Question Time

TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered today by Minister Benjamin Dousa, Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson, Minister for Education Johan Pehrson, and Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed.

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

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Linnéa Wickman (S)

Mr. Speaker! It is rarely that I feel shame as a Swede, but the government's passivity regarding Israel's warfare in Gaza will echo through history. It is utterly appalling that Sweden, as the only EU country, has even stopped the support to the UN's aid organization for Palestinian refugees, despite the organization's infrastructure being completely crucial for getting the aid out both in Gaza and in the West Bank.

Over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, the majority of whom are women and children. 14,000 babies suffer from acute malnutrition in Gaza. We have a responsibility as a country to act against this hell on earth.

My question to the Minister for Foreign Affairs is therefore: How does the government justify the decision not to save lives by refusing to resume support to UNRWA?

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Linnéa Wickman for a very important question about a region and a country that is being hit very hard right now, with children who are literally on the brink of starvation.

It is not a lack of money right now. There are ready Swedish food parcels, water, vaccine syringes, and cots standing outside Gaza, ready to be delivered in. The government has also doubled the support from 400 million kronor to 800 million kronor.

However, we want the support to be as useful as possible. Unfortunately, Israel has passed several laws that significantly complicate, and in the long run perhaps completely make impossible, operations there. Therefore, we have chosen to redirect the support to organizations such as Rädda Barnen, Röda Korset, Unicef and World Food Programme, which actually delivered trucks filled with supplies daily before Israel closed the border.

(Applause)

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Linnéa Wickman (S)

Mr. Speaker! I must say that it is intolerable to witness the passivity that the government is showing. It is also about the lack of pressure that the government is putting on Israel so that supplies can enter Gaza. UNRWA continues to operate in Gaza. The shortage of supplies and food is total after two months of blockade.

I want to urge the government to resume support for UNRWA. This is a decisive moment for humanity. We must stand up for international law and save lives urgently.

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! This government is anything but passive regarding the dreadful situation in Gaza. Both I myself and the Minister for Foreign Affairs raise this in all the bilateral forums where we have a dialogue with Israel.

We have long pushed for tougher sanctions against extremist and violent settlers on the West Bank. Now we are taking it one step further and pushing for sanctions against extremist ministers in the Israeli government.

We hope that more EU countries can join the Swedish line.

(Applause)

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Mikael Eskilandersson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Telemarketers have for a long time terrorized people through unwanted sales calls. Furthermore, unscrupulous actors, criminals, and the Social Democratic Party have exploited telephone sales to trick and deceive vulnerable groups. The Social Democrats have also hired criminals for the sales.

The government can no longer turn a blind eye to fraudsters calling our elderly, those in debt, and those with gambling addictions to try and sell them lottery tickets or credits that they have never asked for and that they definitely do not need. Often, it is not just a lottery ticket that is tricked onto the consumer, but it is linked to a subscription that is difficult to cancel. It is therefore pleasing that the government is now proceeding with an investigation. The Consumer Agency shall look into in which areas a ban on telephone sales is warranted.

I therefore want to ask the government if it shares the view that games, lotteries, and credits are areas where a ban on telephone sales should be introduced as soon as possible.

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member of Parliament Eskilandersson, for this important issue!

We know that the Social Democrats have for decades used, to say the least, offensive methods. It has, not least in Expressen, been reported that they have tricked pensioners into lotteries and that these individuals themselves have not been aware of them.

This is an issue that the government takes most seriously. That is why we are acting. We are very grateful that the Sweden Democrats stand behind the proposals that come from the government.

Together we must tackle this. One might ask why the Social Democrats themselves have not cleaned up their lottery activities. It is required that the government stands on the pensioners' side so that they themselves will make active decisions.

(Applause)

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Mikael Eskilandersson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! When the rules for telephone sales to private individuals become tougher, fraudsters tend to target individual companies instead. Many elderly people who own land are counted as entrepreneurs but are at least as vulnerable as private individuals. Therefore, I also want to ask the government if it intends to proceed and also protect elderly people who are formally counted as entrepreneurs against telephone fraud.

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! This is a very high-priority issue, not least for the Minister for Financial Markets, the Minister for Finance, and the Prime Minister, who are in close dialogue with the large Swedish banks to see, in different ways – partly if it were to occur on a purely commercial basis – if there is anything else the government can do to put a stop to this criminality, which affects both entrepreneurs, pensioners, and others.

This is an issue that we take most seriously. We also welcome that the banks take their own initiatives in this area.

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Isabell Mixter (V)

Mr. Speaker! The Government has decided to remove the supplementary allowance in the housing allowance from July 1st. This is a supplement that helps 100,000 economically vulnerable families with children to make ends meet. Even before this reduction of the housing allowance, the economic situation was acute.

Yesterday, a seminar was held here in the Riksdag where Makalösa Föräldrar and Hyresgästföreningen participated. The message was clear: the housing allowance must be increased. One of the single mothers who participated, Maria, told how she herself has stopped eating breakfast and eats two eggs for lunch to make the money last for food and diapers for her child.

We have single parents who are now abstaining from meals, medicine and dentists for themselves and from leisure activities for their children. How does Svantesson defend the prioritization that 100,000 parents get worse finances and that the government instead prioritizes lower taxes for the highest paid and increased rot contributions?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Isabell Mixter for an important question.

The recent years have truly pressured many Swedish households and especially single parents, both women and men, with low income. During the years I have had this job, I have had the Swedish population before my eyes every day, and it is about doing several things at once. We must make it easier for those who have it the toughest. Our support systems have in many ways been rewritten, and we have extended the increased housing allowance for the most vulnerable.

We also do much else. For example, we have lowered the tax for specifically people with low income, and today it is 500 kronor cheaper every time one fuels the car than when we took office.

We will continue to do many different things, so that no children in Sweden have to go hungry.

(Applause)

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Isabell Mixter (V)

Mr. Speaker! The single mothers and fathers are now doing everything so that their children do not have to go hungry, and it means that the parents go hungry instead. Does Svantesson think that is a reasonable situation in Sweden 2025?

Svantesson says that the government has extended the subsidy, but the fact is that it is now being removed, in the midst of extreme inflation and an enormous economic crisis. How does Svantesson defend that?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! Inflation is no longer high, but prices are high. We have fought the high inflation, but prices still remain at a high level, which affects very many.

We have lowered the tax for those who work, made it cheaper to refuel, and increased households' purchasing power. In Sweden, we also have housing allowances and other support systems as a safety net, which is very good.

I have this question before my eyes every day and will not hesitate to do more if the economic situation worsens and real wages do not increase at the rate we have intended.

(Applause)

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Martin Ådahl (C)

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

One of the big news items today is that production at Northvolt's battery factory in Skellefteå will be temporarily stopped.

Weeks and months have passed without the government having succeeded in contributing to finding a new owner for the factory, and the permits for the specialists who work there have also not been extended.

In the EU, there is a fund, battery booster plan, with 3 billion euro, 33 billion kronor, which targets the four large battery factories that exist in Europe, of which Northvolt's factory in Skellefteå is one. There is also a direct support per factory of 250 million.

We share the skepticism towards state aid, but why has Sweden not succeeded in obtaining any of these funds? Have we applied? What contacts have been made with the Commission in this matter?

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! This falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise.

The battery booster plan is part of the action plan for vehicles. No concrete support has been landed yet, and there is also no support to be obtained in the near future.

The Government, in its handling of Northvolt, has inventoried EU support, state aid rules, and other ways forward but has been able to observe that no one even wants to buy the bankruptcy estate.

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Martin Ådahl (C)

Mr. Speaker! It surprises me that the Minister says that no one has wanted to buy the bankruptcy estate. The bankruptcy trustee says that it is still open and that they are indeed seeking a new owner. I interpret it as that the government may have already given up on finding a new owner for the factory in Skellefteå. But I hope that is not the case. Application processes have been underway while the bankruptcy proceedings have been ongoing.

My follow-up question is: Has the government contacted the responsible commissioner, and has one contacted the commission's chairperson or at least our Swedish commissioner?

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! The Government has worked very intensively at the ministerial level. A special group of state secretaries has also been appointed specifically to find possible paths for Northvolt. As has been said, they have inventoried the EU's support packages, state aid rules, and much more.

Naturally, an ongoing dialogue is being maintained with both the Commission and other EU institutions regarding battery issues in general and, in particular, Northvolt.

(Applause)

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Malte Tängmark Roos (MP)

Mr. Speaker! With horror we have been able to follow how Israel over the last weeks has escalated the situation in Gaza to an almost apocalyptic level. People are suffering from famine, the hospitals are knocked out and an extreme shortage of food, water and medical supplies prevails.

Minister Dousa and the government have repeatedly stated that they are prepared to take a very large responsibility to support the civilian population and have underlined the importance of ensuring that Swedish aid funds truly make a difference in Gaza.

The government has stopped all support via the UN agency UNRWA despite the fact that the UN and the other humanitarian organizations have been crystal clear that there is no alternative to UNRWA. Its infrastructure is irreplaceable in order to be able to deliver the acute aid.

Now the humanitarian department at Sida has concluded that UNRWA, despite Israel's ban on the organization, is still the actor that can work best on the ground, and Sida has requested permission to resume the preparation of humanitarian aid via UNRWA.

In view of this, I ask the Minister: Is the Minister's view of UNRWA changed in any way by Sida's assessment that UNRWA is the best option for delivering humanitarian aid into Gaza?

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! More governments should do as the Swedish government and double the support to Gaza and to the region.

The single biggest problem in Gaza right now, apart from the ongoing fighting, is that the trucks are not getting in. They are hardly getting in for any organization. In the last few days and hours, we have received cautiously positive signals, but the levels are still far too low. Now, political pressure is needed on Israel to let in more trucks.

We have chosen to redirect the support to organizations such as Rädda Barnen, Unicef and World Food Programme, which every day carry out very important work in Gaza and literally save lives.

But due to the very unfortunate decisions made in the Israeli Knesset, which the government has also criticized, it is difficult, and in the long run perhaps completely impossible, for UNRWA to conduct operations in Gaza. It is also no secret that UNRWA has for decades received criticism for a lack of neutrality and other matters.

(Applause)

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Malte Tängmark Roos (MP)

Mr. Speaker! The people in Gaza have nowhere to go, and a ground invasion has begun while the bombs continue to fall on the civilian population.

Just as Minister Dousa says, much of the aid is not getting in, but all organizations, including those that the Swedish government provides aid to, agree that UNRWA is the organization that has the best possibility of getting the aid in.

My question to the Minister is: What evidence is required for the government to change its position so that the provision of humanitarian aid via UNRWA can be resumed?

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! When it comes to Gaza, I would appreciate it if more parties would engage in trying to convince more EU countries to put the same hard pressure on the Israeli government as Sweden does. We are now pushing to put more Israeli ministers on the sanctions list, and for that, broad support is needed in the EU.

Regarding our various humanitarian partners, we carry out ongoing evaluations and reassessments depending on the situation in different regions and where our support is needed most. That is why we have decided to double the support to Gaza.

(Applause)

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Magdalena Thuresson (M)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for Minister Benjamin Dousa.

Trade with other countries makes Sweden richer and creates jobs and growth. Half of our GDP comes from exports, an export that builds our economy and which every year finances preschool places, cancer care, and elderly care.

The conditions for Swedish companies to trade with other countries are also made more difficult, as are Sweden's opportunities for defense investments and investments in the justice system or healthcare, school, and care. Trade with other countries does not only make us richer but also safer.

I have heard the Minister say that Sweden is currently the world's most free-trade-friendly country. How is the government working to establish more free trade agreements and open up more markets for Swedish companies?

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks to the member for this important issue!

Trade and, above all, free trade is incredibly important for a small, export-dependent country like Sweden. Trade also has an additional component, which is at least as important, and that is that it is the most effective instrument for combating poverty and lifting hundreds of millions of people around the world out of poverty and into prosperity.

The government has taken the initiative and is now driving a free trade offensive.

Among other things, we are driving that we should resume the free trade negotiations with Australia which stalled in 2023. There are good opportunities to quickly, perhaps even before the turn of the year, get a free trade agreement in place.

We have also begun free trade negotiations with India. India is a very interesting market but has very high tariffs and other trade barriers towards its partners.

Then we have Mercosur, the large agreement with South America.

We are therefore taking a series of initiatives to sign new free trade agreements.

(Applause)

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Magdalena Thuresson (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer!

What assessment does the government make regarding what effect the new free trade agreements that the government is working on would have for the Swedish economy and for Swedish growth?

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! If we sell more products and services to other countries, tax revenues also flow in for everything we consider important – for healthcare, for school, and for elderly care. Thanks to trade, our export companies can also hire more people and engage more subcontractors, so it is incredibly important for the Swedish economy and for Swedish welfare that we sign new free trade agreements.

I am also very proud that Sweden is a very free-trade-friendly country. We have a trade union movement and a business sector where everyone is positive towards free trade.

(Applause)

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Yusuf Aydin (KD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is also addressed to Minister Dousa.

Today, news emerged regarding a new government report in France showing that the Muslim Brotherhood's radical interpretation of Islam is more widespread than the country's politicians have sensed and that it threatens national cohesion. Islamism is spreading from below, and according to the report, double organizations are being built. Behind a neutral facade lies a shadow organization led by radical Islamists.

In Sweden, there is Islamic Relief, which since 2013 has received over 1 billion kronor in Swedish aid from Sida. More is planned to be paid out. Even here, various reports have shown links to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Säpo assesses as a threat to Swedish democracy.

My question is therefore: Is it not time for the government to stop the payments and support to Islamic Relief?

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! Not a single Swedish tax krona shall go towards financing extremism or terrorism. That is why the government has taken a number of measures to prevent Swedish aid funds from reaching non-democratic actors.

Among other things, writings on strengthened control mechanisms have been included in a number of governing documents for Sida – most recently in Sida's new regulation with instructions to Sida, which was decided on 10 April. It is stated there, among other things, that Sida shall ensure that aid is not given to actors who conduct or support anti-democratic activities, violence-promoting extremism, Islamism, antisemitism, terrorism, activities that undermine the rights of women and girls, or hate propaganda.

UD has also for some time had a dialogue with Sida regarding whether Islamic Relief meets the requirements set for recipients of Swedish aid.

(Applause)

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Yusuf Aydin (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thanks to the Minister for Assistance for the answer!

Quite rightly, much good has been done by the government. In the aid reform agenda, there is also transparency as an important principle for efficiency but also for legitimacy, so that Swedish taxpayers know that the money is used correctly and does not go to precisely Islamism or other activities that counteract democracy.

In Germany, the Netherlands and some other countries, they have stopped this. Is it not time to initiate a process here in Sweden as well?

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! This is one of the most important aid policy priorities – to increase transparency and to ensure that the wrong actors do not receive a share of Swedish aid, which bus drivers and nursing assistants struggle to finance with their tax money.

We have therefore taken a number of measures to increase both the transparency and the scrutiny of Swedish aid, but also to ensure that Sida and our other aid agencies ensure that money goes to the right things and does not go to the wrong things such as terrorism or extremism.

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Anders Ekegren (L)

Mr. Speaker! The rapid development in artificial intelligence is expected to have far-reaching consequences for the labor market. This could affect long-term tax revenues and the workforce's ability to finance public commitments. It raises questions about the need for a tax reform that takes into account the effects of the technological shift to a greater extent, for example by reviewing the balance between the taxation of labor and other tax bases.

Mr. Speaker! Against this background, I would like to pose the following question to the Minister for Finance: Does the Minister for Finance consider that the Swedish tax system in its current design is equipped for the structural changes that AI and automation entail for the labor market?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Anders Ekegren, for the question!

The short answer would probably be yes. Fundamentally, we have a robust and stable tax system that enjoys relatively high confidence compared to very many other countries. But of course, it is also the case that with technical development and changes in the labor market, taxes and rules may need to be adjusted.

We do not yet know the exact consequences of what the member is highlighting. I believe that many good opportunities will come with AI. There may be some challenges. But I believe that one should wait to carry out a tax reform until the consequences are known.

Fundamentally, AI is welcome. It will change the labor market. It will provide opportunities, and it will entail challenges. But the tax system as it looks now is quite robust.

(Applause)

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Anders Ekegren (L)

Mr. Speaker! I believe that the changes will be somewhat larger than many think, because if AI can do a great deal of what people do today, it will naturally put pressure on the workforce and the price of labor.

We also have other deficiencies. We have not lived up to the 30/50 principle that we had in the 90s. We have very many different VAT rates. I believe that we would actually need a tax reform, and it would be good if the Finance Minister took that with them.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Anders Ekegren, for the co-submission!

My focus is that our economy should grow. I see that we need to do more in the tax area during the years ahead to make it even more profitable to work.

We have the lowest tax burden in 50 years. That is good. But the capital taxes want to raise a lot. I believe that would be bad in a situation where we have one of the world's best capital markets. Furthermore, we know that it would lead to higher taxes and to fewer jobs and fewer companies.

Fundamentally, the tax system works well, but we will continue to make it more profitable to work and run businesses.

(Applause)

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Mikael Damberg (S)

Mr. Speaker! A few weeks ago, the Economic Crime Authority presented its latest situation report. The assessment is made that the criminal economy in Sweden turns over between 100 and 150 billion kronor every year.

The Economic Crime Authority describes a crime that is becoming increasingly organized and increasingly complex. Through money laundering and economic crime, billions are driven into the criminal economy, which finances the violence we suffer from and the shootings and explosions in our country.

This must be choked off. We Social Democrats have proposed giving the Payment Authority a specific mandate to flag payments to individuals linked to gang crime. We want to use the police's intelligence regarding gang criminals and direct the authority's work toward these individuals. We are convinced that it would be an effective way to tackle the gang criminals.

My question to the Minister for Finance is: Is this an interesting proposal that she is prepared to move forward with?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Mikael Damberg, for the question! This is extremely important.

Something we have worked on with full force since day one is to continue turning the taps in the criminal economy. Just as Mikael Damberg says, it is very much those who actually drive the violence, the shootings, and all the terrible things we are now seeing all around Sweden.

We have a high pace. I do not rule out at all that the Swedish Payments Agency, which I am responsible for, will need to do even more in the future. But let me also say that the agencies are currently working at a high pace. We have provided new tools in the legislation, and we have provided many resources. People are working together in a way they have almost never done before. It will, however, need to be done more. We rule nothing out.

I am, however, glad to see that much is now moving in the right direction. I see that the bills that have been voted through during the past year are doing good. I see that the money we have spent on the authorities that work against crime is doing good.

We will continue, and we work every day to ensure that this happens. If we choke the criminal economy, we can also choke the violence.

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Charlotte Quensel (SD)

Mr. Speaker! The Sweden Democrats and the government are working intensively to stop the widespread criminal economy. We have just heard that it is estimated to amount to between 100 billion and 150 billion annually, and it will be a major blow for, among other things, the state budget.

At the same time as the Tidö parties focus on choking off financial crime, a majority of the government together with the opposition has pushed through a law that makes it possible to change legal gender, that is, personal identity numbers, as many times as one feels like. A result of this is that one can only trace a person's personal identity number one step backward.

Does the Minister for Finance consider that there is a risk that financial criminals, who undergo several gender changes and thereby change their personal identity numbers at least twice, can erase their criminal history and in this way evade detection?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Charlotte Quensel for the question! It is a relevant question. The Government will, of course, follow it very closely. The Swedish Tax Agency is an authority that I am responsible for. It will truly work on this issue in a very close manner.

Sweden is quite far behind, even with this legislation. I know there is great criticism among many regarding the legislation, but at the same time, it is quite cautious in relation to many other places.

We shall ensure that we follow up and, of course, not enable this to be an opening for the criminal economy. I understand the criticism, and I understand the concern. I guarantee, however, that I will do everything I can so that the agency I am responsible for – Skatteverket – will work closely and intensively on this issue.

(Applause)

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Samuel Gonzalez Westling (V)

Mr. Speaker! I had actually intended to ask a question to Benjamin Dousa. However, I was quite provoked by Elisabeth Svantesson's previous answer to my colleague Isabell Mixter, so I intend to ask a follow-up question.

It was about why the government chooses to remove the supplementary grant in the housing allowance. Then the Finance Minister answered that the government has done a lot of things. They have lowered taxes and so on. But that doesn't affect the fact that single parents and single mothers are hungry right now – just today.

The Minister for Finance has lowered the tax for himself by almost twice as much per month as an assistant nurse receives in an entire year. At the same time, the income for these parents is reduced by 750 kronor per month by removing the supplementary grant.

Why does the government choose to remove the supplementary grant in the housing allowance in this situation?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

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

It is quite obvious that we sometimes have different opinions on tools. When it comes to the housing supplement specifically, this was raised and extended, as I said, and it was done for a good while. Now that the high inflation has been fought, and real wage increases are starting to appear. Then we have also focused on tax cuts for the group that the member is now highlighting.

I know that Vänsterpartiet does not like to lower the tax for nursing assistants and single fathers. They are, so to speak, also nursing assistants. I think, however, that it is a good way to go.

I see that many are struggling. I say here, as I have said many times before, that we have muscles and strong public finances. If more will be required ahead, we are prepared to do more.

Fundamentally, however, it is about real wage increases, tax cuts, and for example – as many single mothers and fathers also need – the car. A tanking, the member, is approximately 500–600 kronor cheaper today than when we took office.

(Applause)

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Anna Lasses (C)

Mr. Speaker! It is not only food, water and housing that have been totally crushed and destroyed and are in short supply in Gaza. There is also a total lack of healthcare.

This is something that WHO has pointed out not just once, but several times – not least most recently last week. The appeal is to help receive those who need slightly more complicated care in other countries.

Until now, Sweden has chosen to send medical equipment and funds to neighboring countries so that these people can be received. Now, WHO is therefore asking that more donor countries receive these specific sick people, as this is no longer sufficient.

Is it the case that the Swedish government is now considering trying to receive those people from Gaza who need acute medical care? I pose the question to Benjamin Dousa.

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! Just as Member Lasses describes, the situation in Gaza is absolutely appalling. This applies in particular to the health sector and especially for young people and children, who are experiencing it in an absolutely appalling way right now. Sweden has, among other things, provided support through health facilities – not least in Egypt.

It is very few who are coming out of Gaza. If one takes Norway as an example, it concerns a few individual persons – a handful of people – and not particularly large volumes.

From the government's side, we have said that we do not rule anything out, but the most important thing is that more people – tens of thousands of people, hundreds of thousands of people – get access to health interventions. Then more trucks need to come in. One also needs to support the infrastructure even in Egypt.

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Nils Seye Larsen (MP)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Johan Pehrson, and I have received assistance from our intern Eija Sandberg.

According to the study "The only thing I think about is stress and school – a student survey on how school affects young people's well-being" by the Tim Bergling Foundation, 53 percent of students experience that performance requirements in school affect their mental well-being quite or very negatively. 61 percent answer that the national tests stress them, and 54 percent believe that the national tests have a negative impact on their mental well-being.

Stress leads to the student performing worse on the tests, which further worsens the student's mental health. The Liberals' proposal regarding a new grading system means that the national tests will weigh even more heavily. It risks increasing mental ill-health among students.

How will the government counteract mental ill-health, stress, and depression among students if the new grading system is introduced?

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Utbildningsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, dear members, for an important question!

Few things are as important as young people's access to a good education: that they learn to read, write, and count at an early age, and that they have a study environment that is safe and where knowledge is at the center. When it comes to this, testing is the tool. It is an important means to see that one actually learns something.

I have great respect for the fact that one can experience it as difficult to have a test in mathematics. It can be difficult to have a test even in Swedish and in all the other subjects. It is clear that it is difficult, and it is difficult.

The alternative, however, is that one does not check whether a student manages their studies. In that case, I can say that another test will come that is worse: reality. Then reality will hit a young person who has not received help and support early in their schooling to learn precisely how to read, write, and count – and the other subjects.

We are now reforming the grading system in several ways. We are strengthening student health. No one shall leave school without being able to read, write, and count.

(Applause)

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Jan Ericson (M)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for the Minister for Finance.

When the Moderate-led government took office, it was hardly a set table that awaited. On the contrary, the situation was tough for Swedish households with high inflation, rising interest rates, high electricity prices, and high fuel costs. It was an incredibly tough situation to turn around, where the fight against inflation was the absolute most important because nothing hits households with weak finances harder than high inflation.

Now we see how inflation has been pushed down and interest rates have fallen. Electricity prices are back at a more reasonable level, and fuel costs have fallen sharply. Many households can breathe a sigh of relief that the very worst is over.

Now we can instead look forward and work to make important reforms to equip Sweden. I would like to ask the Minister for Finance to describe somewhat broadly what the priorities look like when we look a few years ahead.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Jan Ericson for the question.

The government will not take its eyes off the households' purchasing power. It will be an important priority in the years ahead, especially for those who work and toil. It must pay to work, and we will continue to ensure that. It is also important for growth.

Just as Jan Ericson says, it is also about the future. What will Sweden look like in 5 years or 50 years? We also need those perspectives. That is why it is important right now that we improve for entrepreneurs, ensure that the infrastructure works better, and review the education system. Now more than ever, both small and large companies need to be able to feel: In this country, in Sweden, we want to grow and invest, and together we want to ensure that the country becomes the richest in the entire world.

Both in large and in small matters, we are now working to strengthen growth in order to make Sweden and the Swedes wealthier.

(Applause)

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Lili André (KD)

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

Sweden faces significant skills challenges. In the many conversations I have with entrepreneurs and industry organizations, the same issue is raised. They have difficulty finding employees with the right education and skills.

I have followed how, in Denmark over the recent years, reforms have been implemented to strengthen the connection between higher education and labor market needs. Among other things, more study places have been directed toward shortage occupations, places within programs with weak establishment have been reduced, and incentives have been given to higher education institutions for increased cooperation with the business sector. The higher education institutions have also been tasked to cooperate more actively with local and regional business.

Denmark has also introduced several one- to two-year bachelor-level programs that are directly aimed at the working life, where the idea is to offer a faster path into the working life with the possibility of further studies later in life.

How does the Minister view taking inspiration from the Danish model, where higher education is steered more clearly towards the needs of the labor market?

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Utbildningsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

We view it positively to look at other Nordic countries that also face these challenges. Sweden has, for a longer period, a couple of decades, doubled the places in higher education in Sweden. Why has the Riksdag decided on this, given more and more money and produced more education places? Yes, because there was such an enormous skills shortage. Hear and behold: It remains. It is not wise. How could it become so?

In addition to securing high quality in both education and research within colleges and universities, we are investing in developing vocational training under municipal and state administration. We see this as a good and feasible path, and it is also in demand from the business sector.

We are also investing heavily in developing the so-called STEM subjects, that is, mathematics, technology, engineering, and natural sciences – everything that is so important and that so many jobs will require in the future. Here, we are shifting into a higher gear with a STEM strategy, more teaching in these subjects, and a delegation in close cooperation with precisely the business sector.

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Alexandra Völker (S)

Mr. Speaker! To say that the government has treated civil society organizations neglectfully would be an understatement. Grants have been hastily terminated. Strict and unclear rules have been introduced. Application processes are dragging on. This contributes to anxiety and stress and has put a muzzle on organizations that do not openly dare to question the system for fear of losing their grants.

We are now receiving reports from aid actors that decisions, including the civil society grant which was previously decided by the agency, are today under increased political steering. Late agreements affect the actors' work to advocate for, among other things, poverty alleviation and human rights.

Does the Minister for Foreign Affairs believe that this provides the aid organizations with good conditions to operate?

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! One of the most absurd parts of Swedish aid policy has been precisely the strategy for civil society organizations. It has remained relatively unchanged since the 70s. It has been a matter of 17 organizations that have participated without an open application process and without clear application criteria. When those who have not been a part of these 17 ask questions to the responsible agency Sida, they do not receive good answers.

We are now fundamentally restructuring the system, and it is the largest reorganization of Swedish aid policy since the 70s. It makes the aid more transparent and opens up for competition from more. I then understand that there is criticism from, among others, the 17 organizations that will be subject to competition. More free churches, more voluntary organizations, and more humanitarian actors can now participate and compete, and that is good for Sweden.

(Applause)

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Martin Westmont (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is also addressed to the Minister for Development Cooperation, and it is on a somewhat similar theme.

The government is now restructuring the assistance. Today we have read an article from Timbro. It states that Sweden has the lowest number of simple jobs within the EU, and that contributes to foreign-born individuals ending up in a dependency on benefits.

The government now welcomes that people return, and in many cases, return migration can mean entry into the labor market, precisely because one possesses skills that are in demand in the country one returns to but for which there is no demand in Sweden.

We also know that aid countries need more help than just money. Help is needed with building up functioning social structures, where return migration is an important part of that work. Does the Minister for International Development see opportunities to develop the aid work so that it also includes collaborative projects between Sweden and aid countries with a focus on offering jobs for returnees as an alternative to living on benefits in Sweden?

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks for a very important question.

For the first time in Sweden's history, we are now weaving together migration policy and aid policy. This means, in practice, two things.

First and foremost, it is about countries that do not cooperate with us, countries that do not take their international legal responsibility and take back their own citizens, i.e., those who are not citizens of Sweden and who are not allowed to be here, regardless of whether they have committed serious crimes or have been ordered deported for some other reason. If one does not cooperate with us, one cannot expect hundreds of millions of Swedish tax dollars. If one, on the other hand, cooperates with us, we can imagine cooperating in return.

As part two of this, which the Sweden Democrats have been very involved in, there is a new aid strategy that is specifically intended to work with migration issues. It can involve people who return to their home countries, who build up the job structure and labor market projects.

This is a very important issue for the government, and we have launched many different reforms.

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Lotta Johnsson Fornarve (V)

Mr. Speaker! The humanitarian situation in Gaza is far beyond catastrophic. Save the Children warns that 1.1 million children in Gaza are dangerously close to starvation, including 160,000 infants, even though baby food is on the other side of the border and is being destroyed because Israel is not letting it through.

The UN agency UNRWA has requested aid from, among others, Sweden through an emergency appeal. Sida's humanitarian department is prepared to provide 30 million kronor in emergency aid to Gaza through the UN agency UNRWA, but the government says no.

The Swedish government has previously ended the Swedish core funding to UNRWA, despite a number of independent reviews stating that the organization functions well and is a prerequisite for effective humanitarian aid in Gaza.

No other EU country has made the same assessment. Does the Minister not consider that Sida has the right to respond to emergency appeals and that it should occur in the way the agency deems most effective and that support should therefore be sent to UNRWA? Does the Minister not trust his own agency?

(Applause)

In this speech, Samuel Gonzalez Westling (V) concurred.

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! The situation in Gaza is appalling and furthermore acute for all the children and families who also have nowhere to go.

It is against that background that the government has decided to double the support to Gaza and the region – from 400 million kronor to 800 million kronor. But it is important that those funds, that support, those food parcels and those vaccine doses – all the aid that we support – also reach Gaza and that maximum benefit can be achieved for the money.

Due to the unfortunate decisions that Israel has made – which the government has been very critical of – UNRWA's operations are being hindered. In the long run, they may even be made completely impossible. Therefore, we have chosen to redirect the support to organizations such as Rädda Barnen, where we recently signed a new partnership of 30 million kronor, Unicef, the Red Cross, and several others.

The important thing now is that we help Gaza's population.

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Anders Ådahl (C)

Mr. Speaker! Yesterday we debated the research and innovation bill here in the chamber. The main issue turned out to be academic freedom and, in particular, the form of association of the higher education institutions.

In Sweden, all educational institutions, with a few exceptions, are administrative authorities, and the rectors are administrative heads more than academic leaders. The power of politics over our educational institutions is almost one hundred percent. One could also say that a Swedish Donald Trump could do whatever he wants with our educational institutions.

The Government has in the bill announced an inquiry into the educational institutions' association form. However, it became clear yesterday that the Social Democrats and the Sweden Democrats oppose such an inquiry for various reasons.

My question to the Minister is: Will the government proceed with an investigation despite not having gathered support in the chamber of the Riksdag?

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Utbildningsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! That question is central. I would, however, like to emphasize that we have a special status for the institutional form of colleges and universities in Sweden. They have a completely different governance and today have a very high degree of academic freedom. That is why Sweden ranks at the top in the world when it comes to the view on whether academic freedom truly exists.

But, Mr. Speaker, there is more to be done to strengthen this. One way is to do as previous liberal, bourgeois governments have done. They have tried to work towards increasing autonomy. It is then about more foundations or other forms for the universities to work in.

I actually agree with Anders Ådahl that there is a risk in this, that one could be subjected to a new and higher pressure than today. Therefore, I think it is good that this is included in the bill and that we can proceed with this investigation. We have also discussed it privately with several parties, other than those who sit in the government. We will have to see how the result is handled. It will, however, be after the next election. Then we can hope that both the Liberals and the Center Party are stronger.

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Johanna Rantsi (M)

Mr. Speaker! This week, the Riksdag took a decision for shipping that is historic. We did not choose to merely lower the stamp duty. We chose to abolish it entirely. That tax has previously penalized investments in environmentally friendly technology in ship construction, something that has counteracted a green transition.

The Moderate-led government is maritime-friendly. We are working very actively to strengthen Swedish shipping and its competitiveness. Among other things, we have conducted an investigation into the reform of the tonnage tax, something that the previous government did not want to do at all.

Mr. Speaker, we want to see more Swedish shipping in Sweden. Therefore, I would like to thank Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson for the work she has done in abolishing the stamp duty. I would also like to take this opportunity to ask how the work to reform the tonnage tax is progressing and what else the government is doing for the shipping industry.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Johanna Rantsi, for the question!

When one has growth before one's eyes and when one wants to make the Swedish economy grow, one naturally has a reason for it. We need resources to do what is needed in the future. In that case, it is important that transport functions, that entrepreneurship is strong, and that we do everything we can precisely so that companies both exist here and are competitive.

That is why we have now, as the member mentioned, abolished the stamp duty. But we will continue to do more.

The question of tonnage tax is currently being discussed in the EU and at the EU level. We also have a dialogue regarding the tonnage taxation. It is an important issue for shipping, and it is an important issue for Swedish growth.

I will return when we have more clear information. But one thing must be known: We have economy and growth before our eyes so that Sweden and the Swedes will become wealthier. In that case, this question is an incredibly important question, so that we do not fall behind.

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Dzenan Cisija (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Forssmed, who is the head of the Ministry of Social Affairs.

A company that, according to the Prison and Probation Service, has employees with links to organized crime and which authorities have attempted to exclude from procurements has been able to continue selling services to Swedish municipalities.

Now, the same company has also been able to market itself with the help of the Minister for Social Services' presence at the company and her statements regarding the company's operations. It is clear that the company, in its communication, draws direct benefit from the government's representative to create legitimacy.

My question is therefore: How does the Minister for Finance view that one of the ministers in his department contributes to marketing individual companies that are also linked to organized crime?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I do not think it is news to anyone that one of this government's most important priorities is to combat organized crime in various ways. We do that consistently. We do that by implementing a long series of reforms that have not been carried out under previous governments.

I believe that many of us ministers were surprised that there were such large gaps in our respective areas of responsibility that could be exploited by criminal individuals – individuals who wanted nothing more than to profit from welfare activities.

This work continues with full force. It is driven by all relevant ministers, not least by Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall.

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Angelica Lundberg (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Children's and young people's mental health is a growing societal problem. Several studies point to a connection between increased screen time, a sedentary lifestyle, and negative effects on mental health.

According to a new report from the Agency for Youth and Civil Society Affairs, the standard of living for children and young people has deteriorated, and the proportion of young people with obesity has increased. Research also shows that social media can contribute to stress, anxiety, and a diminished self-esteem, especially for girls in their teens. We have received a generation of depression when we should have had a generation of pep.

Does the Minister for Social Affairs share the view on social media's impact on the mental health of children and young people? How does the Minister for Social Affairs view an inquiry into age limits for social media in order to improve preventive public health work?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Angelica Lundberg, for an incredibly pressing question!

We have today a situation where children consume and are consumed by social media for hours every day. An average teenager spends six and a half hours outside of school time in front of a screen. To a very large extent, it concerns social media, and this applies not least to girls.

This displaces sleep, physical activity, and community – everything one needs to feel good. Furthermore, one is exposed to content that is often very extreme or that has become more extreme in a short time. It eats away at self-esteem. It causes more girls at an early age to find "flaws" in their bodies.

We are not in a position where we can rule out different measures to curb a development that has gone completely out of control and which the adult world has provided to the children. They have given them these things and said: You're welcome! Consume all the content! The companies have not been slow to take advantage of this.

We will take all means at our disposal to reverse this development.

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Fredrik Ahlstedt (M)

Mr. Speaker! An important strategy to accelerate Sweden's economy and make Swedes wealthier is to increase growth. The Government has a high ambition when it comes to increasing growth. Small and medium-sized enterprises have a great opportunity to contribute to increasing growth in Sweden and to the economy growing.

I would like to ask a question to the Minister for Finance. How will the government work to facilitate growth for small and medium-sized enterprises, and how will the government work to reduce the regulatory burden for Swedish companies and entrepreneurs?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for an important question. The Swedish companies are absolutely a hub in what makes Sweden richer every day, naturally together with all the employees who go to work and do what they are supposed to do with all their fantastic competence. Business is a priority issue for the Moderate-led government.

Today we made a decision on a Government-Organic referral regarding changing the 3:12 rules, that is, the rules for small companies. It is about reduced tax for 60,000 companies, but it is also – and this is important – about a simplification of the administrative burden by up to a third for all these companies, which amount to approximately half a million and have 1.5 million employees. It is an important step that we are now working on to facilitate for companies to grow.

We do many things, everything from increased growth support to lowered and improved experts' tax. We are also working on research deductions. The list can be long. But since I only have one second left of my speaking time, I will just say: Thanks for the question – we are working on it!

(Applause)

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Eva Lindh (S)

Mr. Speaker! We live in times of uncertainty, both economically and in terms of security policy. In such times, basic welfare becomes no less important, but rather crucial for our security. At the same time, we see that cost increases and the pandemic have challenged the municipal sector and, above all, the regions. Now we see that many municipalities are having a very difficult time. It affects schools and elderly care. Especially the smaller municipalities in rural areas are having a very tough time. Almost all regions are struggling to provide good healthcare.

My questions to the Minister for Finance are: Does the Minister for Finance see the challenges and the crisis that exist in healthcare in many parts of Sweden and the challenges that exist in the school system? What does the Minister for Finance intend to do to not worsen welfare but rather strengthen it?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Eva Lindh for a very important question.

Swedish welfare is of high quality and shall continue to be so. That is something we completely agree on. It is also why the government, during the recent years when there has been high inflation and it has been very tough, especially for Sweden's regions, has injected somewhere between 45 and 50 billion. Combating inflation and ensuring that welfare is supported in various ways during those years when it has been extra tough has been central.

I am very glad that the doomsday prophets who one and two years ago shouted quite loudly that there would be mass layoffs in the Swedish welfare system have been wrong. It has been tough, but we have held out.

What we see now, for example in schools, is largely about the fact that the cohorts of children are decreasing. It will become a challenge in many places. There are many municipalities that have to struggle; perhaps schools need to be closed. We will do our part to be there for municipalities and regions. We have done that, and we will continue to do so. As said, I am happy about the historical investments our four parties have contributed to keep employment up.

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Per Söderlund (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to direct my question to Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson.

After decades of defense cuts, it is becoming brutally clear that "eternal peace" is not eternal. Therefore, we are now carrying out the largest buildup of the defense in modern history.

It has, however, turned out that the upgrading is not entirely problem-free. A large part of the problems are due to old regulations, norms, and practices that were established during decades of peace and stability. The national security strategy was finalized in 2024 and was intended to be an important tool to simplify and speed up those parts of the administration that have not been adapted to the deteriorated security situation.

Many decisive issues concerning the upgrading land on the Ministry of Finance's desk. It is therefore important that the ministry reviews practices and regulatory frameworks that are from another time and increases flexibility to keep pace with global developments. Therefore, I want to ask if the Minister for Finance intends to work to remove obstacles to the total defense's growth by creating more flexible and modern regulatory frameworks, norms, and practices within the Ministry of Finance.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! I am not sure that Per Söderlund's question should be directed at me. It may be that this also concerns the Minister for Finance's area of responsibility regarding Fortifikationsverket and other matters.

Fundamentally, as the member knows, this entire government together with the Sverigedemokraterna is now very focused on doing what is required to strengthen the defense. It is about resources. On that point, all eight parties agree that more is needed. We are doing everything we can to shorten permit processes. Often, over the years, we have worked in silos within the state, between municipalities and the state, and so on. Some legislations are even almost in conflict with one another. We are working at full speed and at a high pace to enable the expansion physically and ensure that the resources needed for all of this are in place.

I want to thank not only the Sverigedemokraterna but all parties here in the Riksdag who stand up for that the Swedish defense should be strengthened and built and needs more resources.

(Applause)

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Arin Karapet (M)

Mr. Speaker! As you can perhaps see, like Minister for Development Aid Benjamin Dousa, I do not have a Swedish-sounding name or a Swedish appearance. The same can be observed regarding some of my colleagues in the chamber and some of the young people in the stands.

A problem we have in Sweden is the political bickering. What has dominated Swedish politics is how things should be; one does not want to talk about how things are. One talks about how people should have it, but not about how they actually have it.

Benjamin and I grew up in the western suburbs of Stockholm – I in Rinkeby and Hässelby, Benjamin in Kista and Akalla. Where we grew up, we had many classmates who did not have Swedish as their mother tongue. There are many who do not have it today either.

My question is: What measures is the government taking so that more children with a foreign background will learn the Swedish language and learn to read, write, and count, so that they become a part of the majority society that exists in this chamber?

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Utbildningsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I have a sickly Swedish-sounding name. My name is Johan Pehrson.

It is crucial that one learns the Swedish language. I do not want to call it political bickering, as the questioner did, but this is about us ensuring that we speak Swedish in Sweden. One must speak Swedish to be able to become a citizen. One must speak Swedish to be able to work and to be able to pass school.

That is why the government takes the issue of a reformed and strengthened SFI teaching with clearer opportunities and requirements with the utmost seriousness. We are working on strengthening the language preschool for young people who may not speak Swedish at home. Language is the key to the future, because it is the key to succeeding in school. There is no other path to freedom, future, and empowerment than a completed education, and that is based on access to the Swedish language. This government is obsessed with giving young people a future and empowerment.

(Applause)

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Mats Wiking (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Education Minister Johan Pehrson.

Today we see how academic freedom is rapidly being weakened in the USA, a country that is one of Sweden's most important research and innovation partners. Federal grants have been withdrawn from leading universities. Research data has been deleted. Scientific publications have been shut down.

Several EU countries are now making targeted investments to offer secure research environments for American researchers. A race is currently underway where Sweden risks falling behind. We Social Democrats have therefore proposed a three-year fund of 500 million kronor to attract leading researchers in strategic areas to Sweden. Together with the business sector, this can be turned into a billion-kronor fund that drives innovation, strengthens Swedish competitiveness, and creates new jobs.

Will the government act to increase Sweden's attractiveness for international researchers and ensure that Swedish higher education institutions receive long-term resources to be able to employ researchers from strategically important areas?

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Utbildningsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question!

It is particularly important given the research and innovation bill that the government delivered before Christmas and which was now adopted by the Riksdag yesterday.

We met reality running on the ground. As soon as we had landed, we found ourselves in the terribly serious situation that exists in the USA.

It is about researchers' career paths, and their opportunities to research what they consider important with high excellence are being closed. There are high requirements in the USA.

It is also about extremely vital research and research infrastructure that is for all of humanity to cope with pandemics and all other possible challenges that the earth faces.

We are now doing what we can to push forward the initiatives included in the research bill. We are doing everything to ensure that young researchers in their careers can come to Sweden. We want to attract more to Sweden to excellent environments.

We are now at this point. We have made a decision today from the government's side that the Swedish Research Council shall increase its pace in this. The more who come from the USA and conduct research in Sweden, the better, if it is of high quality.

(Applause)

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Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for Minister for Development Cooperation Dousa.

The initiative Handelslandet Sverige tillsammans för Ukraina is a very welcome step. By giving Ukrainian food producers better access to the Swedish market, we strengthen Ukraine's economy and simultaneously give Swedish consumers the opportunity to contribute.

Right now, after two years of war, every such initiative is a reinforcement and a lever that builds on everything we have already done. It is not just trade. It is a long-term stability built with wise means.

My question is: How does the Minister view the initiative's role in the long-term support for Ukraine? What additional opportunities does the government see in contributing to Ukraine's recovery and future self-sufficiency through trade and the business sector?

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Statsrådet Benjamin Dousa (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question!

Ukraine is the government's single most important foreign policy priority. Ukraine's security and territorial integrity are also a matter of Swedish and European security.

In order for Ukraine to be able to maintain its supply and defend itself against Russia's aggressive invasions, both in the long term but also in the short term, the economy also needs to function.

That is why it is very pleasing that Svensk Handel, together with Ica, Coop and Axfood, took this initiative with the government so that more Ukrainian goods and products can find their way to Swedish shelves and the Swedish people can also help to maintain the economy.

It is an important initiative. Another important initiative concerns the free trade agreement between Ukraine and the EU, which unfortunately expires this summer. Sweden and the government are at the forefront to ensure that the new agreement becomes as broad and in-depth as is possible.

We have also, for just over a year now, opened a special trade office in Kyiv in order to be able to help Swedish companies in Ukraine.

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Robert Olesen (S)

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

Today, the referral period for the investigation "More paths to working life" expires. In that, the investigator proposes a new form of vocational program with significantly lowered requirements for theoretical knowledge.

Both LO and Svenskt Näringsliv are critical of the proposal and argue that it undermines the national vocational programs that we have today. Furthermore, it is seen that it will become harder for these young people to get jobs, because we today have a professional life that requires not only practical experience and skills but also basic knowledge in Swedish, mathematics, and English.

The whole point of the investigation is to give more opportunities for young people to get jobs. But one prerequisite is that the students also take away the knowledge that is required in today's working life.

How does the Minister for Education view the fact that the investigation proposes a high school program that the labor market parties do not want?

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Utbildningsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Regarding this, I have to say that it is important that we listen to what the parties in the labor market have to say. That being said, the investigation was initiated by the fact that there are incredibly many Swedish youths who are excluded from the Swedish school system.

The entire idea of the Swedish knowledge school has been dismantled over a number of years. It is about the focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic. The basic skills for all learning have been neglected.

We have a large number of students who leave ninth grade without being able to read, write, and count. That is why the investigation has existed. It is about ensuring that young people do not go through a lot of different variants of individual programs but rather come in, be able to upgrade themselves, and receive a vocational education. It is also something that we need.

I agree with both the employers' and employees' organizations that we need to have more skilled professionals. We are looking closely at this. There will also be a reform in connection with a new grading system. We are obsessed with establishing the Swedish knowledge school so that more young people can reach academic education but also receive a qualified vocational education.

(Applause)

Question time was hereby concluded.

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