Question Time

FÖRSTE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. The questions today will be answered by Minister Jessica Rosencrantz, Minister Anna Tenje, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, and Minister for Culture Parisa Liljestrand.

Question Time

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/her performance of duties. The question shall therefore not concern, for example, conditions within political parties. Minister Jessica Rosencrantz answers both general political questions and questions within her own area of responsibility.

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Lawen Redar (S)

Mr. Speaker! The importance of culture for the will to defend and the resilience in a society is increasingly emphasized by researchers and defense analysts. The government's own proposition Totalförsvaret 2025 – 2030 underlines that culture, cultural heritage, and public service are necessary components for a united Swedish will to defend. Despite this, the government has made decisions on substantial cuts in public service.

The CEO of Sveriges Radio states that the proposal, which will soon reach the Riksdag, risks up to 300–400 positions. The CEO of SVT states that the proposal challenges public service's broad mandate. The Armed Forces has expressed that the proposal in its current form could be detrimental to Swedish preparedness, given the security policy situation.

My question to the Minister for Culture is therefore: Are the cuts in public service that are proposed compatible with the ambition to strengthen Swedish preparedness?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! The Government has submitted its bill on public service to the Riksdag, and it is now on the Riksdag's table to be dealt with. Regarding the member's question about cuts, I must begin by saying that it is, therefore, not a matter of any cuts.

The government's proposition will enable over 10 billion kronor per year for eight years, which in total over this broadcasting period of eight years will amount to over 80 billion kronor to the public service companies.

It is therefore more than they would have received if we had simply continued the increase that currently stands at 2 percent.

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Lawen Redar (S)

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

The increase therefore refers to 2 per mille at a time when costs are increasing regarding preparedness measures, security, TV and film production, and the purchase of rights. If one also wants to purchase a sports event to be broadcast to the entire Swedish population, it involves very large and extensive costs if one is to fulfill the broad mandate that actually all the parties in the Riksdag believe public service should have.

The proposals do not even cover the remaining development of wage costs, and Sveriges Radio says that up to 3.4 billion is missing.

My question is: Does the Minister mean that there will therefore be no cuts to public service over the next eight years?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! The member knows just as well as I do that it is not we politicians who are to decide what should be done with the activities within the framework of public service. Therefore, it is also impossible to answer the member's question.

What I can state is that the bill that is now before the Riksdag for a decision is a public service where we will provide an opportunity for public service to continue to operate in the long term.

There is no other media company in all of Europe that has its prerequisites secured for the next eight years. What Swedish public service will have: an increase of 80 billion kronor over eight years.

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Carita Boulwén (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Anna Tenje. Under the previous Social Democratic government, welfare became an ATM for criminals. Coordination numbers were distributed without control. Identity fraud became commonplace. Control was non-existent, and the authorities lacked tools for cross-referencing. At the same time, persons who had recently arrived in Sweden could obtain virtually full access to welfare – without requirements for work, without counter-performance, and without anchoring in society.

It was not only irresponsible. It opened the door for systematic exploitation of taxpayers' money. Criminal networks grew, while honest taxpayers and those in need were pushed aside.

Through the Tidö cooperation, the Sweden Democrats, together with the government, have pushed through important decisions and presented reforms such as qualification requirements for welfare benefits, a new payment authority, tightened controls, clawbacks, and agency cooperation.

My question is: How is it ensured that this does not stop at decisions but leads to real effect: that the cheating is stopped, the control is strengthened and the trust in the welfare system is reinforced?

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks for a very important question from the member.

Strangling the criminal economy and thereby breaking organized crime is a high-priority issue. So is prosecuting benefit crime in our society.

We have now built a broad and large toolbox to be able to take many different measures to be able to increase the controls, reclaim the money, freeze the money, as well as follow the money to track down and piece together the puzzle to combat grant-related crime and welfare crime.

It does not stop there, of course, but more things are in motion. But I can say that the things we are doing now – laws that are being changed and that we are putting on the table – from the perspective of the authorities and the municipalities are things that have been requested for a long time. I am completely convinced that the tools we are now providing will be used, and we are already seeing results in grants that are stopped and reclaimed.

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Carita Boulwén (SD)

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

This is good, and it is important that follow-up takes place. But for the reforms to make a difference in reality, it is also required that municipalities and authorities actually take action.

How does the government ensure that the requirements and controls are not only decided but also clearly implemented in practice in every municipality and in every operation?

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks, Carita Boulwén, for the follow-up question!

It is undeniably very important both to follow the money and to follow up on the decisions and that they really provide bang for the buck.

We can now observe that the Payment Authority, which we launched only a year ago, has already presented results. I believe it was last week. It has already stopped and been able to reclaim payments of 40 million.

We can also see that Försäkringskassan and Pensionsmyndigheten have stopped 2 billion and 2.5 billion respectively in incorrect payments and been able to prosecute benefit fraud.

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Håkan Svenneling (V)

Mr. Speaker! Yesterday, a seminar was held in the Swedish Riksdag in connection with a book launch about children's stories from Gaza. During the seminar, one was given the opportunity to take part in stories written by children directly on-site in Gaza.

We all see daily in the media and in our social media how children are dying in Gaza, how children's parents are dying in Gaza and how the situation is getting worse.

Children are dying both from Israeli bombs and from weapons attacking them, but they are also dying of starvation because aid and humanitarian assistance are not getting into Gaza. The rest of the world has not been powerful enough in its reaction. Therefore, Israel's far-right government has repeatedly been able to continue blocking food, medicine, and aid from entering Gaza. Israel has also broken the ceasefire and continued with the atrocities that we see.

Now we must act more powerfully to stop children from dying in Gaza. I wonder what the Foreign Minister is doing to ensure that this happens.

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Håkan Svenneling, for the question!

It is a completely appalling situation in Gaza. It is the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the war began in October 2023.

It hurts physically to see how children are starving. The government has doubled the humanitarian support to Gaza, but we are just as frustrated as Håkan Svenneling and many others that the support does not get in but stops at the gates. Therefore, we have also during the recent period put more pressure on the Israeli government, which absolutely does not do enough to ensure that the humanitarian aid gets in.

We have, among other things, moved forward to sanction individual ministers, and we have also stood behind the proposal that has come forward to evaluate the association agreement between the EU and Israel. The EU is, after all, the largest trading partner to Israel and thus also has the opportunity to exert pressure. We naturally also demand that the hostages be released.

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Håkan Svenneling (V)

Mr. Speaker! The small shift we have seen from the Foreign Minister's side in recent weeks is welcome and good. These are proposals that we from the opposition side have presented here in the Riksdag on several occasions. As recently as a year ago, we in a united opposition presented the proposal that the government has now stood behind, regarding that from the EU's side, the association agreement with Israel should be reviewed.

It would make a huge difference if we put economic pressure on Israel's government. I hope that this leads to you taking more proposals from us in the opposition and, above all, that you vote for the association agreement with Israel to be suspended now.

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is well known that there has previously been no majority in the council to do what Håkan Svenneling has proposed. Now we have agreed on a review, but there are still many countries that do not stand behind it. I would say that Sweden is now at the forefront in that we also want to push for sanctions against individual Israeli ministers.

We will have to see what the commission's analysis results in, but I hope that we will be given a number of opportunities to take a position. In that case, we will of course also return to the Riksdag.

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Kerstin Lundgren (C)

Mr. Speaker! Of Gaza's population of approximately 2.2 million, approximately 1.9 million are in flight. They are internally displaced persons and have moved not once but perhaps dozens of times. During the last three months, more than 640,000 people have been driven into new flight. Children and women are hit hardest.

For the last three months, Israel has blocked the delivery of food, medicine, and fuel to the severely affected Palestinians. Children are now starving to death – they are not only dying from bombs hitting hospitals, schools, and tent camps.

The UN and internationally recognized aid organizations have for three months been standing with long queues of aid according to humanitarian principles but are not granted access to Israel, as the minister just mentioned. But famine and food now appear to have become a weapon in the war.

I wonder if the Minister for Foreign Affairs considers this to be respecting human rights and if it accords with international principles to do so.

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Kerstin Lundgren, for the question!

Once again, I want to emphasize how horrific the situation in Gaza is and that we, together with many other large humanitarian donors, are enormously frustrated that Israel's government is not letting the aid in. We are trying to channel the aid in every way we can, and we have also increased the support to 800 million kronor per year.

I want to be very clear that one must not militarize or politicize humanitarian aid. I have also said that repeatedly. It violates international law. We will continue to push to ensure that our major humanitarian support also reaches Gaza.

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Kerstin Lundgren (C)

Mr. Speaker! The EU has now been able to agree to conduct a review of Article 2 in the Association Agreement. Article 2 concerns respect for human rights and international policies. The concern is that this could be a review that takes quite a long time, it has been said.

It is important that the Swedish government is clear in demanding that the agreement is now broken or paused pending the arrival of humanitarian aid.

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! I was very clear that we are now lying on our backs regarding getting humanitarian aid in. I also do not believe that we can wait for the analysis that is to be made by the commission. We must, in every way we can, push to alleviate hunger and suffering in Gaza.

But my assessment is that even though there has been a change in the Council's position recently, there is no support today to pause the agreement without having received the analysis that we have now requested from the Commission. But I hope that we receive it soon.

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Mats Berglund (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I and other members have previously asked questions to the Minister for Culture regarding our national minorities and our indigenous people. We have asked why reburials have been omitted and what happened in the cannon investigation.

During this mandate period, almost everything has gone wrong, the chairman of the delegation for Sverigefinländarna told SVT the other day.

What is current now is a decision at the government meeting last week to move the responsibility for minority issues from the County Administrative Board in Stockholm to MUCF. Representatives for the five national minorities already wrote a joint letter to the Minister for Culture a couple of weeks ago. They argued that they had lacked influence over the process. According to the Minority Act, they have that right: The national minorities shall be given the opportunity for influence in matters concerning them, and consultation shall take place. A meeting did indeed take place in March, but the representatives argue that the meeting was surrounded by so many errors that it can hardly be considered a consultation.

My question to the Minister for Culture is therefore: Why does it turn out like this time and again? And what is it that has gone wrong in the latest case?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Mats Berglund, for the question!

The move of minority policy from the County Administrative Board to MUCF is the result of a long investigation, in fact several investigations, which the previous government had commissioned. The previous S- and MP-led government commissioned the investigation to review where minority policy should be located. It was then established that the County Administrative Board has neither the competence nor the ability to work with these issues in an effective way. After that, a number of different proposals have been investigated regarding where the area of responsibility could lie. There have been different alternatives.

The minorities themselves have expressed a positive view toward the responsibility being moved from the County Administrative Board, but they have not expressed a positive view toward any of the alternatives that have been presented.

We have now reached a decision that the responsibility shall lie with MUCF. I look forward to continuing to work on this issue so that it will be good in the future.

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Mats Berglund (MP)

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

The proponents are writing about the meeting that took place in March. They mean that they did not receive any explanations and that answers were missing. There was, so to speak, no dialogue. They mean that the meeting minutes were presented in a way that became biased.

It became a meeting where we minority representatives were allowed to speak our minds, as they write. It was not a consultation. Therefore, they also abstained from a later meeting in May.

My question to the Minister for Culture is again: Has this really gone correctly, especially at the last meeting?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! The simple answer to that question is: Yes, it has gone well.

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Carl Nordblom (M)

Mr. Speaker! My question is directed to EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz.

The democratic and liberal development in Hungary is, to say the least, worrying. We see examples of how individual rights are being restricted, how freedom of the press is being threatened, and how the rule of law and the independence of the courts are diminishing. This is deeply problematic. It is not only problematic and worrying for Hungary as a country and for the Hungarian people, but also for the European Union, for the union's cohesion, and for our fundamental European values.

I therefore wonder how the government is now working to influence the alarming development in Hungary.

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Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Carl Nordblom, for a very important question!

The simple but very clear answer is that the government's patience has run out. In the EU, we have now over the course of seven years carried out eight inquiries where we have backed Hungary into a corner within the so-called Article 7 procedure. We have directed criticism at the negative developments regarding democracy and the rule of law, and as recently as last week, I was very clear about my expectations for Hungary. The development is, however, going in completely the wrong direction. The latest example is that they are banning pride parades.

The government is now acting on several fronts. Partly, we are intervening in the European Court of Justice against Hungary, among other things in the issue of just pride parades and the hbtqi case. Today, we received a notification from the Advocate General, who also follows Sweden's line. We are ready to use all available tools to defend our union's common values. The EU is, in fact, not just a geographical union, but it is a union that is built on the principles of the rule of law and human rights.

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Carl Nordblom (M)

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

I would also like to take the opportunity to ask if there are more countries within the EU or Europe that the Minister considers to have the same worrying development as Hungary and how the government, in that case, is working towards those countries or regions.

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Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

Hungary is naturally an example that stands out particularly, but it is clear that we also in several areas in other countries see a regression for hbtqi people's rights, for a free and independent civil society, or for a free judiciary. Here we have, among other things, an annual rule of law dialogue where the commission clearly reviews the status in all countries. There we also have hearings of each country; most recently last week we had such an example.

Sweden continues to be extremely clear against all potential deviations from these principles. It is not acceptable.

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Magnus Berntsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz.

Hate against elected officials constitutes a serious threat to democracy. When working as an elected official, one must be able to feel secure in the exercise of the mandate received from the people. Attacking a politician therefore harms our democracy and is completely unacceptable. Recently, Kristdemokraterna's Member of the European Parliament Alice Teodorescu Måwe experienced this when she was unprovoked attacked and harassed by a Vänsterpartiet official.

The European Parliament's investigation, conducted by the parliament's independent security department, is complete and establishes that Teodorescu Måwes' account is correct. In this regard, I would like to ask the following question: Does the government believe there is reason to question investigations carried out by the European Parliament's security department?

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Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)

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

This is a serious accusation. The Parliament's investigation was conducted by independent officials without party affiliations, and as I understand it, they have conducted interviews, reviewed surveillance footage, and subsequently drawn conclusions.

I do not think, I would say, that this kind of conflict or outbursts belong in politics at all. We need to show each other respect and debate our differences of opinion.

With that said: The President of the European Parliament leads the work of the institutions. I note that one of the tasks that falls under the President's responsibility is the security of the European Parliament's premises. I have personally met the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, on several occasions, and I note that she enjoys broad respect among the Members for her way of representing the institutions.

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Magnus Berntsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the answer. It is reassuring that the government has no reason to question one of the most important democratic institutions we have in Europe.

The investigation has, however, been questioned by the Left Party's party leader Nooshi Dadgostar, who has also questioned the neutrality of the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, that is, the EU's version of Andreas Norlén. My follow-up question is: According to the government, is there reason to distrust the neutrality of the President of the European Parliament?

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Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)

Mr. Speaker! No, the government naturally has no reason to question either the Speaker's or the European Parliament's officials' integrity and ability to carry out their assignments. The same applies to the independence and that the work is carried out in accordance with the European Parliament's rules of procedure.

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Elin Nilsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! My question also goes to EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz.

This is a question that I have raised many times before, but as the EU Minister has just pointed out, the development in Hungary is heading in the wrong direction and has been doing so for a very long time. No light at the end of the tunnel can be seen. Hungary blocked, among other things, Sweden's NATO membership and has on repeated occasions blocked support for Ukraine and Ukraine's accession to the EU. Pride parades are banned, and it is clear that Hungary does not live up to basic principles of the rule of law, democracy, and human rights. It is completely unacceptable.

That Sweden signed a declaration a few weeks ago together with like-minded countries is very welcome. My question to the Minister for EU Affairs, however, is whether we do not need to go further. Does the Minister intend to pursue the line that Hungary should be deprived of its voting rights in the Council? This is something that I and the Liberals have pushed for for a long time.

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Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thanks to Elin Nilsson for, once again, a very important question!

Sweden is acting against Hungary with all the tools we have in the toolbox. We are acting economically by ensuring that we do not pay out money to Hungary. Right now, 20 billion euros are frozen, and I actually think that even more should be frozen. Not a single euro should go to a country that does not respect the principles of the rule of law. This is something that Sweden is pushing for ahead of the upcoming budget.

We are also acting within the Article 7 procedure, where we are putting Hungary against the wall, and we are intervening in exactly five different court processes against Hungary. We exclude no tools, I want to say.

Right now, it is probably judged that there is no support to push the process as far as it can go, as Elin Nilsson describes, but on the other hand, I see that the next step would be to move from just holding hearings to doing something sharper. For example, it has been discussed to issue a recommendation, as it is called. It might sound square, but it would be to get a clear appeal to Hungary in black and white that it is now time to tighten up. It would become like a kind of ultimatum from the EU's side.

(Applause)

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Elin Nilsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks for the answer, Minister!

This is, as mentioned, something that I and the Liberals have pushed for a long time, and I am very pleased that the government is now pushing this issue so hard.

I was, however, a bit concerned when I heard that Ursula von der Leyen, that is, the President of the European Commission, spoke out a few days ago and urged her staff not to participate in Budapest Pride in order not to provoke the Hungarian government at home. It is something that runs counter to what the Swedish government is currently working for. I wonder if the EU Minister can say something about the view on that.

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Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question, Elin Nilsson!

I have noted that type of media reports, so to speak. For my part, I have full understanding if one wants to join the parade. I understand that one really wants to take a stand against the developments in Hungary.

My full focus here and now is to ensure that Hungary is forced to withdraw the legislation, and that is why we are involved in the court process against the so-called hbtqi law in Hungary where the Attorney General today, as mentioned, followed Sweden's and the Commission's line. But I have full understanding that people want to make a stand in all different ways, and moving forward I will put great effort into ensuring that the development is reversed.

(Applause)

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Markus Kauppinen (S)

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

Children in Gaza live in a hell on earth, without protection, without water and without healthcare. Many have lost their parents, and others are losing their lives. At the same time, the abuses in the West Bank continue. Israel's government acts without regard for the rights of the civilian population, despite warnings of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Sweden has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is not symbolism; it is law. We have committed ourselves to protecting every child's right to life, development, and safety. Other countries are taking action: the United Kingdom has frozen trade negotiations, Norway is blacklisting companies that contribute to the occupation, and the EU is reviewing the association agreement with Israel.

My question is: Will Sweden work to freeze this agreement if Israel continues to violate international law, and how will the Minister ensure that children's rights are at the center of the EU's continued actions? It is not just about geopolitics, it is about morality and our duty not to turn a blind eye when children's lives are being crushed.

(Applause)

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Markus Kauppinen, for the question!

It is a completely horrific situation in Gaza. Every evening on the news, we see how children are affected by hunger and violence in different ways. It is completely horrific.

That is also why Sweden is one of the world's largest humanitarian donors to Gaza. But like many other donors, we are extremely frustrated that the aid stops at the gate and that the trucks basically are not allowed to come in.

That is also why we have sharpened our tone towards the Israeli government. We have also stood behind the EU's review of the association agreement, where trade is included, and I look forward to receiving that investigation.

The questioner also mentioned the situation in Västbanken and the settlements. I view the situation as extremely serious, and that is partly why we are pushing to also sanction individual Israeli ministers.

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Michael Rubbestad (SD)

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

Something that the Sweden Democrats have long held in high regard is Sweden, Swedishness, and the preservation of the Swedish cultural heritage. We look to the value of Sweden, Swedish culture, Swedish norms, and traditions.

When we raised these questions to the previous S-led government, we were met with mockery and claims that there is nothing of value or that we have no cultural heritage. We all remember the statement from the Social Democrats' then party leader that Swedish culture does not exist and that we only have "Midsummer Eve and such 'lame' things."

It therefore inspires no confidence at all when the Social Democrats now turn their coat inside out and try to sound like the Sweden Democrats and say that they will work to bring the Swedish cultural and world heritage to life. But today, thank goodness, we have a different government that we hope takes these issues seriously. What is the Minister and the government doing to safeguard and strengthen the Swedish cultural heritage?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question! It is naturally one of our core issues to look at how we, with the help of culture, can ensure that we achieve stronger cohesion in our society.

I believe that culture should be free, that it should be allowed to challenge us and that it must also be allowed to grate. But I also believe that culture can exist to unite us, bring us together and function as small campfires all around. This, however, does not happen by itself, but it comes from our ability to value what exists in our cultural heritage – what we have in common and what has built Sweden strong today. But it also comes from making culture accessible to more people and ensuring that more people feel they can become a part of that community and participate in what is us.

This can be done in different ways. Cultural canon is one, investing in reading is another, and investing in children and young people is a third. Many small streams!

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Anna Lasses (C)

Mr. Speaker! The EU is now the world's largest aid donor. It is a great responsibility and an opportunity

The process for the long-term budget 2028–2034 is currently underway. We can hear ideas about removing the spending targets in aid, for example, targets regarding equality. It may involve reduced amounts and that everything should be put into a pot, which risks allocating the funds from the most vulnerable to such areas where it is easy to see results. Furthermore, a portion of the aid funds already goes to border controls today.

My question to the government and the minister is about how one views this type of orientation. What orientation does the government want to see regarding the EU's aid?

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Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Anna Lasses, for a question that I believe we will spend a lot of time on ahead as the EU is now to prepare its next multiannual budget! We are very early in that process, I want to say, and we expect a proposal during the summer.

I would like to mention some aspects that are important for Sweden. One is that we continue to take responsibility for the taxpayers' money, that is to say, in a world where we see that needs are mostly increasing, we must also be able to prioritize within the budget. We have, among other things, said that we must ensure that the EU's upcoming budget is able to support Ukraine in all ways that are required. We will need to see a greater focus on security issues. We need to address the question of competitiveness much more so that the EU stands up against the rest of the world. This also includes taking into account the upcoming expansion that we believe will take place, that is to say, that the EU will hopefully be able to welcome new member countries.

These are some of our priorities as we move forward now, but exactly how every krona or euro should be directed, we have reason to return to. I believe that the EU has every opportunity to take a leadership in the world in many ways.

(Applause)

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Malte Tängmark Roos (MP)

Mr. Speaker! The Swedish sickness insurance is intended to ensure that a person who cannot work due to illness shall have the right to compensation to cover their livelihood and hopefully return to health and employment.

Unfortunately, it is obvious that the sickness insurance is broken, and many sick people are instead forced to live entirely or partially on social assistance from the municipalities. According to the National Board of Health and Welfare, in 2022, 14 percent of all those who received social assistance in Sweden were on sick leave with a medical certificate without receiving sickness benefits. An additional 3 percent received such a low sickness or activity allowance that they needed social assistance to achieve a reasonable standard of living. In over 25 municipalities, the proportion of those on sick leave among those with financial assistance amounts to over a quarter. In some municipalities, it is as many as 40 percent.

My question to the Minister for Social Insurance is therefore: What concrete measures does the government plan to take to ensure that people who are too ill to work are not forced to apply for social assistance?

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks to the member for a good question!

The person who is ill should be able to feel secure knowing that one has a sickness insurance that is there for them when they cannot work. Then, different circumstances cause one to end up in different insurance systems and also in different benefit systems. Something that I myself have experienced many times is that when one looks at the social assistance in the municipality, one discovers quite soon that people have ended up in the wrong place, and where there is active work with people within the social assistance, one also directs the right help and the right support to the individuals. There, one also often receives better help and support to return to work.

We have now laid down a whole battery for return to work for those who are currently on sick leave so that they can slowly be able to work and approach the labor market again. This applies not least to employers who shall take an active responsibility to make adjustments and have a plan for return to work. But there is significantly more to do, not least within the municipal sector.

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Ulrika Heindorff (M)

Mr. Speaker! The Government's decision to quintuple the resources and to expand and extend the Socialstyrelsen's mandate to strengthen the healthcare system's work with sick leave and rehabilitation is both long-awaited and welcome. It is particularly important that more people gain access to individualized interventions.

The work against mental ill-health engages me deeply, and I know that the Minister is also very engaged in these issues. The fivefold increase in resources to Socialstyrelsen is an important decision, but more needs to be done.

In view of this, I would like to ask Minister for Pensions and Social Insurance Anna Tenje what further measures are being taken against the increasing mental ill-health, which causes both human suffering and sick leave.

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks, Ulrika Heindorff, for a very important question, which becomes an extension of the previous question!

From the government's side, we want to create as many paths as possible back to work for those who have ended up on sick leave. We refuse to hide and forget people in the statistics. For every individual, we want to ensure that the thresholds are as low as possible to return.

For this, we have appointed a number of different things, and most recently we moved forward with the proposal that one should be able to undergo work trials. One should be able to return to the workplace and test working, actually completely without requirements and without the employer needing to cover the costs. The state continues to cover those costs.

We have also put increased pressure on employers to have a plan for the employee's return to work. Both Försäkringskassan and Arbetsmiljöverket have been tasked with monitoring and ensuring that this is done, all in order to provide the right support and opportunities but also to increase the requirements both on the employer and on the individual to return to work.

(Applause)

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Christian Carlsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The elderly should be treated with respect, but several elderly women in Umeå have instead been subjected to sexual abuse and even aggravated rape in their encounters with home care services. It turned out that the man who committed the abuses had been allowed to continue working alone in the elderly's homes despite a previous alarm from a woman about how she had been harassed. Similar abuses have been reported from Uppsala, where 84-year-old Vera and several other women have testified to how they were subjected to sexual abuse.

The Christian Democrats have proposed a national register of suspects and those barred from healthcare and elderly care in order to better increase safety and protect the elderly. My question to the Minister for Health and Social Affairs is: What is the government doing so that we can better protect the elderly and increase their safety?

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks for the important question that Christian Carlsson raises! This has affected me very strongly. The terrible abuses committed against the elderly, which are also becoming more and more frequent, provoke me deeply. What also provokes me quite a lot is the flatness that some municipalities have shown. It makes me very concerned.

From the government's side, we are now providing clear legal support for the municipalities to extract information from the burden registers. We are also looking at the possibility of introducing a suspicion register. But this does not help if one does not report to the police. If one suspects something or receives signals about something, one must investigate and proceed with a police report. But that is not enough either. One must also take references and conduct background checks and interviews, so that those who are most vulnerable in our society and who are in need of help and support can feel safe in their own homes.

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Annika Strandhäll (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is directed to Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.

The day before yesterday, I met the Palestinian ambassador here in Sweden. She was very clear that the single most important thing the Swedish government can do right now is to resume support for UNRWA. It is that UN organization that sustains the humanitarian infrastructure for over 2 million people in Gaza – people who at this moment are living under siege, starvation, and a constant threat of deadly violence.

Despite this, Sweden's government has chosen to freeze the support. The UN Secretary-General as well as the EU's foreign chief have clearly pleaded for the support to continue, because the alternative is that even more children die of hunger or disease. My question is therefore: How does the government justify that it still withholds the Swedish support to UNRWA, despite the acute humanitarian situation and that many other donor countries have resumed their support?

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Annika Strandhäll, for the question!

We are not actually withholding any support. We did that during a period when UNRWA was being investigated for quite serious allegations, and subsequently, nine people also ended up having to leave the organization due to suspected collusion with Hamas.

Before this year, we chose to double the support compared to what we previously gave to UNRWA, but channeled it to other bodies, several of which are UN bodies. We are talking about, among others, Unicef and World Food Programme, which also operate in Gaza. Now I see that Annika Strandhäll is shaking her head, but it is indeed true. I suggest that she contacts these organizations. Then she can get more information about this.

The most important thing for us is that every krona of the taxpayers' money gets the greatest possible chance to reach the starving children. Therefore, we have chosen to channel the support to other organizations that the Knesset has not prohibited. We have clearly criticized the Knesset's ban on UNRWA to operate. But we want to focus on the children.

(Applause)

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Sara-Lena Bjälkö (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz.

Sweden now has the lowest asylum-related immigration, that is to say of persons who are granted protection and their relatives, since the statistics began to be reported in 1985. This makes Sweden clearly stand out in a European perspective.

Since the government took office together with us Sweden Democrats, the number of asylum seekers has decreased by 42 percent in Sweden, while it has increased by 4 percent in the EU. As a Schengen member, it is crucial that migration policy is coordinated at the European level.

It could be interesting to hear what the government and the EU Minister are doing to ensure that the EU pursues a migration policy as effective as we do in Sweden. Does the EU Minister see that the Commission's proposal to revise the concept of a safe third country can contribute to strengthening Sweden's migration policy?

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Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)

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

During the Swedish EU Presidency, Sweden played an important role in getting the Migration and Asylum Pact in place. The Pact will result in strengthened control of the EU's external border, faster asylum processes, and reduced pressure of applications towards Sweden and the EU. Now it is important that all of this is fully implemented in the member states, but in parallel we must also develop more tools to reduce irregular migration to the EU and streamline returns. In that regard, Sweden continues to be very active.

I have just returned from Italy, where I discussed these issues with our colleagues, including the concept of a safe third country. We see that the revision can reduce the incentives to travel through several safe countries on the way towards the EU and thereby reduce both human smuggling and the pressure towards the EU. The Government will analyze the proposal and, in the usual order, return to the Riksdag for deliberation.

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Annika Hirvonen (MP)

Mr. Speaker! The situation in Gaza is, and has for a long time been, acute. People are dying, and over a million are at risk of starvation. The Red Cross describes the situation in Gaza as worse than hell on earth. Despite this, the government has not acted with the clarity and decisiveness that the situation demands.

Sweden continues the arms trade with Israel despite awareness of the Israeli state's serious crimes. It is good that the government is finally sharpening its tone. But it is not enough. It is required that the trade with weapons and similar products is stopped immediately, that the EU suspends the association agreement, and that support to UNRWA is resumed.

Sweden has a duty to prevent genocide. This requires that we start talking about the fact that it is precisely genocide that is at issue. How many more children will have to starve to death in the rubble of Gaza before the government does everything it can?

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is true that according to the Genocide Convention, countries have an obligation to prevent genocide. Binding provisional measures have been issued by the International Court of Justice, which Sweden also repeatedly urges Israel to follow. It is primarily about humanitarian access.

I have several times during this question period accounted for what the government is doing. We have, therefore, doubled the support to Gaza and the region. But it is extremely frustrating that the aid is not getting in. Therefore, we have sharpened our tone. We have called the ambassador. We have decided to also push in the EU to put individual ministers on the sanctions list, which means that we are at the forefront in the EU.

I understand that the opposition has an interest in conveying a different picture in order to score domestic political points. I think it is deeply unfortunate when we need a voice from Sweden as strong as possible to truly be able to make a difference in the world.

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Stefan Olsson (M)

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

When I heard that the USA would withdraw all funding to Radio Free Europe, I thought that it could not be good. All of Europe is not free at all.

Radio Free Europe was established during the Cold War as a way to both counter Soviet propaganda and spread knowledge about the democratic West in Eastern Europe. It does not feel like the need for this has diminished. Now it is not Soviet propaganda but Russian, and large parts of Europe are, as is well known, not free at all.

Therefore, I thought that the Minister for EU Affairs could account for what Sweden has done in this area. If I understand the matter correctly, Sweden is stepping up as a co-financer of Radio Free Europe.

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Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is very true that we see great changes in the American support in various ways, and we will not be able to fill all the gaps. We must be very precise and see what we can do.

Radio Free Europe, or Radio Liberty, truly has a central role to play in operating in countries that are not democratic, where we need free and independent media. Therefore, Sweden has made a decision to allocate 20 million kronor to Radio Free Europe during 2025. This is a continuation, I would say, of a proud history that we have. Sweden has for several years been the third largest donor in the world to free and independent media.

I think that what Sweden is doing now is extremely important. We can also be an example for other countries. We hope that more can redirect more funds so that Radio Free Europe can continue to operate and reach, for example, the population in Belarus. I have great hopes that more countries will choose to join this.

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Arber Gashi (S)

Mr. Speaker! We are heading towards the summer holidays in Sweden. However, more and more children do not long for the summer holidays in the same way today. We have an unemployment that has become entrenched. Many children will not be able to answer questions about where they have been on holiday when they return to school after the summer holidays, because such conditions do not exist.

Things and matters are unfortunately not heading in the right direction either. Yesterday, we read about Sveriges Stadsmission's homelessness report. It states that there are 10,000 homeless children in Sweden. The report identifies the housing allowance as a key factor. One might imagine that this government would choose to make the temporary increase permanent, but they actually do the opposite and choose to remove it. They are therefore lowering the housing allowance at a time when more and more children are becoming homeless.

I have a very simple question for the Minister for Social Insurance: How many more will become homeless with the policy that is now being pursued?

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! Many thanks for the question, Arber Gashi!

We have intensified the work against homelessness and against evictions of families with children. I have also given several assignments to the responsible authorities to follow up on this issue carefully, not least across the country's municipalities, where it looks very different. The Social Democratic-led Malmö stands out as the municipality with the most evictions of families with children. This is regrettable.

I can only state that the high inflation that we have now seen has affected Swedish households very strongly. The ongoing trade war also means that the economic uncertainty is very great.

The Swedish government takes this very seriously. It is very important that we support and secure the finances of Swedish households. Therefore, we are following this issue very closely and will return in the budget for 2026 with measures to further support Swedish households.

(Applause)

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Rasmus Giertz (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Recently, the government's tone in issues concerning the conflict between Israel and Hamas has changed with increasingly more markings against Israel. At the same time, Israel is in a war against a terrorist organization that on October 7, 2023, committed horrific atrocities and still holds Israeli civilians as hostages. This has today almost completely disappeared from the media attention.

The war in Gaza is morally and operationally extremely difficult. Hamas uses civilians as human shields, operates from schools and hospitals, and hinders all aid activities. At the same time, the UN and human rights organizations report great human suffering and civilian losses. In this information environment, there is a risk that the global narrative is unilaterally turned against Israel when Hamas wins ground in the information war.

My question to the Minister for Foreign Affairs is therefore: How is the government working, in its foreign policy communication, to defend international law and criticize excessive violence without thereby undermining Israel's right to self-defense or contributing to Hamas strengthening its position in the global narrative?

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Rasmus Giertz for a very important question.

I think the cause of this war is increasingly disappearing from the discussion, and it is a very polarized debate that we are seeing. It was Hamas that started the war through a completely despicable attack on October 7, 2023. I have personally been on site at the kibbutz Nir Oz and met survivors who carry stories of things that no one should ever have to experience. I have also been at the Nova Festival memorial site and will never forget what I heard there.

Unfortunately, too many people forget it in today's debate, and it naturally plays into Hamas's hands when we get an increasingly polarized, hateful, and antisemitic debate. This is something that I truly oppose.

I naturally emphasize in all instances that we demand humanitarian access and reduced suffering for the civilian population, but also that the hostages must be released. Hamas has no future in Gaza.

(Applause)

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Magdalena Thuresson (M)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.

Later in June, NATO's summit will take place in The Hague. What assessment does the government make of how NATO will be strengthened after the summit, and what priorities are particularly important from the Swedish side ahead of the summit?

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Magdalena Thuresson, for the question about the Natoto Summit!

We look forward to this meeting. It is important that we can show transatlantic unity at the meeting and that European countries can demonstrate a commitment to strengthening European security. This implies high demands on the countries that are allied on the European side. This is, however, a consequence of the fact that for far too long we have actually not taken full responsibility for security in Europe.

We can see that it is heading towards 3.5 percent of GDP as expected defense expenditures by 2032. Sweden has already accounted for being able to finance this. Parliamentary talks are also ongoing for broad anchoring, and I think that is good. In addition, a further goal of 1.5 percent is being discussed. It is important that all countries can reach this. It is ambitious, but it is also extremely important for our future security.

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Johan Andersson (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Jessica Rosencrantz, also Minister for Nordic Affairs.

In our neighboring country Norway, discussions about introducing a tourist tax, or a visitor contribution, have been heated for a long time. Decisions are expected to be made during this week. It will be a support that goes to the municipalities that have very high pressure regarding the tourism industry.

Even in Sweden, we have many municipalities that face a similar pressure. At regular intervals, questions and discussions are raised regarding the financing linked to it.

My question to the Minister is: How does the government view the possibility of somehow equating and aligning this in these parts? We want a Nordic region that is as integrated as possible.

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Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Johan Andersson, for the question!

I have taken note of what is happening in Norway. It is clear that I cannot comment on or have an opinion on exactly how Norway chooses to design its tax legislation, but from a Nordic perspective, and as the Nordic Minister, my goal is that we should have increased mobility across the borders – that we should have more Swedes visiting Norway and vice versa. We should rather tear down border barriers than build up new ones. That is my focus in all the conversations I have within the Nordic Council and in my contacts with my Norwegian colleagues or, for that matter, with Danish or other colleagues within the Nordics.

This is my focus, and I will also work for it moving forward. As I said, I want us to have more mobility, not less.

(Applause)

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Martin Westmont (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question also goes to EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz, and it concerns the fact that the EU is currently working on developing what is called a democratic shield, which the Minister surely is aware of. The purpose of the shield is, according to information, to counter foreign election interference and disinformation in the member states.

The Sweden Democrats, and certainly many others, see great risks with this EU project, for who shall decide if something is improper election influence or disinformation? One of our greatest fears is that free opinion formation and open debate could be silenced by supranational instruments.

How does the EU Minister view the democratic shield, and how will the Minister work to safeguard democracy and freedom of speech in Sweden?

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Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Martin Westmont for the question.

The work of protecting our democracy and upholding our values is extremely important. But just as the member says, it is always a balancing act how this should be done in the best way because our fundamental values include precisely freedom of speech and the right to make oneself heard.

The Government expects a proposal in the coming months that will more concretely show what the commission exactly intends.

In a time of war on our continent, I nevertheless want to emphasize that Russia not only has a military capability but also carries out significant disinformation and influence operations in both the EU and the countries that want to join the EU. I recently visited Moldova, which is subjected to extensive influence attempts from Russia.

In all of this, it is important to see that the ambition is to ensure that this type of disinformation campaigns or influence attempts do not occur. But when we receive the proposal, we shall, of course, work to ensure that it becomes a product that is as good and balanced as possible.

(Applause)

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Peter Ollén (M)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Culture Parisa Liljestrand.

The government took office in a reality where every sixth child left school after nine years without being able to count, write, and read sufficiently. Therefore, the Swedish language, reading practice, and the ability to write by hand were prioritized. Now, three years have passed, and there are signals that it is starting to head in the right direction.

How does the minister view the continued work?

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Kulturministern Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Peter Ollén for the important question.

It is probably no one in this room who questions the importance of children learning to read and write so that they can develop and reach their full potential.

Therefore, it is naturally a priority for the government to work with these issues. It is, for example, about implementing measures early to give children knowledge and to give them access to literature. Now, schools are moving from screens to folders and to working with children's reading development early on. It is also a matter of following children's knowledge development over time and not being satisfied with testing it only on some single occasion.

Here, the government is making major investments by providing the school with funds for the purchase of literature and other things the children need.

We look forward to following the results over time.

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Per-Arne Håkansson (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz and concerns the work to strengthen democracy in the EU.

Against the background of the increased threat to the EU's internal security, the Commission recently presented its new strategy for internal security. The strategy shall, together with the upcoming democratic shield, constitute a framework for a democratically secure and resilient EU.

We have known for some time that there is much to be done regarding the democratic status in several member countries, not least against the background of last year's rule of law report. Deficiencies exist in both media freedom and media pluralism.

With increased hybrid threats, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, we Social Democrats believe that the Commission's focus on security and democracy is very welcome.

We need to be at the forefront, so my question to the Minister for EU Affairs is: What initiatives does she envision that Sweden can contribute with in the work that is ongoing to strengthen internal democratic security?

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Statsrådet Jessica Rosencrantz (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for an important question.

I believe we must act on a broad front, which the member's question indicates.

As I previously said, Russia poses a threat to Europe and our values in several ways, not only through the military. Here, the democratic shield has an important role to play so that we can withstand foreign disinformation campaigns and the like.

It is also a matter of seeing the connection to internal organized crime, which in the worst case can act on behalf of other states. I welcome that the commission, after strong advocacy from Sweden, has now taken this on board. We are also working ahead of the upcoming European Council to ensure that internal security is given increased importance.

It is also about strengthening the principles of the rule of law and ensuring an independent judiciary, free and independent media, and so on in all EU member states, and I will continue to press on where we see threats to this.

(Applause)

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Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)

Mr. Speaker! More and more pensioners are getting married. According to SCB, the number of pensioners who get married has increased by 360 percent over the last 25 years. At the same time, we have a pension system where parts of the pension can decrease if one gets married after retirement. This concerns the guarantee pension and the housing supplement. A report from Länsförsäkringar shows that a person with a pension of 20,500 kronor per month who chooses to get married can lose almost 10,000 kronor before tax per year. The reason for this is that today's pension system assumes that expenses decrease with a shared economy, which is not always the case.

My question to the Minister for Pensions and Social Insurance is the following: Does the Minister intend to work towards abolishing this punishment of pensioners who choose to marry?

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

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

Let me begin by stating that it is very pleasing that so many pensioners are in love and choose to take action and get married.

The income-based pension, that is, the pension one earns during one's working life, is not affected by this but is paid out regardless of where one lives and what assets one has.

For the tax-financed pension benefits, other rules apply. They constitute a basic protection for those with the lowest income and are largely means-tested. When it comes to housing supplements and elderly support, cohabitants are equated completely with spouses, and the guarantee pension is means-tested to a lesser extent.

The Pensions Group has just initiated a review of the basic protection. In the ongoing investigation, there is an opportunity to review the issue the member raises, so I will take that with me.

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Johan Hultberg (M)

Mr. Speaker! According to the Social Services Act, a municipality is not only obliged to provide home care services to its own residents but also to persons staying temporarily in the municipality. For the vast majority of municipalities, this is not a problem at all. But for some municipalities, such as Borgholm, Sotenäs and my home municipality Tanum, with very many summer guests and vacation home owners, this poses a significant challenge and very high extra costs.

This is an issue that I have raised for many years. I am glad that we have a senior minister who sees the challenges, and in order to obtain a better picture, the minister tasked Socialstyrelsen last year with mapping out the scope and application of the rules for temporary home care. The mapping was completed a couple of weeks ago.

I naturally wonder what the next step is, not least to ensure that municipalities that provide home care to temporary summer guests and others receive cost coverage for their interventions.

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Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Johan Hultberg for an important question, which does not involve many but which is quite important. The possibility of staying in another municipality during the summer is an important issue of freedom for the elderly. It is a right that we truly safeguard, and we want it to remain a reality in the future as well. At the same time, there is an increased pressure on the municipalities, especially those municipalities that are attractive, for example Tanum Municipality, which receives many summer guests who are in need of help and support.

The mapping we have received from Socialstyrelsen constitutes an important knowledge base. It is noted that if there had been similar templates to fill out, if there had been a time aspect and preparation time from the municipalities' side, and more generous compensations, the possibilities would have been significantly greater.

That is why I have invited the presidium of SKR, Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner, to a meeting on Monday to discuss these issues and the material I have received. I have great hopes that we will succeed, make it a little easier for the municipalities that do a great job and, above all, secure freedom for the elderly.

Question time was hereby concluded.

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