Question Time

TREDJE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions today will be answered by Minister for Equality Nina Larsson, Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson, Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin, and Minister for Education and Integration Simona Mohamsson.

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

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Niklas Karlsson (S)

Madam Speaker! During the government's nearly four years, the gaps have increased. Poverty has grown, and more and more people have ended up with the Enforcement Authority.

During this time, the government has chosen to prioritize borrowing for tax cuts primarily for those who have high incomes and large assets. This borrowing carousel has also resulted in the state's budget being underfunded by more than 350 billion kronor. It is easy to get the impression that the government has lost control over Sweden's economy.

My question therefore goes to Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson. What advice does the Finance Minister want to give to all those people who live under tight economic circumstances – those who go around worrying about an upcoming rent increase, perhaps need to borrow money to pay outrageous electricity bills, or have difficulty putting food on the table for their children?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Niklas Karlsson for the question.

I note the rather sad party-political maneuvering of the Social Democrats in recent weeks. What I am thinking of is that the Social Democrats, as I have understood it, stand behind what we are now doing together. It is about defense expenditures that are to be increased, about large investments in infrastructure and the justice system, about the fact that we are also building prisons, and about much more. This means that in the short term, for example when it comes to the defense investments, we will need to borrow temporarily. The Social Democrats, however, stand behind this.

That is why I wonder what kind of game this is. Is it about wanting to obscure the fact that we have done things for the people that Niklas Karlsson now mentions? I think about those people every day when I go to work. We have ensured that the tax is lowered for those who work, for example the nursing assistant, and we have ensured that fuel prices are lowered. We ensure that the preschool fee becomes lower and that the price for the food basket becomes lower, as well as everything else. We have done that so that precisely these people shall receive support in a difficult time.

What do the Social Democrats want to remove from all of this? That is what I wonder.

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Niklas Karlsson (S)

Madam Speaker! I note that the Minister for Finance has no advice to give to these people or households. The Minister for Finance has no proposals to improve the situation for those people who worry about the next rent increase, perhaps have to borrow to pay outrageous electricity bills, or for their part are struggling to put food on the table. But of course, it may be difficult to recognize the situations that these people find themselves in when one oneself has received large tax cuts.

My question to the Minister for Finance is: How much has the Minister for Finance personally received in tax cuts?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Let me begin with a piece of advice to people all over Sweden: Do not vote for the Social Democrats in the autumn election! Because tax increases are being obscured here. They do not want to define them or tell how they will affect ordinary people.

Year after year, I have been involved in lowering the taxes for nurses, nursing assistants, payroll administrators, and many others, and I have had their best interests at heart. Over half of the deficit we have now is due to the financing of Ukraine's defense, and the Social Democrats are behind that. Or are you withdrawing from that, Niklas Karlsson? Do you not want to admit that your budget looks exactly the same? It is an expansive budget where we actually make investments together.

(Applause)

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Magnus Persson (SD)

Madam Speaker! In recent years, we have seen step by step how the power over Swedish labor market policy has shifted from Swedish employers and trade unions to bureaucrats in Brussels. First out was the minimum wage directive, and now it is the EU's pay transparency directive. Bit by bit, the Swedish model is being dismantled through supranational micro-management linked to the social pillar.

The government investigation produced a proposal regarding the pay transparency directive that was adapted to the Swedish model. It is possible to implement the directive without dismantling functioning structures. Nevertheless, the government chooses to cast aside the investigation's work and instead present a more burdensome proposal. Referral bodies warn of significantly increased administration, increased costs, and additional work that risks becoming both misleading and counterproductive. The Swedish Employer Federation has pointed out that pay comparisons can, in practice, be made more difficult rather than simplified.

My question goes to Minister for Equality Nina Larsson. Why does the government choose to move forward with a proposal that significantly weakens our Swedish work model when there is another alternative?

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Jämställdhetsministern Nina Larsson (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for an important and pressing question.

The Pay Transparency Directive has been decided in the EU, and Sweden has been tasked with implementing it. Just as Member Magnus Persson is pointing out, the government's ambition has been to keep the regulatory burden down to the greatest extent possible. When it comes to the concept of pay and the parts that I judge the Member is referring to, the directive is clearly and explicitly formulated in such a way that the government's assessment is that we need to implement it.

At the same time, we are facilitating things for small employers by raising the threshold for the written wage mapping from 10 to 25 employees. Overall, we are trying to find a good balance in this.

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Magnus Persson (SD)

Madam Speaker! Even the DO, which will administer the directive, is clear that there is no need to panic about launching the proposal since Sweden is far ahead compared to other countries. Some sanctions are therefore out of the question at the current stage, so we do not need to be afraid of that.

Is it not time that we stop bowing to the EU, stand up for our Swedish labor market model and consign the current proposal to the wastebasket? Or is it the case that the Minister advocates for increased governance from the bureaucrats in Brussels and, in the long run, wants to phase out our Swedish labor market model?

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Jämställdhetsministern Nina Larsson (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the supplementary question.

It is very true that we today have a wage gap that is unjustified. It is therefore not possible to explain what it is due to. It is clear that the ambition with the directive as such is to address this. One should have the correct wage for the work one performs, regardless of who one is, and it is work that we need to continue with. We are far ahead in Sweden in this, and I am sure that we will find a good balance moving forward.

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Isabell Mixter (V)

Madam Speaker! In last week's Uppdrag granskning, acute and serious problems emerged. The police are not allowed to alert independent schools (friskolor) if employees at schools are suspected of child pornography crimes. The police are allowed to alert municipal schools but not independent schools, because the latter do not fall under the principle of public access.

In 2024, the Liberals and the other Tidö parties voted against introducing a principle of public access even for the friskolor (independent schools). It was 154 votes against and 152 votes for. We could have implemented this a long time ago. Now, legislative proposals are coming from the Tidö government, but it will take until 2027 before the legislation begins to apply. It did not have to take this long.

Madam Speaker! My question is: Why should it take until 2027 before the police can alert independent schools if their employees are suspected of child pornography crimes?

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Utbildnings- och integrationsministern Simona Mohamsson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for an incredibly important question!

Since I took office as Minister of Education, I have met and had conversations with many young people, not least with many young girls who have been subjected to sexual harassment in school and, for example, have been sexually exploited or surreptitiously filmed by teachers or other staff. As long as there are children who get a knot in their stomach from going to school because they do not feel safe, the adult world has a huge job to do.

From the government's side, we are now tightening the background checks in schools. It is crucial to ensure that adults who are unsuitable never even come to the school. We are also introducing a principle of public access for independent schools which will make it possible for the police to, for example, issue warnings. It will also make it possible for the public to view independent schools in the same way as municipal schools. These are important pillars for removing unsuitable persons from the school.

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Isabell Mixter (V)

Madam Speaker! It is nice that the government has woken up in the eleventh hour. This is not a new problem, but the government has turned a blind eye to it for a long time. One has not been able to report this type of crime, and parents with children at a friskola have not been informed about such crimes.

Last year, an investigation was conducted into Engelska Skolan, which hushed up a pedophile scandal in order not to damage the school's reputation. In the investigation in Uppdrag granskning, it emerged that the Academediakoncernen chose not to inform guardians and staff about such matters.

Why do you defend the market school when it wants to protect its profit at all costs instead of the students?

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Utbildnings- och integrationsministern Simona Mohamsson (L)

Madam Speaker! We are making the biggest changes to Swedish schools in over 30 years. I can promise the members that the safety of Sweden's children and students is no exception.

One must report to the police when one sees that an adult is not behaving properly. I say no to all those municipalities and heads of organizations who today buy out unsuitable staff with strange clauses. It must be so that Sweden's students and children can trust that the adult world does not turn its back on them but rather has their back in these matters.

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Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! In the autumn, the Environmental Goals Preparatory Body agreed to adjust the Swedish climate goals based on the EU's calculation methods. We were all in agreement. Everyone except SD was also in agreement on retaining the important transport policy goal.

As recently as a week ago, the Minister for Climate said the following: The image that this government is abolishing and lowering climate goals is something I have to defend myself against every day. I think it is a pity, because in Sweden we have a fantastic unity when it comes to the climate goals. It is a unity that is worth defending.

The day before yesterday, the Minister for Climate and Environment came out and said that they want to scrap a climate goal, even though Volvo, Scania, Transportföretagen, fuel producers, vehicle manufacturers, other organizations and research agree that this goal is needed. It is important both for emissions and for investments.

My question to Nina Larsson is: How can one trust this government? One day you say that unity is important. The next day you say that it is time to abolish a climate goal.

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Jämställdhetsministern Nina Larsson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Rickard Nordin, for a very pertinent question!

It is completely central that we can act together with the other EU countries in these issues. We need to ensure that the EU countries move forward jointly in issues regarding the climate goals. We can have high ambitions, goals and requirements for the Swedish context, but it is completely central that the EU's countries act together.

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Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! When I stand at the starting line of Vasaloppet on Sunday, I am aiming to reach Mora as quickly as possible. The government does the opposite – one goes in the other direction, and when one sees that it will be difficult to reach the rope in Mångsbodarna, one gives up the race. Then one wants to abolish the entire Vasaloppet and questions its existence.

This is the problem. One has moved further away from the climate goals and increased emissions. When one does not reach the goals, one wants to abolish them.

Everyone says it is important to do this, but the government is doing exactly the opposite. How can one trust such a government?

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Jämställdhetsministern Nina Larsson (L)

Madam Speaker! This government has high requirements and ambitions when it comes to climate and environment, and that has been the case since day one. We can also see in measurements that Sweden is leading. Year after year, Sweden ranks high on the lists of countries with high climate and environmental ambitions, and Sweden also achieves them.

It is completely central that we can relate to the reality that prevails also within the EU. It is also central that we get the other EU countries on board if we are to achieve full effect from the measures that we undertake.

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Ulrika Westerlund (MP)

Madam Speaker! I also have a question for Minister for Equality Nina Larsson.

Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch has spoken several times about the change of the Gender Identity Act, which entered into force this summer. According to Busch, society has, among other things, moved from a gender war to a genderlessness. The ultimate sign of this was the change of the Gender Identity Act. Busch has, among other things, said that we are now trying to erase biological differences between men and women through law. At the same time, she argues that social differences between men and women have been cemented by this legislative change. The Deputy Prime Minister has not explained what she means by these strange claims.

The Vice Prime Minister has also repeatedly continued to give the public incorrect impressions of what the amendment of the Gender Identity Act has entailed. Among other things, she seems to mean that the terrible murder in Rönninge was in some way due to the Gender Identity Act.

In light of this, I would like to ask Nina Larsson what she is doing to counter the disinformation being spread by other members of the government.

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Jämställdhetsministern Nina Larsson (L)

Madam Speaker! On 17 April 2024, the Riksdag voted yes to the Social Affairs Committee's proposal for improved opportunities to change gender. The proposal that formed the basis for the Riksdag's decision was a so-called committee initiative, which means that it was one of the Riksdag's committees that took the initiative. It was therefore not a government bill or motions from members, which is otherwise the norm.

The Riksdag also directed four announcements to the government regarding the need for regulations, knowledge support, prevention of criminal activity, and follow-up. The government has addressed all of these announcements.

What leaders of individual parties do is not for me as Minister for Equality to answer. I can state that we now have legislation and that we are following the implementation of it.

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Ulrika Westerlund (MP)

Madam Speaker! What worries me is precisely this type of disinformation and that which Ebba Busch presents in her role as Vice Prime Minister. Recently, the Vice Prime Minister wrote an open letter to the Social Democrats in which she obscured the Prison and Probation Service's possibilities to prevent transfers between different facilities if the assessment is made that someone is changing legal gender solely for the purpose of being transferred.

I still wonder if conversations are being held within the government regarding the importance of not spreading inaccuracies that risk making a vulnerable group even more vulnerable.

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Jämställdhetsministern Nina Larsson (L)

Madam Speaker! It is quite true that the Act on Gender Identity that the Riksdag adopted in 2024 aims to give a small and vulnerable group in Sweden better opportunities for self-realization. It is a self-evident matter that no one in Sweden should have to endure discrimination because of who they are. One's legal or biological gender shall not determine what rights one has.

We are, of course, following the implementation of this. However, what individual party leaders state on the issue, one must ask them about.

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Adam Reuterskiöld (M)

Madam Speaker! Sweden's fiscal policy and our financial position are the cornerstone for all political prioritization and enable Sweden's development.

I have just returned from the latest SESS conference in the EU Parliament on stability, economic coordination, and governance. There, Sweden received very good reviews regarding our fiscal framework, our fiscal policy, and not least our well-functioning capital market. I also had the privilege of meeting Enrico Letta, Italy's former Prime Minister and author of a leading report on the subject in the EU. He also praised Sweden's handling of the economic situation.

My question is directed to the Minister for Finance. How does the Minister for Finance view these assessments, and what effects can they have on Sweden?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Sweden and many other countries face incredibly great challenges. It is about the need to build up the defense and, in our case, also to build a strong justice system, prisons and so on. This costs money. To have strong public finances in this situation is essential. It is something that both I and the Riksdag safeguard, and for that very reason, we have a framework.

This week, Sweden received a rating of AAA from Moody's, which only ten countries have, and that means we are very creditworthy. We are a country with stable public finances, low public debt, stable institutions, and a fiscal framework. Then we can, unlike many other countries, do what is required. It also means that we can borrow more cheaply, and that is an advantage in a situation where many other countries are struggling with high public debts and expensive loans and are not at all able to do what is required.

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Adam Reuterskiöld (M)

Madam Speaker! What concrete priorities does the Minister consider most important in order to also in the future secure Sweden's strong international confidence and high credit rating?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! For us, it is a very high priority to ensure that the Swedish economy grows. It is only a growing economy that can finance everything Sweden needs, and it is also the basis for Sweden's prosperity moving forward. This is A and O as well as adhering to the framework. This is, for example, about financing defense investments permanently. With long-term thinking, we will continue to have low public debt but higher growth.

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Mikael Oscarsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! As previously mentioned, legal gender reassignment from the age of 16 was passed in the Riksdag. It was stated that a medical holistic assessment would be made before the reassignment. But just as we warned here in the chamber, none of that has happened, and it is sufficient with a contact online with Kry or similar.

Is this reasonable, Minister for Equality? Many in this group have comorbidity or mental ill-health. Is it not a risk that this is missed?

Gunnar Strömmer has said that legal gender reassignment is not good when it comes to crime fighting and that convicted men can change to women's prisons. He has said that a review should take place.

Will the government conduct a review of the legislation in the near future?

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Jämställdhetsministern Nina Larsson (L)

Madam Speaker! No one in Sweden should have to endure discrimination because of who they are. The Member of Parliament points out that the application of the law may need to be reviewed and refers to Gunnar Strömmer. For all legislation, it applies that if a law is abused, the loopholes must be closed, and the government appointed an inquiry in September that examines exactly this.

Minister for Health and Care Elisabet Lann stated in an interpellation debate that the government during the current mandate period will not take the initiative to review the legislation with the aim of making it more difficult to change legal gender.

The government is, however, following the investigation and the implementation of the law with full force.

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Mikael Oscarsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Everyone here in the chamber probably remembers that the debate was massive and that experts warned against exactly this, but unfortunately, people did not listen. Now it turns out, just over half a year after the introduction, that there are major problems. These are what Strömmer now wants to rectify, including the fact that criminals can very smoothly change their identity when they need to. When it comes to the children, many may move forward and undergo medical procedures, but no research shows that these children and young people are doing better.

When will the government's review arrive?

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Jämställdhetsministern Nina Larsson (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the follow-up question.

This legislation aims to provide a small and vulnerable group with much better opportunities for self-realization. A broader issue of freedom for these specific individuals cannot be found.

But it is of course so that where legislation is abused, regardless of which legislation it is, the government is willing to close the loopholes. We are, of course, following the investigation and will return.

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Cecilia Rönn (L)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson.

The government is well aware that Sweden's long-term growth is crucial, and therefore, early in the mandate period, the Productivity Commission was appointed to analyze obstacles to growth and submit proposals for reforms that can strengthen Sweden's competitiveness. Productivity is, after all, crucial for real wages, tax revenues, and the financing of the welfare system. Many inquiries, however, risk becoming shelf-warmers and not being translated into concrete policy.

Now the growth forecast has improved, and Sweden is expected to land at the top of the EU, which is important and good.

Can the Minister for Finance elaborate on how she sees the government best translating the Productivity Commission's work into concrete measures that can, in the long term, boost Sweden's growth even further?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Cecilia Rönn for the question.

Right from the first day of this job, it has been important for me to do what is required for Sweden and the Swedish economy to be better tomorrow, but also in 10, 20, and 30 years, and as the member says, it is central that the economy can grow. We were quick to appoint the commission because productivity is an important factor for growth, and the government has, in its budgets, implemented several of the proposals in the first partial report.

There is, however, much more to proceed with, which we are working on now and want to continue working on moving forward. There is, for example, much more to do regarding the public sector, digitalization, and AI. It is about using the money in an even better way so that we get more out of every krona. It is also about regulatory simplifications and permit processes. Here we have taken many important steps, but there is much left to do.

We base much of what we do on the Productivity Commission.

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Cecilia Rönn (L)

Madam Speaker! I agree that it is important to use tax money in the best way.

The Productivity Commission also points out that stronger drivers for education, work, and competence are crucial for a country's growth and development. Therefore, it is good that the government has continued to lower marginal taxes and in every budget invested in both school and adult education and additionally moved forward with a historic research proposal.

But we are still a country that stands out with very high income taxes. Can the Minister for Finance imagine continuing to lower the marginal taxes?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the follow-up question.

It is quite true that the government, in one of its budgets, lowered the marginal taxes. But the tax can still be over 50 percent on an earned hundred kronor, and I think that is unreasonable.

Sometimes it sounds in the debate as if those who earn the most do not pay that much tax, but they obviously pay very much more tax because we have progressive taxation. We know that it can hinder growth.

Lowering the marginal tax as we did is absolutely a matter that is possible to return to. One can also lower, for example, the corporate tax so that more companies and jobs are created in Sweden.

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Monica Haider (S)

Madam Speaker! My colleague Niklas Karlsson did not receive an answer to his question regarding how much the Finance Minister has received in tax cuts each month. I note that the Finance Minister is not keen to talk about her own tax cut or what advice she would give to those who cannot pay their electricity bill this month.

I want to ask: How does the Finance Minister justify the tax cut for herself and other high-income earners at the same time as people are finding it increasingly difficult? Is it really a reasonable priority?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! I believe one should be very careful with the truth, and I shall be. We have lowered taxes many times, both during the Alliance years, in opposition, and now, but I have never lowered the tax for my own sake. I have lowered the tax so that hard-working people can keep more money in their pockets.

I am of the opinion that one should never collect more tax than is required. One can reprioritize and change, and that is what we have done. I have, ten times here in the Riksdag, been involved in lowering the tax for nursing assistants, bus drivers, and payroll administrators. The Social Democrats have voted against it the vast majority of the time.

Fundamentally, I will not give people advice, but one must know that we have fought inflation, which stood at 10 percent when I took office. It was a poison for the Swedish people. Those who fought and toiled at work saw that their entire wages began to be eroded and that they did not get as much in the shopping bag when they shopped.

We have lowered the taxes for those who work, and we have lowered the fuel prices. Now we are lowering the food VAT and the preschool fee. These are some of the many things we do to make life easier for people. I do not have this job for my own sake.

(Applause)

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Charlotte Quensel (SD)

Madam Speaker! Much can be said about the EU's management of Sweden's fee, but one problem that does not receive much attention is the EU's rapid steps toward becoming a debt union. In 2021, the common debt was approximately 240 billion euro. Today, we can add 800 billion euro to that sum. Sweden's share of this debt is significant, which ultimately reduces our economic space here at home.

Right now, the upcoming long-term budget is being negotiated, and it is a strength that the Tidö parties agree that we shall not approve the Commission's proposal for yet another enormous debt. My question to the Minister for Finance is: Can we be confident that she will pursue this position after we, hopefully, have won the election, regardless of what the Commission pressures Sweden with?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Charlotte Quensel, for an important question!

It is a long and very difficult process. I completely share the view that indebtedness in general is a real nuisance. The global indebtedness worries me more than the tariffs, even though they are very harmful. Many of Europe's countries are highly indebted. It risks becoming much worse now when one, for example, builds a stronger defense capability, but there are many other challenges that we also face.

In this budget negotiation, we are nine countries, several of which are large, who normally might not agree on the long-term budget but who have decided that we shall work together even if we do not agree on everything. We do this because we see that the budget that the commission has proposed must be trimmed down significantly. We work step by step together with those countries. It is a task that will continue for a long time.

I completely share Charlotte Quensel's view that there is a great risk that it will spiral out of control. We will work hard every day for what the Riksdag also agrees on: that we shall keep the fee down and that we shall get as much as possible out of every penny.

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Ilona Szatmári Waldau (V)

Madam Speaker! Recent statistics from SCB show that the number of Swedes in social and material poverty has doubled in five years, to 730,000 people. Last year, it was estimated that 276,000 children lived in economic vulnerability, with parents who could not afford to eat their fill or buy nutritious food. A mother testifies that she lets the children go to school even if they are a little sick so that they can eat there.

The food costs for a family with two children have increased by 2,800 kronor per month over three years. At the same time, the child allowance has not been increased since 2018.

We are in agreement across party lines on lowering the tax on food, but it is not enough. Support for families with children must also increase. Instead, the government intends to introduce subsidy caps and rules that further deepen child poverty and children's vulnerability.

My question to the Minister for Finance is short and simple: If and when will the child allowance be increased?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Ilona Szatmári Waldau, for the question!

The short answer is that many things can be done to make it easier for families with children, and that is what we have done. I know that many on the left side only stick to the child allowance. I do not rule out that it will need to be increased or that it will be increased, but fundamentally it is about many other things that we can do to support families.

As I mentioned earlier, one must not forget what it is that has made us and many other countries and citizens around the world poorer, namely the high inflation. When it was double-digit, prices and costs developed at an enormous rate that was a poison for every person in Sweden, especially for those who already had a tight economy. We had to push and bring that poison down, and I am very happy that we have done so.

We have also supported by, for example, raising the ceiling for the housing allowance. It had not been raised since 1997. We will also very soon lower the preschool fee. It is we who are submitting proposals for lowered food prices. We will continue to do what is required to support hard-working people.

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Anders Ådahl (C)

Madam Speaker! ”Young people should see entrepreneurship as a natural way forward early on.” So wrote Vice Prime Minister Ebba Busch in Expressen this week. It shall become easier to transition from a UF-company to a regular company. Good. The Center Party agrees with that ambition.

At the same time, Simona Mohamsson's department proposes that the concept of entrepreneurship should be removed from the introductory and overarching parts of the curriculum. Ung Företagsamhet calls the proposal a threat to their existence.

I want to ask Simona Mohamsson: How does this fit together? Is it the same dissonance within the government in this issue as in the issue of AI? On one hand, there is a great ambition that Sweden should become a world leader in AI, but on the other hand, there is a school policy that leads to the digital competence among today's school students decreasing?

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Utbildnings- och integrationsministern Simona Mohamsson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Anders, for the question! It is incredibly important.

We have a fundamental problem in school today: that children and young people do not have sufficient knowledge to manage the rest of their schooling. There are children who cannot read properly, who cannot write properly, and who also cannot calculate properly.

In the major change we are making to Swedish school policy, it is absolutely crucial that children learn the basics. Therefore, we are revising the curricula so that they focus on precisely the children's basics and so that it becomes clear what children should learn and when. This also includes entrepreneurship. I believe it is good that it does not stand in the introductory parts of the curricula but will be included in the course plans, because then it becomes clear where and when students should learn the entrepreneurial.

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

Annika Hirvonen (MP)

Madam Speaker! I have a question for Education Minister Simona Mohamsson.

In three weeks, Tabitha will be deported from Sweden. She dreamed of applying for the ambulance nursing program in the autumn, after she has graduated from high school, but she is one of those who are now being deported as teenagers from their families and from their dreams in Sweden because the legislation has changed.

We hear that a new valve is to come, but her life and future dreams risk being smashed to pieces if the government does not quickly come forward with a stop law for teenage deportations that can apply until a new valve is in place.

I want to ask Simona Mohamsson, who commented on this yesterday: Why does she see a contradiction between these proposals?

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

Utbildnings- och integrationsministern Simona Mohamsson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Annika, for the question!

I cannot comment on individual cases, but generally, Sweden does not deport children without their parents or if a structured reception cannot be ensured.

The current rules are a consequence of legislative changes that the previous government implemented. While we are keen on having a system that is uniform, predictable, and legally secure, we are aware that the current rules can create problems for diligent people and families who have come here and who follow the rules and do the right thing. It is therefore this issue that we are looking at, and we hope to find a sustainable, fair, and long-term solution.

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

Helena Bouveng (M)

Madam Speaker! As we have all become aware over the recent years, the security situation in our Baltic Sea has significantly deteriorated, with an increased risk of hybrid operations against underwater infrastructure, shipping, and coastal facilities. The incidents of recent years, whether intentional or unintentional, truly underscore the need for security in the Baltic Sea.

Therefore, Madam Speaker, I would like to ask Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin: What is the government doing to strengthen the critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea?

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

Minister för civilt försvar Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Helena Bouveng, for the question!

Helena Bouveng hits the nail on the head regarding a very pressing issue, namely strengthening the protection around critical infrastructure. In recent years, we have seen an increased frequency of incidents that have led to critical infrastructure, for example on the seabed, being damaged.

Today, the government has been able to announce that we have tasked the Coast Guard to be the national contact point for the Finnish initiative aimed at bringing together the authorities from the different countries around the Baltic Sea in order to be able to share information and have a better situational awareness and therefore also be able to intervene faster against this type of incidents.

Sweden has become better at this. We have shortened the time to intervene, which has meant that we have been able to prosecute more of these incidents. But it is a task that we must continue to ramp up, and we do so, among other things, through today's announcement.

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

Larry Söder (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is directed to the Minister for Finance.

Now that the government has lowered taxes for ordinary people and lowered the food VAT so that people will have a bit easier time managing their finances, it would not be fair if the municipalities uninhibitedly raised their fees.

Over the last 24 years, the municipal price index has increased by 60 percent, but the municipal fees have increased by 120 percent. It is unacceptable that this is allowed to continue.

We Christian Democrats have proposed more transparency in how fees are calculated, a productivity deduction that is made in many other operations, and a building permit norm that specifies what should be included in the fee.

My question to the Minister is: What is the Minister's opinion on the municipalities' unbridled fee increases in light of the government's work to provide economic relief for the residents?

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

Jämställdhetsministern Nina Larsson (L)

Madam Speaker! The work is divided such that it is I who answer the general political questions. This is my ministerial colleague Erik Slottner's area.

I thank the member for an excellent question that truly highlights a pressing direction in the situation that Sweden and Europe find themselves in now. That we can keep fees down and ensure that the taxes and fees that we collect are managed as efficiently as possible is absolutely crucial.

I believe that this is something that we on the government's side are working to follow up on and push for. It is also an important area for municipalities, regions and other authorities.

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

Arber Gashi (S)

Madam Speaker! I would like to ask a question about the increasing poverty in Sweden.

According to the new statistics from SCB, 729,000 people live in material and social poverty and over 400,000 people in severe poverty. We have seen a dramatic increase during recent years, during the time this government has been in power.

One must say one thing about our Finance Minister, and that is that she has made it her own motto that it must start to pay off to earn 125,000 kronor a month. People who earn what the Finance Minister earns, over 160,000 kronor a month, have been able to see tax cuts of 6,000 kronor a month.

My question is therefore very simple: Was it the right priority, Finance Minister, to lower the tax?

(Applause)

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

Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Arber Gashi, for the question!

Sweden and many other countries around Europe and the rest of the world have experienced a very tough time because inflation has been very high. It has, as I have said, eroded people's wallets. One has received much less for the money, and if one lives in, for example, a rental apartment, the fees have gone up. The person who has worked and perhaps had a low or average income has generally not received compensation for that. The person who has received benefits has received it.

That is why it has been important to lower the tax for everyone. On one occasion – perhaps the member remembers – we also froze the breakpoint to ensure that everyone would get to benefit from the tax cut.

I know that our two parties view this issue differently. But SCB's measurement, which must be taken very seriously, is about perceived poverty.

These years have truly tested us. That is why it is so important to continue to strengthen households. That is why it is so important to ensure that taxes are not raised for ordinary people, but instead are eased and lowered.

Here in Stockholm, the Social Democrats have now for two years in a row raised the tax for those who have it toughest.

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

Leonid Yurkovskiy (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is directed to the Minister for Education and Integration, Simona Mohamsson, regarding the issue of integration.

There was a time in Sweden when it was believed that we could take in as many people as we wanted, completely without preconditions. It turned out not to work.

Then we came to a time when it was believed that all cultures are compatible with one another. All integration problems will be solved as long as the people in question enter employment. That misconception has also contributed to many of the problems that we see today.

Just because one comes to Sweden to work does not mean that one learns the language. It does not mean that one adopts basic norms and values. It also does not mean that one succeeds in keeping away from the segregation that the other parties have built up over a very long time.

Together within Tidö, we have managed to address a great deal in the area of migration. But I hope that the minister and I also agree that we need to draw a red line against a failed, or at least irresponsible, labor migration.

Therefore, I ask: What active measures are being taken to integrate specifically labor migrants?

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

Utbildnings- och integrationsministern Simona Mohamsson (L)

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

We have an incredibly large integration debt in Sweden. We have over 175,000 children and young people who risk living in exclusion, not learning the Swedish language, not passing school, and not getting a job.

This government is now shifting from an integration policy that has been characterized by anxiety, pure gut feeling and guesswork to an integration policy characterized by very clear facts on the table. It is also why this government has made major investments, among other things, in measuring values so that we can then make concrete interventions.

For me as Minister for Integration, it is clear that integration should be about three parts. It is about language, it is about school, and it is about values. That is how one gets a clear picture of what obligations one has in Sweden but also what opportunities one has. It is a perfect map into Swedish society.

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

Jan Riise (MP)

Madam Speaker! My question also goes to Minister for Education and Integration Simona Mohamsson but concerns a completely different subject.

A few days ago, we received the government's AI strategy and the associated appendix Action Plan for Sweden's AI Strategy.

It has been just over a year since we received the AI Commission's Roadmap for Sweden. Not much was said about education there, even though the need was clearly underscored. In the AI strategy, however, there are quite a few words on this, for example, a critical approach and media and information literacy. But for the lower grades, it is still mostly the analog material that applies.

My question concerns the action plan. There is, in fact, nothing of this in it. What plan does the government have for how this strategy can be realized in the school area and what resources are to be allocated for that?

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

Utbildnings- och integrationsministern Simona Mohamsson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the question! That we give all children and young people the right conditions for the rest of their lives in school is absolutely crucial.

We know that in many respects, Sweden unfortunately shows in international rankings as using more screens and digital aids, but despite that, one is worse at precisely those digital aids.

I think this shows very clearly where we in previous policy have gone wrong. We have distributed screens, we have had phones in the classrooms and we have not focused on the fundamental things that children and young people need to have, namely a real book and paper and pen.

I am pleased that this government is now changing Sweden's screen policy and that we ensure that from this autumn onwards, the screens in preschool and the phones in primary school are removed. I believe that it will be absolutely crucial that we give children the right foundations in school so that they can manage in life.

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Gustaf Göthberg (M)

Madam Speaker! I arrived in Stockholm this morning after visiting war-torn Kyiv. The purpose of the visit was, on the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, to do what I could to show Swedish support for Ukraine's right to its integrity, democracy, and the opportunity to make its own decisions about its future. It has been four years since the full-scale invasion began. Ukraine is entering its fifth year of war.

We also remember how the debate could sound in Sweden during the full-scale invasion in 2022. Vänsterpartiet voted no to the first weapons delivery to Ukraine, and Magdalena Andersson had difficulty calling it an invasion on the day of the full-scale invasion. Much has happened.

I want to ask Carl-Oskar Bohlin: How is Sweden working to support Ukraine, particularly regarding civil defense? What have we done, and what more can we do to support and help them?

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

Minister för civilt försvar Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member Göthberg, for an important question! The answer is that Sweden continues to support Ukraine precisely as long as is required. We continue to give Ukraine the strength to secure a better position at the negotiating table as a result of our extensive military support, our humanitarian support, and our support within the civil parts of the total defense area.

In the latest support package, there is also a part for civil total defense components, where part of the support is channeled via the Coast Guard. We have also previously reinforced with protective equipment in the CBRN area. We continue to do this so that Ukraine can secure as good a position as possible at the negotiating table.

We want peace, but we want peace on Ukrainian terms.

(Applause)

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

Ida Ekeroth Clausson (S)

Madam Speaker! I would like to begin by saying, in reference to what the previous questioner said, that we do indeed stand united in the Swedish Riksdag regarding the support for Ukraine.

In recent years, I have many times discussed the households' worrying economy with the Minister for Finance. Now we have seen that the Fiscal Policy Council and the Swedish National Audit Office also criticize the government's economic policy. They argue that the reforms to get more people into jobs and increase growth are ineffective.

Inequality in Sweden has increased. The number of poor people has increased dramatically, and many cannot afford to pay for food or the high electricity bills.

Therefore, I ask: Will the Finance Minister in the upcoming spring budget include any measures to get more people into jobs or for those people who are struggling and who cannot make ends meet?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Ida Ekeroth Clausson, for the question about jobs!

There are far too many in Sweden who have been hidden and forgotten in unemployment for too long and who are not self-sufficient. It naturally concerns important parts such as education, language, and many other things. However, it is also about that many have been institutionalized in unemployment, that is to say that one has been unemployed for so long without receiving support and help that one has become stuck.

We are now carrying out a major subsidy reform that Sweden should have put in place a long time ago. Part of it concerns activity requirements. It might sound quite academic or boring, but it is about the fact that one must be active if one receives social assistance and has the capacity to work. One must attend a training program, get closer to the labor market, or have an internship. Today, that is actually not the case.

It is a matter of it being reasonable to have some kind of counter-performance when one takes part in the common, but for me, it is primarily about women in vulnerable areas getting into jobs. Far too many children never see their parents go to work.

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Ann-Christine Frohm (SD)

Madam Speaker! The Authority for Psychological Defense will during the election year conduct a nationwide educational campaign based on a textbook that has been developed in cooperation with Lund University. In it, with reference to material that is 15 years old or older, it is insinuated that both my own party and Minister Bohlins party have deliberately spread disinformation and propaganda. At the same time, information regarding other parliamentary parties is omitted, and impartiality and objectivity can therefore be questioned.

I therefore want to ask the Minister if he considers the agency's educational material to be appropriate in relation to the constitution and does not constitute a threat to our domestic democracy.

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Minister för civilt försvar Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Ann-Christine Frohm, for this attention, one might call it.

I am not familiar with this from before and simply have to take the question back and study what is being claimed here in the chamber. It sounds, in many ways, alarming.

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Alexandra Anstrell (M)

Madam Speaker! The Government is now allocating quite a few extra millions during 2026 to voluntary defense organizations – in addition to the previous increases – to meet the high level of engagement. The funds are intended to be used for recruitment, defense information, and training to strengthen the total defense.

My question is addressed to the Minister for Civil Defence. What expectations does the Minister have of the 18 voluntary defence organisations, and how is it monitored that the desired goal is achieved?

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

Minister för civilt försvar Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Alexandra Anstrell, for an important question! The simple answer is, of course, that the expectations for the voluntary defense organizations are high. I also want to say that one rarely has reason to be disappointed there. We get a great deal of capability for the money given to the voluntary defense organizations, and they perform an indispensable important work in the total defense.

In recent years, we have also seen that more and more voluntary defense organizations are signing agreements with authorities and others to fulfill tasks in the respective authority's war organization. That is good.

With that said, we must, of course, constantly follow up to ensure that we get value for money when it comes to investments in the total defense. There, among other things, the Agency for Total Defense Analysis fulfills an important function in addition to the work carried out in MSB's capability follow-up and, of course, in the Ministry of Defence.

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Jytte Guteland (S)

Madam Speaker! I note that the Minister for Finance is uncomfortable speaking about the tax cuts she has granted herself and other very highly paid citizens. At the same time, the Minister for Finance leaves behind the largest budget deficit in 30 years, saddles future generations with debt, and ensures that the room for reform for future governments will be minimal. This is morally reprehensible.

During a previous interpellation debate, the Finance Minister also did not want to discuss the distribution policy and why families with children should have it so difficult. Single mothers drink tea to manage and get energy when they do not have money for food. At the same time, the Finance Minister receives large tax cuts. The Finance Minister referred this to other ministers.

Therefore, I ask the question here today: What does the Minister for Finance want to do to reduce child poverty and ensure that one can afford those rubber boots? What is the advice to mothers who are struggling? Is it to vote for the Social Democrats?

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

Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the question, Jytte Guteland!

I think that what one should do is to listen carefully to the parties and see if they are telling the truth or hiding behind something.

I stand up for everything we have done to make things easier for families and hard-working people. We have fought inflation and are now working a lot on long-term growth, so that the next generation will also have prosperity.

Jytte Guteland is talking about the deficit. I think it would be good if every single Social Democrat went back and looked at what their budgets look like. They have, therefore, stood behind the defense investments, investments in infrastructure, and much more. And they have almost exactly the same deficit. Also remember that just over half of it is money going to Ukraine and defense.

I would wish for a bit more honesty and less political games. I stand by my politics. But the Social Democrats do not seem to stand by theirs.

(Applause)

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Anders Alftberg (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Education and Integration, Simona Mohamsson.

In my hometown Borås, we see a frightening development. The police are now warning that the gangs in areas such as Norrby and Hässleholmen are recruiting children as young as nine years old.

The school has become a recruitment arena for gang criminals. Teachers in Borås testify to a total powerlessness. They see the signs: double phones for drug trafficking and open recruitment. But they are hindered by an outdated secrecy. A principal has no idea which threats he is letting into the classroom.

Children's safety must take precedence over the criminals' privacy. The Sweden Democrats demand that the wall of secrecy between school and police be completely torn down. When will the bill on absolute duty of disclosure be presented, so that we can protect the children in Borås and in the rest of Sweden?

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Utbildnings- och integrationsministern Simona Mohamsson (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the important question!

It is crucial that the school is not a place that gangs can use in their recruitment. It is also why the government is making a major reorganization, ranging from a completely new Social Services Act, which is to be about precisely disseminating information, to reinforcements and investments in school social teams that are to catch and try to bring back the student and the child who may be drifting away.

Perhaps most importantly is that we ensure that those people who today are gang criminals and commit crimes are behind bars. Then the police can work preventatively together with social services and the school.

I believe it is a completely decisive policy to get rid of those who destroy and who instill fear in entire areas and to ensure that, as early as possible, children are protected from the gangs' claws.

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Pontus Andersson Garpvall (SD)

Madam Speaker! Schools shall convey knowledge and Swedish democratic values. Despite this, we see that conflicts from the outside world and anti-democratic ideologies are moving into our classrooms. The Swedish National Agency for Education's report on antisemitism in schools shows that hatred and threats can gain momentum in connection with the Israel–Palestine conflict and that students and staff sometimes encounter conspiracy theories and pressure.

The Sweden Democrats warn particularly against political Islamism that exerts influence through schools and community life. This requires clear national guidelines, mandatory incident reporting, and strong support for principals to reject propaganda and to report to the police when necessary.

What concrete measures does the government intend to take to detect and stop Islamist and anti-democratic influence in schools and to ensure that mobilization linked to the Palestine movement does not lead to antisemitism, hate, or threats?

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Utbildnings- och integrationsministern Simona Mohamsson (L)

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

I am very concerned about the reports of increased intolerance among young people, not least in schools. There, antisemitism has become an increasingly common feature, and teachers sometimes feel that they do not quite know how to manage and push back against it. Skolverket has also pointed this out previously.

That is why the government has made and continues to make important efforts to combat anti-Semitic and intolerant attitudes among young people, including through an initiative directed to the Segersted Institute to increase knowledge of effective methods against anti-Semitism. I believe that knowledge and competence development among teachers and school staff is crucial.

We have also given a mandate to the Forum for Living History to work on strengthening democratic and tolerant values among children and young people.

Intolerance has no place in our schools.

(Applause)

Question time was hereby concluded.

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