been a full compensation crown for crown. This is not a perfect system, but it is an important arrangement.

(Applause)

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Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)

Madam Speaker! For far too long we have had mosques in Sweden that have repeatedly ended up in scandals when they have carried out activities that have in different ways harmed society. It has ranged from religiously sanctioned prostitution to spreading homophobic and antisemitic messages.

An example is the Malmö imam Basem Mahmoud, who for two years spread his anti-Semitic views from his mosque before Malmö's municipal housing company decided last year not to renew the mosque's lease agreement.

The examples, however, are countless. Homosexuals in general are not welcome in Sweden's mosques, which means systematic discrimination.

What will the Minister for Civil Affairs do to stop these mosques from spreading anti-women, homophobic and racist messages?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question. I must state that it does not quite lie on my desk. I do not quite know how the member connects this to specifically the Minister for Civil Affairs. Civil society issues and religious communities lie with Social Minister Jakob Forssmed.

Overall, the government naturally takes religious extremism very seriously, wherever it occurs. However, we must not make the mistake of sweeping all religious communities over one broad brush, but we must intervene, act, and react where this happens.

We are fully aware that religious extremism has been revealed in several mosques and that messages have appeared in some mosques that are completely unacceptable in a democratic society like Sweden. We are reacting and taking action against this in many different areas. The question should, however, be directed further to the responsible minister.

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Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)

Madam Speaker! It is quite strange that these mosques can carry out their socially harmful activities and repeatedly end up in scandals because they spread hate and are protected by freedom of religion. Politicians in Sweden must begin to distinguish hate from religion. Misogyny is not religion. Antisemitism is not religion. Politicians must be able to distinguish between places of worship and these dens of evil that spread hate in society.

(Applause)

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Madam Speaker! Of course we must react every time hate propaganda occurs - regardless of where this happens, we must react. The Government, including many of my ministerial colleagues, has reacted very forcefully against the antisemitism that we now see spreading in Swedish society and which increases the insecurity and fear among the Jewish population.

This is something that we take very seriously. Measures from several different ministers have been presented to address the very alarming antisemitism.

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Ciczie Weidby (V)

Madam Speaker! My question is directed to Paulina Brandberg.

No one can have missed that there is currently a conflict ongoing between Tesla and IF Metall, who are trying to sign a collective agreement with Tesla. Now we hear again how Svenskt Näringsliv is starting to rumble and talk about wanting to restrict the right to strike.

All government parties, and the Center Party, have previously submitted motions to introduce a so-called proportionality principle. My very simple question to the Minister is whether this government intends to introduce this principle and thereby restrict the right to strike.

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question.

As the member points out, this is a conflict that has attracted a lot of attention and which the government is following very closely. However, this concerns a specific collective agreement, and it is the parties' responsibility to resolve it here. The government has confidence that the parties will sort it out.

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Ciczie Weidby (V)

Madam Speaker! I repeat my question: Does the government intend to submit a proposal to the Riksdag to restrict the right to strike according to the principle of proportionality?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! There is no policy from the government to introduce a proportionality principle. We are, as said, following the issue very closely, but we will not act on the grounds of a dispute regarding a specific collective agreement.

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Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Madam Speaker! Many of us were shocked this weekend by the frontal attack that the leader of the Sweden Democrats, Jimmie Åkesson, made against Sweden's freedom of religion by proposing the demolition of mosques and the removal of Muslim symbols from the cityscape. This contributes to further stigmatization of our Muslim minority and fuels the widespread Islamophobia that exists in society. Furthermore, Åkesson's statement is harmful to both Sweden and Swedish security. It is obvious that this damages the ongoing NATO process and contributes to further complicating the security situation for our Swedish citizens.

My question to Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch is: What does the government intend to do to minimize the damage that the Sweden Democrats' statement has caused for Sweden's international reputation and for the safety of Swedish citizens?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! I refer to what Foreign Minister Billström reported from the latest international gathering, where the Nato issue was also on the agenda. He stated that this was a non-issue there. SD's move is a very big issue for the Center Party and some Social Democrats, but not in the international contexts with Nato.

So to the issue itself. We need to fight the values that are a poison in our society and which are found in some buildings. But it is the values that must be fought, not the buildings. The Government stands firm and resolute for freedom of religion. We shall not demolish places of worship at random in Sweden, but wherever they occur, we shall fight values that are not compatible with the fundamental Swedish values that must be shared by all of us.

(Applause)

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Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Madam Speaker! It sounds reassuring that the government does not stand behind what the Sweden Democrats' leader said and distances itself from it. The Minister, however, did not answer my question, so it remains. What measures does the government intend to take to ensure the security of Swedes and also the Nato application? It is not the case that that process is painless, which I believe the government is also aware of.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! I start from reality and state that Åkesson's statement was irresponsible and unnuanced. It drew attention on Twitter but solves no actual problems with extremism and Islamism in Sweden. To threaten religious freedom broadly or to blame all Muslims does not solve the problem we have with very serious Islamism. Instead, one needs to go the path we are taking, namely to take the fight over which values must apply to everyone in our country. It is greatly exaggerated that this statement should have had an impact in international contexts.

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Linus Lakso (MP)

Madam Speaker! We face a great challenge when we are to phase out fossil energy, and the Minister for Energy has himself stated that the government's energy and climate policy largely builds on electrification. Industry and climate researchers agree that Sweden needs to focus on delivering large amounts of fossil-free electricity quickly, cheaply, and in an environmentally friendly manner. When one adds up the industry's and the authorities' assessments of how electricity use will need to increase as a result of our goal to replace fossil energy within industry and transport, it can be stated that up to 70 terawatt-hours are needed by 2030.

My question to Ebba Busch is: Does the government have a plan for such a substantial expansion of the electricity system?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! We tear down every obstacle we encounter, and the Green Party has put up quite a few of such, especially when it comes to nuclear power. We note that all good forces are needed, and during our eight months in government, two new offshore wind power projects have passed the government's table and received a yes. This can be compared to such a [number] during eight years with an S- and, partly, MP-government.

Now we are paving the way not just for 100 percent renewable, but 100 percent fossil-free. Thank goodness the Chamber has decided, unfortunately without MP's support, to remove the limit on the number of reactors and the number of sites. We need more fossil-free power production, and we need to have a balance between the weather-dependent power production and the base load. Therefore, we are now removing obstacles wherever we find them and paving the way for more fossil-free power production.

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Linus Lakso (MP)

Madam Speaker! According to the government's plan, at best, two new nuclear power plants can be in place by 2035, so regardless of whether we disagree on nuclear power, the question remains how sufficient electricity for the industry can be delivered as early as 2030. I received no answer to this, so can the Minister for Energy clarify if there is a plan for 70 terawatt-hours by 2030?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! I completely share the opinion of the Green Party member Laksos that it would be very good if we could get an additional 70 terawatt-hours by 2030. But they cannot be conjured out of thin air, especially since base power equivalent to four reactors has disappeared and, furthermore, two additional reactors were planned that did not come to fruition. Therefore, we must now remove all obstacles and see how far we can go. I would gladly reach 70 terawatt-hours, but the goal in itself is not what is important, but that we have a realistic path for how we reach it.

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Mats Green (M)

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

Yesterday, we decided to remove all the Social Democratic obstructionist laws against new nuclear power. S-governments not only forced the closure of six of twelve fully functioning, climate-smart reactors but also prohibited all new nuclear power. It took a short time to tear down the world's best energy system, but it takes a long time to rebuild it. Therefore, the government has made a record number of new energy policy decisions during its first year - and more will come.

Long-term perspective and stability are crucial for the business community and for those who are to build new nuclear power, and here international nuclear power collaborations are vital. One such could be a nuclear power collaboration between Sweden and the always reliable Finland. How does the Minister view that?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Mats Green, for the question!

Yes, forward for more international cooperation! The dream scenario would be if we could achieve a situation where a nuclear reactor type that is approved in, for example, Finland, would also be approved in Sweden, and vice versa. That type of proximity in what is called standard type approval is something to strive for, but it was something that was laughed at when we had the EU election movement almost five years ago. But now nuclear power is everywhere, and we in the government would like to see that type of international cooperation.

A year ago, we laid the foundation for an even closer cooperation with France in a similar way, not least regarding the permit processes, which will be a difficult bottleneck in Sweden. I personally visited Canada and the USA during the autumn to also there pave the way to establish a common ecosystem to increase the pace of nuclear power expansion in all our countries.

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Mats Green (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the answer.

To succeed with new nuclear power, close cooperation is required between suppliers, nuclear power owners, and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, SSM. The previous government transformed SSM into more of a stop-agency instead of a forward-looking and constructive authority.

How can we return to the cooperation that gave us many successful nuclear power projects during the 80s? I would like to hear a few words on this.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! First and foremost, we look forward to being able to return shortly with the name of the person who will become the nuclear power coordinator, in order to pave the way for this. In that regard, SSM will become an important authority. We are now vacuuming up all the laws and regulations that have caused the authority, in its exercise, to become more of a stop and brake in the work.

Further investigations to facilitate establishment and permit applications were commissioned as recently as November 2 of this year, and we look forward to presenting the results.

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Yusuf Aydin (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Slottner and concerns our state administration. We see a need for a more efficient state administration in order to both increase the benefit to citizens for our common tax funds and focus more on core activities, and also to free up resources for large and socially important reforms.

It is about reforms to strengthen the justice system so that gangs can be broken up, about welfare initiatives that can make healthcare accessible and shorten the queues, and about more prevention. Therefore, my question is: What initiatives does the government intend to take to achieve a more efficient public administration?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank Yusuf Aydin for the question.

Extensive work is currently underway to streamline the state and make it more focused on its core tasks in order to, among other things, take responsibility for the taxpayers' money and use it in as wise and efficient a way as possible. One step in this work is to reduce the number of agencies. This is what we promised before the election, and that is what we are delivering on now.

There are several measures underway. In the budget, we point out ten agencies that are to become five, and we have a specific investigation that reviews the smaller agencies. By this, we mean agencies that have fewer than 100 full-time equivalents, and there are approximately 120 such agencies in Sweden.

Recently - I believe it was last week - the government made a special decision regarding the agencies, which covers 41 of them. We shall see if some of them can be merged when necessary. In addition, we have a special assignment for the National Audit Office to review the information and communication efforts at our agencies.

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Yusuf Aydin (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the answer.

It is important initiatives that are presented, and it is also important that we continuously have a review to maintain an efficient administration.

As mentioned, we have many authorities, many of which are quite small. My question then becomes: Will the government return during the mandate period with further mergers of authorities?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Madam Speaker! It is highly likely that we will do so. We are now specifically notifying ten agencies that will become five, but it would surprise me if none of the other investigations I mentioned conclude that any agencies can be abolished or merged with others. We shall see what they land on.

The government's ambition is that the number of agencies shall decrease, but it is also about simplifying mandates. It is very easy to add new mandates to agencies but harder to withdraw them, so it is both about the agencies becoming more focused on the core task and about them becoming fewer.

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Louise Eklund (L)

Madam Speaker! In Sweden, we have come a long way with equality, even though we are still far from the goal. There is still much to be done, and this applies in particular to the differences we see between women's and men's entrepreneurship, financial savings, and ownership.

We know that significantly fewer women than men start and run companies. During a seminar that the Liberal Party organized here in the Riksdag yesterday, the large differences we see in women's financial ownership were highlighted. In Sweden, women today own approximately half as much as men - half!

We also see that women do not own their houses to the same extent as men, which naturally has consequences in the event of a divorce. In studies, we also see how gender is a much more important factor than education for perceived financial ability.

For the individual, this is naturally serious, but for Sweden and for Swedish business, it is devastating. We need diversity if we are to become strong. My question to the Minister for Enterprise is therefore: How are we working to reduce the differences we see between women and men regarding precisely entrepreneurship and financial saving?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! This is truly one of my personal heart issues as Minister for Enterprise, and I am pleased that we are now taking initiatives to push forward so that more women shall have the opportunity to start and run companies and have the opportunity for own ownership.

Statistics show that less than 1 percent of all private venture capital is invested in companies founded by women. It is approximately one-third of all companies today that are run by women, and this has remained fairly constant for a long time. Therefore, the government in the spring gave a mandate to Tillväxtverket to review and compile research but also to evaluate previous measures.

Several very commendable initiatives have been taken previously, including under Center Party ministers of commerce. What of this do we need to do more of, and what has not had the desired effect?

We look forward to proceeding with what is proposed in the report from Tillväxtverket.

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Louise Eklund (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the answer.

I would very much like to hear a bit more. Is it possible to say anything about the part of Tillväxtverket's mandate that concerns increasing young women's interest and knowledge regarding saving, investing, and entrepreneurship?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! We have just received the final report on women's entrepreneurship, and it is proposed there, among other things, that we unfortunately must start with the statistics. We have far too poor statistics on entrepreneurship, ownership, financing, and organizational issues. We must also achieve a special initiative on girls' and women's interest in natural sciences, technology, engineering, and the like.

Based on the report, we will now carve out what we mean should become decisions from the government, hopefully in cooperation with the Riksdag on several of the issues.

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Isak From (S)

Madam Speaker! The Vice Prime Minister could have remained, as my question is directed to her.

In September, a total of over 1,500 people were notified of layoffs from the construction industry. This is an increase of over 446 percent since September 2022, and it is still increasing. One has to go back to the financial crisis in 2008 to find similar figures.

At the same time, layoffs within the timber industry have more than quintupled, primarily from the small house industry and the modular house industry, and the year is not over yet. When a sector reports increased layoffs of 550 percent, nothing is heard from the government. At the same time, there is a shortage of housing in northern Sweden. Thousands of homes are missing in Kiruna, Gällivare, Boden, Luleå, and Skellefteå in the wake of the green industrial transition. There are projects on site that could be started.

What does the government intend to do?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! I appreciate the question, Isak From, but I really do not agree that the government should have remained passive regarding this.

It is a misery. We find ourselves in a very difficult economic situation. Housing construction has always been affected by the economic cycle. It is a law of nature - not in a literal sense, but that is how it works.

This is a development that depends very much on external factors. Are we going to sit on our hands because of that? No! The government's strategy for northern Sweden includes, among other things, how we ensure that we can still maintain the right pace in housing construction. There is a lot left to do.

We have also tasked the county administrative boards to report on which measures are now being taken in cooperation with the municipalities to promote increased housing construction where there is a shortage of housing. We are also moving forward with proposals for significant relaxations of building requirements for, for example, student housing.

It is, therefore, high and low to still try to pave the way for further new housing in a very difficult time.

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Sara Gille (SD)

Madam Speaker! Value-driven veils, for example the hijab, cement patriarchal gender roles and honor norms. It is terrifying that one allows a garment that sexualizes girls all the way down to preschool age.

In Article 14 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it states that children have the right to practice any religion they wish or none at all. Nevertheless, we see that parents in Sweden force their children to wear a veil solely because the parents' religion requires it.

Equally noteworthy is that from a political standpoint in Sweden in 2023, one turns a blind eye to something that does not belong in a modern Western society. On November 18, State Secretary Paulina Brandberg's own party voted no at the party's national convention to a headscarf ban for children in preschool and primary school.

Therefore, I want to ask the Minister if the government is willing to review the law and change it for the benefit of the children, instead of letting the parents' religion turn the children into objects of sex.

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for a very important question!

I completely agree with the problem description; we have a huge problem in Sweden with young girls in preschool and lower school age being forced to wear hijab. It is actually not only the parents who force it, but we see schools where school staff assist the parents in ensuring that the hijab is on during the school day. This is completely unacceptable and does not belong in Sweden. Honor oppression should not occur anywhere.

The government has no policy to introduce a hijab ban. That does not mean that we will not act on the issue. In my portfolio, I am stepping up the work against all forms of honor-related violence and oppression. We are working on developing a new national strategy and an action program. This is absolutely an issue that is included in that work.

(Applause)

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Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C)

Madam Speaker! Generative artificial intelligence is, among other things, a completely crucial technology for Sweden and the world to reach the emission targets by 2050.

The group of entrepreneurs and researchers developing AI consists of both radical future optimists and convinced doomsday prophets.

On Sunday, an international agreement was presented, Guidelines for secure AI system development. It is proposed among other things that AI systems shall be monitored, that data shall be protected against manipulation and that software providers shall be audited. Furthermore, new language models shall only be released after they have been tested from a security perspective.

This has been done in cooperation with all the prominent companies in the field and authorities from the USA, the UK, Germany, France, and several others. But Sweden has not been involved.

My question to Minister Slottner is: Why has Sweden not been part of the most ambitious cooperation for secure AI development in the world?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Madam Speaker! I cannot answer why Sweden was not part of this specific cooperation. But we are involved in very many other contexts. Now, several international collaborations are underway, both from politics and from the business sector, for a sustainable development of artificial intelligence where we respect human rights, democracy, and freedom, and where we use AI to develop our societies, not to lead them into more surveilling, controlling, or authoritarian systems. Not least, the EU AI Act is an important step in this.

I have also had conversations with counterparts in the USA and Canada. We are in complete agreement that we need a sustainable development of AI.

I truly welcome the initiative that has been taken. A number of countries have been involved in developing this. The business community is also on board with these principles. It is commendable.

AI offers fantastic opportunities for the future, for both welfare, private business, and public administration. But we must also manage the ethical risks that exist with AI.

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Annika Hirvonen (MP)

Madam Speaker! How can Ebba Busch call the Swedish energy system dismantled?

Thanks to a successful red-green energy policy, Sweden has moved from importing electricity from coal power in places such as Germany under the bourgeois government to instead having a surplus of over 33 terawatt-hours last year.

Despite Putin's energy crisis, which has raised everyone's electricity prices, we have had the lowest electricity prices in the EU, the most export of environmentally friendly electricity in the EU, the lowest use of fossil energy in the EU, and the highest use of renewable energy in the EU. According to Svenska kraftnät, Sweden also has one of the most secure electricity systems in the world.

Stop talking shit about Sweden's energy system!

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! What was the question?

(ANNIKA HIRVONEN (MP): The question was asked in the first sentence of the presentation. I show the Minister my manuscript.)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for your patience! How can I, as Minister for Energy, call the energy system dismantled? I shall explain that.

This winter we had a situation with a significant risk of disconnection in our energy system. That is how fragile it is. The result of the Green Party's energy policy over the last few years is as if a party were to say: Listen! Now we are putting all the staff in the entire Swedish healthcare system on call. Everyone is on call. No one is permanently employed. No one has a fixed schedule. Everyone just works on call.

New power production equivalent to 10,000 megawatts has been pumped in. But everything has been weather-dependent. It has made the system fragile. We do not have sufficient power and electricity when and where it is needed.

Then it is assembled. Then it does not work as it should. Then the Energy Minister has grounds to say that it is dismantled. And now we have to clean up and build it strong again.

(Applause)

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Ulrika Heindorff (M)

Madam Speaker! Violence in close relationships must be combated with full force. I know that the government has a great focus on this. LGBTQI persons are also subjected to violence in close relationships. Due to both discrimination and stigmatization, an LGBTQI person subjected to violence can find themselves in a particularly vulnerable situation.

There are studies that show a greater exposure to violence among homosexual and bisexual persons, especially among young people. The same applies to trans people. However, there is a lack of comprehensive new studies and more extensive knowledge regarding the extent and exposure in Sweden. Therefore, my question goes to Minister Paulina Brandberg.

What is the government doing regarding violence in close relationships when it concerns specifically hbtqi relations?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for a very important question, member!

Of course we shall combat men's violence against women in Sweden. But we shall not simultaneously make other groups exposed to violence invisible. Just LGBTQI-persons are a group that until now has been made invisible and where there is a vulnerability to violence.

The government has taken several measures to address this problem. We have, among other things, tasked the Gender Equality Authority with mapping the vulnerability of hbtqi persons to violence in close relationships and analyzing the need for interventions for that specific group. We have also introduced a new support telephone for men, trans people, and intersex people who are vulnerable to violence. In the work of developing a new national strategy for gender-related violence, we have paid particular attention to the fact that this group must be made visible in a much better way than has been done until now.

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Lili André (KD)

Madam Speaker! I have a question for Minister Paulina Brandberg.

A labor market conflict is ongoing between a labor market party and the global electric car manufacturer Tesla. The conflict has become world news and could have significance for the future labor market and the climate transition.

A trade union represents members who are employed by the company. According to what can be read, a large majority of the workers in the company are satisfied with the conditions. It is therefore not bad conditions in the workplace that are the cause of the struggle against the company Tesla.

A government agency has become part of the conflict. Distribution of necessary registration plates did not occur at first, but after a court decision, Transportstyrelsen must now temporarily issue Tesla's registration plates.

In light of the situation that has arisen, I ask what the Minister's position is on a government agency intervening in the conflict.

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question. It is the second question on the subject today, and it shows just how much engagement it evokes.

The government is following the conflict very closely. However, we have an arrangement such that when it concerns an issue like this, which concerns a specific collective agreement, the parties have a very great responsibility to resolve the situation.

The Mediation Institute has appointed a mediator who is at the parties' disposal in the conflict. I therefore assume that the dispute will be resolved and that adjacent sympathy measures will also be handled.

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Zara Leghissa (S)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Malmer Stenergard.

Migration policy is one of the government's most prioritized policy areas. It is evident in the rhetoric where they have spoken of a paradigm shift ever since the Tidö Agreement.

One of the areas within migration policy where the government has announced that there will now be change is return migration. More people who have immigrated to Sweden shall be persuaded to leave the country. The government says that it strongly wants to stimulate the return migration of persons who have immigrated to Sweden.

The government has now governed for over a year. I would therefore like to ask the Minister how much the return migration has increased since the government took office.

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Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you very much, Zara Leghissa, for the question! It is quite true that the government is working intensively to strengthen the work on repatriation, which has been extremely low prioritized under previous governments, including the Social Democratic one.

I have met very many people who have a longing to return to their roots but who feel that they need support to be reintegrated into the home country in a good way. I think that we have an obligation to ensure that there are the right tools and financial means for this. Therefore, an investigation is underway that the government has appointed. We are looking, for example, at how it has been done in other countries, such as Denmark.

I am not satisfied with how many who have so far received support for repatriation. More need to receive it, and therefore we are doing this important work.

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Martin Kinnunen (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch. Since taking office, the Government and the Sweden Democrats have presented a completely new direction for nuclear power in Sweden. This concerns changes to legislation that have hindered new construction, review of permit processes, regulatory frameworks, fees, and so on.

Most recently, a roadmap was presented on how to create the conditions for massive expansion. But nuclear power requires long-term thinking. The opposition voted yesterday against the proposition New nuclear power in Sweden.

Within the Social Democrats' intended government base, there are diametrically opposite views on nuclear power among the parties. How does the Minister for Energy view the uncertainty that this may create with an opposition that opposes the expansion of nuclear power?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! It is rather the case that progress has occurred that makes us stand closer to each other now on nuclear power issues than in a very long time. I would say that we are beginning to move past some of the deadlocks that have existed, where different types of power were dogmatically smashed against each other. One is beginning to understand that, for example, all my previous talk about nuclear power has actually been about the functions it contributes. It is a controllable base power and a synchronous power source compared to those that are weather-dependent. And if one wants more wind power, one needs more nuclear power.

I choose to note that it is a movement in the right direction, even though I would gladly see us move even more in step. Above all, there are great opportunities to reach an agreement with S on long-term conditions that would also be welcomed by industry and the business community.

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Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)

Madam Speaker! This is a question to Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch as a representative for the entire government.

The largest party in the government base, Sverigedemokraterna, thinks that religious symbols or even symbols that can only be interpreted as having a connection to religion should be banned and removed - at least if it is a religion they do not like.

The Sweden Democrats also consider that it should be forbidden to build buildings for religious purposes - if it concerns a religion they do not like, that is.

My question to the Minister is how the government views these proposals.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! The Government does not agree. The Government's view is that we shall combat values that are dangerous and bad for our country, but we shall not do so by shooting religious freedom in the back.

It is not the mosque that is the problem. It is what is possibly preached in the mosque that is the problem, in the same way as we have seen in some church contexts, where I myself have moved.

Certain values are not optional. In Sweden, we have for far too many years been naive regarding migration and integration and believed that as long as one has language and jobs, one is integrated. We have missed the values.

Fadime Sahindal's father could speak Swedish and had a job but did not share basic values that can never be acceptable here. That is what we are trying to add. We shall do that by combating wrong values - not a single religion.

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Carl Nordblom (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch. Many of us in here know that jobs are created and welfare is strengthened by all Swedish entrepreneurs across the country. All that welfare and success Sweden has is due to the fact that we have allowed companies to operate and grow and that enterprising individuals have dared to take the step to open their own businesses.

It is about excavator operators, chefs, programmers, taxi drivers and economists. Every year, individuals in all occupational groups take the step to start their own company. But today, many entrepreneurs are struggling with price increases, matching issues, taxes and fees. They are also burdened with laws, regulations, rules and bureaucracy from Swedish authorities. It is not only time-consuming but also extremely costly for the companies.

My question is how the government during the mandate period will work to reduce the regulatory burden and increase regulatory simplifications for Swedish companies and entrepreneurs.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Carl Nordblom, for the question!

I, as Minister for Enterprise, am completely convinced that if the general perception of the business climate in Sweden is that it is complicated, laborious, and just a lot of paperwork, then one might not dare to borrow for a home and a house and take that step from idea to reality and be one of those who actually contribute to creating more jobs and growth in Sweden. Therefore, the work on simplifying regulations is one of this government's most important measures.

In the budget, we launched a simplification package of just over 51.1 million. It is not a huge amount of money, but they are well-targeted ones, including the establishment of a simplification council and an upgrade of Verksamt.se, which is highly appreciated by many Swedish entrepreneurs, and also a review of the mandates to all agencies so that all those we can successfully justify should have rule simplifications in sight moving forward.

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Kjell-Arne Ottosson (KD)

Madam Speaker! On Tuesday, we received the news that "a steel company is investigating nuclear power - a stone's throw from Haparanda," a piece of news that perhaps surprises some because it has been said quite many times, especially in this chamber, that no one wants to invest in nuclear power.

This is an announcement that we truly welcome. The business sector must have this if it is to manage the transition journey that is so necessary. The companies themselves state that it is precisely nuclear power, and then SMR, which is the important part because the companies, in addition to reducing their CO2 emissions, also want to produce district heating, hydrogen, and process heat.

The company in question is therefore, according to the article, a stone's throw from Haparanda but on the Finnish side. As a true Northerner and a member of the Nordic Council's Committee on Growth and Development, which handles energy issues, I would like to ask the Minister for Energy if the Minister for Energy sees that we in the Nordic region can benefit even more from one another and thus from our investments and the knowledge that we have.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! A well-functioning Nordic electricity system is actually one of the best things we have. There is an enormous strength in this. We have one of the world's historically longest and most well-integrated systems, and it is more than a cooperation. We run, we develop, and we largely drive the electricity system together.

I believe that us being strong as a region benefits Sweden. It is also a reason why we approved Aurora Line between northern Sweden and Finland as a step towards strengthening this, and it is planned to be put into operation in 2025.

I believe we need to make more of these types of reinforcements, however, not with just anyone. It is the Nordic countries that are key here, because we have a similar view on our strengths and weaknesses and how we can complement each other.

Furthermore, I believe we are going to learn to be challenged by Finland in tempo, tempo, tempo. That is what I am trying to contribute in my area.

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Daniel Vencu Velasquez Castro (S)

Madam Speaker! In the southern half of our country, the electricity price was 2 kronor per kilowatt-hour today, and many are worried about high electricity prices this winter. How high they will be, we do not know. There is, however, a group that knows they will get higher prices at the turn of the year, namely the country's district heating customers, many of whom are in my home municipality Stockholm. Increases as high as 25-30 percent are being announced.

It is not enough that the falukorv has become expensive, Madam Speaker; now the Swedes are also going to freeze when they eat it.

This will affect ordinary people, particularly in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It can only be stated that the Swedes will become poorer. How does the Minister for Energy and Industry, Ebba Busch, intend to ease the situation for Sweden's district heating customers?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member Daniel Vencu Velasquez Castro, for the question! Many times when people talk about energy, they forget about district heating. It is obvious that the Member does not do that, and we have discussed this question several times here in the chamber.

What is needed to produce district heating has completely skyrocketed. In some cases, it is price increases of hundreds of percent that also drive the costs for district heating.

What I, as Minister for Energy, have seen as quite concerning is that the price increases differ very much between the companies. These are natural monopolies where they account for all parts of the pricing chain, and as a household, one does not have the possibility to choose any other district heating supplier.

We are following this very closely, and we are also in dialogue with both authorities and actors to increase transparency in the pricing. But it is fundamentally inflation and price increases that have driven this. If these are reasonable, we follow them closely.

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Angelica Lundberg (SD)

Madam Speaker! Right now, a committee initiative is being processed in the Committee on Social Affairs where the Moderates and the Liberals propose that everyone should be able to choose their own gender. Should this gain traction, any man whatsoever could change their legal gender and then expect to be granted the rights and opportunities that we women have, rights that we have fought hard for.

This could have enormous consequences for the entire work on equality. Women's and men's categories are a prerequisite for equal conditions within sport. Men should not be able to compete against women and completely destroy women's results and records, something that we are now seeing devastating examples of in the USA.

It is obvious that equality is threatened in many ways if everyone is to be allowed to determine their own gender based on self-identification. What risks does Minister Brandberg see with everyone being allowed to choose their gender, and in what way will she act to ensure women's rights?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

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

When it comes to the legislation itself regarding a new gender identity law, it is a matter that now lies with the Riksdag and not with the government.

Questions have been raised regarding how this can affect equality. From that perspective, I intend to respond.

Today's gender identity law is from 1972. All our Nordic neighboring countries have updated their gender identity laws so that they better reflect the view we have today on issues concerning legal gender. This is legislation that implies a greater degree of self-determination but where a medical diagnosis is still required.

The fears that have been raised in the debate have not been seen realized in our neighboring countries that have updated their legislation in a corresponding manner, but as Minister for Equality, I will, of course, follow the issue closely.

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Lars Engsund (M)

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

I am glad that we have taken great steps over the past year with a good energy policy. We have made many good decisions, most recently yesterday here in the chamber regarding new nuclear power.

Forecasts from Svenskt Näringsliv, Energiföretagen, and others point to a doubled energy demand by 2045 - 330 terawatt-hours compared to today's 140 terawatt-hours. The amount of energy that needs to be added to the system corresponds to approximately 20 nuclear reactors of the larger model. At the same time, we know that approximately 1,000 billion in investments are required in Svenska kraftnät.

I wonder what the government's forecast and scenario look like for the future regarding the power and energy demand until 2045, for example when it comes to peak load and base load power.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Lars Engsund, for the question!

It is the government's agencies that are responsible for making forecasts for what effect and energy requirements exist, but we follow this very closely.

Generally speaking, one can say that the realignment we are making is actually about trying to get the politics out of the energy policies and put the physics back into them so that we can build a robust, fossil-free energy system that delivers enough electricity where it is needed, when it is needed, and at sensible prices in the long term.

The energy policy direction proposal that will land on the Riksdag's table will have two clear goals: a planning goal and a security of supply goal. It sounds simple but will fundamentally be revolutionary, because it means that we steer more towards how we are to achieve balance and robustness in the system and that the authorities have that basic instruction constantly. I look forward to when we can discuss it in the chamber here.

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Eva Lindh (S)

Madam Speaker! I would like to ask a question about SD's and the government's savings on the authorities and the effects that we are now seeing of these. It is about state service and presence throughout the country, because the savings entail that type of effect.

The government has also been very clear that they wanted to expand the census. But when the Swedish Tax Agency now needs to adapt to the savings, they are laying off many of those who were to carry out the census, which means that it will not become the census that was sought after, I assume.

I then pose the question to the Minister for Civil Affairs: What does the Minister for Civil Affairs consider to be the consequences of these cuts and savings for the authorities?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Madam Speaker! First and foremost, I just want to correct Eva Lindh and say that this is not an SD government. It is a government consisting of the Moderates, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals, which has a parliamentary cooperation, among other things regarding the budget, with the Sweden Democrats. So that is said.

The Government thinks it is perfectly reasonable that the state contributes in economically tough times. Households are hard hit by high inflation and rising interest rates. Municipalities and regions are struggling in their finances now to make the budget balance. It is reasonable that our authorities also show that they take responsibility in an economically tough time.

It is about a 1 percent saving on the management budget. Eva Lindh is really getting ahead of events when she describes exactly what consequences this will have. We will have to see during the next year. I am convinced that the vast majority of agencies will be able to handle this in a very good way.

It has been delegated to the directors-general to handle the streamlining. But the state must be able to streamline by 1 percent during these very tough times.

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Ludvig Aspling (SD)

Madam Speaker! Finland is currently being subjected to a form of hybrid warfare. A large number of migrants from the Middle East are being bussed by Russia to the Finnish border, and Finland has responded by closing all border crossings to the country.

Finland's actions are naturally completely logical. But in a strict sense, they are in conflict with the EU's regulatory framework, which states that member states may not prevent migrants from seeking asylum. This also applies in cases where it is completely obvious that it involves instrumentalization or hybrid warfare, and even when it concerns migrants who obviously have no sensible reason to come to Finland.

Does State Secretary Malmer Stenergard agree with me that this order is fundamentally very strange? Democratic states of law should surely have an absolute right to say no to migrants who come from a country like Russia, which they themselves have entered completely voluntarily, and who obviously have no need for protection in, for example, Finland?

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Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Ludvig Aspling for the question.

I view the developments in Finland with great concern, where migrants are obviously being used for a form of hybrid warfare. We saw the same thing about two years ago, when Belarus acted in a very serious manner. It also clearly shows that we need a different regulatory framework to be able to meet such situations. Such a framework is currently being developed at the EU level. I hope that the negotiations will lead to results soon, which is absolutely necessary, that is to say, a specific regulation for instrumentalization situations.

I am in close contact with my ministerial colleague Mari Rantanen in Finland and am, of course, also prepared to provide whatever support is needed.

The right of asylum must be respected, but we must have clear tools to be able to handle this type of situation.

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David Josefsson (M)

Madam Speaker! The National Board for Consumer Disputes, ARN, is an authority that adjudicates disputes between consumers and companies. A decision from ARN is a recommendation on how a dispute should be resolved. It is a simpler way to resolve the dispute than to pursue it legally in court.

ARN's recommendations are often incorporated into, for example, industry recommendations and in that way are guiding for how regulations and legislation should be interpreted. In that way, ARN is also one of our most important tools for strengthening consumer protection in Sweden and facilitating for businesses to follow the legislation.

At the same time, the number of cases has increased sharply in recent years, which risks leading to increased case backlogs and longer decision times for the National Advertising Board.

My question to Minister for Consumer Affairs Erik Slottner is therefore: What measures does the Minister intend to take to strengthen the National Board for Consumer Disputes and thereby also consumer protection in Sweden?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank you very much for an important and good question.

ARN, Allmänna reklamationsnämnden, is a very important authority for strengthening the protection and security for Sweden's consumers. The Government is taking several measures for this. We recently included in our budget amendment a reinforcement of approximately 6 million kronor to Allmänna reklamationsnämnden just so that they can reduce the case backlog and be able to handle more cases in ARN, which we have seen have increased incredibly much. Not least, increased opportunities to report digitally have also caused the willingness to report to increase.

We have made a permanent reinforcement in next year's budget, which we are also reinforcing with an additional 6 million in the budget for 2025, so ARN now receives substantial reinforcements. This is an important priority for the government's consumer policy.

In addition, we shall introduce a smaller fee for reports to ARN to reduce what we sometimes call malicious reports and thereby, hopefully, achieve a more reasonable case balance.

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Jytte Guteland (S)

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

PFAS are substances that are persistent and carcinogenic and which we now find in more and more places, both in nature and in us humans.

Aftonbladet has noted that these substances are present in, among others, cosmetics companies such as L'Oréal and that we are therefore applying these carcinogenic substances when we put on makeup. When confronted with L'Oréal in the form of questions, the multinational company, whose products are very widespread in society, responds that they intend to phase out these substances from their products. But when one looks closer, one sees that no phasing out is occurring, and products with these substances are still sold in the webshop, so that Swedish women use them when they apply makeup to their faces. It is therefore carcinogenic and fertility-disrupting.

I wonder what the Minister for Enterprise is doing to summon this company and put it against the wall?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! I would like to begin by extending a big thank you to Jytte Guteland, who raises this issue.

PFAS are indeed incredibly dangerous substances. In many areas, we have waged a rather meticulous campaign to find out where they are and where we can ensure that we get rid of them further.

Obviously, we have quite a lot left to do. A rather extensive work is also underway at the EU level, which I suspect Jytte Guteland is well-informed about. The EU is now reviewing, among other things, the chemical legislation.

I cannot here and now in the rostrum answer what we do in the specific situation on Swedish soil concerning Swedish consumers. But this is a question that I would more than gladly imagine returning to, as our basic position is fixed that we need to ensure that we have companies that take great responsibility, not least in the matter of PFAS.

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Michael Rubbestad (SD)

Madam Speaker! In Västra Götaland, a health survey was recently conducted among the region's fourth graders. In the survey, the children could choose from as many as five different gender options. Parents became upset and argued that it opens up for gender confusion when one is confronted with the idea that there would be more than two genders to choose from.

If we tell children that they can feel like a girl, we also reinforce the norms surrounding what a girl or boy is expected to be and act in a certain way, that is to say the exact opposite of the equality we are trying to achieve where precisely norms and values should not be decisive for how one should grow up and succeed in life. To the question of why, the region answered that even non-binary ten-year-olds should be able to speak about their "gender ambivalence".

Does the Minister for Gender Equality consider this type of questioning of ten-year-old children to be the right way to go to improve gender equality in Sweden? What else does the Minister intend to do to ensure that this ceases?

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Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)

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

Let me begin by saying that if we are to be able to work with equality in Sweden, we must be able to talk about men and women. It is important to be able to distinguish, statistically speaking, simply to see what differences exist. This applies to both children and adults.

At the same time, we have a situation where we have many adults who identify as trans or intersex. We shall live in a society where everyone shall be allowed to live in the identity they feel at home in.

When it comes to children, I mean that we must have a different stance and ensure that we can safeguard equality even among children by talking about boys and girls.

There are no measures here and now. The government does not intervene in this type of measures at the school level. But the government's position is as I have presented.

Question time was hereby concluded.

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