Question Time

FÖRSTE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions today will be answered by Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch, Minister for Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, and Minister for Employment Johan Britz.

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 for Energy and Business Ebba Busch answers both general political questions as well as questions within her own area of responsibility.

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

Fredrik Lundh Sammeli (S)

Mr. Speaker! At a press conference today, the Minister claimed that the queues for eating disorder care in Stockholm have grown. But the figures show the exact opposite; more patients than ever are receiving care in a timely manner.

Given that we have seen the longest healthcare queues in Swedish healthcare under this government and today's far too weak announcement linked to the budget, I can understand that the Minister feels a need to shuffle the cards. But to straight up provide incorrect information during a press conference, which was furthermore intended to be about the government's budget, is unworthy.

My question is: Why is the Minister for Social Services standing at an official press conference and lying about the care?

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

Socialtjänstministern Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is a fact that many of our children and young people are in queues for, among other things, the incredibly important eating disorder care. And we see that there are regions that, for ideological reasons, are closing down well-functioning eating disorder clinics. In this specific case, it concerns a reduction of 20 places within eating disorder care. This means that there are children and young people who do not receive the comprehensive care they need when it comes to eating disorders.

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

Fredrik Lundh Sammeli (S)

Mr. Speaker! This is about the confidence in the government and in the Minister. When the Minister claims things that are not true, it risks undermining the trust in both politics and healthcare.

My follow-up question is: Will the Minister correct his statement that the queues have grown or continue to spread a falsehood about the eating disorder care in Stockholm?

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

Socialtjänstministern Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is about children and young people who themselves tell how they have been fed up to a certain BMI and then been discharged before extensive care has been provided. As the member well knows, mental illness involves many things where one needs to receive extensive care.

This care is now at risk of disappearing, and these children risk only receiving short-term care that does not provide a solution to the profound problems.

(Applause)

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

Ann-Christine Frohm (SD)

Mr. Speaker! It should be widely known that the Sweden Democrats are very critical of make-believe jobs, intended to hide the statistics, and other ineffective labor market measures. One example is the extra services, which cost billions and were abused on a large scale by social democratically governed municipalities. We are glad that they are now finally removed.

Another failed measure is the parties' flagship: establishment jobs. They were intended to remedy long-term unemployment. But during the past year, only 32 decisions regarding establishment jobs were made, despite enormously high appropriations and costs, the levels of which the Sweden Democrats have otherwise also been opposed to.

Mr. Speaker! What does the Minister for Employment believe lies behind this fiasco?

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

Arbetsmarknadsministern Johan Britz (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you very much for the question.

The situation on the Swedish labor market is very problematic for many of those who today do not have a job or an occupation. Their knowledge, language skills, and ability to live up to the employers' expectations and requirements are far too low. This has resulted in us having a number of different models for subsidized employment or different types of support for employment.

The establishment jobs have the advantage of being developed by the parties. This creates a good basis for finding jobs that are not what the member calls "made-up jobs" but actually those that the employers demand.

The number of establishment jobs is too low. So far, the system has not delivered according to the expectations the government has. We have an ongoing dialogue with the parties on how this can be developed. But it must be the parties who do this.

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

Ann-Christine Frohm (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Unemployment is largely an imported problem that Sweden is now facing.

I thank the Minister for the answer but still wonder whether the government, in cooperation with the parties, will take measures to make the establishment jobs more efficient.

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

Arbetsmarknadsministern Johan Britz (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you once again, Ann-Christine Frohm!

In the budget for 2026, we will provide additional resources so that the system can be extended. At the same time, we will also have a dialogue with the parties. But it is the parties who own the establishment jobs, and it is important that it is the parties who take responsibility for developing the establishment jobs.

I have good hope that the establishment job model can work. But it needs more time, and it needs more commitment from the parties.

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

Håkan Svenneling (V)

Mr. Speaker! In his song On the other side of the sea, the artist Albin Lee Meldau sings:

I find no words, I really don't. It is called genocide.

Some who are trying to cross the sea and deliver emergency aid to Gaza are the flotilla of boats that is currently traveling across the Mediterranean. Israel has had a blockade of Gaza for 20 years. But over the last nearly two years, it has developed into a genocide as total famine prevails for 2 million people in Gaza.

Israel has previously attacked and assaulted flotillas in international waters that have attempted to reach Gaza. This time as well, boats have been subjected to drone attacks.

This week, an independent UN report concluded that Israel meets four of the five criteria to be considered committing genocide and that the international community must do more to stop the genocide.

I wonder what the government is doing to protect people who are trying to help stop the famine in Gaza and what the government is doing to stop the genocide.

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! There is no doubt whatsoever that the situation in Gaza is absolutely appalling. That is also why the government is one of the world's largest donors of humanitarian aid to Gaza. That is also why we have demanded that more pressure be put on both Hamas, which bears an enormous responsibility for the serious situation, and on Israel's government, which must follow international humanitarian law.

I am glad that we have pushed the EU forward and that the Commission has now presented a proposal that the countries will need to take a position on. We think it is important to proceed with proposals to sanction individual Israeli ministers but also to pause the trade part of the association agreement.

We note this regarding the sailing to Gaza and are following it very closely. We always try to assist Swedish citizens when they have need of it. But I also want to remind that we have had a travel advisory for Gaza for over ten years.

(Applause)

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

Håkan Svenneling (V)

Mr. Speaker! It is good that the government changed its mind regarding the EU's trade agreement during the summer. Now the minister needs to convince more countries that economic pressure on Israel is the right way to go. I welcome that the minister was in Berlin the day before yesterday, and I bet that Gaza was discussed there. But Sweden should also, like countries such as Spain, Ireland, and Norway, review its bilateral relations with Israel's far-right government. Why is Sweden not taking such bilateral measures as stopping the arms trade with Israel or boycotting settlement products?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! We have from the Swedish side chosen to place trade policy in the hands of the EU. That has been the case for a long time, and it is included, so to speak, in the concept. Even sanctions regimes lie at the EU level, and we have no national possibility to sanction-list, for example, individual ministers. It is actually good, because we are convinced that it yields a greater effect if we act together with others. Therefore, it is also important that we now work in the EU to put more pressure on both Hamas and the Israeli government.

(Applause)

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

Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to ask a question to the Minister for Energy.

We can observe that the attempts to reach a broad agreement on the energy area have failed today. It is a great failure. It is bad for the citizens, for the companies, and for all of Sweden.

I appreciate that the Minister has been very clear that she is irritated that there are parties that put election strategies before Sweden's best interests. But the Center Party wants to be and is a constructive party in the energy area. We would, of course, like the talks to be resumed. Therefore, I want to ask: Does the Minister for Energy see any conditions for being able to resume the talks in the near future or at least during this parliamentary term?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank the Centre Party for their contribution to these talks. I can state that different parties have been at different levels of maturity in reaching agreements during different parts of the process. Today, I have publicly thanked the Social Democrats' Fredrik Olovsson and Magdalena Andersson for their leadership in connection with these talks. They had more difficulty reaching agreements during the spring, before their congress. Two parties have changed party leaders – what is the mandate moving forward then? I would say that during this period it has been possible to reach a goal with all parties more or less, but not at the same time.

There is now a very broad consensus on the main pillars of Swedish energy policy. I believe there will be several occasions, even this autumn, to manifest it in action through votes here in the chamber, initiatives from the Riksdag and other things. Then I am happy to talk about it.

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

Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)

Mr. Speaker! That sounds very positive. We need to move forward, not least for the sake of Skåne. We do not necessarily have to wait with everything. One could, for example, consider whether the issue of Kriegers flak can be moved forward even without these talks. Both Germany and Denmark are capable of building there. There is a support that the municipalities have been promised, but nothing has been paid out. We heard in the Prime Minister's government statement that compensation would be given to neighbors, but we see nothing on the bill list. We are a bit curious whether things can also be done there before this potentially comes into place.

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! To follow through on the line of delivering more base power in the longer term but also enabling more accessible consumption and more accessible electricity even in the short term where and when it is needed is a top priority. The question of the incentives for land-based wind power is one that is currently on the government's table and where we are maintaining a high pace. If there is a need for dialogue there, we are happy to have such. Otherwise, one can expect further notification soon on the specific question.

(Applause)

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

Jan Riise (MP)

Mr. Speaker! My question also goes to the Minister for Energy and Industry.

A few weeks ago, the plans for new reactors at Ringhals in Varberg Municipality were presented. There is much to say about that, but I would like to focus on a particular aspect, namely the security policy situation.

In Ukraine, we have seen that the nuclear power plants in Zaporizhzhia and Chernobyl were among the first that Russia took control over. Having control over nuclear power specifically has dual purposes, partly to be able to control the energy supply, and partly to be able to threaten with the facilities and destroy them with great damage as a consequence.

Analysts and researchers agree on the vulnerability of nuclear power plants. It concerns the infrastructure surrounding them. Furthermore, they are highly visible and easy to target. Ringhals is located in the northern Kattegat at the shipping lane towards the important ports in Varberg and Halmstad and, by extension, the Öresund and the Baltic Sea.

My question to the Minister for Energy and Business is why such an important security issue has not been discussed.

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Jan Riise for the question. But I must still ask where Jan Riise has been. The security aspects of energy policy have truly been one of the fundamental pillars in the energy talks, both the energy talks we had in 2023 before the energy policy direction bill and those we had in the latest round. It is about the preparedness perspective and the security of supply, but also the specific security aspect that Jan Riise highlights here.

I have emphasized several times that we have much to learn from Ukraine. Were it not for the Ukrainian nuclear power, I am convinced that Ukraine would already have been a fallen state and that Russia would have already taken all of Ukraine. It is thanks to the robust energy system, the perseverance, the expertise, and the sheer strength that Ukraine still stands today.

(Applause)

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

Jan Riise (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the answer. I have been here primarily.

A few years ago, applications for 13 large wind power projects in the Baltic Sea were rejected with reference to the defense's objections. I perceived it as the Swedish Armed Forces being particularly active in that context. Therefore, I am a bit wondering about the corresponding absence and silence when it comes to new nuclear power at Ringhals, if we are now in agreement about the risks that actually exist in view of a potential attack.

My follow-up question is: Has the government included the Armed Forces in the plans for Ringhals? In what way, if so, has it made an impact?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The big difference is that Miljöpartiet, thank goodness, did not succeed in shutting down all nuclear power at Ringhals. We still have a good deal of nuclear power left there. That means this is an area where there is a well-functioning dialogue with the Armed Forces regarding security and the strategic defense interest in such a decisive part of our energy supply. During the continued process for the construction of new reactors at the site, that dialogue will also take place.

(Applause)

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

Stefan Olsson (M)

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

Next week is the time for the so-called high-level week in the UN General Assembly. I would therefore like to ask the Foreign Minister to tell us something about which meetings she will have in connection with this and, above all, what Sweden's most important message will be. I am, of course, thinking primarily of the increased Russian aggression, with attacks against Poland and Romania, and the total unwillingness from the Russian side to talk at all about anything that can be likened to a ceasefire or peace.

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Stefan Olsson for the question.

I am indeed traveling to New York this weekend for the UN High-Level Week. I am bringing three priorities from Sweden's side. They concern equality and respect for international law, which is, to say the least, under pressure. But the most important thing of all is to gather global support for Ukraine.

Just as Stefan Olsson mentioned, the violations of Polish airspace show how serious the threat from Russia is, not only towards Ukraine but towards all of Europe. That is why it is so important that we gather support for Ukraine's cause at our meetings. We need to increase the support. We need, above all, to increase the pressure on Russia. We must not lose focus on that. I am a little afraid that one tends to do so and talk more about who is talking to whom about peace talks and other things. That is naturally important. But we must continue to keep our eyes on the ball.

(Applause)

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

Stefan Olsson (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for this!

I would like to ask a supplementary question. It concerns whether the Foreign Minister intends to say anything about what is the actual root cause of the war in Ukraine.

Russia is currently running an intensive propaganda campaign where they claim, naturally completely incorrectly, that it would be NATO's expansion that was the root cause.

Could the Minister say something about how she intends to raise that specific issue in a UN context?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Russia is testing us and our cohesion. We in Sweden are much safer now than we were before we became a member of Nato. Nato also acted strongly and resolutely after the serious violations of Polish airspace.

Russia also spreads a lot of disinformation. It is constantly important to highlight what its narrative is, how incorrect it is, and how important it is to increase support for Ukraine.

(Applause)

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

Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister.

We see how antisemitism and anti-Zionism are spreading on social media and in society as a consequence of the horrific war in Gaza.

What is the government doing to counter antisemitism and anti-Zionism in Sweden?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We are celebrating 250 years of Jewish life in Sweden this year. Despite this, it is a year where far too many Swedish Jews have instead had the death of Jewish life proclaimed over them. It is an open and completely uninhibited antisemitism that makes many Jews in Sweden testify that one no longer dares to be open about who one is. This week, we were able to learn how Jewish students at Swedish educational institutions experience being surrounded by antisemitism now.

The government has adopted a national strategy to strengthen Jewish life and counter antisemitism in Sweden. Here, I am pleased with the broad consensus that exists on this. We have also increased the support for the security of religious communities and especially the support for the Jewish Central Council.

This is our responsibility. We cannot control everything that happens in the Middle East and in other territories. But the responsibility to keep clean from antisemitism, we own fully in Sweden.

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

Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We see how demonstrations are becoming increasingly aggressive. In Uddevalla, a man was assaulted. In Gothenburg, Nazis have stood outside the Jewish synagogue. Most recently, demonstrators stood outside the Jewish school in Stockholm.

Shouldn't the police have more opportunity to act and suggest more neutral locations when people apply for demonstration permits?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I will get straight to the point. The Government will shortly give a mandate to the police to report on how it handles public gatherings in connection with the radical part, I want to emphasize, of the Palestinian movement and how actions have been taken.

We also make the assessment that there is a need to review the legislation. Threats and harassment can never be accepted methods for debate. Let us show that we in Sweden are capable of both raising our voices for those in distress in Gaza and raising our voices for those who are currently being subjected to antisemitism. We can do both and in a proper way.

(Applause)

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

Joar Forssell (L)

Mr. Speaker! I have a question for the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The single most important issue right now in foreign policy is, of course, that Russia loses the war in Ukraine and that Ukraine wins the war. It is, in the long run, also an existential issue for us here in Sweden.

At the same time, Sweden's and the EU's trade continues with countries that in turn enable the war by sustaining Russia's economy. How is the government acting to move the positions regarding secondary sanctions against countries that enable Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Joar Forssell, for the question!

This is the most important priority for Sweden in the foreign policy area. We continue to constantly try to find new ways to stop those who bypass sanctions and thereby also in various ways support Russia's terrible warfare.

If we take China, it is, as they say in NATO language, a decisive enabler of the Russian warfare against Ukraine. It is 50 percent of Russia's imports that come from China. We also know that much of it concerns products with dual-use applications.

We must in every way work to stop the circumvention of the sanctions being adopted. The nineteenth sanctions package, which I can return to later, is also expected to contain more sanctions that strike precisely at the enabling of the war in Ukraine.

(Applause)

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

Joar Forssell (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thanks to the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the answer!

If one enables Russia's war of aggression either through components, dual-use products that can be used directly in the war, or by supporting the Russian economy, which is one of the major obstacles Russia has to continuing, one is also complicit in what is happening in Ukraine.

What will the government do concretely at the EU level going forward to gather partners and ensure that we achieve several secondary sanctions?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Both NATO, the EU, and Sweden have strongly condemned third countries' continued support for Russia's warfare. If we return to the nineteenth sanctions package, we expect further sanctions listings of, among others, Chinese individuals and companies. Sweden also supports measures against companies and private individuals who participate in the circumvention of the sanctions against Russia, including Chinese ones. We must also lower the oil price cap and continue to list the shadow fleet vessels, which also enable Russia's warfare.

(Applause)

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

Matilda Ernkrans (S)

Mr. Speaker! It feels like a massive blow. Many are worried. Soon there will be nothing left. There are voices from home from Frövi and Rockhammar today. It is from those who, without warning, received the notice that the Billerud group is now presenting a large reduction package with 650 people being laid off. Of them, there are 100 people in Frövi and Rockhammar.

A week ago, the news came of another large layoff in another part of our county, Örebro, concerning the Setrak group. It was 50 people who were laid off at the sawmill in Hasselfors, which means half of the workforce. These are important companies for Sweden. These are large workplaces in smaller towns.

I address Kristersson's third Minister for Employment. It is a government that, after three years, has the result of 100,000 more unemployed, the third highest unemployment in the EU, a growth in the EU's bottom tier, a worsened economic situation, and fewer labor market trainings.

What is the Minister for Employment's message to those who are now affected in Frövi, Rockhammar, and Hasselfors? What initiatives does the Minister for Employment intend to take to save jobs and livelihoods for those people?

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

Arbetsmarknadsministern Johan Britz (L)

Mr. Speaker! It is very important that we keep our eyes on the situation that currently prevails on the Swedish labor market. This is partly due to the very protracted recession that we are facing and which we have lived with for a number of years.

We saw turning points about a year ago where the curves were about to turn. Then Donald Trump took office in the White House. This has meant that uncertainty has increased. Consumption by individuals has decreased, and people are holding onto their wallets.

What is the government doing then? We are doing a number of things. What we will primarily present at the beginning of next week is an extremely expansive budget that will contribute to getting the wheels turning a bit faster in our country. It will also help all those who want to work in our country.

(Applause)

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

Eric Palmqvist (SD)

Mr. Speaker! For the first time in 50 years, new nuclear power is now to be built in Sweden. It is a great win for the nation and our common future.

New Swedish nuclear power is part of the Tidö Agreement and an important step towards a robust fossil-free energy system. For us Sverigedemokrater, it constitutes an important milestone. The journey towards making us independent of unpredictable weather-dependent electricity production begins. We Sverigedemokrater believe that stable electricity prices and security of supply are important not only today but in the long term.

In view of this, I would like to ask Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch: How do we ensure that the new reactors can actually be ready by the mid-2030s?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thanks to Eric Palmqvist for the question!

The answer is: by maintaining a high pace and by not letting those who want to do the least and slowest decide what is right for Sweden. It has been a message of strength that we in the government, since we took office, have had a majority behind us. Through the energy talks, we have also been able to gather broader support for this direction. It is an important signal to the business community but also to foreign investors.

I also believe it is important that the nuclear power program that Sweden has decided on does not only involve Vattenfall. We have several other possible actors who can build in Sweden. I believe it is important with that competition and that we ensure that the nuclear power program can include more actors, potentially also in more locations.

And the last but perhaps most important thing: Learn from the mistakes of others! We shall not reinvent the wheel, and that is why we are cooperating very closely with other like-minded countries specifically regarding nuclear power. This is something we need to deliver, and 2035 holds as the timeline.

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

Nadja Awad (V)

Mr. Speaker! Since the Tidö government took office, the situation has worsened for persons with disabilities. The Agency for Participation notes that every fourth person with a disability lives in poverty. They have significantly poorer health than others, they do not receive the support they need in school, and they are discriminated against in the labor market.

At the same time, extensive cuts are being made in LSS measures such as personal assistance and companionship. It is therefore not surprising, Mr. Speaker, that Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in his government statement did not mention a single word about the vulnerable situation for persons with disabilities. On the other hand, he spoke several times about tax cuts for the very wealthiest.

Why are people with disabilities not as important as the richest for the government and the Sweden Democrats? How are the living conditions for these people to be improved here and now?

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

Socialtjänstministern Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, member, for an important question!

For the government, the work with people affected by disabilities is extremely important. It is also why we across the entire Government Offices and all departments are working with, among other things, the recommendations we received from the UN committee regarding people with disabilities.

We also do a number of other things. To mention a few: It is about establishing a national competence center for people with intellectual disabilities and autism. It is about improving the interpretation service and, not least, about removing the unfair tax gap that has existed for people with disabilities, that is to say, we are now removing the disability tax that previously existed. This means that we are lowering the tax on sickness and activity compensation. It is about working to level the gaps.

(Applause)

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

Kerstin Lundgren (C)

Mr. Speaker! Sweden and 153 other countries in the UN have ratified the Genocide Convention. We all have a duty to do everything to prevent genocide.

This week, the UN commission presented its findings of investigations and events following Hamas's horrific attack on October 7, 2023. The conclusion was that genocide was committed. Courts shall decide this, but the pressure on all 154 countries to prevent genocide increases with the report and what is now happening in Gaza.

Next week, when the UN's 80th General Assembly opens, the high-level conference on a two-state solution will also meet. It is then required that the 142 countries that last week voted for the so-called New York Declaration move from words to action. Sweden knows that a recognition is not enough. A recognition of the State of Palestine does not change things on the ground.

The question is: What line will the government pursue in the UN next week to achieve results?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

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

As I said in a previous answer, there is no doubt that the situation in Gaza is appalling. We have, of course, taken note of the assessment that has been made at the UN level, which is in line with the many reports that have come from a research perspective over the past few weeks.

It is extremely serious, and the genocide convention places requirements on Sweden and other countries to do what they can to prevent and preclude genocide. That is why Sweden is one of the world's largest donors of humanitarian aid to Gaza. It is also why we demand that the EU should put more pressure on both Hamas and the Israeli government to reduce the terrible suffering that we see.

I will participate in the two-state conference in New York. I think it is a strength that so many have stood behind the declaration. It also implies increased political pressure. I expect that both Hamas and the Israeli government are now listening to the increased political pressure, but I am also concerned that we have not yet managed to make more decisions at the EU level. We will continue to push for that.

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

Ulrika Westerlund (MP)

Mr. Speaker! My question is directed to Camilla Waltersson Grönvall.

In the last few days, we have discussed the new Social Services Act in several different forums. There is, fortunately, a broad consensus that it is a good law. However, there is greater disagreement regarding the upcoming legislation, which is called the intermediate coercion legislation. Many children's rights organizations, for example, have raised concerns that they believe these two laws risk clashing with each other. They fear that it will become unclear what applies and that it will be counterproductive.

The Children's Ombudsman expressed in its referral opinion that the proposals in question risk becoming ineffective and that sufficient consideration is not taken of the situation of children exposed to violence.

I simply wonder what the minister's reflections are regarding these fears.

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

Socialtjänstministern Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Member, for the question!

The starting point for the government's work is that we in our country should have children who grow up in safety and security. A large and serious problem is that approximately half of the guardians today refuse the interventions that the social services offer. In areas of exclusion, we are talking about 70 percent.

It is extremely difficult to be able to carry out these interventions for children who, among other things, are recruited into crime if the parents are not involved. It is about interventions such as ensuring that the children go to school. It is about doing homework and so on. These are, therefore, not unreasonable things that parents are expected to do.

This government does not intend to stand by and watch as thousands more children are recruited into crime. We intend to do everything we can, and in that regard, it is extremely important that parents also take the responsibility that befits a parent to take.

(Applause)

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

Ann-Sofie Alm (M)

Mr. Speaker! I want to begin by congratulating the Minister for Foreign Affairs on being awarded the Order of Princess Olga by President Zelenskyy. It was a proud moment for many of us.

In the shadow of the so-called peace talks, Russia shows with its heinous attacks on civilians that the country does not want peace. Russia's attacks will not stop in Ukraine; it became extremely clear a few days ago when the country unprovokedly and deliberately sent approximately 20 drones into Polish airspace, just a few tens of miles from Sweden's border.

What clear message does Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs want to give Russia if the country even considers continuing to send drones, and then perhaps over Swedish territory?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

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

Russia does not worry. Sweden is much stronger now than before Sweden became a member of Nato. We now have defense guarantees that we share with 31 other countries, 3 of which are nuclear powers.

What Poland and also Romania were subjected to are extremely serious violations. It is good that Nato acted quickly in a united manner. It is good that we are now strengthening the presence through Eastern Sentry, and Sweden naturally participates in the process of strengthening Nato's eastern flank.

Outside of Nato, we in Sweden would have been in a much more vulnerable position than we have now, and it would also have opened up for more Russian pressure and blackmail with nuclear weapons. Now, instead, we stand united and strong.

(Applause)

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

Dan Hovskär (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to direct my question to Minister for Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall.

When I am out in Funkissverige, I meet many people who think that LSS issues are neglected and have been neglected for many years. We see a problem with the work from the previous Social Democratic government and that more needs to be done. Based on their own conditions, everyone shall have the right to participation in society.

I want to ask the Minister: What is the government doing now to provide long-term and stable conditions for the LSS circle, and what is in the pipeline moving forward?

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

Socialtjänstministern Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much for the question, Dan Hovskär!

The work to strengthen the situation for persons with disabilities is an important and prioritized issue for the government. Just as I described in a previous answer, it is a comprehensive task that involves almost all departments when it comes to the recommendations that Sweden has received from the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These are important recommendations that cover everything from ensuring a good school to ensuring that people enter employment in accordance with the work principle.

An important part that I want to highlight once again is what has been able to be presented in the upcoming budget, namely that we also remove the gaps that have existed between people with disabilities and other working people. It is an important marking that everyone shall have the right conditions in our society.

We are therefore continuing our work and will in the near future present further proposals and work within the area.

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

Daniel Vencu Velasquez Castro (S)

Mr. Speaker! In the USA, we see how the Trump administration demonizes its opponents and describes them in words that I do not intend to use here in the chamber. The climate of conversation is hardening, and many of us in this chamber – but above all outside – have been affected by this. In Sweden, it happened most recently a few days ago when the Foreign Minister shared a message that Swedish Jews who protested were monsters.

The dehumanization of people only breeds more hatred. We must not have that here in Sweden. It must not happen in a civilized democracy.

Previously, the Foreign Minister has said that she does not want the world's conflicts on Swedish streets and squares. Does the Foreign Minister herself think that she contributes to this by conveying messages that Swedish Jews who protest are monsters?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! There is no doubt whatsoever that the nightmare in Gaza has created incredibly strong emotions, and I understand that. That is also why we have pushed the EU forward to put more pressure on Hamas and on Israel's government.

The government has for a long time worked to strengthen the security around Jewish institutions. It is an absolutely necessary priority in order for it to be possible to live a Jewish life in Sweden, which the Deputy Prime Minister also correctly pointed out.

We hear absolutely terrible stories about mothers and fathers who themselves have grown up in Sweden and who wonder if they will have to do like their relatives and move to a place where they can safely leave their children at school and wear a Star of David. At the same time, we see how the opposition leader Magdalena Andersson leads an opposition that shamelessly spreads hate and antisemitism.

In these times, just like the demonstrators, I will exercise my right to freedom of speech. I think it is very serious that people are demonstrating outside a Jewish school with children who have already learned to live with both police protection and fear.

(Applause)

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

Angelica Lundberg (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Recently, LKAB announced that the fracture zone in Kiruna is being extended far beyond the previously predicted boundary, which means that an additional 6,000 people must leave their homes as the mine expands.

The mine is valuable, not only for Kiruna but for the entire country, and there is a broad consensus regarding continued mining. But due to competing national interests, there is paradoxically a lack of buildable land in Sweden's largest municipality by surface area. A further relocation of the city is therefore difficult to carry out in an acceptable manner.

The government has tasked the County Administrative Board with coordinating the issue of national interests. But I want to ask the minister: What other measures does the government intend to take to support Kiruna municipality and to ensure that there is buildable land not only for the relocation but also for continued community development?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

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

LKAB's announcement was both very pleasing and heavy. It was pleasing because it is good that one sees continued opportunities to invest in the region and that there are therefore continued opportunities for the mine, but it was heavy because it came directly after one had completed a historic relocation of the church, which also became world news. One thought that one was finished. Many breathed a sigh of relief. This creates anxiety for many.

Today we have indeed made a decision to task the County Administrative Board in Norrbotten County with holding this together and looking at how different societal interests are coordinated. We will not judge based on the national interests here and now, as you understand, but this is a difficult conflict of objectives. From the state's side, we will stay close and do what we can to resolve not least the land issue.

Elisabeth Svantesson is the responsible minister for LKAB. Peter Kullgren will be given a special responsibility regarding specifically regional development for the move forward.

(Applause)

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

Samuel Gonzalez Westling (V)

Mr. Speaker! Yesterday, the government presented a proposal to introduce a benefit ceiling in Sweden.

Denmark has already done it once in the past, and it has been evaluated. According to the professor of economics Olof Åslund, the benefit ceiling in Denmark, due to the increased economic pressure on families with children, has resulted in the children's school results worsening and crime increasing among the young. It is however not certain that it has led to any more jobs.

We know that the government suffers from misconceptions that there is a need for drivers to seek jobs. The most effective way for the government to create such drivers is apparently to increase child poverty in Sweden. It is an ideological right one has. But does the Minister for Employment have any other evaluation showing that a benefit ceiling actually leads to more jobs?

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

Arbetsmarknadsministern Johan Britz (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you very much for the question.

I think it is noteworthy that the Left Party time and again turns a blind eye to how dangerous benefit dependency is. We cannot stand by silently while over a hundred thousand children live in exclusion in our country and do not see their parents go to work in the morning. This government has decided to settle this. We do not tolerate that children, year after year, do not see their parents go to work.

It is also very strange that one believes that fewer people will live on benefits if it pays more to live on benefits than to go to a job. It is illogical. It is outrageous that you do not see this and that you turn a blind eye to these children who live in long-term exclusion.

(Applause)

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

Anna Lasses (C)

Mr. Speaker! In July 2024, the protection against high sick pay costs was removed, which means that employers must cover the entire sick pay for the first 14 days. For a small company, this can mean tens of thousands of kronor and be the death blow for the business. The consequence is that one does not dare to hire, especially not people who show the slightest tendency to get sick easily. At the same time, unemployment has increased by 100,000 people over the recent years.

It is unreasonable for companies to go under because the staff becomes ill. It is unfair that the entire society should lose out on this – 2.5 billion, more precisely.

The government doesn't mean that small companies should be left completely without insurance coverage, does it? Or is there now a plan to rectify this in the near future?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question, Anna Lasses!

I want to assert that the government's simplification agenda is one of the most important things we are carrying out. We clearly demonstrate there, both in words and in actions, that we know it is the entrepreneurs who are Sweden's job creators, not the politicians.

We do this with the help of a number of measures. I want to be honest that there are disadvantages with the changes that Anna Lasses points out.

We are presenting a major business package in the budget bill for 2026. It is about creating better conditions for the business sector. We are driving an offensive simplification agenda also at the EU level. The establishment of the Implementation Council will have a major effect in ensuring that we do not over-implement EU legislation in the future and in rolling back what is called gold-plating, that is, where we have gone too far.

This, together with news about investments on Verksamt.se, 3:12 rules and much more, means that we are strengthening the conditions in the long run for entrepreneurship in Sweden.

(Applause)

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

Malte Tängmark Roos (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Yesterday, Minister for Employment Johan Britz and the government presented a new poverty reform, which includes activity requirements for social assistance, a cap on social assistance, and qualification requirements for welfare. In a few weeks, a worsened unemployment benefit will also come into force, which means that the compensation for the unemployed decreases faster.

A consistent argument from the minister and his colleagues is that better incentives for working should be created and that more requirements must be placed on the unemployed to seek jobs because they otherwise choose instead to just live on benefits and unemployment insurance.

The Fiscal Policy Council and many other experts have repeatedly stated that it is already profitable to work and that it is not a lack of incentives and will that causes the unemployed not to work, but a lack of opportunities and suitable job openings. But since the government nevertheless maintains that better incentives to work are needed, I would like to ask the Minister for Employment the following question: How many of Sweden's unemployed are unemployed by their own choice? From where does the government obtain that statistics?

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

Arbetsmarknadsministern Johan Britz (L)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question.

We have a situation in Sweden where exclusion is inherited. Benefit-dependent families are unable to manage to get out of the situation they find themselves in. There are several different reasons. One important reason is that half of all unemployed people in Sweden are foreign-born who have come here at more or less adult age. They lack the qualifications, language skills, and the education needed to manage on the Swedish labor market.

We are equipping people. We are adding an enormous number of vocational training places this year – more than ever before. It is a path to take. But we must also see that if it pays more to live on benefits than to have a job, then more people will live on benefits. I believe the member agrees with that, and we must resolve that.

(Applause)

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

DANIEL RIAZAT (-)

Mr. Speaker! For 80 years, the Palestinian people have been displaced, oppressed, and murdered by the Israeli occupation force. Over the last two years, we have seen a genocide escalate where infants and hospitals are being bombed to pieces, and journalists are shot in the head by snipers – deliberately by Israeli soldiers.

What has the government done during this year? They have cast suspicion on those who have demonstrated to stop the genocide, cast suspicion on the Palestinian movement, and continued to trade with and sell weapons to Israel.

When an ordinary person sells weapons to a criminal person, who then uses them in a criminal act, it is called aiding and abetting, for example, murder. What is it called when a government sells weapons to a state that commits genocide? What is it called when one stands silent in the face of the fact that infants are killed and slaughtered every day? Will this government, instead of pointing at protesters, do something to stop the genocide?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! I truly do not believe that Gaza's children benefit from the spread of disinformation about what the Swedish government is actually doing. I believe that the best way to help the children in Gaza, and to live up to our obligations to prevent genocide, is for a united EU to push for further measures that put pressure on both Hamas, which the member rarely mentions, and on the Israeli government to alleviate the terrible suffering we see.

That is why the government is at the forefront in the EU. We welcome the proposals that have been put forward to exert further pressure.

(Applause)

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

Gustaf Göthberg (M)

Mr. Speaker! We are now in the autumn months, and in a couple of months we will be entering the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion and ongoing warfare in Ukraine.

The summary of the last five years is clearly reflected in a heroic and brave people who, despite the attacker's military numbers, capacity, and unwillingness to show respect for human life, still stand strong and united. The Ukrainians are fighting for us and for their own state's independence, and the mobilization around this is great.

Last week, the government presented a new support package – the twentieth in line – to Ukraine amounting to 9.2 billion. But Russia continues its acts of terror. It is bombings of children's hospitals, attacks on civil infrastructure, attacks against and violations of NATO territory and 20,000 abducted Ukrainian children. They have a name and a family but no possibility of a life in peace and freedom as long as they are in Russia. What is the government doing so that the children can be released and returned to their families?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Gustaf Göthberg for an extremely pertinent question.

Russia's deportation and forced displacement of Ukrainian children is one of several examples of Russia's brutal warfare. Illegal deportation and forced displacement of civilians also constitute war crimes.

Sweden therefore provides political and financial support to Ukraine's work to ensure that deported and forcibly displaced Ukrainian children are able to return home.

Sweden is part of a coalition, together with some forty other countries, to bring back deported and forcibly displaced children to their families. The coalition was launched by Ukraine and Canada in February last year. Sweden also naturally supports organizations such as Save the Children, Unicef, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which assist in the work of identifying and returning children who have been deported and forcibly displaced. We will also have a high-level event during UN Week next week where we will further highlight this issue.

(Applause)

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

Aida Birinxhiku (S)

Mr. Speaker! Last Saturday, Ulf Kristersson announced that he wants to see a so-called growth pact. After three years, the government is now beginning to realize the consequences of its own growth policy. Unemployment is at a record high, bankruptcies are at a record number, and household purchasing power has been eroded.

Sweden's growth is at the bottom of Europe. It is the consequences after three years of this government's policy. It is a reverse economic policy where they have worsened the situation for households and labor market policy and furthermore prioritized tax cuts for those who earn the most. Now they want a growth pact to reverse the development that their own policy has created.

I welcome the crisis insights, but they are far from sufficient. What is actually Ebba Busch's and the government's plan to get Swedish growth started?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The statement on the growth pact from the Prime Minister clearly shows the incompetence of Magdalena Andersson's government. I am pleased with the constructiveness in many other issues, not least regarding the energy issue. But the statement regarding the growth pact reveals that the red-greens have no common alternative that would serve Sweden's companies or households well.

Despite Trump's uncertainty and the enormous economic ripples it has created even on the Swedish labor market and for the Swedish business community, we have managed to deliver to the Swedish people. When we took over, inflation was at 10 percent, and it ate up all investments in welfare, not least for our regions. Now it is at 2 percent. When we took over, the diesel price was around 28 kronor. Now it is 500 kronor cheaper for every ordinary Swedish family every time they refuel.

We have pushed down and stabilized electricity prices. Year after year, we have succeeded in pushing them down. Now we are implementing a reduction of the food VAT, which will result in 43,000 kronor less in tax for an ordinary family with a police salary and a nurse's salary. They are not the richest, they are ordinary people.

(Applause)

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

David Perez (SD)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch and concerns what she has just raised.

The Sweden Democrats have long championed the issue of reduced VAT on food. It is pleasing that the government, which the minister just brought up, is putting forward such a proposal. It is welcomed by both Svensk Handel and Livsmedelsföretagen.

In addition to the fact that families with children and retirees will be able to buy cheaper food, many assess that this will increase the attractiveness of Swedish-produced food. How does the Minister view this, and will Swedish farmers benefit from the proposal to lower the VAT on food?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We promised the Swedish people that we would try to reverse the development where it was so expensive to be Swedish. It is not done in a heartbeat, but we have truly shown, area by area, that we deliver and that we stand on the side of the Swedish people.

I mentioned some concrete examples just now, but it will also make a big difference with the food VAT that our parties have agreed on together. We will keep a close eye on the trade so that this tax cut really lands in lower prices on the shelves.

Furthermore, we continue with a reduction of the tax on agricultural diesel, for example, and we continue to engage in dialogue with the industry on how we, in turbulent and restless times, can ensure that Swedish farmers – those who truly are the food producers – are paid for the goods and the work they generate.

We are, therefore, on the side of both the countryside, the food producers, and the Swedish households here.

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

Leila Ali Elmi (MP)

Mr. Speaker! The government has systematically cut the labor market policy measures and the vocational training and only after harsh criticism allocated limited sums. The result is that Sweden today has an unemployment rate that is among Europe's highest. At the same time, the list of government bills has essentially stood empty of labor market reforms for three years.

Yesterday, the minister was present and presented a poverty reform that in practice means increased inequalities and even poorer families with children. The minister has said that it should pay to move from benefits to work, and we agree with that. But the expert agency IFAU notes that the proposal has a marginal effect on employment.

Therefore, my question to the Minister for Employment is: Will the path to lower unemployment go through poorer families with children or through education and skills supply?

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

Arbetsmarknadsministern Johan Britz (L)

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

This is obviously an issue that engages people, which I think is very good. Approximately 1.2 million people in our country are not self-sufficient. An ever-increasing proportion of the unemployed have a weak connection to the labor market, which we have touched upon earlier today here.

Those who believe that benefits and that it pays more to live on benefits than to work is the right way forward for Sweden are wrong. The right way forward for Sweden is that it pays better to work than to live on benefits.

We are also carrying out the largest investments in education, not least vocational training, that have been made in modern times in this country. We are doing that right now. There are 10,000 more vocational training places in Sweden today than there were previously.

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

Malin Höglund (M)

Mr. Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall.

The Minister for Social Services has stated in the budget presentation that the government intends to move forward with a new law regarding interventions when consent is lacking, so-called intermediate coercion. Trust in the social services is very low, lower than for most other authorities. When the new Social Services Act was presented, there was much talk about increasing this trust. How does the minister intend for the social services to build up its trust while simultaneously working with intermediate coercion?

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

Socialtjänstministern Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! The new Social Services Act is about being able to make early preventive interventions and stands in stark contrast to the previous Social Services Act, which was of a much more reactive character.

Today, part of the big problem we have is that almost half of the guardians who are offered interventions from the social services – the Social Services Act is voluntary – refuse these. This makes it difficult for us to reach out and help the children and young people who need interventions, including in the form of being saved from gang recruitment. Today, this most often leads to the most intrusive thing a society can do: a decision according to LVU, i.e., compulsory placement.

We need the parents on our side to be able to ensure that this work takes place, and we must get more parents to take the responsibility that most parents choose to take.

(Applause)

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

Isak From (S)

Mr. Speaker! I also have a question concerning the urban transformation in Kiruna.

For us Social Democrats, it is completely obvious that it must come back to Kiruna. At some point, it must be the people who feel that they are getting something back.

The State is the owner of the company LKAB. The State is also responsible for the overlapping national interests which currently mean that there is no buildable land at all in the mining fields. It appears somewhat contradictory that the State, during only the last year, created 32 new nature reserves, national interests, and restrictions on obtaining buildable land.

If the state and the Minister for Enterprise mean business about getting this out – because what Kiruna does is produce for all of Sweden and for all of the EU – the state must also give a mandate to Statens fastighetsverk to sell land.

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Fundamentally, I actually believe that the government base and Isak From are very much in agreement on the major problem here.

My starting point is very clear: the mine shall serve Kiruna, and the mine shall serve Sweden. There is an extremely large amount that we will need to help with when something is such a large national matter. This also applies to things such as those we have discussed, for example the large investments in the port of Luleå, where many of the large natural values are to be able to be taken in but above all much is to be able to be taken out. In that case, the state and the local [authority] need to work much more closely together. Therefore, there is now in the industrial strategy and in many other documents the question of risk-sharing between state and municipality.

The questions regarding national interests, housing, infrastructure, concessions, environmental assessment, and many planning and building issues will now be addressed. We have just received the notification, and the government has quickly assigned the task to the County Administrative Board and appointed two ministers who will have special responsibility for this moving forward.

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

Carita Boulwén (SD)

Mr. Speaker! All children deserve to grow up in safety with good care and not be exposed to violence or drawn into crime. But reality unfortunately shows something completely different. We have a terrifying development where seriously criminal gangs lure in more and more children, and increasingly younger children.

Early and preventive measures are absolutely crucial to protect children from getting stuck in crime. At the same time, it reduces the need for society to take the most intrusive action: placing children outside of their family.

I am therefore extremely pleased with the investments that the Tidö parties are now making, including among others more tools for the social services, reinforcement teams, school social teams, family centers and targeted support to the families.

My question to the Minister for Social Services is: How does the government ensure that the municipalities use the new tools as intended, that there is relevant competence, and that the investments do not just become short-term projects but lead to long-term results and to that fewer children are recruited by gangs and more get to grow up in safety?

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

Socialtjänstministern Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Carita Boulwén, for the question and the enumeration of a number of important initiatives that the government is now working on!

It is one thing to get a new law in place. What is important in this law is that it is precisely preventive and that it contains new tools for the social services to work with, but also that there is a mandatory requirement. It is therefore no longer a matter of free choice for the municipalities to work with preventive measures, and the work is not just about the social welfare committee and the social services administration but about the entire municipality.

Now we are doing a number of other things. We ensure that secrecy is broken so that it is possible to use the correct information, but we also allocate extensive resources and support to strengthening and supporting the municipalities.

Now we hand over the baton to the municipalities. We have ensured that the laws are in place. Now it is important that the municipalities take the baton and implement these changes.

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

Patrik Lundqvist (S)

Mr. Speaker! My question is directed to the Minister for Employment. We have talked a lot about benefits, but there are also insurances that constitute fundamental parts of our labor market model – I am naturally speaking about the unemployment insurance.

More and more elderly people, and also more and more academics and senior civil servants, who previously may have been somewhat protected from long-term unemployment, now find themselves unemployed for longer and longer periods due to this government's policy. On October 1, a new unemployment insurance fund comes into effect, where the compensation is reduced already after the 100th day. As we all know, over half of the unemployed 55-plussers are unemployed for at least 189 days. They have an entire professional life of 30 years behind them and have paid into an insurance that they now see being worsened.

What answer does the government have for these people, and how do you support them?

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

Arbetsmarknadsministern Johan Britz (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Member, for the question! We are now carrying out the largest reorganization of the unemployment insurance in a very long time. I believe it is the largest reorganization in about 40 years. We are doing this to strengthen the work principle even further and make the unemployment insurance a more pure transition insurance.

As the member mentioned, the new a-kassan will be introduced starting October 1. It concerns a clearer tapering, just as the member is touching upon, which encourages a faster return to work. But it also means that more people will receive the security that the insurance entails when we transition to an income-based system.

This government has also raised the ceiling in the unemployment insurance fund (a-kassan). This is a step towards creating what we can call a flexicurity model, where the labor market can and should be dynamic and it is not quite as difficult and dangerous to lose one's job.

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

Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)

Mr. Speaker! On May 10, 2023, a unanimous Riksdag decided that the government should work towards creating unity within the EU to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Since then, support for listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization has grown, and today there are more EU countries supporting such a measure compared to when the decision was made in the Swedish Riksdag.

Three weeks ago, Australia announced that it will blacklist the Islamic Revolutionary Guard after the Iranian regime carried out antisemitic attacks in Australia. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard has planned to carry out similar attacks in Sweden.

Can the Minister for Foreign Affairs account for what measures Sweden has taken within the EU for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard to be blacklisted, and what obstacles exist for such a blacklisting?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Nima Gholam Ali Pour, for an important question! The government is working with full force so that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard IRGC shall be sanctioned. Unfortunately, we do not have the majority required in the EU – it is this that is the obstacle to doing so. But we continue to work so that we can gather such a majority. The Prime Minister has also personally raised the issue at the highest level.

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

Jesper Skalberg Karlsson (M)

Mr. Speaker! The power shortage in southern Sweden threatens Swedish competitiveness and risks giving people in Skåne unreasonably high electricity prices. This government has taken several important steps to enable new nuclear power that alleviates the problems and lowers emissions.

Therefore, I want to ask the Minister for Energy and Business: Is it not time to propose the next step? There are many of us in this chamber who are ready to vote for it – even a majority.

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I tried to listen attentively – what is being requested is the next step. I perceive that the next step is simply that we get to work and make the decisions.

I am pleased that we party leaders for the four coalition parties could stand together with Vattenfall on-site at the Ringhals site and present the good news that Vattenfall is now taking the next step in the process towards building new nuclear power in Sweden. This will serve Sweden well. I also believe that other sites could be relevant during the same period. Therefore, we look forward to having clear texts and also a clear figure-based framework in this budget to enable the next step when it comes to nuclear power.

Now I know that it is not long until the budget as a whole is to be presented. In the meantime, we will do more so that we can get more effect from all the electricity produced in southern Sweden while waiting for new nuclear power. The power lift is a decisive and important part of this.

(Applause)

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

Mattias Vepsä (S)

Mr. Speaker! Child poverty is the highest in the Nordic countries, and material poverty is growing with the government's policy. Yesterday, the contribution ceiling was presented. We can see that the big losers are precisely families with children – families with multiple children and single parents with children.

In June 2023, Vice Prime Minister Ebba Busch promised, following a direct question from Magdalena Andersson, that the construction of the benefit ceiling would not increase child poverty. I want to repeat the question here today: Can the Vice Prime Minister guarantee that child poverty will not increase with the proposed construction of the benefit ceiling?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I want to start by being personal and telling that I am one of all those children in Sweden who have grown up in a family where, under a red government, one stood without income and compensation from the state, with the only offer to my dear mother that she could be early-retired when she was only just over 40 years old, with zero extra in compensation if my father had passed away, for example. We have also experienced what it was like to be between two different systems, with a blue government during the Alliance period, and stand without compensation – too sick to get unemployment insurance, too healthy to get sickness compensation.

With this and my own personal story, I want to say: No system will be perfect. But we stand on the side of the Swedish people. We have shown in our tax priorities and elsewhere that we protect families with children and ordinary earners. But the fundamental principle that it must always pay more to work than to receive benefits is now being reintroduced in earnest.

(Applause)

Question time was hereby concluded.

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