Question Time

TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered today by Minister Acko Ankarberg Johansson, Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch, Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer, and Minister Erik Slottner.

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. Minister Acko Ankarberg Johansson answers both general political questions and questions within his own area of responsibility.

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Karin Sundin (S)

Mr. Speaker! Just now, a debate was held here in the chamber regarding the Swedish healthcare crisis. Four Social Democratic members described the situation with warnings and layoffs in healthcare in their home constituencies: 1,000 warned in Skåne, 900 warned in Östergötland, 700 warned in Sörmland and 500 warned in Värmland. More than 3,000 warned employees in four regions is very many more than when Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson promised this spring a budget that meant that no people - zero - would have to quit in Swedish healthcare. There are an additional 17 regions in Sweden, all in financial crisis. Where warnings have not been issued, there is a hiring freeze.

My question to Minister for Health Acko Ankarberg Johansson is: Does the government no longer believe that these thousands of employees who have given notice are needed in Swedish healthcare?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Member Sundin for the question. In the debate we have just had, it has clearly emerged, even from those members who represent different regions, that it is fewer than 1,000 people who are now at risk of being laid off. I am very grateful that the regions are using the money that the government has allocated. Collectively, we have provided a sector support of 9 billion to manage the consequences of inflation and the pension agreement. This corresponds to more than 10,000 employees with a nurse's salary. The regions have truly used the money we gave them to reduce the risk of notices and layoffs.

Even though I wish that everyone had stayed, it is significantly fewer than what we risked at the beginning of the year. We have truly provided the conditions for the regions to be able to retain healthcare staff and those who work close to the clinic.

Just before the adjournment before the question period, it was a member of the Social Democrats who said in the debate: We have allocated the resources that are needed. 2.7 billion more than the government is allocated to healthcare. Does this constitute the entire difference between good and bad? Member Sundin is welcome to answer that.

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Karin Sundin (S)

Mr. Speaker! When the Tidö government invests heavily in tax cuts, mostly for the very wealthiest, the state budget contains no investments in healthcare. It is less money for healthcare next year than this year. Hand on heart, Minister for Health - is this really the right policy for the patients and the staff in Swedish healthcare?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! It is completely correct that we provide 9 billion extra this year as a result of inflation. SKR writes on page 79 in its economic report from May this year – it will probably be the only time they write so – that it was correct for once to provide temporary support. The reason is that the inflation was temporary. It was solely linked to the pension agreement. Thanks to the fact that we have jointly pushed down inflation, the regions have 25 billion more to use next year. These funds were needed in healthcare.

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Angelika Bengtsson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! It is with great concern that we see the increasing occurrence of hooliganism and violence in connection with primarily our football matches. Allsvenskan has been relatively calm this season, but the incidents that have occurred have been more disorderly than ever. These incidents jeopardize not only the safety of the players and the supporters but also the order and security in our society. Despite previous efforts, the problems recur. It is clear that more must be done to address this.

What additional measures is the Minister for Justice prepared to take to combat the hooliganism and violence at Swedish football matches?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Angelika Bengtsson for this important question. The scenes that unfolded as recently as this past weekend are something that we can never accept as supporters, players, leaders, organizers or citizens. The government has repeatedly met with the various actors who can influence this situation - the football association, other representatives of the sports movement, the supporters, the police and the arena owners - and we will have a new such meeting at the beginning of November.

Furthermore, we have commissioned an inquiry to review the rules regarding entry bans and camera surveillance and to take a position on whether the penalties must be toughened for those who repeatedly, for example, storm pitches, use bangers or other pyrotechnics, or disguise themselves. We must be completely clear that what we saw on Sunday must not happen in Swedish football, and we are doing everything we can to contribute to ensuring it does not happen again.

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Angelika Bengtsson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the answer. It is of the utmost importance that we act powerfully and decisively to curb these problems. On that, we agree. There are no ambiguities there.

Since 2021, the police have lacked a national coordination regarding specifically sports-related crime. Many lack that function. Will the Minister for Justice work to reintroduce this function, which is missed by both associations and, not least, gambling companies?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! I do not intend to go into detail regarding exactly how the police intend to organize their work in the area. However, there is no doubt whatsoever that it is absolutely crucial that the police have a very close cooperation with all other actors who can influence the situation. These include, of course, the clubs, the event companies, the arena owners, and the supporters. An important step in this is that we will gather the actors for a new meeting on November 5.

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Gudrun Nordborg (V)

Mr. Speaker! According to reports in the media, there is a risk that the Economic Crime Authority will be abolished. I mean that this authority carries out a very important activity. For more than 25 years, unique competence, expertise, and cooperation have been built up, which are of crucial importance for combating serious organized crime. It is a broad activity. They investigate, document, and drive processes. They also have an extensive preventive activity, including lectures and training for municipalities.

I want to ask the Minister for Justice if he is prepared to guarantee the continued existence and operations of the Economic Crime Authority.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Gudrun Nordborg for this important issue. There is no doubt whatsoever that the Economic Crime Authority has a very important mission: to lead the work of preventing and combating economic crime. I am very pleased that we recently appointed a new, very skilled and highly respected director-general, Rikard Jermsten, who was also given a clear development mandate. The pressure must increase in the investigative work, more economic crime criminals shall be prosecuted, the preventive work shall be developed, and cooperation with other actors shall be intensified.

At the same time, we know that the Swedish National Audit Office has pointed out a number of deficiencies, both in the agency's setup and in its operations. These have also been noted by the Riksdag in a number of motions to the government. We have appointed an inquiry completely in line with the directives we have received from the Swedish National Audit Office and the Riksdag in that part. The investigator has been tasked with analyzing the situation without preconceived notions and returning with proposals. When the investigator comes with their proposals, I will take a position on them.

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Gudrun Nordborg (V)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for that answer, Minister for Justice! I am partially satisfied, but only partially.

It is now leaking in the media that there is a risk that the authority will be shut down. I hope that the operations continue, but the question is what this will mean. The staff are becoming concerned, and the union representatives are sounding the alarm about the risk of losing competence. Every reorganization also risks having such consequences.

I hope that all expertise can be retained, also that which concerns companies and corporations as criminal actors. It is extremely important.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! There is no doubt whatsoever that the competence that the Economic Crime Authority possesses with its extraordinarily skilled employees is indispensable in the fight against economic crime. Furthermore, the National Audit Office and the Riksdag have asked the government to appoint an investigation in this area. We have formulated directives entirely in line with the directives we have received, both from the National Audit Office and from the Riksdag. I do not intend to anticipate or undermine the investigation in that part.

The signal to the Swedish Economic Crime Authority is very clear, and the appointment of a new director-general confirms it: Full speed ahead!

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Malin Björk (C)

Mr. Speaker! Like Gudrun Nordborg, I have reacted to the revelation this week that Stefan Strömberg, who last year received the government's mandate to review the future of the Economic Crime Authority, intends to propose that EBM be abolished. Through my sources, I have known about this since last summer, and I assume, of course, that the Minister for Justice has been at least equally informed, that is to say, that he knew this when a new gd for EBM was appointed a couple of months ago.

A side instruction that the Minister for Justice did not mention, but which the Director General then received, was to stay close to Stefan Strömberg's investigation. It is easy to interpret this as that Gunnar Strömmer has appointed a new Director General in order to abolish EBM.

The criminal economy in Sweden today covers more than 100 billion per year. The primary source of income is tax crime. In criminal, often sophisticated company-like structures, organized crime has found lucrative opportunities.

I wonder how the Minister for Justice wants to combat the serious economic crime in Sweden so that eco-bullies who pump billions into the blasts and shootings we see are stopped in their tracks.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Malin Björk, for developing the question that Gudrun Nordborg posed earlier!

Let me put it this way: I am not sure that the fight against economic crime wins on more or less conspiratorial speculations about which signals were or were not sent to an incoming director-general.

The National Audit Office has conducted a review and given the government a very clear mandate to appoint an inquiry. Furthermore, the National Audit Office specified how the inquiry's mandate should be formulated. Then, the Riksdag, with a broad majority, including the Center Party, confirmed that it is precisely in that way the government should approach the task. That is also precisely what we have done.

Everyone can take part in the directives. The first point says that it should be an unconditional mandate, which also the Swedish National Audit Office and the Riksdag have said it should be. Then we have listed a number of very concrete points concerning the organization, the mandate, and the missions for the Swedish Economic Crime Authority.

I look forward very much to the proposals from the investigator. They will arrive in the autumn term, and then we will tackle them in a good way.

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Malin Björk (C)

Mr. Speaker! History shows that large reorganizations, such as the one within the police in 2015 and even those announced—an investigation into EBM was already conducted in 2007, which proposed the closure of the agency—cause the efficiency within such an agency to decrease significantly. This is because staff leave their employment and it takes time to build up new competence. This happens even when there are signals that something such is about to happen, and I already hear this concern from employees at EBM.

I want to ask the Minister for Justice if he can send a reassuring message already today that their concern is not justified and that EBM remains.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! It would perhaps be somewhat peculiar if I, in conflict with the directives we have received from the Riksdag through announcements and from the National Audit Office, were to anticipate the investigation's proposals. They will, therefore, come to us, and then we shall evaluate them in a careful manner.

I also urge everyone to read the directives. There, the deficiencies in today's arrangement that the Swedish National Audit Office has noted are pointed out, such as lack of clarity regarding mandates, lack of clarity regarding intelligence gathering, and that the agency does not have direct access to various registers. All of this is included in the investigation's directives.

We want the result to be that we can step up the fight against economic crime. EBM has an important key function in that. The appointment of the director-general is an expression of that. The signals he has received have also been very public. It is full speed ahead that matters.

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Jacob Risberg (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Southern Sweden, SE 4, has the highest electricity prices in the country. Skåne's power commission has analyzed what is needed to quickly increase electricity production and strengthen the power balance. What is requested is energy efficiency, hydropower and solar power, in combination with dispatchable power such as hydropower or pumped storage, gas turbines and battery storage, as well as flexibility.

The Minister for Energy and KD are, however, stopping all of this. Across the country, KD's municipal politicians have stopped around 75 percent of all planned wind power. One contributing cause is, of course, the hatred toward wind power that Ebba Busch whipped up during the election campaign.

But now the Minister for Energy would like to have wind power. Her local politicians have, however, already stood and promised the voters to say no.

Solar power is given worsened conditions by the removal of the 60 öre. Existing supports for energy efficiency have been scrapped. The investigation into a long-term system was abandoned by the Minister for Energy. In principle, nothing has been done to develop smart control and flexibility.

My question is: Will the Minister in the future take into account the proposals that Skåne's effect commission has developed in order to lower electricity prices in SE 4?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Jacob Risberg and I have not met in so many debates before, but this was both ignorant and unpleasant. Let me respond with facts and as politely as I can.

What I said during the election campaign was that we are not to replace Sweden's green forests with steel forests. That stands. We shall not do that. Very important nature values and environmental values would be lost. It is also not certain that we would achieve more effect by connecting industries and companies and in that way solving southern Sweden's problems.

Southern Sweden has the largest power shortage in the entire EU. I was in Malmö just a moment ago, precisely to talk with those who are affected by this. This government has decided on 50 measures to improve the situation by 2030, because it is urgent. But we cannot continue with an environment-party-style energy policy that provides more electricity but not more power output. It does not benefit Sweden, and it does not benefit households.

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Jacob Risberg (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Then I shall try to put my question very politely: Will the Minister for Energy take into account the proposals that Skåne's effect commission has developed in order to lower just the electricity prices in SE 4?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! It is appreciated. The answer is yes, but not all straightforwardly. We now have, for example, a pilot study underway for gas turbines. Gas turbines can be powered by many different fuels, but it could provide more power. The problem is that Sweden has brought a lot more electricity into the system, but we cannot connect more companies and industries. We have also tried to save small-scale hydropower and implemented Kraftlyftet in the latest budget to get more power in line with what the Skåne Power Commission has requested.

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Ludvig Ceimertz (M)

Mr. Speaker! I direct my question to Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer. Men's violence against women is a major societal problem that occurs in all parts of our society, both geographically and socioeconomically. One of several tools that can be used to prevent and stop men's violence against women is the issuance of restraining orders. But during the spring, the Swedish National Audit Office noted that there are a number of deficiencies in the system for restraining orders. It does not function equally across the country. It is primarily used as a repressive measure and thus misses its preventive effect. The consequences of breaking it are insufficient.

The Minister for Justice and the government have in both words and actions shown their great focus on combating men's violence against women, and the government has several legislative proposals on the way. I would like the Minister for Justice to tell what the government is doing to make restraining orders more effective, with a greater focus on protection for the person who is subjected to violence or threats.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Ludvig Ceimertz for raising this important issue in the chamber today.

Men's violence against women is one of our society's greatest ongoing failures. Now, the government is working very hard to ensure that new, more effective rules regarding restraining orders are in place during the next year. Restraining orders shall be used in more cases, and they shall be able to provide a more powerful protection for vulnerable women. Specifically, this involves, among other things, a presumption for a restraining order when the prohibited person has been convicted of serious crimes in close relationships and that restraining orders shall be able to cover significantly larger geographical areas than today.

We are therefore tightening the restraining orders. We are also tightening the penalties. We are strengthening the protection in rental housing. We are tightening the rules regarding custody, housing, and visitation. The line is clear and distinct: less consideration for the dangerous man and increased protection for the crime victim, that is to say, the vulnerable woman. That is what vulnerable women have the right to expect, and that is what the government is delivering.

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Ludvig Ceimertz (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for Justice for the answer. Shifting the focus to the crime-affected and violence-affected is an important prioritization.

I thank you for the answers I received, and I further wonder how we shall ensure that the whole thing occurs more equally across the country so that one can get access to this protection regardless of where in the country one lives.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! This is, above all, a matter of application. As the member points out, there are reviews that give the impression that the application has looked partially different in different parts of the country. It is also something that we have raised in our dialogue with the Prosecution Authority, which governs the issue.

Everyone agrees on the measures. Restraining orders shall be used in more cases and provide a stronger protection for vulnerable women in the future. Now, new rules will be in place that make this possible, and we will, of course, follow up to ensure that they have the intended impact in reality.

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Larry Söder (KD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Enterprise Ebba Busch. Swedish politicians since the 90s have been shaped by the economic crisis years of the 90s. We have saved in the barns so that today we have one of Europe's lowest national debts. The consequences are clear. The business community has calculated that the maintenance debt for infrastructure is 137 billion kronor over the next ten years.

To strengthen Swedish competitiveness and finance the initiatives that pave the way for jobs and green transition, we need to be prepared to find financing to increase public investments in the coming years. The Christian Democrats have pushed for significantly increased state investments. We now see that a proposal is coming where 20-25 billion is released annually for increased state investments. We Christian Democrats are proud but not satisfied.

It would be interesting to receive the Minister for Enterprise's assessment of what significance increased investments of 20-25 billion per year have for the business sector's competitiveness.

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! It is always exciting to receive questions here from a Christian Democrat about the Christian Democrats' policy when I am simultaneously representing the government. I will therefore answer what the government considers in the matter.

I want to give a calculation example. The mining company LKAB accounts for a turnover in Sweden that constitutes 0.7 percent of our GDP. That is a huge amount of money that goes straight in and is needed to secure our welfare and for crime prevention. That is without counting the indirect effects. When they had stoppages on the Malmbanan, which were needed for them to be able to transport out their products and contribute with this enormous growth to Sverige AB, it cost the company 100 million kronor per day. That is a very large amount of money, to quote a former Sverigedemokrat. The stoppage lasted for 65 days.

As Minister for Enterprise, I think it is a complete catastrophe when we do not have sufficient funds to equip the railway and road. I am pleased that the government is addressing the maintenance debt and that we now have broad political support in the chamber to free up more space moving forward.

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Larry Söder (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for Industry for the answer. I see that a lot is invested in the budget on, for example, research and development. We also need to review our competitive disadvantages compared to Europe. We may have stricter requirements on Swedish companies than other European countries have on their companies. Can the Minister for Industry say anything about the work going forward and how we can strengthen Swedish competitiveness compared to the rest of Europe?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Previous governments have sometimes used the expression "We didn't see it coming." I believe that Sweden at this time should be careful not to make enough investments in the infrastructure that allows us to create cohesion in a difficult time. It would make it so that mothers and fathers can feel confidence in the future and that tomorrow will be better for the children. In that case, it is a matter of going back to electricity, railways and roads. That which has equipped Sweden historically is also that which will make it so that we can stand strong ahead.

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Martin Melin (L)

Mr. Speaker! If one has followed Swedish crime policy over the last two years, one has surely not missed that the Minister for Justice and the Ministry of Justice have been working at high pressure. They have provided law enforcement agencies with many good laws and reforms.

Despite this, one hears - or I hear - criticism sometimes, for example against the preventive coercive measures, the preventive stay-away orders and the security zones. It is said that they do not work and are ineffective. My simple question to the Minister of Justice is therefore: Do these laws work? Do they yield results?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Martin Melin for a very relevant description of the debate and for the question. The reforms that we are implementing, we do not, of course, do for the sake of the matter itself, but so that they will have an effect in reality.

A very important thing, therefore, has been to ensure that these reforms are evaluated as they progress. This applies, for example, to the security zones, where we have even explicitly written in the preparatory works that the police shall document and establish evaluations and that everything shall be evaluated collectively in about three years. At that point, we will take a position on the effects of the reform.

It is possible to say things already regarding the security zones. They have been implemented in three cases. In all cases, the spiral of violence has been broken. No new shootings have occurred. The exact effects are, of course, subject to the police's evaluations here and now, and the police may return to those more precisely.

Just before I came here, I read a new figure from the police regarding the preventive stay bans. For example, the number of reported robberies has gone down most noticeably, and the police link that to the preventive stay bans.

So yes, it matters what policy one implements, and yes, it also looks like it is having an effect in reality.

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Martin Melin (L)

Mr. Speaker! I am satisfied with the answer and have no follow-up question. I was about to say that it was correct. In my eyes, it was a correct answer. It was this answer I wanted to hear - thank you very much, Minister of Justice!

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! I am very pleased with Martin Melin's reply, which confirms that we are on the right track.

For me, this is a question of an approach in the situation we find ourselves in. We have enormously large and profound problems with not least organized crime. The need to test new tools that can be effective against the gangs is also enormous. We must try something new to break patterns, and we must evaluate and learn as we go. Where the journey has begun, it already looks promising enough to be taking effect.

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Peter Hedberg (S)

Mr. Speaker! I hope to be as satisfied as the previous questioner. My civilm. excuse me, my question is addressed to Civil Minister Erik Slottner.

"State presence and service throughout the country is important to simplify for individuals and increase public benefit. State presence maintains the legitimacy and trust of the state administration." So the government writes together with Sverigedemokraterna in its proposal for the state budget for 2025.

This sounds very commendable, but at the same time, before the government in the exact same budget, it is stated that they want to cut resources significantly to the service offices specifically. It concerns a total of 150 million kronor by 2027. This was the subject of an interpellation debate last week, but the Minister for Civil Affairs chose then not to answer a very important question. I therefore ask it again: How many fewer service offices does the Minister and the government assess there will be at the end of 2027?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I am still glad that Peter Hedberg calls me "my civil minister"! I think it warms me a little extra.

I will not be able to provide more precise answers today than I could last week, Mr. Speaker, because we do not know today – or we have not made an assessment of – exactly how many offices will be affected. It is the authority itself that will need to return to the government regarding how to retrieve this saving.

Closing offices is an opportunity, but I really want to emphasize the importance of also working with the composition of opening hours, mobile solutions instead of fixed offices, and not least co-location with municipal activities. In that case, we can see not only lower rental costs but also synergy effects through increased municipal cooperation and thus perhaps also a slightly smaller need for staff. But this is something that we will have to return to in the future.

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Björn Tidland (SD)

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

SVT has conducted an investigation of the funeral industry, and it reveals major deficiencies. The investigation of 300 companies working with funerals or estate inventories shows that 40 estates have been cheated out of around 15 million kronor. This concerns five different companies. In the report, several cases of gross fraud are raised.

Now, measures are needed to clean up. Serious people within the industry and relatives demand that the government reacts and acts to clean up in the funeral industry. My question is: Does the Minister for Civil Affairs see a need for measures to increase consumer safety in the funeral industry?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for the question. However, it is a question that I, as Minister for Civil Affairs, do not actually have responsibility for. I know that a written question has been submitted which another of my ministerial colleagues has answered, and I hope that answer will be more satisfactory than the one I can give here and now.

The authority that I guess the member is after and for which I am responsible is, well, the Consumer Agency. We shall see; we have not, for this reason, given any new assignments to the Consumer Agency. It can be understood that there may be thoughts and ideas regarding assignments and tasks that the Consumer Agency would need to have in order to curb the occurrence of this. What has emerged is, naturally, very serious, I would say, and of course, it needs to be sorted out. The question, however, is whether the Consumer Agency is the authority that should do it or if it is actually other authorities, which then fall under other ministers' areas of responsibility, that should do it.

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Karin Rågsjö (V)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Acko Ankarberg Johansson.

The proportion of Swedes who state that they have a fixed doctor contact in primary care is 32 percent, which can be compared with other similar countries, where the proportion is 81 percent. The National Board of Health and Welfare assesses that primary care's ability to function as a hub in health and medical care can be very negatively affected by resource shortages. Two austerity budgets we have seen from the SD-dependent government. This year, the government proposes no increase in the general state grants for next year, and they also reduce the sector grant from 9 to 2 billion kronor.

Long-term conditions are required to build up and operate primary care, and we have all stood behind that. This is a huge reform that I thought would be on track, but apparently it is not. Therefore, I ask: How long is the Minister going to turn a blind eye to the needs of primary care?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for a very important question. If we succeed in expanding primary care so that people get a fixed doctor contact, we will increase both the quality and the efficiency in the entire healthcare system. It is, therefore, extremely essential.

The Leader of the Opposition is, however, messing around with the figures - yes, excuse me, but that's how it is - when she says that the sector contribution is something that would be permanent. It was, in fact, temporary to manage the inflation, which is gone next year. Still, we maintain 2 billion in support to the regions. They also get 25 billion lower costs with this pension agreement, because inflation has gone down. What we do, maintain, and increase is therefore 3.5 billion for primary care next year. Those funds will be needed.

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Ulrika Liljeberg (C)

Mr. Speaker! Today I have a trainee with me, and we have a joint question for the Minister of Justice.

During the government's time in power, we have witnessed a frightening development where schoolchildren are suffocated by a culture of silence, have very low trust in the police, and are cold-bloodedly exploited by gangs. My internship student is in grade 9 and testifies that the police have never ever visited her school.

In the government's 87-page budget bill for the justice system and in the police's regulatory letter, the word school is mentioned twice. The word teacher is not mentioned a single time. Despite the fact that experts agree that cooperation between the police and school is one of the most important things in crime prevention work, it is not included in either the budget or the regulatory letter.

Does the Minister for Justice not consider the police presence to be important? Why is this not included?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thanks to Ulrika Liljeberg, but above all thanks to the student teacher, who might be located somewhere here in the premises! I want to say a big thank you to her for this extraordinarily important question.

First and foremost, I think the student should tell their teacher or principal to pick up the phone to the local police and ensure that they come there. I am absolutely certain that they will come, with great pleasure. There is, in fact, no doubt whatsoever that the interaction between the police, the school, and not least the social services is completely crucial for us to be able to prevent crime and prevent children and young people from being drawn into, for example, the gangs' web. It is also about solving crimes – and perhaps doing so at an early stage, so that the person who has started to drift a bit can be caught at an early stage.

This is a fundamental chord in the government's policy, and it is also a fundamental chord in the police's mandate and operations. If they have not appeared at this specific school, make sure to invite them! Do it today, and I am sure they will come as early as next week - or possibly the week after the November break.

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Emma Nohrén (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question of a general political nature, so it is addressed to Minister Acko Ankarberg Johansson.

Right now, the UN biodiversity conference is taking place in Cali, Colombia. I will be traveling there myself tomorrow to join the Swedish delegation. It is about us protecting 30 percent of our nature and restoring 30 percent of all nature types.

At the same time, this week we have been informed that we are receiving fishing quotas far beyond what our seas can actually handle. The Minister's colleague went to the fishing negotiations with the hope of lowering the quotas, but they were unfortunately increased. In the central Baltic Sea, the quotas for herring are increased by 108 percent. This could lead to a collapse. That is what the research says.

My question therefore is: What does the government intend to do so that we can change this - so that we can make the decision as mild as possible? Will you ban the large pelagic trawlers? Will you distribute coastal quotas? What is the government's answer?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks for the question, Member! I will be the one to answer it.

It has been a heavy week. All of us in Sweden who know how tough the situation is for the fish stocks know what a catastrophic decision this is from the EU level. Is the Swedish government satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations? No. Would it have been even worse if we had not been in the room and - alone - pushed to push down the quotas? Yes.

It is too early to say which additional means the government can use to try to mitigate the consequences of this. The government has been in contact with many desperate fishers, who have worked to ensure that fishing remains sustainable over generations, and we are well aware of how heavy this decision is. We have done everything to mitigate the effects of it, and we now look forward to looking at possible additional measures based on the decision.

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Malin Höglund (M)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to direct my question to Minister Acko Ankarberg Johansson.

I have written this question together with my apprentice for this week. His name is Alvin Hindén Steffansson and he is from Vansbro in Dalarna.

The number of employees in Region Dalarna has increased by 400 people if one compares 2019 with 2024. That is very good. But half of the newly hired are administrative staff. It is therefore not primarily doctors or nurses who have been hired.

During the years 2018-2022, the Moderaterna ruled together with several other bourgeois parties. After the 2022 election, the Socialdemokraterna rule with partner parties in Region Dalarna.

How does Minister Acko Ankarberg Johansson view the fact that the regions hire administrative staff before doctors and nurses?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, member, and special thanks to Vansbro! I was there on Monday for a visit. I had a fantastic day in Vansbro, met primary care and saw the municipality's work. It was exactly what one needs to know how it is in an ordinary municipality that has very tough conditions. It is a rural situation for a very large part of Vansbro. It was such a good visit on Monday that I take with me.

What the member is highlighting is what we have discussed earlier today in the interpellation debate. The regions have often employed more people who work administratively than those who work in close proximity to healthcare. Statistics from Vårdförbundet's magazine Vårdfokus show this. The government has highlighted this many times.

The regions may perhaps need to make changes regarding which employees they have and prioritize those who work clinically close to the care, the healthcare staff, where they are. That is the government's view. It is them we need to protect, and it is them we want to retain.

But it may be justified to make changes in other areas. It is not because they are doing a bad job, but because we must ensure that the healthcare system functions. That is priority one.

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Torsten Elofsson (KD)

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

We now live in a digitized world. Many of our matters in the form of payments and transactions are carried out online. To do this, it is usually required that one also authenticates themselves digitally. Sweden has many types of e-identification today. BankID is the absolute most common. BankID is currently managed by a limited company owned by the largest banks.

The need for a secure electronic identity is great. Criminals today use BankID as an important component in their crime schemes. Fraud against the elderly are the most well-known, but the current electronic identity is also used in other forms of crime.

The assessment is that our current identification solutions do not fully reach the security level that is required. There is also a need for a national digital identification, something that now exists in several other countries but not in Sweden.

My question to the Minister is: Is work ongoing to develop a secure national electronic identity, and if so, when can we expect such a thing to be in place?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Torsten Elofsson for the question. It is truly an important question.

Just as the member says, Sweden currently lacks an e-identification at the highest level of trust. Only four countries in the EU lack this, and Sweden is one of those four countries. This is needed so that we can introduce the digital wallet within the EU so that we can identify ourselves regardless of where we are within the union.

It is also needed to increase security when we, for example, perform digital transactions, but also so that more people will dare to identify themselves electronically. Many, not least older people, feel a hesitation today regarding doing this out of fear of being targeted by fraudsters.

It is an important issue. The Government has previously appointed an inquiry which has submitted its proposals on how we can design an electronic identity. The work is in full swing. We estimate that we will be finished with this sometime in 2026, 2027.

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Marianne Fundahn (S)

Mr. Speaker! Since the interpellation debate that I was recently supposed to have with the Minister for Energy and Industry did not take place, I intend to take the opportunity to pose one of my questions here instead.

Vattenfall has decided to pause the Kriegers flak offshore wind farm. The reason is that one must pay for the grid connection oneself. Without additional new electricity, the energy is not sufficient for all the industrial initiatives that are ongoing or planned in southern Sweden, and one loses out on much-needed jobs. For example, Skåne's unemployment in June was 9.1 percent compared to the national 6.7 percent.

My question is: How does the Minister want to solve southern Sweden's energy needs over the next ten years?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Marianne Fundahn, for an important question. I hope that we will be allowed to hold our interpellation debate in its entirety. The question deserves more contributions.

For me, 2030 is in the short term. It is here and now. That is why the 50 already decided measures are so incredibly important to get more effect out of the system that we have.

We must remember that over the last ten eleven years, Sweden has had over 13,000 megawatts more electricity into the system. We have much more production, but we can only consume as much today as we did ten years ago. There is something rotten in the system. In that case, one cannot connect more companies and more industries.

It is like offering a huge Chinese buffet four months of the year, but then going on a starvation diet in the winter. It does not work to run a country or a business sector in that way. It is about the 50 measures. How do we get more effect from the electricity that already exists? That is what is important until 2030.

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Carita Boulwén (SD)

Mr. Speaker! In recent years, the use of nitrous oxide as a intoxicant has increased exponentially, especially among young people. Nitrous oxide is sold in stores, online, and even outside schools to minors completely legally.

Use of nitrous oxide can lead to oxygen deficiency, nerve damage, and in the worst cases, death. Repeated use can cause permanent damage to the nervous system and affect the individual's motor skills and cognitive ability in the long term.

During the first nine months of this year, the Poison Information Center has received 672 calls regarding poisoning incidents. That is twice as many as during the same period in 2022. They state that this stands out as unlike anything else they have seen in the last 20 years.

The Sweden Democrats have been pushing on this issue for some time, and an investigation has recently been out for consultation. It is urgent to take measures to reduce the increased abuse of nitrous oxide and to protect our children and young people from the serious health risks that this entails.

My question to the Minister for Health and Social Affairs is: How does the government intend to proceed with the investigation?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, member, for an important question, just as the member well describes!

Just the fact that new things are starting to be used as intoxicants means that we must be quick from the government's side. Social Minister Jakob Forssmed is that. This applies in particular to the classification of new narcotic preparations so that one can quickly ensure that the support needed to be able to intervene is obtained.

When it comes to nitrous oxide, we need entirely new legislation. That is also why it was included in the investigation, just as the member mentions. We need a regulatory framework.

The investigation has been out for consultation. As with all investigations, we must now summarize. What did the investigation conclude? What do the consulting bodies say? The Minister for Social Affairs and the government will return with proposals.

It is necessary that we find measures. But they must be effective, and they must be usable out in the field. The Government returns on a very important issue.

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Fredrik Kärrholm (M)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the ministers present for all the important reforms that are decided in all policy areas. Every day they make Sweden a slightly better country and ensure that all the young people here in the gallery can expect a slightly brighter future.

An important reform is now a new forfeiture legislation where we give the police significantly better opportunities to take away the luxury items from the seriously criminal. It will make it harder to be a criminal in Sweden.

I would like to ask the Minister for Justice if the government has any estimate of in how many cases this legislation may be used or what effect of this we can expect to see in reality.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Fredrik Kärrholm, for highlighting this important reform! It is the biggest reform of Swedish criminal law in 50 years. In two weeks, on November 8, it will finally be in place.

The estimate made in the investigation underlying the legislation is 600 cases per year at law enforcement agencies. The Prosecution Authority, in its referral response to the investigation, has estimated that it could involve even more cases, and we are not even started on that yet.

It is clear that when we are up and running with it and get full volume and full scale on this tool, it truly has a great pattern-breaking potential. It is, however, always difficult to estimate effects, and we will follow it very closely.

Now we are also doing a great deal of other things. It concerns the criminalization of participation in criminal gangs, the amendment of a long series of rules, the tightening of penalties, and the use of secret coercive measures preventatively against the criminal networks. It will be permitted to use anonymous witnesses and crown witnesses, and we are going after criminal companies in various ways. It also concerns the forfeiture legislation.

All this is happening in a context that gives us a fantastic impact to finally be able to choke the criminal economy.

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Dan Hovskär (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to ask a question to Minister for Health Acko Ankarberg Johansson.

One of the most important issues for us Christian Democrats is how the state can take an even greater responsibility regarding healthcare. We took over the responsibility for a healthcare system that was unequal from the Social Democrats. The care was characterized by long queues, lack of accessibility, and care facilities with lacking patient safety.

We now have an investigation underway regarding partial state ownership for health and medical care. The decision on the investigation is a first step towards a possible state ownership. We see it as important that the state takes more responsibility for the care. We also need to do more regarding waiting times and the healthcare guarantee so that people do not have to stand in queue for care.

My question is: How do we enable more people to receive care in a timely manner, and what steps are being taken for increased state responsibility within healthcare?

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Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, member, for the question!

The parliamentary committee will certainly submit its proposal according to the schedule sometime in May-June. Then we will see what they propose. The Tidö Agreement also shows quite a few common national measures for healthcare.

Let me tell you that we had as many people in the queue for surgery and for a first visit to a specialist in the autumn of 2022 as in the autumn of 2023. So, not that much happened during the first year we were involved. But until May this spring, the number of people in the queue had decreased by 100,000 – a huge effort by the healthcare workers who could reduce the queues.

Since summer came, and the staff must have vacation. We also had a conflict on the labor market. A conflict is, after all, intended to have an effect on the operations, so it is clear that it has had an impact. The queues have therefore gone up again.

It shows that constant measures are required, and it must be linked to the employees' work environment and the supply of skills. Therefore, we have an investigation that will come with proposals on this on January 2. I look forward to it, and above all, all patients look forward to receiving the care they need.

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Daniel Vencu Velasquez Castro (S)

Mr. Speaker! It just keeps getting more and more expensive in Ebba Busch's Sweden. It is halfway through the parliamentary term, and the government has delivered the highest unemployment in ten years and the lowest growth in the entire EU. In Norrbotten, we see how the new industrialization is being put on hold in a situation where Sweden is in desperate need of more jobs.

The government is doing nothing to secure Swedish jobs, Ebba Busch!

Now a new model for flow-based capacity calculation is being introduced, which risks significantly raising electricity prices and which has also been criticized by, among others, Svenskt Näringsliv, the chambers of commerce, and Kronofogden, who flag increased household debt as a consequence of this.

Why does the Minister choose to introduce this model in a situation where Swedish households are severely affected by the current policy? We Social Democrats have proposed a pause for the model, and I want to know if Ebba Busch is prepared to pause it. Yes or no?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We begin at this end: The flow-based calculation mechanism is therefore something that was partially negotiated during the Alliance government and was then decided by the Red-Green government in December 2014 at the EU level.

It is an EU regulation. It is therefore not a freely chosen task that Sweden can choose to do or not do. All Nordic countries are implementing this simultaneously at the end of October. The purpose of this is to free up capacity in the grid, i.e., an opportunity to transfer electricity from one area to another where it is needed.

The corresponding increased capacity resulting from this new arrangement corresponds to grid investments of 40-50 billion. I would like to know if S has budgeted for 40-50 billion to, in such a case, compensate for this as we are forced to do.

The answer is no. One does not have that.

If this becomes bad for Sweden, we will have problems in the EU. It is too early to say. The forecast for the winter is lower prices in Sweden.

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Mikael Eskilandersson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! On July 1, a new law came into effect that gives property owners the opportunity to evict criminals from rental apartments. It is very good and much needed.

There is no corresponding legislation for condominiums. The fact that one has paid a deposit for an apartment cannot be sufficient for one to subsequently be able to undisturbed disturb and destroy the safety in an area.

In some parts of our country, the price for a condominium is also very low. At the same time, there are criminals with good finances who can demand even more expensive condominiums. This can cause the same problems in a residential area with condominiums as we have seen among rental apartments. To protect residents in the immediate vicinity, legislation similar to that for rental apartments would likely be needed, which provides the opportunity to protect honest people in their homes.

I therefore want to ask Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer how he views the need to also give housing cooperatives greater opportunities to act against and evict criminals.

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Mikael Eskilandersson, for this important issue!

It is quite true that in July this year, legislative changes came into force that give property owners expanded possibilities to evict tenants who commit crimes or in other ways have created insecurity for other residents, in short, have exhausted their trust and the possibility to remain.

We also know that the proportion who feel insecure in their residential area is significantly larger among those who live in rented apartments than in other forms of housing, and therefore it can be said that it has been extra urgent to start in that regard.

Of course, it does not prevent it from being urgent to take powerful measures also in other areas when it comes to crime, regardless of which form of housing is affected. For example, we are now actively working on proposals to establish a housing cooperative register to make it more difficult for criminals to exploit housing cooperatives in their criminal activities.

The aspect that the member is raising, I think, is worth discussing further. I do not rule out at all that there are reasons to take further measures in this area.

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Anna af Sillén (M)

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

My home county of Sörmland is, like the rest of Sweden, affected by a crime that has been allowed to grow under far too many years of Social Democratic rule. The Minister has personally visited Eskilstuna, which is an important hub in Mälardalen but which also has a high crime density with over 15,000 crimes reported per 100,000 inhabitants. It is far too high, and it needs to be reversed.

For two years now, Sweden has, thank goodness, had a government in place that is taking action against crime with stricter penalties, crime prevention work, and more police.

Mr. Speaker! I note that the young interest in politics is joyfully high here today. I also have a practical student with me. My and Emil Karlsson's question to the Minister of Justice is: How is the government working to prevent children and young people from being affected by or drawn into crime?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you to Anna af Sillén, and thank you to the intern, whom I had the pleasure of greeting outside the chamber a short while ago! It is an excellent question that is naturally super-relevant, because if we are to crack organized crime, we must do several things simultaneously.

We will, of course, strike against gross violence and choke the criminal economy, as we have touched upon here previously, but we will also, to the highest degree, break the recruitment of children and young people into the criminal networks.

That is also why we are implementing a major shift in the view on these issues. We are introducing juvenile prisons and reviewing penalties and punishments as well as the possibility of using coercive measures also against children and young people under 15 years of age. It is also about a shift in the view on social preventive, preventive measures. We are getting a new Social Services Act that is much more preventive and gives much better muscles to the social services to work precisely preventively, we have broad initiatives on parenting support, school social teams and initiatives on civil society and we shall tear down secrecy barriers so that all actors can speak with one another.

Short and sweet: The major shift we are making in crime policy, we are also making in the intersection between education policy, social policy, and crime policy. It is absolutely necessary if we are to be able to break the recruitment of children and young people into the gangs.

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Åsa Karlsson (S)

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

At a meeting last week, Trafikverket announced that the current cooperation agreements will expire at the timetable change on December 14. This means that Tåg i Bergslagen will lose 25 million kronor and Stångådalsbanan in Kalmar 18.4 million kronor. In northern Sweden, it applies to both trains and buses. Norrtåg will lose 144 million kronor and Samverkande inland 39 million kronor.

For Trafikverket, this is small change, but for the affected regions that are already struggling to make the finances work, it is about an incredible amount of money. Furthermore, it is with very short notice and already set budgets. The cost for the aforementioned traffic is thus added.

How does the Minister for Civil Affairs view the transfer of costs from the state to the regions and municipalities? How are they going to solve this?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! As Minister for Civil Affairs, I am responsible for much in my portfolio, but not for the Transport Administration.

How do we do this? This is a question that I must drill deeper into regarding what effect this will have for municipalities and regions and what compensatory trade-offs exist in this, and furthermore, where the money that is claimed to disappear from these rural areas will go instead.

I have no answer to give on this question. But I thank you for the information, and then I will take this up with the minister who has Trafikverket and speak with him about what effects this may have and what the government may need to do.

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Jessica Stegrud (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question today is addressed to Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch. It has already been discussed previously that a new calculation model is to be introduced on the electricity market concerning the allocation of flows and capacity.

We are sitting in a difficult situation today, especially in southern Sweden. There is a capacity shortage there, and we oscillate between an electricity surplus and a power shortage. It is a consequence of previous irresponsible energy policy.

Just as the minister has mentioned earlier, this is something that we Sweden Democrats, in cooperation with the government, are working feverishly to rectify, but reintroducing a stable base force takes time.

Furthermore, as the Minister mentioned, the new flow-based calculation method is fundamentally an EU regulation that we have to comply with. Svenska kraftnät has now decided to introduce this. The criticism has been there, and in several cases it has been relevant. We do not know exactly what the consequences will look like.

Will the Minister take any measures to mitigate any potential negative price effects?

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Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question!

I understand that this creates concern because it is a miserably complex system being introduced now. What is Sweden's problem is that we lack fossil-free base load. No matter what we do, we are still behind. We are facing a huge problem because we have a weather-dependent power production. We are far too dependent on what the meteorologists say at the end of every news broadcast for whether we can invest more in Sweden. So we cannot continue like this, and we must get out of it. We need both the intermittent power production and a lot more base load.

With this said, I have taken the initiative that the responsible authority, Svenska kraftnät, must appropriately run the system in parallel for a period of one year so that we can evaluate what the cost effect will be for Sweden. If it becomes unreasonable in relation to what we gain, that is to say how much less grid we need to build out, it will cause a hell of a fuss. Then you will hear more from the government.

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Laila Naraghi (S)

Mr. Speaker! Every day, many children are tormented by adult violence, also by their parents. These children have the right to a representative in criminal cases and administrative cases, but not in the cases concerning their entire care, housing, and visitation. This means that the child's perspective is not given sufficient importance, and children are forced to continue living with violence. This must change.

We Social Democrats, together with the Center Party, have proposed a committee initiative so that a legislative amendment can be made so that these children who are victims of violence also receive the right to their own counsel. Our hope has been that all parties can agree on this in parallel with our decisions on the legislative amendments we are jointly working out for safer homes for children. Unfortunately, the Tidö parties, the Moderates, SD, L, and KD, did not want to take this step today. Both the Children's Ombudsman and children's rights organizations have highlighted the importance of children receiving their own counsel.

I want to ask the Minister for Justice to answer why he and the government do not want to act. Why should these children who are victims of violence not have the right to a representative just like children who are victims of violence in criminal cases and administrative cases?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Laila Naraghi for another opportunity to discuss this question as well with one another.

It is not the case that the handling of an initiative in the committee by the Social Democrats and the Centre Party is synonymous with a will not to act in the area. On the contrary! There is a great need to act in the area.

We are doing a lot now regarding strengthening the position for both children and often their vulnerable mothers. Laila Naraghi mentioned the groundbreaking reform regarding the implementation of Safer Homes, not least regarding vulnerable children's right not to be forced to spend time with a violent parent.

We have a lot going on during the autumn, for example, we are reviewing division procedures. We know that the more powerful man often exploits the economically weaker woman within the framework of that process. We are now discussing how we should also strengthen the position for the children in those processes.

A guardian is one way to go. There may also be other ways to strengthen the child's position in the processes and ensure that they get what they are entitled to. Exactly how it should happen, we will return to, and I promise to also involve Laila Naraghi in that discussion.

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Angelica Lundberg (SD)

Mr. Speaker! The investigation Secure and accessible digital identity, which is based on the EU regulation on a digital wallet, submitted its final report to the Minister for Civil Affairs this summer. The proposals are currently out for consultation.

Being able to have one's driver's license, passport, professional driver's license, or other important documents in one's mobile will facilitate people's everyday lives. The proposal is also linked to a secure and state-issued e-identification. But there are also risks with increased digitalization, not least against the background of the security situation that Sweden is currently in and the fact that cyberattacks are common.

I would therefore like to ask the Minister for Civil Affairs when we will have a digital wallet. What will the Minister for Civil Affairs do to ensure that such a wallet becomes safe and reliable for people to use?

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Angelica Lundberg for the question.

The direct answer as to when we can get a digital wallet and thus an e-identification at the highest trust level is sometime during 2026 to 2027. The exact date is not clear. They are closely linked; in order to be able to have a digital wallet, an e-identification at the highest trust level is also required.

Then there was also a question about how we become more vulnerable the more digitized we become and that the risk of cyberattacks or other sabotage against our electronic communications increases. It is a problem. That is why in the budget for next year and coming years, we are allocating a lot of money to increase the protection for our electronic communications so that they are not subjected to sabotage. If they were to be, there must quickly be replacement units, or whatever it may be, so that our societies are not knocked out because digital communications are knocked out.

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Anna Wallentheim (S)

Mr. Speaker! Economic crime is a serious societal problem that affects us all. Every year, the state loses billions in tax revenue while criminals exploit our welfare systems. This means that the money we collectively pay in, which should have gone to schools, infrastructure, healthcare, and elderly care, instead ends up in the hands of criminals. In the end, it is we citizens who are affected in a double sense. It results in less welfare and increased crime.

One of the most important authorities for preventing and detecting this is indeed the Economic Crime Authority. As the Minister has surely noticed today, many of us are concerned about the rumors of plans to dismantle it.

For us Social Democrats, it is important to attack the gangs in areas where it is felt - to reach the tops through, for example, a mafia legislation and stop the new recruitment through point marking but also stop the gangs' financing.

My question to Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer is therefore: Should the Economic Crime Authority not be developed rather than abolished in order to break a large part of the gangs' financing?

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Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thanks to Anna Wallentheim for the opportunity to once again highlight this issue!

It is precisely in that way that the Economic Crime Authority must be developed. That is why we gave the new Director General, who took office just a few weeks ago, a very offensive development mandate aimed at increasing prosecutions so that more economic crime criminals are indicted and convicted, intensifying cooperation with other actors, and gaining better pressure in the crime prevention work. Full speed ahead! This is the clear signal from the government to the Economic Crime Authority and the Economic Crime Authority's new leadership.

It is also so, we should see if we are now really interested in increasing the pressure in the fight against economic crime, that the National Audit Office has audited the operations and concluded that ambiguities in mandates between different agencies and the absence of various tools in the operations mean that we do not have the power we would like to have in the fight against economic crime.

Question Time

Both the National Audit Office and the Riksdag, through announcements, have tasked the government with appointing an inquiry to review this. We have done that. The proposals will arrive in the spring, and then we will tackle them. But there is no doubt in the signal from the government's side, also to the Swedish Economic Crime Authority and its new leadership and extraordinarily skilled employees: Full speed ahead in the machine!

Question time was hereby concluded.

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