Question Time

TREDJE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions today will be answered by Minister for Employment and Integration Mats Persson, Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer, Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin, and Minister Romina Pourmokhtari. Minister for Employment and Integration Mats Persson will answer both general policy questions as well as questions within his 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 relates to his performance of duties. The question shall therefore not concern, for example, conditions within political parties.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Teresa Carvalho (S)

Madam Speaker! Sweden has serious problems with gang crime where the violence is becoming increasingly grave. However, the violence is only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface lies a growing, organized crime that is eating its way into the entire society, which infiltrates companies and public systems and which uses legal corporate structures to conduct illegal activities, for example money laundering and fraud.

If we want to put an end to gang crime, we must strike at the engine behind the crime economy. It is, however, evident that the penalties for economic crime have not kept pace with the development of serious organized crime.

That is why we Social Democrats want to introduce a new level in the sentencing scale – particularly serious economic crimes – and increase the maximum penalty from today's six years to ten years. My question to the Minister for Justice is whether the government has any concrete plans to increase the penalties for economic crime.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you to Teresa Carvalho for a very relevant question!

There is no doubt about this: If we are to tackle organized crime, we must do several things simultaneously. It is, of course, about striking against gross violence, breaking the recruitment of children and young people into the criminal networks, and strangling the criminal economy.

To achieve the latter, we must do a long series of different things, everything from providing new tools to law enforcement – which we do, for example, the possibility of using preventive coercive measures also against serious economic crime – to providing tools that do not involve prosecution, which we have therefore done with the new tool of independent forfeiture, which makes it possible to go after the assets and seize these assets. We have also introduced new penalties or criminalized things that previously have not been punishable.

Regarding the sentencing scales for economic crime, I completely agree that it is one of many punishments that have not been sufficiently high and which do not reflect the gravity of the crimes. These are also subjects of review in Petra Lundh's large sentencing study, which will come with its proposals later in the spring.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Teresa Carvalho (S)

Madam Speaker! I must begin by thanking the Minister for Justice for the answer.

Much of what is being done in this area, we agree on. But what I asked about was whether the government has any concrete plans to increase the penalties for serious economic crime. There, I unfortunately received no concrete answer as to what the government's ambitions are.

I therefore ask the question again: What does the Minister for Justice want? Does the Minister for Justice think it is reasonable to introduce a new level in the sentencing scale and to increase the maximum penalty from today's six years to ten years?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Yes, that is what I want to do, and I want to do it against the background that the Social Democrats, during eight years in power, also failed to increase these penalties when it comes to serious economic crime. That is also why we have included it as an important part of the assignment that Petra Lundh leads when it comes to reviewing the penalties.

I think it is great that the Social Democrats have reached a point where they want to increase the penalties. But even in this issue, you are perhaps second or possibly third in line.

We look forward to the materials we will receive during the spring and hope that we can work together to increase these penalties and many others in order to tackle, among other things, organized crime.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Adam Marttinen (SD)

Madam Speaker! Last week we could read about a well-known gang leader who received 700,000 kronor in compensation after having been deprived of his liberty when he instead should have been released on parole. Previously, there was another case where a convicted rapist received 840,000 kronor in compensation despite being guilty. Information regarding the perpetrator's age then showed that he had been held in custody a little too long.

Both cases are offensive on good grounds. In one case, it can be assumed that large sums of money will be used in criminal activities. In the other case, a rapist receives a larger compensation amount than those who have been subjected to rape.

Under Social Democratic governments, this has long been a well-considered policy, but thanks to the Tidö government, there is now an investigation in place that concerns these issues.

My question is whether the Minister for Justice can promise that there will now be a change that makes it possible to deny compensation to gang criminals or guilty rapists who are actually to blame for their own situation.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Adam Marttinen, for this important issue!

The straight and simple answer is: Yes, change is on the way. In a constitutional state, it is naturally the case that the person who has been wrongfully deprived of liberty should also be able to receive compensation as a starting point. But for this system to be fair and perceived as legitimate, it is also important that compensation is only paid out in reasonable cases and, in such cases, also with reasonable amounts.

This is the core of the proposals that the government has commissioned and recently sent out for consultation. We want the damages to be able to be reduced and denied in more cases, for example if the person in question has acted close to the limit of what is criminal, has been at the crime scene with the perpetrators, had a bulletproof vest on during the arrest, or had pictures in the mobile phone where he or she poses with weapons or drugs.

The proposals were, as mentioned, sent out for consultation only this week. This summer we will receive the responses. A new model for the deprivation of liberty compensation should, if everything goes as we have planned, be in place during next year.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Adam Marttinen (SD)

Madam Speaker! My follow-up question is then how quickly such a legislative change can be implemented. There are very many of us here in the assembly and also out in society who long for the Tidö Government's announced policy.

Can the Minister say something about the entry into force of such a legislative change that allows one to deny compensation to those who have been deprived of their liberty and where this can both be justified and sometimes caused by the suspects themselves? Can we expedite the entry into force in any way?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! The investigator suggested an entry into force on September 1 next year, unless I am out cycling. We have referred the proposals, and we are looking at the possibility of being able to achieve an earlier entry into force.

I cannot guarantee this today, but what I can say is that we will do everything we can to have it in place as early as possible during next year.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kajsa Fredholm (V)

Madam Speaker! The Climate Policy Council is the government's independent expert body that reviews the government's climate policy every year. The Council's latest report directs strong criticism at the government, which last year increased Sweden's greenhouse gas emissions.

The government's climate policy is, to put it politely, insufficient. The fact is that most people in Sweden actually want to see a policy that has solutions to the climate crisis. My question to Minister Pourmokhtari is therefore: When will the proposals for a policy that truly reduces greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden arrive?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Madam Speaker! Sweden has for several decades pursued a very successful and strong environmental and climate policy that has laid the foundation for low emissions. One of the main reasons for this is that, unlike other countries, we have clean electricity and clean energy that we utilize in our industry, in our factories, and in our households.

In order for Sweden to continue to have low emissions even in the future, it is required that we do not burn oil in the Karlshamn plant to keep our factories running, but instead have both wind power and nuclear power. This is the government's major focus in climate policy.

If one had read the report from the Climate Policy Council, one would have noted that they have specifically looked at the transition in agriculture, where the government has taken the initiative for a lot of new policy, for example Kväveklivet, which facilitates for those farmers who want to transition. It is an important step in the development that is occurring in Sweden's policy to reduce our emissions.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kajsa Fredholm (V)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer.

The situation is quite serious. Last year, we passed 1.5 degrees above the pre-industrial average. Therefore, it is not enough to just come up with many fine words; real action is required to meet the challenges of the climate crisis. I ask again: When will the proposals for a policy that truly lowers greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden arrive?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Madam Speaker! If one wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden, one must replace fossil fuels with something that is not fossil. If we are to have fossil energy in Sweden that replaces the fossil-free, then we are in a tough position. That is where we are headed when one shuts down nuclear power and does not expand wind power. Therefore, the government focuses on creating conditions so that industry and households in Sweden can continue to reduce their emissions and transition to electric power.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Björk (C)

Madam Speaker! Last week I was on a small tour in Norrbotten and had the privilege of meeting both the customs and the police. I was made aware that today the number of vehicles passing the border towards Finland daily is almost as large as down by the Öresund Bridge. This occurs at the same time as the customs up north has approximately half as much staffing as in southern Sweden.

The police said that it is good that the customs service is there, because in northeastern Norrbotten the police have quite low staffing. At the same time, criminal networks are spreading along the entire Norrland coast. Both Hells Angels, Bandidos, and Foxtrot are found there.

We in the Center Party have long requested a greater presence of law enforcement authorities throughout the country. My question to Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer is: What answer can be given to both the residents in the north and those who fight crime there regarding the plans to strengthen that work even in rural municipalities?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thanks to the member for important testimony from the northern part of the country! Let me leave a few straight messages. The rescue is on the way! Proper growth is now occurring within the police. The police academies are full. There is a queue for the police academies. We are improving the conditions for the police students. We are improving the conditions for the aspirants. We ensure that the growth in the police occurs locally, not regionally or nationally. All net growth shall now occur out in the capillaries. That includes Norrbotten, of course.

I am also very pleased that we now have a cooperation agreement in place concerning the Tornedalen region on both the Finnish and the Swedish side. It will be a close interaction between Swedish police and Finnish police, Swedish law enforcement and Finnish law enforcement, in order to create an even stronger pressure against the cross-border crime that, to all too high a degree, also takes place in our northern latitudes.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Malin Björk (C)

Madam Speaker! In my conversations with both the Customs and the Police, it was also specifically highlighted that they have to combat the criminal economy. This places different demands on the operations than when one combats more traditional crime, such as thefts and violent crimes. The Police pointed out that specialist expertise is required and that the Police perhaps have not prioritized this over time either. My question is what the Minister for Justice is doing to meet that need also up in the north.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! In our management of the police and crime fighting, we emphasize the importance of increasing the pressure, including by increasing specialist knowledge, on all the fronts that are relevant to breaking organized crime. It is about the violence, the recruitment of children, and the criminal economy. Furthermore, we ensure that the police receive both financial resources and new tools to meet the criminal economy. I can mention the possibilities of using preventive coercive measures even in that type of crime and seizing assets through the law on independent forfeiture, which entered into force in November last year.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Katarina Luhr (MP)

Madam Speaker! From having previously been an exemplar in a climate context, Sweden is currently one of the European countries where climate emissions are increasing fastest. Last year, emissions from road traffic increased by 18 percent and emissions from the construction sector by 31 percent, just as two examples.

In recent weeks, both the OECD and the Climate Policy Council have released critical reviews of the government's climate policy. It is clear there that neither the 2030 nor the 2045 climate goals will be reached with the current policy. The reports simultaneously list a number of proposals on how the government's climate policy could be improved. I would therefore like to ask Climate Minister Romina Pourmokhtari if the government will take some of these proposals to heart, change political direction, and do the work required to ensure that the emission reductions we need to see in the near term are put in place.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Madam Speaker! Thanks to Member Luhr for wise questions with a constructive tone! It is always appreciated.

How shall we work to improve Sweden's climate work? Several of the proposals that appear in the reports are very interesting. The government is already working on implementing some of them, while others we are interested in looking into. This applies to proposals in both the Climate Policy Council's report and the OECD report.

Then it is important to keep in mind that the percentages for how much emissions increase can look very dramatic when you are the country that has the lowest emissions in the entire EU per capita. Then the increases become very clear and large. But Sweden will come into play again this year. The budget for 2025 is not included in the OECD's report, and that is why they calculate that we miss the target.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Katarina Luhr (MP)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer!

In connection with the minister receiving the OECD's report, she told DN that she wants to apply her own policy, a liberal climate policy. I therefore wonder if the minister considers that the current liberal climate policy with large emission reductions will serve us well or if she sees any problems with it.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Madam Speaker! The genuine answer is that if there had been no problems, we would not have needed a Minister for Climate. Had we reached all goals and been finished, we would not have needed to work with these issues.

We need to continue developing our climate policy. But the most fundamental thing is that without clean electricity, no climate goals are reached. Therefore, this government's climate policy is far better than the previous government's.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ludvig Ceimertz (M)

Madam Speaker! Violence by men against women is a major societal failure. Brå has reported that lethal violence decreased during 2024, but this positive trend does not include partner violence against women. On average, 15 women are murdered every year by men they have or have had a close relationship with.

To strengthen the protection for women subjected to violence, the government has submitted a bill to the Riksdag regarding expanded contact prohibitions. My question is what effect the Minister for Justice and the government expect the proposed legislative changes to have. I also wonder what additional measures the Minister for Justice will take to strengthen the protection for women who are subjected to violence by someone with whom they have or have had a close relationship.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thanks to Ludvig Ceimertz for this very important question!

I completely agree that violence by men against women, especially lethal violence, is one of our society's most serious ongoing failures. The reform and the restraining orders should be seen in that light. The proposals are now on the Riksdag's table and are planned to enter into force this summer.

We want that contact prohibitions should be able to be used in more cases than today and cover larger geographical areas – sometimes an entire municipality. A presumption for contact prohibition shall be introduced after serious crimes in close relationships. Interventional measures such as electronic surveillance, which today may be implemented as a last resort, shall be able to be implemented directly.

In short, more perpetrators should be forced to move on, adapt, and be kept at a distance so that the victims of threats and violence can live their lives in peace. This summarizes my expectation for this reform. We do much else in the same spirit regarding the penalties, the secrecy barriers, access to counsel in this type of case, and much more.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ludvig Ceimertz (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer for the answer.

It is important that the work with restraining orders is broad, takes place on several fronts, and is connected throughout the entire justice chain. But it is also important that restraining orders are not only used in the judgment itself and become a false sense of security and a product that does not provide the effect it should. I have, in fact, seen that there have not been sufficient consequences if one violates a restraining order.

Does the Minister see a need for clearer consequences for those who violate contact prohibitions so that the protection is increased?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! It is quite true that restraining orders have been used in few cases. One has had an all too limited basis to be able to decide whether to use them. Furthermore, the consequences for those who break them have been too weak. We are changing that now – including the consequences for those who break the restraining order.

We do this at the same time as we tighten the penalties for violent and sexual crimes. We are removing secrecy barriers, primarily so that such crime can be prevented and stopped right from the start. And all of this is done with the aim of strengthening the protection for vulnerable women and children and increasing their safety, freedom, and quality of life.

(Applause)

In this speech, Adam Reuterskiöld (M) concurred.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Lili André (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Mats Persson. We know that education is a decisive factor for people to be able to establish themselves in the labor market and become self-sufficient. The folk high schools play a crucial role in lifelong learning through their flexibility and ability to quickly adapt to both individual and new educational paths. They offer a way into the community and a choice of path toward vocational training, higher studies, and working life. At the same time, they create an important social community, especially for those who are far from education and the labor market.

We Christian Democrats have, over the past year, worked on solutions to build a strong Sweden. In that nation-building, we see that the government allocates increased funds for skills supply in its budget to education adapted to the labor market's needs. Vocational training and universities of applied sciences have received increased grants, but the folk high schools have instead received reduced funds.

How does the Minister view the future role of the folk high schools in the education system?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank Member Lili André for her excellent and very important question.

That a person has the opportunity to educate themselves and that one can educate oneself throughout their entire life is something very fine in Swedish society and something that we must preserve and take advantage of. We have a unique education model. One does not have just a single chance, but one has two, three, four, five chances to educate oneself during the course of life. The folk high school plays a very important role in this, not least by giving people a second chance when they perhaps have not quite found their way in the regular education system. They can find a way to learn a profession via a folk high school. They are very important.

That is also why the government, which the Christian Democrats are part of, has invested more money in the folk high schools in recent years. It is part of the initiative we are undertaking to ensure that more people can attend a vocational education where they can get a job.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Lili André (KD)

Madam Speaker! In the face of the great challenges of integrating foreign-born people and other groups who are far from the labor market, the folk high schools are a form of education that is adapted to this target group. I know that the target group is also of concern to the Minister. The folk high schools are a place for strengthened integration and for getting more people into work.

Does the Minister have plans to work towards the government allocating even more funds to the folk high schools for this important area?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! The Government has very high ambitions for education. We are investing heavily in vocational training where one learns a trade at a workplace so that one can then get a job, get colleagues, and enter into that community of society which it means to be able to support oneself and sit around a coffee table. It is about vocational training and about folk high schools. We are now restructuring the entire policy so that more people will learn a trade and in that way experience increased empowerment.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Joakim Järrebring (S)

Madam Speaker! The Climate Policy Council's latest report is crystal clear. Sweden is not on track to reach its own climate goals. The responsibility for the lack of momentum in climate policy now rests heavily on the government. At the same time, the Minister for Climate and Environment often emphasizes that measures must have broad popular support and that a realignment of the policy was therefore necessary. But in light of the fact that a majority of the population demands powerful climate actions that meet the goals, I wonder: Why does the government continue to blame the increased emissions on the need for a new direction and await a belated policy instrument investigation when both the report and the research call for immediate action? How does the Minister concretely intend to ensure that the climate policy goals are met on time?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Madam Speaker! Several members have by this point referred to the two reports from the Climate Policy Council and the OECD's reports. If one does not just read the newspapers' headlines about these reports but actually reads the content of the reports, one notices that the Climate Policy Council means, for example, that the government is judged to reach one of the climate goals – the ESR goal – by 2030. It is one of the toughest goals of all.

The Climate Policy Council argues, however, that we should have a larger margin to the goal. We should therefore exceed the goal by a larger margin than we do now. They also refer to figures showing that we exceed the ESR goal by 2030, as it looks now in our calculations.

In the OECD's report, the budget bill for 2025 has not been taken into account. If one reads the state budget for 2025 and the climate reporting contained therein, one sees that the government has actually taken several of the OECD's proposals into account and that by 2030 we are projected to reach one of the toughest climate targets in the EU, namely the ESR target, which concerns the transport sector.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Yasmine Eriksson (SD)

Madam Speaker! I direct my question to the Minister for Civil Defence.

The Social Democrats often speak of the major transition that was made in 2015, when the shift was made from expeditionary defense to total defense. Despite stated ambitions, however, very little happened between 2015 and 2022 when the previous government ruled, which is also confirmed in a report from the Swedish National Audit Office. Decades of savings have meant that the work was taken over from a very low level. During this parliamentary term, the government, together with the Sweden Democrats, has worked actively to strengthen the civil defense, but there is still much left to do.

Something that has recently been highlighted is that there is a limited translation of the experiences from Ukraine into practical action in the activities that work with civil defense. We need to get better at extracting best practices that can be applied to Swedish conditions.

MSB recently published the report Civil Defence – On the March! Will the government take any new initiatives in light of the information presented in the report?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Yasmine Eriksson for a very pertinent question.

Just as the questioner points out, unfortunately very little happened after the 2015 decision in the Riksdag that the total defense should be re-established. This is simply because no additional funds were allocated to the re-establishment of the civil defense, which was then completely dismantled. Since this government took office, we have decided on a fivefold increase of the funds for the civil defense. Now it is a matter of converting this into capability-building work as quickly as possible.

It is therefore pleasing that twice as many capability-enhancing measures have been taken in civil defense as a whole during 2024 compared to 2023. We are on the right track. That said, I agree with the questioner that it is important to implement conclusions and experiences from Ukraine in every part of all readiness sectors. This is, among other things, what we do through our fast track with civil service.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Andreas Lennkvist Manriquez (V)

Madam Speaker! A report from MUCF shows that around 18 percent of Sweden's young hbtqi people have experienced someone trying to influence their sexual orientation or gender identity, of which 5 percent have been subjected to serious attempts at conversion, such as conversion trips or exorcism. Despite the UN equating conversion attempts with torture and calling for a global ban, the Swedish government has not acted on the issue. It is a moral catastrophe.

My question to Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer is therefore: When will the government take the issue seriously and ban conversion attempts? This does not belong in a modern society.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for this extraordinarily important question! We take it very seriously. I wish that the type of abuse that the questioner raises had already been criminalized in our legislation in one way or another and can only state that has not been the case.

We are preparing the matter with the serious intention of returning to the Riksdag with a regulation that strikes down the type of abuse that we are talking about here and now. I cannot give any date for this, but it is not an expression that the work is not ongoing, but rather so that one, as they say, should not sell the skin before the bear is shot. I will get back with the timetable, but we are working purposefully to achieve just this.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Christofer Bergenblock (C)

Madam Speaker! I also have a question for the Minister for the Environment against the background of the two reports that have come with stinging criticism of the government's climate policy. Both the OECD's report and the Climate Policy Council's report have been mentioned here. There is no doubt that both of these direct strong criticism at the work that is currently underway. In the OECD, it is stated that Sweden has lost the leading role that we previously had in this area. The Climate Policy Council states that, overall, we will not reach either the 2030 goals, the EU goals, or the 2045 goals.

I fully understand that the Minister for Climate and Environment did not want to participate when the report was released given how the work is progressing. My question is which part of all this criticism the Minister views most seriously and what changes the government plans to implement.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Madam Speaker! Reading the OECD's report, one sees that in their ten-year review of Sweden's emissions, it appears that Sweden has very successfully reduced air pollutant emissions and improved our air quality, that our climate emissions are among the lowest in the OECD countries, and that we have the lowest emissions per capita in the EU.

It is also noted that we have made great progress in several important policy areas. For example, the focus of the OECD's report was negative emissions. They had specifically looked at the bio-CCS policy, which this government has accelerated. Recently, we concluded an auction for negative emissions which was won by Stockholm Exergi. It is noted that we are extremely progressive in climate issues and are very far ahead.

I myself participated in a many-hours-long discussion about the report with the OECD and also the Climate Policy Council. There are several proposals that we intend to take further, for example regarding the agricultural sector, where emissions have remained stagnant during many parliamentary terms.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Camilla Hansén (MP)

Madam Speaker! I wanted to ask a simple yes/no question to Education Minister Johan Pehrson, but it can be perfectly adapted and asked to the Minister for Employment.

Does the time spent by students and pupils together with skilled teachers and researchers play any role in the quality of education and thus the development of knowledge? The knowledge and engineering nation Sweden is no longer the worst in Europe when it comes to teaching time within higher education; we are only second worst. Unfortunately, this is due to the fact that we have become worse, but another European country has become worse at a faster pace. This is quite tragic for those who believe that competence, education, and cultivation are important for a country's development.

I wonder, then, how the Minister for Employment views teaching time in relation to knowledge development, which is crucial for Sweden's skills supply. Does the students' time with teachers and researchers play a role for Sweden's knowledge supply?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Camilla Hansén, for your question! It is of course very important that a student has time to be in the laboratory room or time with their teacher. It has been almost catastrophic in Sweden; investigations show that a civil engineer in Sweden hardly has any time in the laboratory or to perform chemical experiments.

That is precisely why the government is now changing this. After the Miljöpartiet sat in government for many years and ruined this, this government is now ensuring that we inject more money so that the civil engineers get more time in the laboratory and more time with the teachers.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Lars Jilmstad (M)

Madam Speaker! The number of police officers has increased significantly in recent years, and that is, of course, pleasing. It is also good that more and more of the truly serious crimes are being solved. Hopefully, this is not a coincidence but a long-awaited trend break. The current government, with Gunnar Strömmer as Minister of Justice, has given the police a number of new and important tools that can strengthen this development.

Unfortunately, we do not see the same favorable trend when it comes to crimes that are seen as less serious but which still affect the safety of many citizens.

In growing organizations, there is always a risk of increasing bureaucracy and the growth of various support functions. Therefore, I would now like to ask the Minister for Justice to what extent the departments and the police leadership are working to streamline the organization and working methods and increase the clearance rate.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Lars Jilmstad, for this very important question!

More police in outer service, increased local capacity and increased local investigative capacity, also when it concerns citizen-proximate crimes, is to a very high degree a priority for the government. It is also therefore why the Commissioner of the Swedish Police has received a very clear mandate for change, where a central part is about ensuring a locally present and visible police but also about prioritizing local investigative activities, which usually aim at what is commonly called volume crimes or citizen-proximate crime – i.e., not organized crime.

In line with this change mandate, the police have also decided that all growth within the police from now on shall take place locally. A specific effort is underway to develop the investigative activities so that we will see a development that corresponds to the truly outstanding journey that has been made when it concerns, for example, the fatal shootings, where one has gone from a crime clearance of 15–20 percent to now well over 70 percent, also when it concerns the crime that affects citizens in everyday life.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Magnus Oscarsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! The implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive in Sweden has resulted in both large and small dams, some dating back to the 1500s, being demolished. In Fredriksberg in Ludvika, there are several historical and cultural environments with different types of dams that are valuable from many perspectives. To easily demolish and destroy such environments without taking into account various interests is to severely undermine cultural and historical interests. We now see several examples of how unique cultural environments are being threatened all around Sweden.

My question to the Minister for the Environment is: Will the government ensure that greater consideration is taken so that the value of these historical and cultural environments can be ensured and also ensure that they remain in the future?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Madam Speaker! Thanks to Member Oscarsson for an important question!

What must be taken into account is that the EU Water Framework Directive has been in effect since the turn of the millennium. The purpose of the Water Framework Directive is to protect the aquatic environment, i.e., to ensure that we have healthy lakes and watercourses. The purpose of the directive is therefore not that we should demolish a lot of dams or make extensive changes to how our natural environment looks in Sweden.

Sweden's implementation of the directive has proceeded slowly, and we have been close to being hit with very high fines. Therefore, different entities across the entire country are working to actively try to increase our implementation of the directive.

We will do many different things to ensure that operators do not focus on tearing out their dams. Instead, we shall try to find other constructive ways forward.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Jytte Guteland (S)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Climate and Environment.

In less than one parliamentary term, Sweden has gone from being an international model to becoming a disappointment in climate policy. The reports are coming in rapidly and show that the government is conducting a climate policy that both increases emissions and worsens Swedish growth and competitiveness. Most recently, it is the OECD report and the Climate Policy Council's annual report that show negative consequences of the government's policy.

The Minister for Climate Action did not participate in the Climate Policy Council's annual report release. It was the first time a climate minister declined to participate in that gathering. According to the Minister for Climate and Environment's staff, the reason was that they wanted to harmonize the work and apply the same principle as when the Finance Minister receives the Fiscal Policy Council's report. But there is an important difference here. The Finance Minister does, in fact, participate annually in a hearing with representatives from the Fiscal Policy Council. Does the Minister for Environment intend to do the same with climate policy?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

Madam Speaker! Yes, I sat in a rather long meeting with the Climate Policy Council and discussed the content of the report. We talked about the various proposals they put forward. I asked questions about why they only propose a package for the forest and do not point out what types of measures could be used. I was told that there are many issues that are difficult to agree on in the council, for example when it comes to fertilization. It is an issue that also divides the assembly here in the chamber.

Climate policy is, in fact, complex. Climate policy is a natural science.

Even though the member repeatedly repeats that Sweden has gone from being a model to suddenly being in a catastrophic situation, it is not true. Sweden has the lowest emissions per capita in the entire EU. We in Sweden are good at reducing our emissions. In 2024, emissions increased, but in all other years with this government at the helm, Sweden's emissions are projected to decrease, and they have decreased. Despite the belief that they would increase in 2023, they did not, but instead they decreased.

It is important to have a pinch of reality grounding when discussing these issues, and perhaps it is also good to lower the tone.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Rashid Farivar (SD)

Madam Speaker! Corporate kidnappings and crimes where goalies are used in different ways have increased sharply. Now the legislation is being tightened in several areas, but it is uncertain whether the measures will have the desired effect.

The Sweden Democrats have long pushed for higher ambitions in the fight against company hijackings and goalkeeper crimes but have often had to settle for the government's lower level of ambition. For example, we have wanted to restrict coordination numbers significantly more strictly to prevent their use for criminal purposes, such as company or car goalkeepers.

My questions to Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer are: How does the government ensure that the new legislative changes have a real effect and do not become symbolic politics? And does the government see a need for further reforms during the mandate period to better protect small business owners from economic crime?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thanks to Rashid Farivar for raising these very important issues!

We have discussed the importance of being able to strike on multiple fronts if we are to tackle organized crime. We have, of course, mentioned the recruitment of children and the importance of being able to strike against the violence, but it is also important to choke off the criminal economy.

It is a reality that completely legal corporate structures are used as a tool by criminals to achieve various purposes and goals when it comes to crime. Part of it is precisely about shell companies and that type of problem. That is also why we are clearly tightening the penalties.

But we need many more things. The questioner raises the identity issues, i.e., the importance of being able to ensure correct identities and that one cannot use coordination numbers or personal identity numbers in any way.

There is a great continuing need for reform. I look forward to receiving concrete proposals from the member and others on how we should move forward with the already high level of ambition that applies to this area.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Gudrun Nordborg (V)

Madam Speaker! I turn to the Minister for Justice. I want to problematize the hate crimes against the Sámi. They resemble the crimes against other minorities, but there are also differences.

The crimes against the Sámi often occur with local anchoring, and they are frequently directed against the reindeer. The crimes can be seen as effects of an indigenous people policy that has long violated the Sámi's fundamental rights. Several crimes have been committed in Norrbotten, which may be well known. They have recently been repeated in Västerbotten and in Umeå, which is my hometown, in connection with a World Rally Championship. It ended negatively with, among other things, several killed reindeer.

I mean that there is a lack of legal protection for reindeer that corresponds to the reindeer's cultural value. When a reindeer is tortured or killed, the classification is merely theft, property damage, or animal cruelty. I want to ask the Minister of Justice what measures the Minister wants to take to be able to better combat hate crimes and racism against the Sámi.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Gudrun Nordborg, for raising these very important questions! These questions are in no way unfamiliar to the government. They have been raised in many different contexts. I have also answered many questions regarding this issue here in the chamber and elsewhere.

Let me first and foremost state that the government takes all hate crimes seriously. Hate crime is a criminal classification where one, so to speak, focuses on what motives lie behind a violent crime. In this case, it means that it is crimes directed against Sami people and their property, their reindeer, and the motive is precisely hatred against Sami as a people group. It is a hate crime that the legislation views very strictly, and it should also lead to severe penalties for the person who commits such a crime.

I want to highlight that the Crime Prevention Council has a mandate, among other things, to look into this issue and also propose what potential new measures may be justified so that our efforts reflect the seriousness of the crime.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ulrika Liljeberg (C)

Madam Speaker! Leksand may be the most populous-wise smallest municipality with a hockey team in the top series, but seen among all the country's municipalities, Leksand is a median municipality. It is a growing municipality with a large tourism industry.

Despite this, the Police Authority chooses to close the local police reception, where residents and visitors have been able to file police reports, provide tips, handle lost property, and collect passports. This is now being removed in Leksand, in Rättvik, and in Vansbro. This is a decision made by the Police Authority and not by the government. But my question is whether the Minister for Justice considers the police's decision to close the police receptions in Leksand and other parts of Dalarna to be in line with the government's ambition and promise of increased local police presence throughout the country.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! I noted the somewhat toxic start, which was hockey-related, but I choose to ignore it and simply move on to the matter at hand.

For the government, it is extraordinarily important that the growth that is now occurring in the police happens locally and at the ends of the capillaries, as close to the citizens as possible. This is also the basic agreement in the growth mandate that we have given to the Commissioner of the Swedish Police. There is no doubt about the intentions in the government's policy in that part.

How the police choose to organize themselves in individual municipalities is indeed a matter that the respective police region makes decisions on. But the questions are, of course, justified. The citizens in Leksand and other municipalities in Dalarna have justified expectations of a locally visible police force. Exactly how they have chosen to organize themselves in this case is a question that must be directed to the police in the region at home.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Jacob Risberg (MP)

Madam Speaker! My question was intended for Minister for Education Pehrson but can simply be addressed to the other Minister, Persson. I have received help with today's question from my internship student, Lilly Kjellberg, who is sitting in the gallery today.

School students today are exposed to enormous pressure and stress. The stress before, among other things, national tests worsens students' mental health. Grade pressure hits very differently against different individuals depending on degree of maturity, how easily one learns, as well as other factors, such as social vulnerability, bullying, and so on. At the same time, we see a school with ever fewer adults – counselors, school psychologists, and even yard supervisors – who can catch students and support them.

The Liberals are the party that has perhaps been the loudest regarding more tests, measurement of students' knowledge levels, and lowering the age of grading.

My question is: How is the government working to increase students' mental well-being and reduce stress in school?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Jacob Risberg and Jacob Risberg's intern, for an excellent and very relevant and important question!

It is definitely the case that many students in Swedish schools experience it as stressful and that it is unclear regarding which grades one receives and what the criteria are. The government's view is that one of the main reasons for this is that for too long we have had different types of courses and course grades. That is why subject grades will now be introduced, meaning that one receives a grade in a subject instead of studying different types of courses in mathematics or Swedish, for example. This will mean that the stress will decrease significantly.

Furthermore, we ensure that the curricula become clearer so that one feels less stress and so that there is increased clarity regarding what it is that one is supposed to learn. School should be a safe place, where one learns things and where one should not have to feel stressed.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Oskar Svärd (M)

Madam Speaker! This week, the Nordic Council gathered in Helsinki. In the Nordic Council, the Nordic countries' parliaments and governments cooperate. The theme for the days was: Stronger cohesion – a new era for Nordic security and preparedness.

Finland's president, Alexander Stubb, and Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Minister for Civil Defence, were invited guest speakers to the session's thematic debate, which focused on how the Nordic countries can strengthen their defense, their civil preparedness, and their resilience against threats and disinformation.

My question to the Minister for Civil Defence is: Does the Minister have any particular impressions from the trip, and what is the Minister's view on Nordic cooperation regarding civil defence and crisis preparedness?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Oskar Svärd, for the question!

I assess that there is a great consensus in the Nordic region regarding the importance of strengthening Nordic cooperation. Regardless of the uncertainty in the world right now, the Nordic region is where it is. We share geography, and we need to solve the problems together. Together with our other friendly countries around the Baltic Sea, we also constitute a geopolitical force to be reckoned with.

Sweden's ambition in this area has been to partially reshape the cooperation that already exists for peacetime crisis preparedness to also concern civil defense and supply preparedness. As I assess the matter, there is a corresponding interest in the other Nordic countries. This was manifested, among other things, in the bilateral agreement that we concluded with Finland at the Finnish-Swedish government meeting. There is also a great interest from the other Nordic countries. We will continue on the established path.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Leif Nysmed (S)

Madam Speaker! Yesterday, Fadime Sahindal would have turned 50, but she did not get to. Her father murdered her because she wanted to live her life in freedom. The murder became a wake-up call for Sweden's work against honor violence.

Much remains to be done, especially within civil law. We Social Democrats believe that parents who subject children to honor-related violence should not have a share in custody. Why do the Moderates say no to that? We were disappointed when the Moderates voted against it last week.

Last year we agreed on safer homes for children. It was an important change, which our government started and which this government took further. Our unity is a strength. Now the next step must be taken. No girl should have to have a guardian who subjects her to honor oppression.

My question to the Minister of Justice is: Are you prepared to reconsider the government parties' no to this?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Leif Nysmed, for raising this important issue here in the chamber once again!

The background is that a very extensive work is underway in the Government Offices against precisely honor-based oppression and honor-based violence of various kinds. It also covers issues that are raised here today.

We do not shy away from any questions. Right now, intensive work is underway aimed at banning innocence checks, certificates of innocence, cousin marriage, and a long series of different expressions of violence and abuse where honor is the motive.

The starting point raised in the question, that children should not have to have parents who exercise that type of transgression and such oppression, I share with Leif Nysmed. We shall also ensure that it becomes that way in the future.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Jessica Stegrud (SD)

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

We are now constantly reached by both reports and news stating that welfare crime in Sweden is increasing. It is difficult to describe in words how incredibly harmful it is for Swedish society. Most recently, health centers and vaccination clinics have been in the spotlight. These are funds intended for the common welfare and which instead finance crime and fuel organized crime.

Yes, this is to be a priority area for the Tidö parties. Therefore, I have a rather natural follow-up question halfway through the parliamentary term: How does the Minister consider the work on this issue to be progressing? What results will perhaps be presented, and what can we expect moving forward?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Jessica Stegrud, for raising this question today!

One can say that it is a reality that economic crime and fraud of various kinds have surpassed drugs as the main source of income for the criminal networks.

Simplified, we can say that we are tackling the issue on two fronts. This concerns partly the type of fraud targeting individuals, not least the elderly, and partly the type of systematic fraud targeting the welfare state in various forms. When it comes to the elderly, we can gladly state that the crime profits from phone fraud decreased by 40 percent last year. This is a result of the police and the banks, pressured by politics, moving their positions forward in an appropriate manner. We are now taking corresponding steps when it comes to the welfare fraud. It concerns supervision, licensing, regulatory frameworks, and coercive measures, but we still have a long way to go before we can say that we have arrived.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mats Sander (M)

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

In many municipalities, people are working hard for reduced crime and increased safety – that is also being done here at my home in Helsingborg. I know that the new opportunities for camera surveillance are particularly appreciated.

The work against organized crime is carried out by the police, the Swedish Customs, and a number of other authorities. But here, one sometimes encounters obstacles. It can be secrecy rules that make it difficult for authorities to exchange information with one another, or it can be that authorities do not have sufficiently clear rules to be able to participate in the local cooperation.

I wonder how the Minister views the need to clarify these rules and make it easier to share information. The Minister might perhaps reflect on how the situation in this area looks today and perhaps say something about the future.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

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

On April 1 – it was last Tuesday – several important legislative changes entered into force. One such change concerns the cameras, which Mats Sander highlighted. Another very important reform concerns secrecy.

I visited Brås 50th anniversary last week. One of the questions at the dinner quiz was: What was Brås' first newspaper issue about 50 years ago? The theme was: Tear down the secrecy barriers. Now, 50 years later, we can say that it is happening.

Now we are removing the barriers and making it possible for municipalities, regions and various state authorities to share information that is privacy-sensitive for crime fighting. This includes both the police, the customs and a number of other authorities.

One can say that we are now working on a final step in this reform package, namely a general confidentiality-breaking rule that is to make it possible for the information to flow in the other direction. All of this is done for the purpose of achieving full impact in the important local collaborations that Mats Sander raises in his question.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Anna Wallentheim (S)

Madam Speaker! We Social Democrats were those who once pushed through the sex purchase law. It was a groundbreaking piece of legislation that established that it is the one who buys sex and not the one who sells sex who commits a crime.

Society is changing, however, and so are the forms of sex purchases. Today, more and more of the trade in sexual services takes place online, for example via platforms such as Onlyfans.

In view of this, the previous Sledda government took the initiative for an investigation to modernize the legislation and also address sex purchases that occur remotely. On March 27 this year, the government submitted a bill to the Riksdag titled "Sharpened view on sexual violations, fraud against the elderly and crimes with gender as a hate crime motive." It is based, among other things, on this investigation.

Against this background, I would like to ask the Minister for Justice: Is it the intention of the Government and the Minister to that platforms such as Onlyfans and the like should be able to be shut down within the framework of the new legislation?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

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

It is quite true that this bill landed on the Riksdag's table just the other day. One can say that it is entirely based on the investigation the questioner mentions.

Regarding the question of remote purchase of sexual services, is it criminalized through these proposals? They target the purchase of a concrete service itself, regardless of which platform it occurs on, rather than aiming to preventively shut down certain platforms. Everything is about what kind of service is offered and whether it includes an individual purchase of a sexual service.

I share, as I have said, the ambition that what is prohibited in the physical world should also be prohibited digitally. Those are the proposals the investigators have submitted, and those are also the proposals that the government has now placed before the Riksdag.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Josef Fransson (SD)

Madam Speaker! We know now that it became expensive with Miljöpartiet in the government – not least considering the billions that have disappeared in the AP funds in connection with the high-risk project Northvolt. They also succeeded in introducing a number of more symbol-political measures such as a ban on uranium mining and a ban on the extraction of fossil energy.

Now the Tidö parties – the Sweden Democrats and the government – are removing this uranium ban, because it has caused problems for the mining industry in a number of different ways. The Sweden Democrats would also, however, like to remove the legislation that entails a ban on the extraction of fossil energy.

My question to Romina Pourmokhtari is: Does the Minister intend to act to overturn the existing ban on the extraction of fossil energy in Sweden?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Romina Pourmokhtari (L)

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

No, the government does not intend to investigate that. As it stands now, the government is not pursuing the issue of enabling the extraction of fossil energy. Our focus right now is on ensuring that Sweden, at the very least, can contribute the critical minerals and metals that all of Europe is in great need of. Just as the member mentioned, it is very fortunate that it is not the opposition sitting at the helm of the government. We are now making it possible to sell the uranium that is extracted.

What is so interesting, however, is that in the mines we have in Sweden, uranium has been found all the time. Due to the legislation from the previous red-green government, one has however had to handle this uranium as waste, with the costs that follow with it, only to then import uranium from other countries for our nuclear power. And then people complain that nuclear power is expensive.

We are very pleased to now be able to remove the ban on uranium mining. We will look at other possibilities to develop the mining activities, but not specifically when it comes to fossil energy.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Johanna Haraldsson (S)

Madam Speaker! Sweden has the second highest unemployment among the EU countries. At the same time, we have the second lowest growth. All EU countries face the same worrying world situation, but they do not have the same crisis situation as we have in Sweden.

The high unemployment is a major crisis, especially for everyone who is now unemployed. The sense of crisis does not seem to have dawned on the Swedish government, however, and the crisis measures are completely absent.

Why is the Minister for Employment doing so little to handle the fact that over half a million Swedes are unemployed?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Johanna Haraldsson, for the question!

It is still important to have some facts. The employment rate in Sweden is among the highest in Europe. Over 80 percent of the population between 20 and 64 years old are working. That is a higher figure than when the Social Democrats launched so-called full employment. At that time, the goal was 80 percent, and we now have 82.4. No country in the world has so few housewives, and this means that we have many people who are actively seeking work.

On the other hand, Sweden has a problem with the companies that are "light and lantern" [struggling] seeking competent labor. We have too many unemployed people who have been met by a passive system. That makes it so they cannot take the jobs that are offered. Therefore, we are now making massive investments that will allow 130,000 Swedes to undergo vocational training to take the vacant jobs that exist within healthcare and industry.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question was intended to be addressed to Minister for Education Johan Pehrson, but as he is fully occupied with other matters, my question goes to Mats Persson instead.

It concerns the investigation on popular education that is now on the government's desk and in the coordination. The discussion has, in various ways, been heated regarding the future of strong and free popular education. One has also seen the cheating that has been debated a lot in the recent period.

The main proposal in the investigation implies that what exists today shall be retained, but that three authorities shall act as babysitters, one could say. It is the Swedish National Audit Office, the Agency for Cultural Analysis, and MUCF that shall ensure that the Folkbildningsrådet manages to keep things in order with payments.

The Sweden Democrats advocate for a state solution to increase transparency and control over where the funds go. Will the government act to find a state and effective solution for the Folkbildningsrådet in the future?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Mats Persson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Alexander Christiansson, for your question!

It has surely not escaped anyone that we in Sweden have had problems with fraud and cheating and abuse of the system when it comes to popular education. Large parts of popular education work very well in the sense that people can meet in a study circle and receive a grant from the state to be able to carry out that study circle, but we have also had and have problems with cheating where the money has not been used for what it was intended to be used for.

The measures that the government has taken have resulted in several study associations phasing out their activities. This indicates that the measures we have taken have had an effect. It is also important that, moving forward, we ensure that there is order and clarity and that people can feel that the tax money is going to the right things, while at the same time we have the folk education, the study circles, and the study activities that we are all very proud of.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ingela Nylund Watz (S)

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

In a recent report from Nasdaq Verafin, it was shown that Sweden is the Nordic champion in money laundering. According to the report, the level of money laundering is significantly higher in Sweden than in our Nordic neighboring countries. In fact, it is estimated that it amounts to approximately 150 billion kronor here in Sweden.

In February, we debated here in the chamber the National Audit Office's rather sharp criticism of the government. The government's response to the National Audit Office's communication was quite vague and complacent, while we Social Democrats submitted several different proposals on how we could work further together to counter money laundering. It is, after all, a fundamental prerequisite for the financing of other criminal activities, which the Minister for Justice knows very well.

Previously we have asked about harsher penalties for white-collar crime, but now I want to know: How does the Minister for Justice intend to act so that we can avoid this distinction in the future?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Ingela Nylund Watz for the opportunity to discuss this important issue.

This is quite rightly another aspect of the extensive criminal economy. During the years 2012–2022, the fatal shootings in Sweden tripled, the criminal economy grew to 100–150 billion kronor in turnover, and in the recruitment of children, one went further and further down in age. It is clear that it is an extensive task to turn all those curves the right way.

When it comes to the fight against the criminal economy, money laundering is a very important part, and we are doing a long series of different things both within the Ministry of Justice's area and within the Ministry of Finance's area to tackle these problems. If I am to mention a concrete thing that is happening this year, it would be the establishment of a new financial center where banks, financial institutions of other kinds, and law enforcement shall be able to share information in order to, with joint forces, create a completely different pressure against various contexts and actors where money laundering takes place.

Question time was hereby concluded.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)