Question Time

TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered today by Minister Erik Slottner, Minister Lotta Edholm, Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard and Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren.

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

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Ardalan Shekarabi (S)

Mr. Speaker! Like many others in here, I became involved in political youth organizations as a young person. I learned the Swedish tradition of separating the issue from the person, opposing hatred toward political opponents, and respecting opponents.

Today we have a situation where one of the parties in the Riksdag is running fake accounts and spreading hate and mistrust in order to increase tensions in society. And the government has chosen to make itself dependent on this party.

Now we are entering the EU election campaign. Many young Swedes are getting involved in the election. What does the government intend to do to stop the fact that fake accounts improperly influence the election campaign?

What measures does the government intend to take to combat the spread of hate and mistrust on social media with the help of fake accounts?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question from Ardalan Shekarabi.

Many of us have taken note of the information from the past few days regarding fake accounts and have condemned this in the strongest possible terms. All party leaders in the government currently in power have condemned the information that has emerged in the strongest possible terms.

I am just like Ardalan Shekarabi, having grown up in a youth organization generation where we have learned to respect each other's opinions, to be able to handle arguments in a debate and thereafter be able to take each other by the hand and be friends, and that one should know the source of different claims.

This type of argumentation, where we do not disclose who we are, is certainly not an entirely new phenomenon. But it has truly spread in tandem with the spread of social media.

We naturally take this very seriously and will return with measures if there is a potential need.

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Ardalan Shekarabi (S)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for this opportunity but must nevertheless ask the question again.

In a week, the election to the European Parliament begins, and people want to engage in this election. But active hate campaigns are being conducted through fake accounts against young Swedes who engage politically.

What does the government intend to do? What measures does the government intend to take to stop this development with the party that the government has made itself dependent on, Sverigedemokraterna?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! In light of the information that has emerged during the week, a dialogue is now taking place between all parties, but also between the Tidö parties and between the government parties.

I know that the Moderaternas party secretary Karin Enström has invited the other party secretaries to a conversation about this to see if we need to take measures to avoid this in the future.

I do not think, however, that this is the first election campaign where we experience fake accounts. It has existed in many previous election campaigns. But, that being said, the information that has emerged is very serious.

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Patrick Reslow (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Lotta Edholm.

Last week, a 38-year-old man was shot to death in Södermalm. What has not emerged from the news reporting is that the fatal shooting took place only 50 meters from a primary school.

Even though the children had managed to leave school just this time, the ruthless gang violence raises questions about the safety of schoolchildren in the areas where the gang criminals operate. We know, for example, that young people are openly recruited into criminal groups on or in direct connection to schoolyards.

I would therefore like to ask what measures the government intends to take to increase safety for students attending schools in areas where gang criminals operate.

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Statsrådet Lotta Edholm (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

It is naturally very serious, what is happening in society right now. It also affects children and young people, students, and we know that the school is a recruitment base for the gang criminals. The vast majority of children go to school, and therefore the school is such a place.

The school safety investigation has quite recently submitted proposals that hopefully can remedy some of this, for example the proposal that schools should be locked. Today, that is not always the case; there has been a kind of naive thought that schools should be open. But of course, schools should be able to be locked.

There are also proposals that, for example, one should be able to search students' bags if one believes that someone is carrying weapons or narcotics and so on.

It is some of the proposals that are currently being prepared by the Government Offices.

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Patrick Reslow (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer and can stand behind many of the measures mentioned.

Another way to increase the safety and security for the students in these areas could be to introduce a stay ban within a certain radius from the school.

My question is whether the Minister could consider working to enable such stay bans.

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Statsrådet Lotta Edholm (L)

Mr. Speaker! It is not a question that I have any answer to today.

The possibility of a stay ban already exists. I guess one could extend it to apply around schools. But it naturally concerns individual individuals.

I believe that one also has to see this in a much larger context so that the schools become more protected than they are today.

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Håkan Svenneling (V)

Mr. Speaker! The Committee on Foreign Affairs decided today to summon the Swedish Institute, the Authority for Psychological Defence, and the Total Defence Research Institute, and in the Committee on Justice and in the Committee on Defence, processes have been initiated on the grounds that Sweden's second-largest party, the largest party in the government base, has a troll factory at its party headquarters.

The revelation shows that during the last three months, 260,000 followers have received over 1,000 posts, which have had over 27 million views. Disinformation is spread in order to mislead our citizens and the rest of the world about the image of Sweden and to fuel threats and hate both within our country and from outside.

What was the Sweden Democrats' role in the LVU campaign?

What was the Sweden Democrats' role in the Quran burnings?

This government needs to take action and not just talk about the future. The government must take measures here and now against the troll factories that the government base itself has created.

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I have not much more to add to this matter, which was discussed here earlier with Member Shekarabi, other than that the government parties take the information that has come to heart very seriously.

I think it is important that the sender in a political debate is visible and well-known and that one does not hide behind anonymous accounts.

This is not a new phenomenon. It has, I believe, occurred for a long time. I know that even during my time in the youth organization, fake senders and various political pressures occurred. But that it occurs in the extent we now see is very serious. I can plainly say that this revelation shows when politics is at its worst. All the government parties' party leaders have very clearly signaled against this occurrence.

We expect the Sweden Democrats to clean this up themselves. The Sweden Democrats naturally have the responsibility to ensure that what we have agreed upon in the Tidö Agreement is respected, which has not occurred in this case.

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Håkan Svenneling (V)

Mr. Speaker! I do not think the Minister for Civil Affairs should downplay this by referring to other things. This is happening here and now. These are just the figures for the last three months.

Now we are entering the EU election campaign. It is now our democracy's security that is being decided. People are to make choices. Can they trust that the post they read on social media is true, or is it false? Sweden's second-largest party obviously wants to spread false information, disinformation.

The Riksdag is now taking the measures we can, but what is the government doing in the serious situation that we now find ourselves in?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I am absolutely not downplaying this. I just said that the revelation shows when politics is at its worst; it is not downplaying what has happened. But one also does oneself a disservice by isolating this and believing that it is something only isolated to the Sverigedemokraterna. We know that fake accounts and other things occur widely and that the sender is not always clear and visible. The problem is therefore larger than Kalla fakta's investigations show, but it is not about downplaying this.

Now the parties are talking among themselves to see how we can resolve this, because this must naturally be sorted out.

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Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C)

Mr. Speaker! Several questioners have addressed this theme, but I want to be even more specific.

That a certain party has controlled and operated anonymous accounts is nothing new, but the systematic nature and scope of this raises fundamental questions about whether party-financed accounts contribute to creating an image of instability in the country that is not true. When fabricated persons without celebrity status surprisingly have tens of thousands of followers who tactically comment on and reinforce each other, it achieves a completely unnatural efficiency on the algorithms of social media. The risks with this are, of course, that a foreign power uses and fuels the staging of instability in the country for its own interests.

My concrete question is therefore: In what way is the government working to ensure that domestic, disproportionately large and fake negative portrayals do not affect the state's security?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Member Thand Ringqvist for this question. A dialogue is currently being held between the parties on how we should handle the situation that has arisen. As I have said twice so far during the ten minutes that the question period has lasted, and now repeat again: What has emerged shows when politics is at its worst. What has emerged is outrageous, and we naturally do not want disinformation to spread either in social media or in traditional media. Senders should naturally not be anonymous in the political debate.

But this is a bigger problem. Just as the questioner says, the influence from foreign powers and others is a bigger problem at all, and this is a very important part of our work with cybersecurity and defense policy. This is something that is also highlighted in the Defense Committee's work. This is a larger task that we will need to work more on.

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Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer, which was somewhat more concrete.

Easy-to-use AI programs are already available so that anonymously created, controlled riots on social media will become monumentally much larger than what we see today. I therefore want to clarify the question: In what way is the government, in Sweden and in the EU, working to ensure that this and future election campaigns are governed by an exchange of meaning between voters and not by stakeholders with spacious consciences when it comes to staging faked debates?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I believe several of my ministerial colleagues could describe how work is carried out in different ways within their respective areas. Not least the Minister for Civil Defence, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, could provide a more exhaustive answer.

I can, however, say that one issue that I, as Civil Minister, have on my desk is the AI Act, where it is now actually regulated that if one interacts with, for example, an AI system, the users of the system must be given information about this, precisely to avoid social manipulation and undue influence. This is a concrete example that I managed to mention during the seconds I had at my disposal.

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Emma Nohrén (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to direct my question to Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren.

Mr. Speaker! The Baltic Sea is in crisis. The herring and sprat stocks have decreased by 80 percent over the last 30 years and are on the brink of a collapse. With continued fishing, there is a 25 percent risk that the stock will collapse and will not become a functioning spawning stock.

Miljöpartiet demands an emergency stop to fishing so that we can save the herring and the sprat. There are good reasons not only for a healthy and living sea, but it would also save coastal fishing. Without fish, there is no fishing industry. This is also what the EU Commission has said, and the Commission proposed a fishing ban based on the common legislation we have, which I believe everyone in this room stands behind. When it looks like this, the emergency brake kicks in.

Despite this, we have a government that has agreed to high quotas for herring - somewhat lower than before but still very high, against the science. The question is therefore why the government is going against the legislation and the Commission's requirements to act. Will there be a fishing ban?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We have chosen to participate in this negotiation. We have chosen not to stand aside and shout and say no and thereby not be involved and able to influence how the quotas become. This has led to the fact that the first negotiation that I, as the Minister for Fisheries from the Swedish side, participated in gave a result that can be compared with the result when the Miljöpartiet did in its last negotiation when you were in government. Your negotiation landed in quotas that were 70 percent higher than those that we managed to get.

Furthermore, for the first time, we have received a total ban on trawling during certain periods. All nations are covered by it; no one is allowed to fish in the Baltic Sea during certain specified periods, precisely to protect the spawning of the herring and the sprat.

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Emma Nohrén (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Minister for Rural Affairs Kullgren says one thing but does another. He shows determination and, as has often been stated, pride over the negotiation, which should be seen as a failure. How is the Swedish side now to do everything possible to take measures that actually protect the stock? These fish will now instead be fished up. Will you take any measures to reduce the fishing since we received a higher quota than science recommended?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! It is worth repeating that the last time Miljöpartiet sat in government, the quotas were 70 percent higher. This should be remembered; it does not sound that way in the debate.

We were part of the debate instead of standing aside and saying no, which would have guaranteed higher quotas. It might have helped some opinion, or it might have been simpler to be the fisheries minister in Sweden. But it would not have helped a single herring or sprat.

This is how politics works. You are at the table, you negotiate, and you do everything you can to get as far as possible in the direction you desire.

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Gustaf Göthberg (M)

Mr. Speaker! I believe we all remember the late summer and the early autumn of 2015. It was a year when 160,000 people sought refuge in our country. In a turbulent time, as it was then, Sweden took responsibility while few others did - it was not sustainable. With a chronically mismanaged integration, social exclusion, and an inability to talk about which values accompany living, residing, and working in this country, it was quite obvious that it was not sustainable.

This week, the EU migration pact was adopted. For the first time in a long time, we now, Mr. Speaker, have a coherent European migration and immigration policy – something that we saw we lacked in 2015. It is good for Europe.

I would like to ask Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard: How will the new migration pact affect Sweden's and Europe's immigration policy? What specific measures are planned to manage any changes in migration flows? Can the Minister tell us what this means for us here in Sweden?

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Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Gustaf Göthberg, for the questions! It is going to be difficult to manage to answer all of them in one minute.

It is extremely positive that the EU Council of Ministers has now made the final decision so that we can get the asylum and migration pact in place. It is important so that we can better prioritize those who have grounds for protection and have better control at the EU's external border, which also benefits free movement in the EU. We shall strengthen returns and also cooperation with third countries.

Before, during, and after the Swedish presidency, we have been strongly driving to get this in place. I am very proud that we also managed to solve the very most difficult questions during our presidency. It is an important step, not only to get immigration in order but also to strengthen European cooperation. I think that we hereby show that we have completely different capabilities to handle common problems and that it is cross-border work that is required to solve cross-border problems.

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Gustaf Göthberg (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! The Minister for Migration also noted the very important point that she herself was involved in negotiating this during the Swedish presidency. I can note that it was also a Moderate Member of the European Parliament, Tomas Tobé, who was driving this in parliament.

We are approaching the EU elections again. In one week, the Swedish people can go to the polls. How does the Minister for Migration intend to work with the next European Parliament to ensure that in the future we do not return to the situation we had in 2015 without us having a controlled immigration to Europe?

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Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! I myself, the government, and Tomas Tobé will work to ensure that, in parallel with our implementation of the pact, we see to it that it truly works in practice. This is no small task. We must also work more in the external dimension and prevent the life-threatening journeys across the Mediterranean, and we can only do that in cooperation with third countries. This is something that we must develop. Here we also have a cooperation with many other countries to push forward on those issues.

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Magnus Oscarsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Our Swedish forest owners and our forestry companies are increasingly concerned about the EU's forest policy. One of Sweden's large forest owners, FAM, has recently pointed out the great climate benefit that the forestry industry's products provide by replacing fossil product alternatives. The consultancy firm Afry has calculated how much larger the climate emissions would have been if the timber products that are produced within the EU today had instead been manufactured from concrete, steel, or plastic. They concluded that European forest production in this way replaces emissions equivalent to the emissions of 50 million EU citizens.

The forestry industry is requesting a new direction for EU's forest policy that recognizes the major climate benefits that the forestry industry's products provide. My question to the Minister for Rural Affairs is how the government is acting to achieve the same goal.

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, member, for the question! The forest is incredibly important for Sweden's prosperity historically but also in the future. The government has been clear, not least in the government bills, that forestry shall not be restricted but can fully be involved and contribute to jobs and growth throughout the country and also to the important climate work. We have, for example, appointed a forest inquiry and become significantly more active at the EU level.

I can only state that I am very happy and satisfied that it was this government that negotiated the so-called renewable energy directive and that it was we who championed the Swedish position regarding the nature restoration law. Otherwise, we would have faced major consequences for Swedish forestry.

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Magnus Oscarsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The Minister just mentions the nature restoration act. It is being reported in the media that the act has run into difficulties following, among other things, opinion-building from the Minister himself. Can the Minister tell us anything more about what is happening with the bill right now?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! This is a matter that is handled in the Environment Ministers Council. But we can indeed observe that when it was to be submitted there, the qualified majority required was not present. We shall have to see where it all leads. But more and more countries are noting, just as Sweden is, that if one is to agree to something in this direction, significantly greater flexibility for the individual member states is needed, which was also the Swedish line that we pursued.

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Elin Nilsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! My question also goes to the Minister for Rural Affairs. It is a follow-up to a question I asked earlier this year and concerns the decommissioning of the mink farms.

No domesticated animals have chosen their existence. Instead, we have done it to them, and that means we have a great responsibility for how we handle them. It is up to us to ensure that they have it well and that they are given an outlet for their natural behaviors.

We must be proud of Swedish animal welfare. It is one of the strongest competitive advantages for the Swedish food industry, to name just one. We must safeguard and strengthen it.

I am genuinely happy that we are now seeing an end to the fur industry in Sweden. But I am waiting to truly celebrate, so my question to the Minister for Rural Affairs is: How is the phase-out progressing – will we see the last mink farm closed before the end of the year?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I cannot promise that we will see that. It would be wrong of me to promise that.

What I can state, however, is that we have reached an agreement with the industry. We are in dialogue with the EU Commission, which does need to give an approval when one makes these types of agreements. I have good hopes that there will be no problems, because this is not any particular industry support but is about us having prioritized funds to controlledly phase out an industry in Sweden. But right now, this is therefore in the phase where we are in dialogue with the EU Commission. But if it should be the case that we do not manage to finish everything during the year, we will continue the work until it is finished.

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Elin Nilsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks, Minister, for the answer! I look forward to the day I can celebrate. It feels good that we in the government cooperation have worked hard for this. I actually have no further questions for the Minister.

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, member! That was a very pleasant question. But I decline to provide further comments on this.

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Sofia Skönnbrink (S)

Mr. Speaker! Almost exactly one year ago, Louise Dahlberg and her son Liam were unprovoked attacked by a rottweiler in Kristinehamn. Liam was only six weeks old and was lying and sleeping in his stroller when the dog suddenly attacked. Liam was seriously injured and had to be transported to Örebro by ambulance helicopter for emergency care. Even now, the scars are visible on his face, and mother Louise is still tormented by horrific memories of the incident.

Despite the fact that a report was made both to the police and to the County Administrative Board, the dog is still with its owner. Louise no longer dares to move around as usual at home in Kristinehamn and wishes that the dog had been taken into custody or euthanized. I truly agree.

The animal welfare legislation is clear. It is illegal to possess or breed individuals with an extremely high fighting drive. That type of aggressive behavior must not occur among our Swedish dogs. Therefore, I want to ask the Minister for Rural Affairs what the government intends to do to ensure that the legislation is followed and that no more attacks occur.

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TALMANNEN

I remind that according to the rules of procedure, it is not permitted to comment on individual cases, whether as a Member of Parliament or as a minister.

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I believe that everyone who has held a baby in their arms feels a knot in their stomach just at the thought of an animal – or a human, for that matter – harming the child, and perhaps even more so if it is one's own child.

We have problems with dog attacks in Sweden. We see far too many really serious attacks. Fundamentally, it is about the owner of a dog having control over that dog. If you cannot manage that, you should not have a dog, very simply put. And when things still go wrong, we must have authorities that can step in and do their work in a good way.

That is why we have given a mandate to Statskontoret, which has now returned with a report. There, they point out several deficiencies in this work. We are now in the process of analyzing these. Do we think the proposals are sufficient, and do we implement them? Or do we need to take further steps?

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Björn Tidland (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Civil Affairs Erik Slottner. The National Property Board manages approximately 2,300 state-owned properties. Skansen Lejonet and Skansen Kronan in Gothenburg are two examples. These two landmarks in the city of Gothenburg are a part of our identity and our common cultural heritage.

Skansen Lejonet was renovated in the 1970s by Götiska Förbundet, and the association has been a tenant in the skansen since 1975. Götiska Förbundet has managed the property well and organizes regular tours of the castle for the public. A 50-year lease agreement is soon expiring, and it is uncertain whether Götiska Förbundet has the financial resources to remain in Skansen Lejonet.

So to the question itself: How is the Minister working to ensure that Statens fastighetsverk adapts its rent settings regarding long-term contracts so that culture-bearing associations can continue to voluntarily manage the Swedish cultural heritage?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! It may be that the questioner believes or suspects that the National Property Board of Sweden falls within the Civil Minister's area of responsibility - I almost get that feeling from the question. That is not the case, but it is the Minister for Finance, Niklas Wykman, who is responsible for the National Property Board of Sweden and who can therefore answer this question.

I do not make the assessment that the question is of a general political nature, and I unfortunately cannot answer the question being asked regarding these individual properties. I must ask the questioner to possibly return with a question to the minister responsible for the agency.

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Kajsa Fredholm (V)

Mr. Speaker! According to Dagens Nyheter, it is being discussed in an ongoing investigation whether to remove the grazing right. It is an investigation commissioned by the right-wing parties and the Sverigedemokraterna and concerns strengthening the competitiveness of agriculture and safeguarding animal welfare.

Current legislation, which states that dairy cows must be given green pasture in the summer, came about thanks to, among others, Astrid Lindgren in the 1980s. Many of us think it is good that all dairy cows in the country should have access to green pasture for at least six hours every day during the grazing season. Therefore, I want to ask Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren if he can promise the Swedish people that the right to pasture will be maintained.

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! This is correct insofar as Dagens Nyheter has reported on two anonymous sources claiming that an investigation, which concerns competitiveness with maintained animal welfare and maintained animal protection, may potentially present a proposal for a changed grazing right.

With that introduction, I hope that several understand that it is impossible for me to comment on something that I have not been near or had put on my desk.

The government has given a broad mandate, which is extremely important, on how we shall strengthen the competitiveness of Swedish agriculture. But there we are also careful to say: We shall not worsen any animal welfare in Sweden. Rather, the investigation shall also come with proposals on how we can work even more effectively to increase animal protection throughout Europe.

But when it comes to how that assessment is made, the investigation must first come forward with a proposal before I can comment.

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Martin Ådahl (C)

Mr. Speaker! I would very much like to hear more about the grazing rights, but my question to the government unfortunately concerns the so-called troll factories that have recently been revealed.

My question is: Has the government, through its agencies or in other ways, received information that gives reason to believe that this type of troll factories - it is about the disinformation and smear campaigns that we have seen exposed - have been exploited by a foreign power, for example Russia, in hostile influence campaigns against Sweden?

The second part of the question is: Is there, if you have received such information, reason to believe that those who have operated these domestic troll factories had knowledge that foreign powers have used the troll factories' activities for their influence campaigns in Sweden?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question. Now, I would say that we are entering into very sensitive issues. I think it is on the edge. Are they really general political issues?

There is no information that I have received which is public that indicates this. It is therefore no information that I am aware of which has come from authorities - which would probably fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence in that case - that I can tell you about here.

But it is also very possible that information has reached the authorities that is not passed on for reasons specifically concerning national security. My answer should not be interpreted as that such information has not been received, but it is no information that has been shared with me or information that can be told publicly.

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Rebecka Le Moine (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Right now, cow releases are taking place all over the country. Happy cows take their joyful leaps and jumps, and this can be witnessed by many. But 1,500 cows have not been allowed to take these joyful leaps; instead, they have been kept locked up for 18 months as part of a cynical experiment. Is it possible to increase production by locking up cows? It seems that the government is also thinking along these lines.

The hay meadow and the grazing rights are something to be proud of and among the most Swedish things we have in this country. Now the question, which I pose to Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren: Will you choose to push to export the grazing rights to the entire EU and actually raise animal welfare in the EU, or will you instead go the route where you remove the law on grazing rights and lower animal welfare in all of Sweden?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The answer is the same as before. It is an inquiry that is working on this. It is impossible for me to comment on anything before I have received the inquiry's proposal on the table. The origin of this is two anonymous sources who have turned to a media house. Then it has become this debate.

At the European level, it looks a bit different. In some countries, there is a fairly high degree of grazing even for dairy cows, but I believe we are quite unique, if not completely unique, in having this legislation. In several countries, instead, they work with the idea that, through the common agricultural policy, one can have the right to increased support when dairy cows are put out to pasture.

We must also remember that animal welfare requirements generally look different in many countries. Here, we have come very far with loose housing and so on.

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Jennie Wernäng (M)

Mr. Speaker! I wish to ask a question to Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren. That our self-sufficiency rate should increase has rarely been more important than in the uncertain times that we are currently in.

I come from Öckerö municipality. On the west coast, fishing is part of our DNA. Can the minister describe the work being done and how fish and shellfish can become a natural part of our self-sufficiency when it comes to food specifically?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, member, for an important question!

I believe it has dawned on significantly more people, both decision-makers and citizens in general, that we are quite vulnerable when it comes to our level of self-sufficiency. First we had a rather serious drought, then a pandemic, and now there is war in our immediate vicinity. All the broken supply chains that have resulted from all of this show that we need to have an increased Swedish food production in all categories, and that naturally also includes the entire blue supply chain.

That is why we are working to, I hope, incorporate the importance of fishing and the blue economy into the food strategy 2.0 in an even clearer way. That work is ongoing, and I hope that we will be able to land it in a really good way this autumn.

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Camilla Rinaldo Miller (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The EU started as a peace project, which was needed in the scarred Europe of the post-war period. Since then, the EU has developed to be so much more. Work is being done for borders, freedom, free trade, and much more, which has proven to be both good and bad.

Sweden is the European champion in over-implementation, and authorities are pushing for this. One example is the deposit directive. A company manufactures vitamin shots, the bottle weighs too little and therefore does not work in the deposit machines. This has major consequences for their operations. Another example is PPWR, where it is written in that the transport packaging must not only be recyclable but also be reusable.

The Christian Democrats want to stop the EU's greed and also stop Sweden's eagerness to be the European champion in over-implementing EU directives. My question to Minister Slottner is: What is the government doing to stop over-implementations and over-interpretations of EU directives?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much for the question, Camilla Rinaldo Miller!

This is an important issue and a problem that is raised in several places. When I am out traveling around the country, there is a suspicion and many questions regarding that Sweden many times perhaps implements EU legislation a bit too rigidly and at the upper limit. Therefore, it is important that we review this so that we do not implement in a way that impairs Swedish competitiveness or Swedish growth.

The government is currently working on appointing an implementation council where the mandate shall be that new EU legislation shall not be over-implemented. We hope to have this in place as soon as possible, and it should be within a short time. In addition, the government has, through Tillväxtverket, appointed a regulatory simplification council which shall review how we can simplify the rules in Swedish legislation, which also covers a very large amount of EU legislation.

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Tomas Eneroth (S)

Mr. Speaker! In recent days, it has been revealed how the Sweden Democrats – the government's coalition party with employees in the Government Offices – have conducted a systematic disinformation campaign via their communications department and via their closely related TV channels. It concerns anonymous accounts that spread clips with disinformation and that post images and videos of both government representatives and the opposition with false comments, something that undermines trust in democracy and important institutions in our country.

Beyond the obvious fact that this conduct contributes to poisoning the political climate in Sweden and increasing polarization, we can also see that it has affected the world's view of Sweden. The fake images, the campaigns, and the fabricated comments reach beyond Sweden's borders, and the Swedish Institute has been able to demonstrate that the image of Sweden has changed. This has effects when we now must strengthen security at Swedish embassies or when Swedish companies face a tougher threat landscape.

My question to Minister Slottner is therefore: Can the government rule out that the worsened image of Sweden and the increased threat against Sweden may have been amplified by the campaigns that the troll factories have now revealed they have carried out?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question, Tomas Eneroth!

These types of questions about excluding things are very categorical, and Eneroth knows of course that it is very difficult to exclude practically anything.

I have commented on the issue earlier during this question period. The government parties view what has happened very seriously. We have taken a strong stance and even said that this shows when politics is at its worst. The Moderates' party secretary has convened the other party secretaries for a meeting to discuss what measures we need to take and how we proceed in light of the information that has emerged.

So there is no doubt about what the government parties think and believe about this and that it constitutes a problem. These are still quite new assignments. The report is new. Now the parties are gathering; let us in an orderly fashion see what measures need to be taken. But it is serious.

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Anders Alftberg (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Education Lotta Edholm.

Last week we were able to read about a substitute teacher who had to reprimand a student who was considered to be disturbing the order in the classroom. According to reports, the substitute teacher grabbed the student and pulled him back into the classroom when he tried to leave the classroom despite instructions from the substitute. The substitute teacher was reported to the police by the student's parents for assault, something that seems to be common nowadays when norms, respect, and responsibility no longer really apply in school.

In the long run, this affects not only the attractiveness of the teaching profession but also the learning of knowledge. What measures does the Minister intend to take to ensure that it is the teachers and not the students or their parents who decide in the classroom?

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Statsrådet Lotta Edholm (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for a major and important question, Anders Alftberg!

We know that Swedish classrooms are more rowdy than in many other countries and that this is an important reason for our falling Pisa results. Swedish students arrive late more often. They have higher levels of absence. They are more distracted by mobile phones, both their own and their friends', and they have less respect for the teachers. All of this not only leads to many students feeling unsafe in school, but it naturally also leads to poorer knowledge results.

We have now appointed an inquiry concerning increasing teachers' and principals' powers to actually ensure that there is peace and quiet in the classroom. But I would also like to point out that this is also a parental responsibility. It is we parents who raise our children, and it is important that we teach them respect both for other people and for the school as such.

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Mona Smedman (C)

Mr. Speaker! On April 9, the government announced that the Swedish Institute has been tasked with establishing a special group that shall work to create positive interest for Sweden and also ward off incorrect and negative images of our country.

In this matter regarding disinformation campaigns spreading a negative image, both Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch and the Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade have commented on the government's website. The Swedish Defence University has also mapped previous disinformation campaigns and pointed out the interaction between national and international activists, not least via social media.

In recent days, it has been revealed in TV4's Kalla fakta that so-called troll accounts are also organized in Sweden, where anonymous and fake senders spread incorrect or negative propaganda about Swedish politics and leading figures.

Mr. Speaker! Given the number of questions that have been asked about this here in the chamber today, it is a matter of clear importance. My question to Minister Slottner is: What measures does the government intend to take to counter national disinformation campaigns, for example anonymous troll factories, affecting the democratic debate and the image of Sweden?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! It is quite true that the government is working to strengthen the image of Sweden. We see that, for various reasons, it has taken a hit, not least due to increased crime, gang violence, Quran burnings and other things.

This has made us concerned that the image of Sweden has deteriorated, and therefore we have given the assignment to the Swedish Institute, which I think is very good. At the same time, however, it should be said that the general image of Sweden remains good internationally and that Sweden is an attractive country.

Some of the events that we fear have led to a worse image of Sweden regarding disinformation online. It is important to work on this, and it is very possible that this is one of the things that will be identified.

Regarding what has emerged in Kalla fakta, we cannot say that all disinformation has come from these accounts; that would perhaps be to draw somewhat far-reaching conclusions. It is, however, concerning, and the government will certainly need to return with measures.

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Magnus Resare (M)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.

In recent days, a central representative and Member of the European Parliament for the Sweden Democrats has commented in the media that a population exchange is taking place in Sweden and Europe and that entire areas in Sweden are lost and are no longer Swedish. I wonder how the Minister for Migration views this.

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Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Magnus Resare, for the question!

I read this article and think that the Sverigedemokraternas Member of the European Parliament, Charlie Weimer, expresses a hopelessness that I do not share. With the government's policy, we are now slowly but surely getting immigration under control. Last year, we had the lowest number of granted asylum-related residence permits in the entire 2000s.

It is important that immigration to Sweden decreases so that we can turn around integration. We see major problems with socioeconomic exclusion, overcrowding, parallel societies and values. We also see widespread problems with honor oppression and antisemitism.

These social problems should not be underestimated. Giving up, as Charlie Weimer seems to imply, does not solve any problems. I am convinced that with the government's policy we can turn the development around.

In conclusion, I want to say that the theory of population exchange is a well-known right-wing extremist conspiracy theory that I do not think any established politician should spread.

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Åsa Westlund (S)

Mr. Speaker! Swedish schools shall convey and anchor respect for fundamental democratic values. Now, it has been revealed that the largest party in the government support systematically manipulates democracy. With the help of anonymous accounts, they contribute to hatred, polarization, and division on a very large scale.

My question, given that the government itself is now legitimizing systematic hatred against political opponents through its cooperation with the Sverigedemokraterna, is what the Minister for Education intends to do to strengthen the work so that today's students understand that democracy includes respect for political opponents and open debate.

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Statsrådet Lotta Edholm (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for the question.

The Swedish school has a very important responsibility to spread information and teach about democracy, the functioning of democracy, human rights, and respect for all people. It is extremely important that the school takes full responsibility for this mission.

We are currently working on a review of the curricula. However, I believe that the Swedish School Act and the Swedish curricula are already very clear today that it is an important mission for the Swedish school to work with democratic values and respect for human rights.

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Martin Kinnunen (SD)

Mr. Speaker! In February, a new forestry investigation was finally presented. This is something the Sweden Democrats have long called for. We need to promote an active forestry sector that creates jobs and growth and contributes to the bioeconomy.

The disappointment was, however, great among us, as well as within the industry, when we understood that species protection issues from a forestry perspective were not included in the investigation. My question is how this happened and why the species protection issues from a forestry perspective were not included in the investigation.

The situation with more and more legally uncertain logging bans must be addressed. We must achieve proportionate legislation when we weigh the protection of plants and birds against other societal benefits.

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The forest investigation is broad and has a broad mandate to propose measures so that we can come more in line with the government's view on how we should manage our forests.

As has been pointed out, we chose to separate a part – the species protection issues, linked to compensation issues – and place it in its own track. The forest investigation is already immensely extensive. We are keen to make progress in this area and that it does not take too long. Therefore, we chose to separate this and not include it in the same investigation.

We have not yet set our foot down regarding exactly what form it will take. This is being prepared at this moment in the Government Offices, and an investigation will be launched to handle these questions. The member can be calm here.

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Eleonore Lundkvist (M)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Erik Slottner.

One of the most common questions I receive in my role is what I do when I am not in this chamber. I usually try to spend a lot of time meeting with companies and municipal representatives in my home county of Västmanland. A request that is very often mentioned then is to get shorter processing times at the county administrative boards when it comes to planning and building cases and environmental permits. This is mentioned in both Västerås as well as in Sala and Arboga.

I therefore want to ask the Minister what is being done to speed up the processing times at the county administrative boards.

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to extend a big thank you to the member for the question. This is something of a heart issue for me. How the county administrative boards should be able to be a lubricant or a facilitator for regional growth, permit processes, housing construction, and industrial establishment is truly an important issue. The most recent governor I had a meeting with - as recently as a few weeks ago - was Västmanland's governor Johan Sterte, so it was indeed appropriate that the question came from just Västmanland.

In the budget, the government gave an additional 100 million kronor to speed up the permit processes, which I naturally think was very good. If the county administrative boards are to succeed with this assignment, it is crucial that we review the Environmental Code in order to speed up the permit processes. This falls under the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise. I really look forward to the final report, which will be released in December.

The government has also given the county administrative boards different target goals to time how quickly we think one should grant permits and other authorizations.

So, a lot of work is underway. This is a very important issue.

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Tomas Kronståhl (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Rural Affairs Kullgren.

There is great concern among our coastal fishers who fish for salmon in fishing area 30. Several of these fishers have had repeated contacts with politicians after the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management sent out a referral on April 17 this year containing amended rules for fishing for farmed salmon. In this case, it is proposed to follow the ICES recommendation of a zero quota on salmon in area 30 for the current year.

The coastal fishers who fish for salmon in this area primarily catch the farmed and released salmon, which are intended to be caught. This is done to save and protect the endangered wild Ljungan salmon. This is known with certainty because the adipose fin is clipped off on the farmed salmon. Only a very small portion of the protected Ljungan salmon is caught, and the amount that is caught can easily be released back.

At the same time, Mr. Speaker, the neighboring country Finland has made a decision to let its significantly larger coastal fishing fleet continue to fish for salmon. They have also given a mandate to link research on the salmon's development to their fishers. The large trawlers also naturally take this as bycatch.

Does the Minister intend to do anything about this newly arisen and absurd situation?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We are working to find different solutions in this matter. Finland and Sweden had a common interest in moving forward in this issue during the negotiations. Finland has now chosen its path. We do not see that it is fully applicable on the Swedish side and are therefore looking at other solutions. Preparation is ongoing.

Even in this area, we need to involve the commission to get our proposals for fishing, for research needs or otherwise, approved. Therefore, it is important that we do this correctly and properly.

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Ludvig Aspling (SD)

Mr. Speaker! The Police Authority has announced that it intends to submit a motion for regulatory changes aimed at strengthening the police's defense against criminal infiltration - this after it was discovered that a number of persons employed within the police have leaked sensitive information and in practice worked for organized crime.

We naturally agree with the need for this, but we would also like to see that people think a bit ahead and do not wait for the next scandal within the next agency before taking action.

Is the Minister for Migration prepared to work so that the same tools can be used by other strategically important agencies, not least the Swedish Migration Agency?

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Statsrådet Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Ludvig Aspling for the question, and as he is well aware, the fight against organized crime is an extremely important priority for the government so that we can preserve our open and free society. The government has an extensive reform agenda and is of course prepared to consider all tools that can lead to a safer Sweden.

Migrationsverket cooperates with a number of other authorities in the fight against crime. I am following this closely and will shortly visit the operations to discuss this further. Migrationsverket also has a broader security mandate, and if, within that framework, needs for legislative changes are identified, the government will of course consider all such changes because this is an extremely important issue.

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Lars Beckman (M)

Mr. Speaker! Yesterday, the Minister for Rural Affairs appeared on Aktuellt and explained very pedagogically and extensively everything the government is doing to save the salmon.

In Gävle, there is Bergmans Fisk with a fishing family that has fished for seven generations.

Just as Jennie Wernäng said, it is incredibly important that we now get a food strategy and that we ensure that we can eat fish in the future.

In Aktuellt yesterday, the Minister for Rural Affairs stated that he has invited his colleagues from other countries around the Baltic Sea, and I hope that the Minister will, among other things, visit Bergmans Fisk in Gävle.

Can the Minister tell us a bit more about what the government is doing to influence other countries so that we can save the salmon?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I have invited my ministerial colleagues from the member countries around the Baltic Sea, the so-called Baltfish network. Many of the early discussions regarding quotas and so on take place here ahead of the negotiations in October in the Council of Ministers of Fisheries.

Just as in forest policy, I believe it is important to bring in my colleagues so that they can gain an increased understanding of our conditions, of what our fishing looks like, and of how the current situation with a large fishing extraction, an environmental situation in the Baltic Sea that is unacceptable, and too many predators in the form of seals and cormorants affects people such as Dennis Bergman and many other coastal fishers. In addition to talking about quotas, I also hope to be able to talk about the ban that exists on trade with seal products.

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Eva Lindh (S)

Mr. Speaker! It is now clear that the Sweden Democrats operate troll factories in Sweden, which naturally affects our democracy and all of us.

Municipalities, regions and local politicians are also exposed to the threats, hate and disinformation from troll factories. The Minister for Civil Affairs is the government minister who is responsible for the government's cooperation with the country's municipalities and regions. What message will the minister give to the municipal sector regarding what we now know about troll factories? How will the minister act to secure our democratic society also at the local level?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I have at this point, a couple of days after the report was broadcast, no clear information to give regarding whether we need to act towards municipalities and regions and, if so, in what way.

I arrived home from Värmland yesterday afternoon after having visited several municipalities there for three days. We talked a lot about digitalization, and from time to time, cybersecurity and the fear of disinformation and cyberattacks came up. The public service of the municipalities and regions becomes more vulnerable the more digitized it becomes, but at the same time, they see enormous opportunities with digitalization to create more accessible and open service to the citizens around the clock. Digitalization creates opportunities but also risks, and we must be able to manage both of these.

Whether we need to take special measures for municipalities and regions in light of what has emerged, I must return to.

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Eric Palmqvist (SD)

Mr. Speaker! When we in the chamber debated regional development this week, it turned out that several parties advocate for different proposals aimed at somehow returning a greater share of the production values created out in the country to the towns and regions where the production takes place, more so than today. It can be about profits from mines, large industries, wind farms, or hydropower plants.

The proponents argue that such an arrangement is necessary to achieve a higher degree of local acceptance for the environmental impacts that result from activities such as those I just mentioned. The proposals may differ on exactly how this should be implemented, but it is clear that there is an increased political will to take steps in this direction.

Is Minister Peter Kullgren, within the scope of his area of competence, prepared to work to have the conditions for such a reform investigated and what potential effects it could have for the Swedish countryside?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Just as the member says, this is a large and complex issue. Right now, it is not on the government's table. I believe, however, that many of us safeguard the well-being of the countryside, and therefore work has begun on a comprehensive rural policy proposition that spans many policy areas, not just those I am directly responsible for. I cannot, however, say at this stage whether it will contain anything regarding just this.

The member's statement shows how much city and countryside go hand in hand. Much of what we produce in Sweden is produced in the countryside, and many of the support services for the production need to be managed and led from the city. That is how it looks, and it is important to keep in mind.

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Malin Larsson (S)

Mr. Speaker! When the government presented its forest investigation in February, it turned out that the biggest problems in forestry today, species protection and the issue of compensation for forest owners who are deprived of the right to manage their forest, were not even included. The reason why the issue of species protection was not included in the investigation's mandate was that it was urgent, the Minister for Rural Affairs said then. It has been urgent for a long time, but even today the government has not given any announcement as to when it will tackle the most important issue for the country's forest owners: One is not allowed to fell, and one receives no compensation.

How long will Swedish forest owners have to wait, and what is the Minister for Rural Affairs' plan to handle this situation? When can we, and above all the forest owners, expect a result?

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Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)

Mr. Speaker! There was a rush a week ago, there is a rush today, there was a rush one and a half years ago when I took office, there was a rush five years ago and there was a rush eight years ago. Yes, one can bounce time perspectives back and forth.

We have now commissioned a forest investigation. Both I, as Minister for Forestry, and Minister for Climate and Environment Romina Pourmokhtari were clear that this is to take place in a separate track, precisely because we do not want it in the large forest investigation. The work of preparing directives and everything else that needs to be done before we present such an investigation is ongoing in the Government Offices. It is, therefore, underway.

Question time was hereby concluded.

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