Question Time
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
1 S argues that tax cuts benefit the well-off and proposes increased child benefits and support for vulnerable groups 1. 2 S argues that the government has not done enough to abolish EBO, which contributes to overcrowding and segregation 2, and that the government is selling off state activities without ensuring accessibility 3. 4 5 V argues that tax cuts for cabinet ministers lead to cuts in welfare and municipal finances 4 5. 6 7 SD wants a moratorium on citizenship until tougher rules are introduced 6 7. SD considers that a simplified distribution of responsibility for drinking water issues is needed to reduce bureaucracy.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Speakers (82)
- ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN
- Mikael Damberg (S)
- ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Mikael Damberg (S)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
- Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
- Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
- Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
- Samuel Gonzalez Westling (V)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Samuel Gonzalez Westling (V)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Ulrika Liljeberg (C)
- Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)
- Ulrika Liljeberg (C)
- Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)
- Jacob Risberg (MP)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Jacob Risberg (MP)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Magnus Resare (M)
- Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
- Magnus Resare (M)
- Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
- Ingemar Kihlström (KD)
- Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
- Ingemar Kihlström (KD)
- Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
- Elin Nilsson (L)
- Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
- Elin Nilsson (L)
- Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
- Eva Lindh (S)
- Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
- Angelika Bengtsson (SD)
- Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
- Malcolm Momodou Jallow (V)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Martin Ådahl (C)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Rebecka Le Moine (MP)
- Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
- Helena Bouveng (M)
- Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)
- Camilla Rinaldo Miller (KD)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Peter Hultqvist (S)
- Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)
- Josef Fransson (SD)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Jesper Skalberg Karlsson (M)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Dan Hovskär (KD)
- Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)
- Aida Birinxhiku (S)
- Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
- Victoria Tiblom (SD)
- Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
- Ida Drougge (M)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Niklas Karlsson (S)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- David Perez (SD)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Adam Reuterskiöld (M)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Arber Gashi (S)
- Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
- Mats Hellhoff (SD)
- Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)
- Marie-Louise Hänel Sandström (M)
- Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
- Peder Björk (S)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Crister Carlsson (M)
- Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
- Åsa Coenraads (M)
- Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
- Fredrik Saweståhl (M)
- Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN
I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions today will be answered by Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson, Minister Johan Forssell, Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin, and Minister Jessica Rosencrantz. Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson will answer both general policy questions as well as questions within her own area of responsibility.
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.
Mikael Damberg (S)
Madam Speaker! I direct my question to the Minister for Finance.
The cost-of-living crisis and the recession are making Sweden poorer and have hit ordinary Swedish households hard. We Social Democrats have proposed a fair tax cut, increased child allowance, and more money in the pockets of the vulnerable, the pensioners, and the poorest families with children.
The trade union Handelsanställdas förbund has had Novus ask people who work in shops what they would do if they received 2,000 kronor more per month. The answers were quite dramatic. Some answered like this: sleep better due to less financial stress, eat until I'm full, buy more food and clothes for my children. The Finance Minister herself receives several thousand kronor a month in reduced tax, and I noted that Elisabeth Svantesson, when asked what she would do with her tax reduction, answered that she had no thoughts at all about it.
The Minister of Finance! When you hear these testimonies from people who work in shops all over Sweden, do you still think it is reasonable to prioritize a tax cut for the most well-off? Could the money not have done more good for ordinary families?
ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN
I must remind you not to address the Minister as "you" but as "the Minister".
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank Mikael Damberg for an important question.
There are many households that are struggling and have done so for many years. Inflation has hit many people brutally. The background to my answer to the newspaper's question is that from morning to night I think about how I can make Sweden and those who live here richer and safer. From the first moment I got this job, when inflation was at 9-10 percent, I have fought against precisely inflation. But many people are very much still struggling with the consequences, including high prices.
What have we done, and what are we doing? We are lowering the tax for everyone both this year and next year, we have lowered the reduction obligation and made it significantly cheaper to refuel for many who are struggling with their finances and are dependent on a car, we are now changing the tax on ISK and so on. We do all this to support households and strengthen purchasing power. That is the main point.
Then the economy must also grow in the long term so that there is money for everything we need to do then.
Mikael Damberg (S)
Madam Speaker! The Minister for Finance does not seem to understand how ordinary people are doing financially. She chooses to direct a tax cut only to those who earn over 65,000 a month. My story here today is about ordinary people who work in shops all over Sweden and cannot afford to buy enough food for their children and sleep poorly because they cannot pay the bills.
We Social Democrats have proposed a fair tax cut, increased child allowance and support for the groups that have it toughest.
Wouldn't it have been better to invest in ordinary people, Finance Minister?
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! From the very first moment, as we have said, we have had the households before our eyes, and we have many times, both in opposition and in government, lowered the tax so that one simply has more left in one's wallet. I know what it is like to turn over every krona, and I know what it is like to wait for the child benefit to be able to buy food.
We are lowering taxes for everyone and also taking growth-oriented measures. For example, it will become more profitable to study. The marginal tax rate is currently 56 percent. We do this so that the economy will grow, and it will continue to grow in five and ten years, which will help everyone in Sweden.
Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Migration.
Last year, a total of 68,168 citizenships were granted, most of which were granted to foreigners from Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Syria. Despite the Tidö parties' intention to raise the requirements for Swedish citizenship, the current generous rules apply for a while longer. This means that many foreigners become Swedish citizens without having learned Swedish or become part of the community.
During the Tidö negotiations and in committee motions, the Sverigedemokraterna have demanded a moratorium on citizenship pending the new, tougher regulatory framework. Other parties have also now begun to express criticism regarding the issuance of new citizenships.
Does the Minister for Migration intend to work for a moratorium on citizenship until the new requirements have been implemented?
Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank Nima Gholam Ali Pour for an important question concerning something that is central to our country, namely Swedish citizenship, which unfortunately has been very deprioritized. We inherited a situation where obtaining citizenship was almost effortless. Sweden stood out and unfortunately continues to stand out by having fewer and lower requirements than many other countries.
Now the government is changing this. Work linked to increasing the requirements to become a Swedish citizen will soon be presented. For example, requirements will be set that one must be able to speak some Swedish if one wants to become a citizen in our country, and one also needs to know a bit about Sweden to be able to become a part of our society. We want citizenship to mean something.
We do not rule out making further changes to this. At the same time, we are keen on achieving an effect in the near term. One needs to look at all potential additional changes and ask whether they can be implemented faster than the work for which we will soon present the results.
Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
Madam Speaker! It is obvious that we have dysfunctional rules today for the granting of citizenship. If the Swedish Migration Agency were to pause the processing of citizenship cases for one year, tens of thousands of foreigners would have to apply for citizenship according to the new, tougher rules.
Will the government consider such a moratorium to prevent foreigners from becoming Swedish citizens under rules that a majority of the Riksdag rejects?
Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
Madam Speaker! After Christmas, I will receive an investigation that will propose very large changes and tightenings of the rules for Swedish citizenship. One should not rule out making further changes, but I want to point out that such changes would also require new legislation, with the consequences that entails, for example, having a preparatory basis in place. One should then ask whether it is faster to get this new legislation in place than the one we will be dealt with in January and then go to the Riksdag with in order to change it to specifically tighten the rules for this.
Samuel Gonzalez Westling (V)
Madam Speaker! The Minister for Finance gives herself 45,000 kronor in tax cuts next year. She allocates more than half of the reform space to tax cuts. At the same time, the country's municipalities and regions are on their knees.
My own home municipality, Hofors, is already one of the country's most heavily taxed and expects a deficit of over 30 million kronor this year, almost 5 percent of the municipality's total budget.
I met a former municipal economist the other day who told me that it felt hopeless when she worked in Hofors. There was nothing more to streamline - nothing. The only thing left was cuts. To save money, all upper secondary school classes will now be merged so that the number of students exceeds 30 in each class, and nursing assistants will have to start cleaning at residential homes while they can expect to receive just over 200 kronor in reduced tax from Elisabeth Svantesson for the inconvenience.
Does the Minister for Finance think that these are reasonable consequences of the tax cuts, which primarily benefit her herself and the other members of the government?
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! We have experienced a most pressured time over the last five years with a pandemic, high energy costs, war in our vicinity, a high terror threat level, and high prices. It has pressured Sweden and many other countries. Above all, the high costs have pressured households, but also welfare. Therefore, I am pleased that municipalities and regions will have 50 billion kronor lower pension costs next year simply because we have fought inflation. It has been enormously important to push it back so that costs fall.
We have also prioritized as such – for example in this year's budget – that 40 percent of the reform space has gone to exactly municipalities and regions. Additionally, we allocated extra money in the supplementary budget.
One can do many things at the same time. Here and now, we must both ensure that we manage to get out of a tough situation and ensure that the Swedish economy grows so that we have plenty of money for welfare, defense, and the justice system in the years ahead. We do both of those things at the same time.
Samuel Gonzalez Westling (V)
Madam Speaker! I am very confused by the Finance Minister's claim that one gives 40 percent of the reform space to municipalities and regions. We know, of course, that 100 percent of the reform space arises through increased revenues because the economy develops. 60 percent of those resources are therefore used by the government to lower taxes, if I understand the Finance Minister correctly. That means, in that case, that one takes away a lot of money from the rest of the welfare system. Have I misunderstood? Can the Finance Minister possibly explain how the government believes the reform space arises?
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! Explaining how it arises may perhaps take longer than the 29 seconds I have - but yes, the member has misunderstood it.
In the 2024 budget, that is, the one we laid for this year, 40 percent went to municipalities and regions.
We will continue to take responsibility, but 1,300 billion is what is turned over in the entire welfare system. The state shall do its part. Municipalities and regions collect taxes, but we shall be there when it is needed. That responsibility has been taken by this government.
Ulrika Liljeberg (C)
Madam Speaker! I want to begin by thanking Minister Bohlin for the brochure that arrived this week, *Om krisen eller kriget kommer* (If the crisis or the war comes). In it, it can be read about digital security and that in order to strengthen Sweden's resilience, one should create long passwords with a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
At the same time, legislative work is underway in the EU where the Swedish government is in favor of digital backdoors being installed in all mobile phones' encrypted communication services. It is called chat control. But many are against this, and now the Dutch government has also joined that group after their security service advised them against being for chat control because it would entail serious security risks for the country's digital resilience. They emphasized instead the importance of access to end-to-end encryption.
This concerns the defense capability. I wonder, therefore, how the Minister assesses how chat control would affect Sweden's resilience. Would it be strengthened or weakened?
Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)
Madam Speaker! I would like to thank Member of Parliament Ulrika Liljeberg for having read the brochure. It is much appreciated. That is, of course, how one should handle it. One should also not forget to save it.
Regarding Liljeberg's question, it lies with Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer at the Ministry of Justice. Generally, it can be said regarding total defense considerations that it is an aspect that needs to be weighed in all decision-making in the serious security situation we find ourselves in.
The government has internal and external security as one of its most central priorities. We will, of course, not deviate from this in the future work either.
Ulrika Liljeberg (C)
Madam Speaker! Minister Strömmer has in a previous interpellation debate said that the view from the Dutch intelligence service shall be taken into account in the ongoing process. I wonder if the Minister can report how chat control is viewed from a total defense perspective in the currently ongoing process.
Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)
Madam Speaker! In that part, I unfortunately have to refer to the Ministry of Justice and Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer, as that is where this issue is handled.
Jacob Risberg (MP)
Madam Speaker! It has become clear during the autumn that the government and the Minister for Finance support the proposed balance target regarding the public finances. Certain deviations may be made, among others to support Ukraine or in the event of a new pandemic. But new nuclear power is not counted as a deviation and shall therefore not be included in the balance target.
In the investigation on the financing of nuclear power, it appears in one scenario that public savings can be weakened by 90 billion kronor in one year. The figure without cost overruns is 60 billion kronor.
My question to the Minister for Finance is what cuts in welfare the government envisions in order to finance nuclear power. It has emerged with all desirable clarity that the Minister for Finance does not intend to raise taxes to build new nuclear power.
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Jacob Risberg, for the interest in both nuclear power and its financing!
An investigator has developed a risk-sharing model that is currently being processed and prepared at the Government Offices, at the Ministry of Finance. Exactly what the model is to look like, we will have to return to.
One must keep in mind that this is about loans that are to be paid back. The state takes loans that are to be paid back to those who build nuclear power. They receive the revenues far into the future, but many costs come now. It is a huge difference compared to other types of loan financing, when we, for example, build infrastructure. Furthermore, one must pay a fee when borrowing these funds.
We will return to what it will look like when it is finished, but fundamentally, this is not about ordinary loans like those we take when we build, for example, railways or roads.
Jacob Risberg (MP)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Finance, for the answer! It means, therefore, that the 90 billion that in one scenario it is calculated that one could reduce public savings by during a year will be accommodated within the balance target, which the Minister for Finance says he supports.
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! No. I believe the member is referring to Mats Dillén's investigation, and there it concerns several years - I believe the figure even applies to ten years. But the point is that we need more clean electricity in Sweden. It costs money. It concerns large investments for the future, and the state is prepared to be involved there and take out loans that shall then be paid back by those who build and operate the nuclear power plants. If we do not do that - does Jacob Risberg know how we are to achieve the transition and get a greener society and all the electricity we need? We need nuclear power, wind power, solar power, and hydropower.
Magnus Resare (M)
Madam Speaker! My question is directed to Migration Minister Forssell.
I and quite many others became upset a few weeks ago when it was reported that several foreign citizens had gang-raped a girl, but that the prosecutor at the trial chose not to even demand the deportation of the perpetrators.
I have myself introduced a motion this year that more convicted foreign nationals must be deported, not least rapists. I have done so because my view on this issue is crystal clear: We must deport more convicted rapists.
I know that the Minister cannot or should not comment on individual cases. Furthermore, the prosecutor seems to be correcting their mistake, so we can leave this for today. Without going into the individual case, I would still like to know a bit more about the government's work with deportation due to serious crimes such as rape.
What does the government's work on this issue look like, and can we look forward to legislation that is even tougher against foreign rapists when it comes to deporting them?
Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Magnus Resare, for the question!
It is important that people in Sweden experience that the migration policy is fair and that the large group who have come to our country, who strive, who behave correctly and who have grounds for asylum, become a part of our Swedish society and receive the tools and keys to be able to do so.
I believe it is absolutely crucial for trust in the migration policy, especially after the many years when the migration policy has been mismanaged, that we are crystal clear: Those who come to our country and commit crimes shall be deported. For these persons, there is no place here.
We are now tightening the regulatory framework. We will soon present further tightenings regarding, for example, lowering the threshold for deportation, and we have also requested proposals to make it mandatory for prosecutors to demand it in cases of crime.
This is absolutely crucial both so that crime victims can receive the redress they deserve, as it is almost a mockery how it has often functioned and continues to function, and to strengthen trust in regulated immigration. A distinction must be made between those who behave correctly and the group that unfortunately commits crimes.
Magnus Resare (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank you for the answer.
There are also foreign citizens who do not cross the border and commit a crime but who in other ways refuse to become a part of our society. I am thinking of the moral police in the marginalized areas who plague the lives of young girls, LGBTQ people, and countrymen who just want to be a part of our majority society or, for that matter, on foreign citizens who engage in praising terrorist organizations that seriously pose a threat to Swedish lives.
I would like to know what the Minister thinks about the possibility of deporting that type of person.
Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
Madam Speaker! In addition to the investigation on lowering the threshold for deportation, we have an investigation that will present proposals regarding lack of integrity. The background is roughly the same – if you come to Sweden and abuse the hospitality and do not follow the laws and rules that apply here, Sweden is not the country for you.
Unfortunately, there are problems with people who, for example, praise terrorist groups. For those people who praise terrorism or commit crimes, Sweden is not the country they should be in, but they should return home, go somewhere else or, if required, be deported.
Ingemar Kihlström (KD)
Madam Speaker! I also want to direct my question to Migration Minister Johan Forssell. For a long time, Swedish citizenship has been devalued by the fact that we have not had sufficient expectations of those who wish to become citizens. At the same time, a large number of people receive citizenship every year, for example, more than 68,000 people in 2023.
This weekend, we Christians Democrats, through our party leader, raise this fact again, and also that there is a large majority among the parties in the Riksdag to tighten the requirements for Swedish citizenship.
The Christian Democrats and the government are working to re-evaluate citizenship, which has a substantial role in the community. After the turn of the year, proposals will be presented from an inquiry that has, among other things, examined longer periods of residence, self-sufficiency requirements, and citizenship ceremonies as requirements for obtaining Swedish citizenship. This, Madam Speaker, represents important tightenings in the Swedish legislation.
My question is therefore: When, I hope the Minister, will these requirements be introduced into Swedish law?
Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Ingemar Kihlström, for the question! It touches upon something completely crucial in Sweden, namely Swedish citizenship. It is unfortunately a question that for far too many years has not received the attention it deserves.
Citizenship is a cornerstone of our Swedish society. We want people who come to our country to become a part of Sweden, and citizenship is the ultimate sign of this.
I can state that when we were given the trust to take over government power, it was in a situation where the requirements to become a Swedish citizen stood out negatively in an international comparison. They were very few and very low requirements.
We are changing all of this now. After the turn of the year, we will receive an investigation report where proposals in that direction are presented. These are perfectly reasonable and important things: that one should be able to speak a little Swedish to become a citizen and that one should know a number of things about the country that one has come to and which one wants to become a part of. These are things that should have been introduced a long time ago but which have been neglected.
Now we will take on this, and we will present it after the turn of the year.
Ingemar Kihlström (KD)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, the Minister for Migration, for the answer!
We Christian Democrats are clear regarding the role of values for the community. Those who wish to be part of a society should share its fundamental values, for example, the view on democracy, the equal value of people, and perhaps also the right of other countries to exist.
Madam Speaker! My follow-up question is therefore: How does the Minister for Migration view the link between values and the right to citizenship?
Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
Madam Speaker! Several of the changes, tightenings, and clarifications that we will make in the legislation are based on precisely values, which are the cornerstone of our entire Swedish legislation.
It will, for example, be about what I mentioned – that one should know a good deal about the country one wants to become a citizen in – and about the principle and value that one should be able to support oneself, which is the cornerstone that has built Sweden. It is not benefits that have made Sweden the fantastic country it is, but it is hard work, that one exerts oneself, entrepreneurship and the work line. These are also examples of how we will present this.
Then we also have changes regarding the residence permits themselves, which I would like to return to another time.
Elin Nilsson (L)
Madam Speaker! I would like to direct my question to EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz. Yesterday, we made important decisions here in the chamber for a healthier Baltic Sea. That was when we decided on the marine environment bill.
A few months ago, next year's fishing quotas were negotiated in the council, a negotiation where Sweden alone pursued a restrictive line. The outcome unfortunately resulted in all too high quotas. In hindsight, the need to build alliances with other member states ahead of next year's negotiations is being raised.
This is a question that, in general terms, shows how important sustainable alliances are. We need to build such alliances, and I know that the government is also doing so with great success in many areas.
I would like to take the opportunity to ask the Minister, who I know is personally very engaged in the issue of the Baltic Sea: What does the government's strategy look like to achieve better impact for Swedish interests generally and for fishing more specifically?
Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank Elin Nilsson for an important question, which is close to my heart.
I want to first say something about the negotiation that took place. Just as the member says, Sweden pushed the most restrictive position in the negotiation and worked to reach the lowest possible quotas to accelerate the recovery of the Baltic Sea's fish stocks, especially the herring. There we can now see that the decision landed at the lowest level of the scientific advice's range.
The negotiations were very tough. The other member states wanted even higher quotas than the commission had proposed. We had wished for lower quotas. We are not satisfied, but if we had not stayed at the table, we would have received quotas 15,000 tons higher.
Now it is a matter of working forward. I know that my colleagues in the government, just like myself, work a lot with talking to other colleagues, not least within the Baltfish format. It is an important context where we are clear about what we think.
Before the current council meeting, we also invited the Baltic states to Sweden to meet the small-scale fishing industry and demonstrate the effects of the policy.
Elin Nilsson (L)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer!
I am well aware that this does not fall within the Minister's portfolio, but it is an issue that we, collectively, in all the forums where we find ourselves in our various roles, need to continue to raise. We need to push for change in order to achieve a more sustainable policy in the long run. There are major problems with the fisheries policy within the EU frameworks.
Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
Madam Speaker! There is much to say about this, and the work continues. I know that the Minister for Rural Affairs plans to meet the incoming commissioner to discuss the Baltic Sea, now that we will soon finally have a new commission in place.
We also know that the common fisheries policy will be evaluated shortly. I believe there are many aspects to include in the general evaluation. Overall, it is incredibly important that the government is very active right now - more active, I would say, than many previous governments have been - when it comes to building alliances to get in early in the process. We also hope to be able to convince more countries of our position regarding the Baltic Sea.
Eva Lindh (S)
Madam Speaker! The language centers for national minority languages and the coordinated language work in Giellagáldu are threatened by the SD-led government's budget. This is problematic in several ways. In addition to the fact that the activities are threatened, it also shows a lack of respect for the Sami language and Sami culture. At the bottom, there is also a joint cooperation agreement between the Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish governments. When the Swedish government now does not provide resources, it has consequences for the entire operation and for the cooperation in the Nordic region. If an agreement is entered into, it should be valued and honored.
I want to ask the Minister for Nordic Affairs what the background was for making this decision and how it affects cooperation in the Nordic region when entered into agreements are not upheld.
Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
Madam Speaker! I would like to thank the member for an important question. I know that the member, like myself, is very committed to Nordic cooperation. I am glad that many of us are.
When it comes to cultural heritage and our different languages in the Nordic region, an important part of the Nordic cooperation is to safeguard both the work of civil society organizations in this and what we can do from the public sector side. They should go hand in hand. There have been initiatives within the framework of the Nordic cooperation, and there has also been a temporary initiative from the Swedish government's side in the budget work. Not all initiatives are permanent; sometimes temporary initiatives are made. I believe that one should see it as a part of this, but that language and our cultural heritage have an important role to play in our Nordic cooperation is completely obvious.
Angelika Bengtsson (SD)
Madam Speaker! Sweden will lead the work in the Nordic Council next year, and the atmosphere is, to say the least, agitated after the work of renewing and modernizing the Helsinki Treaty. In addition to the schism regarding Greenland, we face real threats and genuine problems. Russia still threatens security on the other side of Finland, while our cross-border commuters expect us to do more for them.
It will be unprofessional on our part if we continue in the same path instead of seeing and solving the problems in the Nordic region that have been put on the back burner. It is time to focus on and solve the everyday problems of the Nordic people. How will Minister Jessica Rosencrantz work to ensure that we focus even more clearly on Nordic benefit in our work to concretize and clarify the border obstacles we need to solve?
Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for another important question on the theme of the Nordic countries!
We have a common vision that we shall become the world's most sustainable and integrated region by 2030. I am proud that the Swedish government, now under the chairmanship of the Nordic Council of Ministers, has truly focused on breaking down border barriers. That, if anything, I believe is an important task for our Nordic cooperation.
There is much we can do there. Among other things, we have recently adopted a program for free movement. It is largely about bringing the question of removing border barriers closer to the political level in order to truly identify which border barriers we want to eliminate. We have also given a new mandate to the Border Barrier Council. I believe this will be an excellent starting point for removing border barriers. During the year, we have also succeeded in reaching bilateral agreements, for example, a new tax agreement with Denmark and a better exchange of population registration data with Finland. We have begun an important work, and I look forward to doing even more in the coming years.
Malcolm Momodou Jallow (V)
Madam Speaker! My question is directed to Elisabeth Svantesson.
The International Criminal Court, ICC, has today issued arrest warrants against Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes, including the use of starvation as a weapon. Simultaneously, the International Court of Justice in The Hague has ruled that Israel's occupation is illegal and that the country's policy towards Palestinians constitutes apartheid. The UN General Assembly and the Security Council have emphasized that member states are obligated not to contribute to this being maintained.
I want to ask how the Swedish government ensures that Sweden's cooperation with Israel does not violate international law and our obligations under the Rome Statute and as a member state of the UN. Does the Swedish government intend to implement the ICC's arrest warrants and arrest Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant if they were to come to Sweden? Is there any intention to actually arrest these people in the same way we have done when arrest warrants have been issued earlier by the ICC?
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question.
It has been more than a year with an enormous amount of suffering among civilians. It began brutally when Hamas, in a completely insane and brutal way, killed joyful young people who were at a party on a kibbutz. It has since escalated and continued with a long and drawn-out war with many civilian victims.
From Sweden's side, we have been very clear in both the EU and other contexts that this must naturally cease from both sides. We naturally stand behind the court's assessments; we have no other assessment. Sweden is a country, and we are a country in the EU. We must, of course, abide by and stand behind the court and its work. It is not countries that decide this, but it is courts. But that just these persons would come to Sweden, I see as very unlikely.
Martin Ådahl (C)
Madam Speaker! My question is directed to Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson.
In a hearing held in the Riksdag very recently, we heard a number of experts who were there to analyze precisely that model for financing and risk-sharing for nuclear power that was mentioned earlier during the question period. The experts argued that the model leads to such expensive electricity in the future - a guaranteed price of 80 öre, with a risk that it rises to upwards of 140 öre per kilowatt-hour, and additionally a nuclear power tax - that it thereby destroys the market for electricity price contracts. It becomes so expensive that there is a very large risk that the new green industry, and also existing industry, will have to move from Sweden because the electricity is too expensive.
My question is whether the government, given this criticism, still stands by the model proposed by the investigators or if it is prepared to abandon it.
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank Martin Ådahl for the question.
The government stands firm that we must ensure there is much more clean electricity in the future. In that case, all types of power are needed, but now nuclear power is needed to achieve this. It is tragic and sad that nuclear power has been phased out, which was not many years ago, but now we need to build again. Sweden is building, and many other countries are doing exactly the same thing right now.
We here shall learn, and we shall learn from others. That has also been done regarding this model; a hearing has been held, and there are referral rounds. We in the government, of course, do everything to ensure that this becomes as stable as possible, both in terms of future security and in terms of finding the best economic solution. Exactly how the model will look is not finalized, and we will return to that. Above all, we shall have many discussions with all those companies and industries that now say they are and are interested.
We take responsibility for Sweden's electricity supply in the future, and we do that by building nuclear power.
Rebecka Le Moine (MP)
Madam Speaker! This week I have received help from two practical students, Ida and Shushan, to formulate a question to EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz.
Trump has said that climate change is a big bluff, and he wants to stimulate more oil drilling. If Trump were to withdraw the USA from the Paris Agreement, it would have major consequences for the environment. It could also lead to other countries withdrawing from international agreements and cooperation.
What does the EU Minister intend to do to raise the issue within the EU and ensure that the EU takes a larger and more active role in international environmental and climate work?
Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank the member for an important question.
First, I want to say that there is much that we still do not know about American politics, and we shall not take anything for granted regarding a development that we do not yet know about. It is clear that the climate issue is an issue that we monitor very closely from the EU's side, and we naturally hope that the USA's commitment will continue to be great.
I think it is important that we from the EU side take a great responsibility, and it should be said that we are already doing so. We have indeed adopted the world's most ambitious climate framework with the new agreement Fit for 55, which, among other things, was negotiated during the Swedish presidency. It is important to maintain this.
It is also important to now move from having adopted the legislation to implementing it and doing so in a way that gives households, companies, and industries real conditions to be able to make this transition. This brings us back to national policy, because it is about electricity, shorter permit processes, and much more that is completely crucial.
Helena Bouveng (M)
Madam Speaker! The famous brochure *Om krisen eller kriget kommer* was mentioned here earlier. It reached 5 million households. It is quite fantastic that we have a brochure that has become so famous in the international press - I wish all brochures were as well-known as this one.
Last week I was in Kosovo to discuss civil defense with our counterparts there. We discussed who and what actually is included in civil defense.
Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin often says that we all are part of civil defense. What is Carl-Oskar Bohlin's appeal? What does he wish for us Swedes to take with us when we have actually read the brochure, and how can we all feel the importance of belonging to civil defense?
Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank Helena Bouveng for an important question.
My hope is, naturally, that everyone, after having read this brochure, acts on the information contained in it. Why should one do so? Well, if one is a person who normally manages without support and help from society, the state expects that one can do so even under disturbed conditions.
Why is one then expected to do it? At the bottom of this lies the Swedish total defense obligation, which covers all people in this country between the ages of 16 and 70. One is expected to be able to contribute, and being able to contribute is based on the fact that, first and foremost, one can take care of oneself. If one does as it says in the brochure, one has better home preparedness and better conditions to take care of oneself. Then one also has information on how to be able to get help to seek shelter if the worst should happen.
Camilla Rinaldo Miller (KD)
Madam Speaker! My question is directed to Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson.
The Christian Democrats and the government have ensured that there is now a regulatory simplification council to facilitate and reduce the regulatory burden for Swedish entrepreneurs. Now, the EU has decided on a pay transparency directive that is to enter into force in 2027. In Sweden, we have, among other things, the pay mapping. There, it is possible to find information on equivalent and equal pay, something that other countries within the EU lack.
The new directive worries business owners whom I have met. They worry that the new wage reporting requirement will result in a lot of double work, which is the exact opposite of the goal of regulatory simplification.
Therefore, my question is: Does the Minister for Finance see any possibility of implementing the directive without it increasing the administrative burden for Swedish entrepreneurs?
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank Camilla Rinaldo Miller for the question.
I am not completely well-versed in this specific directive, but within the government, we are very much in agreement when it comes to ensuring that red tape is reduced both in Sweden and at the EU level. When different directives are negotiated, this is a very important issue for us, and we are actually pushing for it in all different areas – including this one. It is important here.
Now we are talking in the EU about productivity and competitiveness, which especially during the last year has been a theme. This is an example of how one impairs productivity if one does not make it as smooth as possible for all the companies that exist around Sweden and Europe.
We will, of course, do everything we can to have good rules, but it must become significantly easier administratively and not involve more hassle. Every time a new directive is added, it becomes more of a hassle. We are working against exactly that.
Peter Hultqvist (S)
Madam Speaker! Recently, we have seen reports that two cables have been damaged in the Baltic Sea. In this regard, I would like to ask Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin if he sees a scenario with a hybrid attack where Chinese interests, with links to Russian interests, could be the cause of the situation that has arisen. That was my one question.
My second question is: Why has the government not taken the initiative to inform the Committee on Defence on this issue? This was made public at a press conference on Monday. Today is Thursday. Since we have not received any information, and since no contact has been made with the opposition, we have today taken the initiative to request that the responsible minister come and provide information on this to the committee. We think it is particularly important because the government itself has assessed the situation as serious. If the issue is serious, it is a broader issue than one that only concerns the government.
Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)
Madam Speaker! Let me begin by saying that during the day we received an invitation from the Committee on Defence. We will, of course, respond to it and come to the Committee on Defence to inform.
The situation is naturally serious against the background of the serious security policy situation. The Government does not take these types of incidents lightly. Against that background, it is also gratifying to see that the Government's subordinate agencies have acted very swiftly in creating an initial assessment of this.
We are not performing any attribution at the current time. A police investigation is ongoing, which is surely familiar to Member Hultqvist, and the Swedish Police Authority is responsible for the details of this. The Coast Guard and the Armed Forces are assisting the Swedish Police Authority in the investigative work and the crime scene investigation that is currently underway. The classification is suspected sabotage. Note that there is a suspicion. It can, of course, be changed, but we view the circumstances that have arisen seriously.
Josef Fransson (SD)
Madam Speaker! I have a question for Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson.
I visited a nuclear power plant quite recently – a brand-new nuclear power unit in Vogtle in the USA. When one makes this type of visit, one always takes important insights back with them. I shall speak a little about one of these insights here.
We are planning for nuclear power here in Sweden, but we are far from alone in that. Many countries are currently planning for new nuclear power, and the risk is therefore imminent that the project will be hit by delays if one is not out in good time with ordering vital and large components, for example turbines and generators. Globally, there are in principle only a couple of suppliers who could deliver this to us in Sweden, and we do not want to risk ending up far back in the queue with them. Sverigedemokraterna therefore thinks that it is beginning to become urgent to look into ordering components as soon as possible.
My question to Elisabeth Svantesson is how this issue is being handled at the Government Offices.
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank Josef Fransson for an important question. Just as the member says, a lot of planning is currently taking place in many countries. Many have also started building nuclear power, because it is known that this is what will be required to get more clean electricity and manage both the transition and growth.
We have a roadmap that the government is working according to - methodically and step by step. It is about removing rules that hinder, changing permit processes and facilitating. It is also about risk-sharing models, which we have touched upon previously. We also have a coordinator who holds all of this together along with both the politics as well as industries and energy companies.
Just as the member is correct, it will be important with strategic collaborations with other countries and with companies that manufacture parts. Exactly which parts are to be procured can, fundamentally, be decided by the project companies and energy companies that are now taking steps forward. But here I believe that the Swedish state can be involved and open doors and work together to secure strategic collaborations, so that we have the products we need.
Jesper Skalberg Karlsson (M)
Madam Speaker! One of the government's most prioritized issues is to choke the criminal economy. It is an issue that affects many policy areas and spans across several committees, including the Committee on Social Affairs, where I am a member.
On Tuesday, the Minister for Finance presented how Sweden stands in the fight against the criminal economy based on the assignments given last year to Skatteverket, Tullverket, and Kronofogden. It is clear that significant progress has already been made, and that is good. But how does the Minister for Finance view the continuation of this work and any upcoming measures?
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank Jesper Skalberg Karlsson for the question.
This is an incredibly central issue. I know that many members from different parties in the Riksdag truly see the importance of us now combating the criminal economy. Why is that? Well, for the simple reason that it is fundamentally often money and goods that drive and nourish these gangs and are the motive for their activities. If we are to stop the killings, the shootings, and the explosions, we must choke the criminal economy.
What do we do then? In many areas, we work together with the authorities. We have changed the legislation. We enable our authorities to go much harder on the money. What the member mentioned concerns, among other things, that these three authorities and I presented a higher level of ambition last year. These authorities have now worked extremely hard, with fantastic results.
And we are doing much more. It is about legislation and identity management. The Swedish Payments Agency is now precisely at the starting blocks to begin working. But it is also about going through every single small area to plug every hole in this sieve that is leaking. Often it is the taxpayers' money that goes straight into the pockets of the criminals.
Dan Hovskär (KD)
Madam Speaker! I would like to ask a question to Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin. We have been into this before. On November 18, the important brochure *Om krisen eller kriget kommer* (If the crisis or the war comes) was sent out. It is being sent to 5.4 million households in Sweden. All households will receive it. I urge everyone here to read it and follow the advice.
The brochure "Om krisen eller kriget kommer" contains socially important information that affects all of us in Sweden. The security policy situation is serious, and we all need to strengthen our resilience to meet various crises and, ultimately, war.
The Christian Democrats and the government have now also decided on a state grant to the regions. The purpose is that measures to strengthen the healthcare's preparedness shall be implemented, so that the healthcare's operations can be maintained during heightened preparedness and crises. Strengthened preparedness is of the utmost importance.
How is the work progressing to strengthen the healthcare system's crisis preparedness?
Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank Dan Hovskär for the question.
Just as the member points out, healthcare is naturally an entirely instrumental part of the civil preparedness and one of the prioritized sectors in the civil framework presented in connection with the defense decision being tabled in the Riksdag. In 2028, this sector will be the sector that has the largest inclusion in the civil framework; 2.4 billion kronor will be allocated to strengthen the robustness of healthcare with redundancy and supply preparedness.
Just as is mentioned here, another step is now being taken to strengthen the preparedness for supply. The purpose is to have a better preparedness to handle peacetime crises and, in the worst case, also an armed attack against Sweden. This was something that was missing, for example, during the pandemic. Now we are correcting it bit by bit.
Aida Birinxhiku (S)
Madam Speaker! In these worrying times, it is crucial that the EU stands strong and united in its support for Ukraine. It is about Ukraine's right to peace and freedom, but it is also about the future of all of Europe. Therefore, we Social Democrats want the government to push for a clear and concrete action plan at the EU level to secure the support for Ukraine. A plan is needed for the event that further support should be delayed and postponed, especially against the background of the upcoming change of power in the USA.
I regret that the proposal for an action plan has so far been rejected by the government, despite the fact that the government has pointed out that Europe's countries must take greater responsibility and despite the fact that Sweden has shown great leadership in the support for Ukraine. Why not show that leadership now in the form of a concrete and clear action plan, when it is perhaps needed more than ever?
Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question and the commitment. The support for Ukraine is this government's most important foreign policy task. I can assure the member that Sweden is pushing forward in all aspects we can, both with our own support packages to Ukraine and in cooperation with the other countries in the EU. We have, among other things, adopted 14 sanction packages and are now working to put a 15th sanction package in place. In that, Sweden has not least been driving measures against the Russian shadow fleet, the liquefied natural gas, and many other parts. It is also very pleasing that we have now finally been able to bring to fruition the agreement within the G7 regarding the use of the frozen Russian assets, so that Russia is forced to finance the damage that it has inflicted on Ukraine.
I am happy to participate in a discussion about what the Social Democrats more concretely want to see in this action plan. But we have also now urged the new commission to turn over every stone within every area of responsibility in order to limit Russian influence.
Victoria Tiblom (SD)
Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Rosencrantz.
The fishing quotas for 2025 are, as we now know, negotiated. Unfortunately, it is only Sweden that wants to lower the fishing quotas. Will the Minister initiate talks with Finland as well as the Baltic countries, with whom we have some cooperation, about reaching an agreement together on lower fishing quotas in the Baltic Sea in 2026? If the countries around the Baltic Sea can agree on lower fishing quotas, there is a possibility to also push this through in the EU.
Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank the member for a very important question. It is astonishing, I might think, that Sweden stands alone, but we do. I wish that more countries shared our view on the very serious situation in the Baltic Sea. We noticed this in this year's negotiations, where we were the only ones pushing for lower quotas. All others pushed for higher quotas.
We will continue that work, not least within the Baltfish format, where we gather the countries around the Baltic Sea. In addition, we will carry out very clear advocacy towards the new commission so that it understands the Baltic Sea's special situation as an inland sea. It is about seeing what damage the stocks have suffered over the years due to many different factors.
The short answer is: Yes, we will continue the cooperation with the countries around us. Right now, we unfortunately stand quite alone, but we will continue that work.
Ida Drougge (M)
Madam Speaker! I have a question for the Minister for Finance in connection with the Dragherr Report, which was presented a few months ago and which concerns the EU's common competitiveness globally. That competitiveness must be strengthened is central for people in Sweden, for all countries and people in Europe, and for our future prosperity.
It is therefore positive that the questions are being raised at the European level. At the same time, we know that countries in the EU have very different views on how competitiveness is achieved.
I therefore wonder in what way the Finance Minister believes that the Swedish lessons and the perspectives that we can contribute can be of use in the continued work in the EU.
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Ida Drougge, for the question!
It is an enormously central issue for the entire EU's future and prosperity. When we as the presiding country highlighted the competitiveness issues, it was important. It gained more momentum than I perhaps had thought.
Now we have good momentum in the issue. We have the Dragherr Report which we are discussing a lot. That is pleasing. What is not as pleasing is that we 27 member states are lagging behind together. In the EU, productivity is too low. Sweden has a somewhat higher productivity, but we want to do more. What can we then contribute?
Something that has become very clear to me during this year is the Swedish capital market. Here, many people save in stocks and funds. Much of the capital flows out to companies and to innovation. That is not the case in large parts of Europe.
During the past year, we have worked hard to get the attention of many countries to have more products and to have more active customers, or citizens simply, so that the money flows out to the companies and so that the Europeans get a return on those monies.
Niklas Karlsson (S)
Madam Speaker! I turn to Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson.
Sweden faces great challenges. Unemployment is at its highest in ten years, healthcare is in crisis, growth in Sweden is among the lowest in Europe, and gang shootings are creeping further down into the ages.
In that situation, the Swedish government chooses to spend billions on tax cuts for the richest percent in Sweden. Those who earn more than 65,000 kronor a month, and especially those with even higher incomes such as the government's ministers and the Finance Minister himself, now receive a tax reduction of thousands of kronor every month.
Therefore, I want to ask the Minister for Finance: Which societal challenges is it that one intends to solve with these large tax cuts for people with the highest incomes and the largest assets? Is it the crisis in healthcare? Is it the increased unemployment? Or is it the gang crime that is creeping further down into the ages?
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Niklas Karlsson, for the questions!
Socialdemokrater always prefer to talk about increased benefits rather than lowered taxes for wage earners who go to work every day. Socialdemokrater do not like to look many years ahead at how growth should increase, but instead try to raise all taxes so that the money will balance. It is a classic policy.
We stand on the side of the workers and wage earners. We are lowering taxes for everyone for two years in a row. Next year, we will also lower the marginal tax rate because we know that it leads to better productivity.
The point is, Niklas Karlsson, that one can do many things at the same time. One can prioritize the state's expenditures, for example by reducing aid, while at the same time being generous and at the same time strengthening households with low and medium incomes. In this case, we also lower the marginal tax.
It gives Sweden growth in the long run. The Social Democrats do not like that, even though you also lowered the value-added tax. Back then, there were not so many loud voices here in the interpellation debates or during the question periods.
We are doing all this simultaneously so that Sweden will become wealthier and so that Sweden will become safer.
David Perez (SD)
Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson.
The Ministry of Finance recently received an investigation that aligns with the Sweden Democrats' position regarding scrapping, among other things, the strict amortization requirement. It is pleasing to see that the expertise shares our view on facilitating so that more people can acquire their own home. I am thinking, for example, of young people and single people.
My question is therefore: Does the Minister agree with the investigation's conclusions? If so: Will the government in the future work to ensure that more people can have the opportunity to own their own home?
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, David Perez, for the questions!
We appointed the investigation so that it would review the so-called macroprudential tools, which are important from many perspectives. We naturally want stability in the economy and to ensure that debts do not become too high.
But just as the member is inside, people must also be able to get into the housing market. They must be able to get in and buy a home. It should not be completely impossible if, for example, the parents do not have very thick wallets when it comes to young people.
Now we have received the investigation. We will, of course, work with it. We will return to the Riksdag with proposals. It remains to be seen exactly what the proposals will look like. But it is a good basis for future work with those parts.
It is about the amortization requirements and the mortgage caps that are included in this proposal, as the member says. We will return to exactly how it will look. But there is a point in that we facilitate when the pressure is so hard. It is difficult and tough for many to even manage to enter the housing market at all.
Adam Reuterskiöld (M)
Madam Speaker! When the current government took power at the end of 2022, inflation was sky-high and we had major economic problems.
After a successful and both rapid and effective fight against inflation, we now see that fiscal policy can be shifted to focus on other things. The recovery is delayed, however. There lies a period ahead of us where we have much to do.
I wonder if the Minister for Finance has the opportunity to say something about this, especially in light of the IMF's latest forecast. Is there reason to revise anything within the Swedish economy moving forward?
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you for the question!
The IMF's forecast for next year shows that we will have good growth in Sweden, one of the best among comparable countries in Europe. We also believe that, and we see in our forecasts that it will turn around.
That we are in a recession right now is due to the fact that interest-sensitive households have found it very tough with payments and mortgage loans and have held back their consumption.
Now that interest rates are going down, and taxes will also affect the economy, we expect demand to pick up. How long it will take remains to be seen.
What we must keep our eyes on is, of course, what is happening in other countries. Sweden is dependent on what happens in Germany and in the USA. We are an economy that is dependent on trade.
What we are doing fundamentally now is taking the steps that will get the economy moving in the short and long term. Getting the economy to grow is a fundamental task for us.
The assessment is that things are brightening. Even though it is still tough for many people because prices are still high, the economy will grow in the years ahead.
Arber Gashi (S)
Madam Speaker! I have a question for Migration Minister Johan Forssell.
The possibility for asylum seekers to live in private accommodation, known as EBO, has for many years contributed to overcrowding, social vulnerability, and increased segregation in many of Sweden's most vulnerable areas. It is an integration trap and a source of segregation in our society.
The bourgeois government introduced this possibility in 1994. Despite the clear negative consequences, measures to completely abolish EBO have not yet been implemented.
The government has proposed certain changes, such as removing the housing allowance for asylum seekers in own accommodation. But according to Migrationsverket's own assessments, half of the asylum seekers will continue to choose EBO.
At the same time, we see that other Nordic countries have a much clearer line where asylum seekers during the assessment period are expected to live in designated asylum accommodation.
My question is therefore: Other countries have chosen to completely abolish own housing for asylum seekers. Why does the government choose not to do so?
Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Arber Gashi, for the question!
I share the view that EBO has unfortunately meant that many people who have come to Sweden have not received the good start they should have received without vulnerability, overcrowding, and segregation.
My humility naturally forbids me from reminding that the Social Democrats had eight years in government to abolish the legislation but did not do so. But they nevertheless appointed an inquiry which we have received on our table and which we are now moving forward with. It was the previous S-government that appointed the inquiry, wrote the directives, and initiated the work.
I share the member's view that this is not enough. I wish we had been in a different position, but we inherited this situation. We will therefore present further proposals so that more people will live at Migrationsverket - which should have happened a long time ago. It was neglected then, but now this government is finally tackling the problems.
Mats Hellhoff (SD)
Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Civil Defence.
Responsibility for clean water is divided among different areas of responsibility and at different levels: at the municipal, regional, and national levels. The municipality is responsible for the planning of water resources and has the responsibility in a crisis. The County Administrative Board has overall coordination responsibility in the county. Different state agencies have different partial responsibilities for, among other things, the protection of water.
From a crisis preparedness perspective, it appears clear that a simplified, more efficient, and less fragmented distribution of responsibility is needed regarding drinking water issues and water supply. Administration and bureaucracy need to be reduced, and who or which authority is responsible for what needs to be clarified.
What does the government plan to do in the near future to improve coordination in matters concerning the country's water supply?
Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for an urgent and relevant question! This is a subject and a question that primarily falls under the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure. It is also shared with the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise.
It is important that we have a secure and robust water supply in this country. I do not believe that within any foreseeable time we will come to any other arrangement than that we will need to have a responsibility at the municipal level for water and sewage issues. I do not perceive that municipalities are calling for the state to take over that responsibility fully.
With that said, this is a priority sector. It is also one of the sectors in the civil framework presented in the defense decision, which I mentioned earlier, that receives the largest allocation of funds. This is done, among other things, to strengthen the national water catastrophe group and to provide us with a better ability to handle situations where the water supply is affected for one reason or another.
Marie-Louise Hänel Sandström (M)
Madam Speaker! My question is directed to EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz.
Research and development is important for Sweden's competitiveness. Soon, a research proposition, which is much anticipated, will be presented, where the government presents what the future direction of the mandate period shall look like. Two important components are internationalization and excellence.
Since Sweden is a small, but very smart, country, cooperation with the EU is important. This applies to many issues, but above all research issues. The EU is important for us, but we are also important for the EU.
We just heard the Finance Minister say that the EU's competitiveness is not sufficient, which is of course regrettable. My question to the EU Minister is how the government is working to increase the EU's competitiveness and, above all, how we can use the research regarding this.
Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for a very important question! A few years ago, almost no one was talking about competitiveness in the EU. But at least partly thanks to the Swedish presidency, we have truly put the issue of competitiveness on the agenda. It is pleasing.
An important part of this work concerns precisely research and development. There is a common goal for the EU's member states: they must meet the requirement that 3 percent of GDP collectively shall be spent on research and development. It is quite few countries that meet this. Sweden is one of them, and that is very good. The government is now also making historically large investments in the upcoming budget bill and the years ahead.
Furthermore, I believe it is important to push for work so that more of the EU's budget goes specifically to research and innovation. But we must also keep in mind that much of this capital comes from private companies, and therefore it must be attractive to operate companies here and not just in, for example, the USA. This applies not least to the tech sector.
Then we are back to the general work on competitiveness. It is about tearing down bureaucracy and other obstacles so that more companies want to invest here and engage in research and development.
Peder Björk (S)
Madam Speaker! It is well known from before that the Moderaterna are happy to sell out state activities, and now it seems that the Sverigedemokraterna and the other government parties have also been brought along on this.
Last week, the government decided to sell off Swedish Bilprovningen without simultaneously being able to explain how it will be ensured that there is good accessibility throughout the country in the future or that there will be no cheating and errors in the exercise of authority that Bilprovningen performs.
There are probably many like me who are sitting and wondering about which further divestments of state-owned companies the government is now preparing. It is simply my question to Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson.
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker and Peder Björk! I can state that the vehicle testing market was deregulated in 2010. Since then, a lot has happened. Among other things, Sweden now has significantly more stations that one can go to to have their car inspected. It is very many more than it was previously!
Now we see that this is a market that works. The government means—and there has been a decision on this since earlier that was made in the Riksdag—that it is time for the state to be the one that regulates and controls the market. But the state does not need to be the one that conducts vehicle inspections.
Therefore, Peder Björk and I obviously do not have the same view. But for those of us who have made the decision, it is quite obvious and quite reasonable that the German company that is now taking over – and which is present in many markets and does this very well – shall also do this in Sweden. I believe that will turn out very well.
Crister Carlsson (M)
Madam Speaker! I would like to direct a few questions to the Minister for Finance regarding the situation in the Russian economy.
Now that more than 1,000 days have passed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, we can state that Russian actions are something we in Sweden have to contend with. A part of the Russian propaganda is how they in Russia describe their own economy.
I know that the Minister for Finance has been active in highlighting what the reality looks like for Russia and that it is far from what the country itself communicates outwardly. What does the situation actually look like today, and does the Minister for Finance have any forecast for how the development will look moving forward?
Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Madam Speaker! This is a very important issue that I hope we all here in the Riksdag, regardless of party, can help each other talk a lot about. It concerns especially when we travel abroad. We must give the right picture of the Russian economy.
Why is it important? Well, it is important because if one buys Putin's narrative of how the Russian economy is doing, it seems to be going quite well. One can then lose a bit of faith in both sanctions and other things, and that can make the Ukrainians despondent and countries hesitant about whether they should really continue.
How does it stand then? The Government had a solid report commissioned on this, and I shall give some examples from it.
Interest rates have been raised to 21 percent in Russia. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand that inflation is then not low - just that one thing. Inflation is much, much higher than the official figures say. GDP is probably a bit weaker than what Russia gives the impression of. But the country produces masses of defense material, and it is clearly that which is driving up GDP. Capital is fleeing Russia right now.
The economy is weakening step by step. This is not what Putin wants us to see or talk about, but I think we all should.
Åsa Coenraads (M)
Madam Speaker! Sweden needs more talents and special skills than we have today. Minister Johan Forssell has just returned from a trip to Canada, where he has been to look at how the country has worked to get more talents.
I wonder if the Minister could tell us a bit about how he views our opportunities here in Sweden to attract more talents and more special skills that can come to us and enrich Sweden.
Statsrådet Johan Forssell (M)
Madam Speaker and Åsa Coenraads! We are in a historical reorganization of Sweden's migration policy - a paradigm shift. We speak a lot in this chamber about what is an important priority for the government, namely to reduce the number of asylum seekers who come to Sweden. Otherwise, we will never be able to manage the very large integration problems that we have.
But that is only one part of the migration policy. Another is precisely what Åsa Coenraads is focusing on: We need to become much better at attracting more civil engineers, more technicians, more programmers, more systems scientists, more doctors - many different occupational categories that very many large but also quite many smaller companies today have a severe shortage of.
Here in Sweden, we have a good offer, but the competition is fierce. I am proud that we, for example, have shortened the processing time at the Swedish Migration Agency, but we need to do more. The Government believes that Sweden should be Europe's most attractive country for international top talent, for high-skilled labor immigration, to come to. There is very much more to be done there.
Fredrik Saweståhl (M)
Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Jessica Rosencrantz.
Recently, the presidential election and EU referendum were held in Moldova. Despite an enormous influence campaign from Russia, where they actually engaged in pure vote-buying – somewhere between 150,000 and 300,000 Moldovans have been paid by Russia to vote against Maia Sandu and against the EU – they succeeded by a narrow margin in re-electing and swearing in a president who says yes to continued EU integration. It is heartening and gives hope for the future.
Next year there is a parliamentary election in Moldova, and the risk of new attacks from Russia is naturally imminent. Moldova needs all the support it can get to preserve the country's freedom and democracy.
Our own government is now stepping in significantly with support for Moldova in this difficult situation. My question is whether the Minister could tell the Chamber and the Swedish people a little about what we are doing at the EU level to support Moldova in this troublesome situation.
Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank you for an important question.
EU's expansion is about enabling more people to live in peace and democracy but is also an investment in our own security from Europe's side.
Sweden is doing a lot to support Moldova. We have an extensive reform cooperation where we concretely help the country on how it can approach the requirements that the EU sets. Extensive support is also directed at the EU level, which Sweden is pushing for, not least the facility for reforms and growth for Moldova. This covers almost 1.8 billion euros, and there Sweden is really pushing to enable more investments in Moldova, something that also lifts the country out of poverty.
Furthermore, it is very important to push forward in every way so that the fantastic progress that Moldova is making, despite all these campaigns from Russia, can continue and lead to concrete negotiations being able to open in the very near future regarding the different chapters on the way toward EU membership.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.