Question Time

TREDJE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered today by Minister for Defence Pål Jonson, Minister for Migration Johan Forssell, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa, and Minister for Health and Care Elisabet Lann.

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 performance of duties. The question shall therefore not concern, for example, conditions within political parties. Minister of Defence Pål Jonson answers both general political questions and questions within his own area of responsibility.

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Karin Sundin (S)

Madam Speaker! During the past weeks, we have heard staff from the maternity care in Skåne describe the consequences of tough savings. The staff do not have time to take breaks, and they do not have time to do their jobs either. Patients ring the bell without anyone coming, and bloody sheets are not changed. Furthermore, the newborns are wiped with the paper that is cheap instead of with the soft, but more expensive, washcloths.

It is a description that leaves few untouched, but the government went on the counteroffensive. The Minister for Culture was the most creative and used AI to prove that the staff were lying, which became quite embarrassing when the staff and the media could prove that it actually was as they had described it.

The question therefore goes to the Minister for Health and Social Affairs. Does she think it is the government's task to question the staff who alert about deficiencies in care, or does she think it is the government's task to listen and, if necessary, take action?

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Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! I think it is very good when healthcare personnel testify about what it is like in healthcare and that politicians should listen to that. The answer to the question is therefore that the role of politics is not to question it.

However, I think it is problematic when staff and healthcare are used as a punching bag in a political debate in a dishonest way, which is the case here. The Social Democrats are painting a scare picture of the situation regarding maternity care in Sweden, even though they themselves made much larger cuts to that budget item when they were in power. This was done in a time when there were approximately 17,000 more births in Sweden and a real maternity crisis.

I think this is a question that deserves respect and honesty. That is my answer.

(Applause)

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Karin Sundin (S)

Madam Speaker! The government is therefore taking the staff seriously. That is good. The government also speaks of state grants. That is also good.

When one reads the government's budget, it is clear in black and white that it is saving. Last year, the regions received 1.6 billion in targeted state grants for maternal healthcare, childbirth care, and girls' and women's health. This year it is 1 billion, which means 600 million kronor less. How can the Minister for Health and Social Affairs defend the fact that she is saving on childbirth care at the same time as the staff cannot keep up?

(Applause)

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Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! It is important to remind that it is the regions that are responsible for financing their healthcare. The state grants are for developing the care. This grant has been short-term, I was about to say – it has constantly been one-year or over a few years. It has therefore not been a framework increase.

When the Social Democrats were in power, they first cut by 200 million, and the year after they cut by 600 million. This occurred during a maternity crisis in Sweden when approximately 17,000 more children were born. 17,000 normal births cost approximately 680 million kronor.

(Applause)

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Leonid Yurkovskiy (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question also goes to Minister for Health and Social Affairs Elisabet Lann.

The government has during this mandate period allocated approximately 25 billion kronor to specifically shorten the healthcare queues. The conditional state grants commit the regions to actually prioritize the healthcare queues, and this has now yielded results across the entire country.

Different regions, however, use the support to varying degrees. As an example, we have the Social Democratic-led Region Stockholm: It is the only region where the healthcare queues seem to be increasing right now – while at the same time it has a large surplus and fails to bring home this support that we offer from the state level. This naturally raises questions about which regions actually use the resources well and what the need for state support looks like going forward.

Therefore, my question to the Minister is whether she can possibly provide an overall picture of how the regions have utilized the targeted state grants to shorten the healthcare queues.

(Applause)

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Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! These 25 billion have been distributed in several ways. Not all are directed at specific measures, but it is only during the last two years that we have had these funds – 1 billion last year and 750 million this year – which are directed at specific one-off measures.

We can see that the regions' utilization of these funds differs very much, and there Stockholm stands out: Although one in five women waits illegally long to receive a hip replacement in the Stockholm region, the region uses only 10 percent of the state support. Looking across the country, we see that the number of those who wait illegally long for specifically hip replacements has decreased by 66 percent.

It is unfortunate that not all regions use this support, but for example, Gotland uses 100 percent. Jämtland uses 100 percent, and Skåne uses 80 percent. There are therefore many regions that are good at utilizing this support to shorten their queues and increase accessibility. Some, however, are significantly worse.

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Leonid Yurkovskiy (SD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the clarification.

The natural follow-up question is what we do with the regions that do not utilize this opportunity and where patients are actually affected as a result, despite the good conditions. It concerns 21 regions, which actually means 21 potential sources of error in this case. Now, we have had a healthcare guarantee that in many cases has been ignored in practice, and I know that we are submitting sharp proposals to tighten the time limits and perhaps introduce economic sanctions. But what do we do with the regions that do not utilize this opportunity?

(Applause)

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Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! Just what the questioner mentions here at the end are such things that we look at in order to be able to put additional pressure on the regions. In addition to putting pressure on the regions, we have invited them to a dialogue on how we should use these funds better. They have been asked to submit requests regarding which areas would be suitable for this type of state grant. This has been part of the dialogue. Despite some claiming otherwise in debate articles, the regions have been involved in developing this way of working.

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Karin Rågsjö (V)

Madam Speaker! My question is directed to Minister Lann.

The government presented figures two weeks ago on how much the healthcare queues have decreased during the mandate period, i.e., the reduction in the number of people waiting in the healthcare queue between the first visit and operation or treatment within specialist care. We have looked at this, and between January 2023 and January 2026, the number decreased by 8.9 percent. Between October 2022 and January 2026, the number decreased by 13 percent. It is a significantly smaller reduction than the 28 percent that the government presented to the media at the press conference.

One reason why the government's figures were wrong, or at least misleading, is that they excluded nine regions from the statistics. If one includes all regions and looks at the same period that the government did before its press conference, one will therefore arrive at different figures. Our figures come from SKR.

I really wonder: Why did the minister choose to present figures that do not hold up all the way?

(Applause)

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Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! We use an established statistical measure where one adjusts for seasonal variations. We have therefore moved away from picking individual months as it suits us, as that gives a very misleading picture. It is important to adjust for seasonal variations, so that the citizens get a fair picture of the trends and where they are heading.

The reason we do not include the nine regions that are changing journal systems is that the figures are not reliable. It is not consistently about regions that have problems. Well-managed regions – if I may put it a bit loosely – with good results in measurements, for example Halland, are among those changing journal systems. It would, however, be misleading to use statistics when there is no reliable data. This has been a problem previously.

Now Socialstyrelsen is taking over the management of these data. What we report still comes from SKR, but we do not report the figures for those who change journal systems. They say themselves that the figures are not reliable in this situation.

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Karin Rågsjö (V)

Madam Speaker! The government is therefore using data that excludes the regions that have changed or are changing their journal systems. It is possible to obtain those figures. The nine regions in question are Blekinge, Dalarna, Gävleborg, Halland, Norrbotten, Sörmland, Västerbotten, Västernorrland and Örebro. In this way, you avoid including them; some of these regions actually had quite poor figures.

It is very misleading to say that the healthcare queues have decreased by 28 percent. We think it is very good that they are decreasing, but it would be great to have figures that everyone can stand behind.

(Applause)

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Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! The important thing is that we use the same measures all the time. We cannot use information that is unreliable because one is changing journal systems and does not have their figures in order.

These nine regions are also excluded from the figures from 2022. We are therefore using the same regions all the time. That is how we can see that the number of patients who have to wait illegally long has decreased by 28 percent. We also see that the number of interventions has increased by over 40,000.

(Applause)

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Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)

Madam Speaker! The Government claims that they have stopped the deportations of teenagers. We can, however, state that they have not done so – the deportations of teenagers continue. I can mention Donya and Darya, for example; I have their decisions here in my hand.

The Minister for Migration says that people like Donya and Darya, who are in war-torn Iran, can apply to come back, but the reality is that they are rejected when they apply. It is not about this specific case but about the general regulatory framework. The reason they are rejected is that they have family here in Sweden and that there are other reasons why they would want to come to Sweden than that they are going to study. Of course there are other reasons! They want to return to the family that the Tidö government has deported them from.

How does the Minister for Migration intend to ensure that all the teenagers whom the government has deported are given the opportunity to return when they apply, so that this does not just become a slogan from the government to make it sound a bit better when people are deported?

(Applause)

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Migrationsministern Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Niels Paarup-Petersen, for the question!

This is legislation that a decision was made on in full political agreement in 2016. The Center Party stood behind it. The Center Party then had six years to come up with a permanent solution but did not succeed with that. Interest seems to have awakened a few weeks ago after the media started writing about this.

From the government's side, we have acted in a different way. We already began during last year to develop a permanent solution for this group of hardworking young people. It is clear that they should be able to complete their upper secondary school. It is clear that they should be able to build a future here. With that said, it is naturally also the case that they must then have a residence permit in Sweden. They must work or study.

We are working with high pressure to develop a permanent solution. I can also state that the Swedish Migration Agency has chosen to pause the processing of cases pending this.

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Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)

Madam Speaker! I can only state that it was in 2023 that the sensitive reasons were removed. It was the Tidö government, together with the Social Democrats, who made it so that these people were not given a chance to stay. That is what I want to say.

The question here is: Are they allowed to come back? The government is not looking at the regulatory framework right now. As an applicant, one is rejected because they have family here and because there are other reasons for wanting to come to Sweden than to study or work. The government is not looking at just this.

Therefore, I ask again whether the government really wants to do anything about this situation.

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Migrationsministern Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! As I have said, we are working with high pressure on this. I would, of course, wish that we had not been in this situation. I wish that there had been a permanent solution already six years ago. I note that the Swedish Migration Agency says that the change that Niels Paarup-Petersen mentioned has had an unclear significance for this group. The Swedish Migration Agency also says that the number of teenage deportations has gone down.

I can give a clear statement: We will not adopt any high school laws that lack legal certainty. We will not have any amnesties. We will not significantly increase the asylum migration to Sweden, as that would worsen our chances of succeeding with integration. On that point, Niels Paarup-Petersen and I likely differ completely.

(Applause)

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Malte Tängmark Roos (MP)

Madam Speaker! Many of us have reacted to the reports of major cuts to maternity care in my hometown of Malmö over the past few weeks. Healthcare in Region Skåne, and in several other regions in Sweden, has run with multi-billion kronor deficits for several years. Major savings on both staff and the work environment are being implemented right now at the hospitals, including at BB in Malmö. The reason is that the government has not provided enough state subsidies to the regions and that the local Tidö government has refused to raise the regional tax to compensate for the deficit.

This week, the government also announced that they want to penalize municipalities and regions that raise taxes in the future. My question to the Minister for Health and Social Affairs therefore becomes: How will regions in Sweden be able to provide a functioning healthcare system for the citizens if they do not receive enough money from the state or through tax revenues to finance it?

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Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! How municipalities and regions should be able to raise taxes to put money on unnecessary things, so to speak, is a question that is being prepared.

It is crystal clear that the healthcare mandate is the responsibility of the regions. They have the right to tax in order to finance their healthcare.

The problems in Region Skåne are not new, but they have existed for a very long time and also under previous governments. It is difficult for the region to get its finances in order, but it is heading in the right direction. I also want to mention that Region Skåne is the region that has succeeded best in shortening the queues – significantly better than other regions. Furthermore, they have significantly reduced the dependence on agency staff.

So, really great things are happening in Region Skåne, but I think it is difficult to discuss individual regions in this forum.

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Malte Tängmark Roos (MP)

Madam Speaker! Now, the savings in Region Skåne have been significantly smaller because the budget has not been achieved. A deficit of several billion has been incurred over several years.

My question is: How are the regions to be able to finance healthcare if they are not to be allowed to raise taxes? This is, as the Minister stated, admittedly a matter that is being prepared, but the government has expressed the ambition that the regions and municipalities shall be punished if they raise taxes. How are they to finance healthcare if they do not receive enough money?

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Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! Just this investigation is a matter that does not lie on my desk. The intention of the investigation is that regions and municipalities should not be able to waste tax funds or neglect their core activities and their core mandate. This is, again, a matter that lies outside my department and the issue of healthcare. We do know, however, because we have investigated the question of the regions' responsibilities, that the long-term financing is a real challenge for the regions with the system we have.

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Peter Ollén (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa.

The Minister has been very committed to the successful export from the Swedish video game industry. Most recently, we had the privilege of having the Minister visit Malmö to meet one of the companies where 95 percent of the sales occur in countries other than Sweden.

There are few cultural activities that bridge differences as much as sports and gaming. We see how other countries heavily subsidize to support the industry and distort competition. Help is needed here to stop a harmful development in an industry that can very well stand on its own feet.

My question to the Minister is therefore: What can you, as Minister for Foreign Trade, contribute to ensure that Swedish video game exports can continue to grow?

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Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the question.

The Swedish video game industry is one of the industries that is growing absolutely fastest, which is very pleasing both for me as a gamer and for the Swedish economy through increased tax revenues. It was also a very rewarding visit.

We are doing several different things, and in one way, an evolving company is just like any other company. We are making it simpler and cheaper to run and own companies in Sweden, and we are lowering the employer contributions for young people. The Minister for Migration has also successfully and significantly reduced the processing times for high-skilled labor immigration, from over a hundred days to now approaching two weeks. This is also important for this industry.

I will also be a bit technical. Negotiations are currently ongoing in the WTO where some countries do not want to extend the ban on imposing tariffs on streaming services, including video games. Here, the government is acting to ensure that this ban continues to apply, which is important, above all, for this industry.

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Peter Ollén (M)

Madam Speaker! Is it the Minister's view that Sweden's embassies and consulates are aware to a sufficient extent of the successful Swedish cultural and creative industries and help the companies reach out across the whole world?

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Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

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

We are making a fairly large shift regarding both Business Sweden's and the embassies' work linked to promotion. In the interest of honesty, it probably varies how experienced they are when it comes to this specific industry. But we want more, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to benefit from the fact that the fantastic embassies and ambassadors can connect them with the right people in respective countries, and a major effort is currently underway to make the embassies more commercially oriented.

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Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister of Defence Pål Jonson.

Some time ago, the Social Democrats' prime ministerial candidate stated the following regarding nuclear weapons: "Even today, Europe has nuclear weapons so we can bomb Russia to pieces."

Madam Speaker! One does not need to be particularly knowledgeable in international politics or security policy to understand that this can be perceived as extremely threatening.

I wonder therefore: How has the government reacted to this statement?

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Magnus Jacobsson for the question.

When speaking about nuclear weapons, there is reason to be extra careful to speak both well-informed and thoughtfully.

The Chamber adopted a total defense decision in December 2024, and in it, it states clearly and distinctly that it is the United States' extended nuclear deterrence that makes NATO's nuclear deterrence credible. Europe, therefore, does not have its own capability in that regard.

The second dimension of this also appears in NATO's strategic concept. Nuclear weapons are not held to win wars, but to ensure that there is no war. The fundamental point is that nuclear weapons are for deterrence.

Therefore, there are grounds to criticize the statement.

We are not seeking confrontation in these issues, however, and I note that Magdalena Andersson has said that the Social Democrats are willing to inform themselves better, also linked to the French initiative.

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Magnus Jacobsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! We should perhaps not overestimate Russia's capabilities, as they have neither succeeded against Venezuela, Syria, Iran, nor Ukraine. But we must also not underestimate Russia's capabilities, especially in our immediate vicinity.

My follow-up question is therefore: Does such a statement increase the security threat against Sweden?

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! I shall be careful with the assessment. I urge everyone who discusses nuclear weapons issues to express themselves well-informed, thoughtfully, and quietly rather than noisily. That is why we have also told the opposition that we do not seek confrontation but broad agreements in security and defense policy.

The statement was unfortunate, but I have no need to comment on words. Instead, I welcome that the Social Democrats are open to deepening the dialogue with the government linked to the French initiative in this area.

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Anders Ekegren (L)

Madam Speaker and Minister Forssell! The war in the Persian Gulf risks having far-reaching humanitarian consequences and can, as we have seen in previous conflicts in the region, quickly lead to increased refugee flows to Europe. The experiences from 2015 show how quickly the situation can change and how great demands are then placed on both reception systems as well as border controls and coordination within the EU. Since then, the EU has agreed on a migration pact with coordinated asylum policy, which has probably increased the preparedness.

My question to the Minister is: What concrete preparedness exists in Sweden and within the EU to handle a scenario with significantly increased refugee flows as a result of the conflict in the region?

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Migrationsministern Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Anders Ekegren for the question.

It is correct that the situation is difficult, not only in this area but in a long line of other areas, and we are potentially facing an even more risky situation. Today, it is impossible to know how this will unfold, but what can be done is to have preparedness for different situations.

When the EU's migration ministers recently met, this issue was high on the agenda. It was about both discussing preparedness and exchanging information. It is not always easy to get information about what is happening within Iran, but we can see that many people are coming to Lebanon. So far, we do not see any large refugee flows to Europe, not like we saw ten years ago. One should however know that ten years ago there was a gradual change that then quickly gained momentum. Much can therefore still happen.

We are in close contact with the Swedish Migration Agency and our partners on the EU side and are ready to act.

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Anders Ekegren (L)

Madam Speaker! There are very many people living in Lebanon and Iran, totaling over 100 million. If the refugee flows were to increase very rapidly, does Sweden and the EU then have the capacity to also work very rapidly?

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Migrationsministern Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! We are always ready to work very quickly when necessary. But one must also make the right decisions. For the government, a repetition of what happened ten years ago with the refugee crisis that followed is completely ruled out, as it would make integration impossible.

We are, as said, in close contact and are prepared to act and help create safe areas on site. We can also help in other ways, for example through assistance, to create opportunities to operate in the surrounding area. But we must not have a repetition of the refugee crisis of 2015.

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Linus Sköld (S)

Madam Speaker! My question is directed to Elisabet Lann. She recently received a question from my party colleague regarding the situation in maternity care in Skåne and then gave an answer that made it clear that the staff's testimonies are so difficult for the Minister that she wants to forbid us from using them in the debate. Furthermore, she said that healthcare is a regional responsibility and thus implies that it is her party colleagues in Region Skåne who are to fix this.

I note that the state's single largest expenditure is the state grants to municipalities and regions, which means that the state also has a great responsibility. The government has underfunded the state grants to healthcare throughout the entire mandate period, which has led to this situation.

The question is not what we in S have done wrong or what Elisabet Lann's party comrades in Skåne should do, but the question is what Elisabet Lann will do to stop the strained situation that the staff there testify to.

(Applause)

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Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! I want to begin by protesting the way things are being misinterpreted and lied about. No talk of a ban has taken place here.

I think this is an important issue that deserves an honest debate. If one belongs to a party that, when in power and setting the budget, chooses to cut first 200 million and then 600 million from a maternity care that one claims is so important and should be financed by the state when there are significantly more births and there is a crisis in maternity care, then I think it is problematic if one does not hold that line when in opposition.

We have evaluated this support and see that women's disease burden is not heaviest within these areas. Therefore, we have made certain reprioritizations in the budget. We have added 200 million in new money, for example, to those affected by sexual violence. We are also adding half a billion to cancer, which is becoming the most common cause of death among women. We have thus made certain reprioritizations with a focus on and respect for how important the issue of women's health is.

(Applause)

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Ann-Christine Frohm (SD)

Madam Speaker! According to Openaid, Sweden's aid to Palestine in 2025 amounted to 1.16 billion kronor, which is more than a doubling compared to 2024. This makes Palestine our second-largest recipient after Ukraine.

The government itself has previously pointed out risks linked to Hamas, and therefore parts of the aid were paused for review after the terror attacks in 2023. Sweden has a certain responsibility in humanitarian crises, but Swedish taxpayers also have the right to demand full control, traceability, and accountability.

Madam Speaker! What control measures does the Minister intend to introduce or tighten when the support increases so significantly? Is the Minister prepared to immediately stop funds where there is a risk that the money ends up with Hamas or Hamas-linked structures?

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Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

Madam Speaker! Thanks to the member for the question!

Not a single Swedish tax krona shall end up in the pockets of Islamists or, in the worst cases, in the hands of terrorists. In the name of honesty, we have had far too poor control over where Swedish tax funds end up.

We must have two thoughts in our heads at the same time: on the one hand, ensuring that not a single krona ends up in the wrong place, and on the other hand, helping some of the most vulnerable people on the entire globe, which we can see most clearly right now in Gaza as a concrete example. There is no other place on earth where, for example, more children are amputated than in Gaza.

We primarily use UN organizations that we trust, we have tightened the governance of Sida, and we have also told the agency to apply a precautionary principle. The result of that precautionary principle was that Islamic Relief is no longer receiving support.

We are therefore doing everything we can to ensure that not a single Swedish tax krona ends up in the wrong hands.

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Lotta Johnsson Fornarve (V)

Madam Speaker! The Government has promised to clean up the Swedish aid. No money shall be paid out to organizations that do not meet the standards.

Despite this, the Sweden Democrats' aid organization Hepatica has received millions in aid, even though they, according to Sida, do not meet the requirements in a number of different areas. Today, Dagens Nyheter reveals that Hepatica supports an organization in Brazil that is anti-abortion and opposes sex education in schools.

The support to the Brazilian organization Institute for Conservative Action clearly goes against how Swedish aid is to be used. The regulatory framework states that aid shall go to organizations that support democracy development. It may not go to actors who oppose the rights of women and girls.

To provide support to abortion opponents is not to stand up for the rights of women and girls. Is it not high time to withdraw the support to the Sverigedemokraterna's aid organization Hepatica against that background?

(Applause)

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Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

Madam Speaker! Thanks to the member for the question!

We have changed the system for how party-affiliated aid organizations shall receive funding so that it is based more on the mandates that exist in this chamber. The background to that is that the system was rigged in favor of the Social Democrats so that Olof Palme International Center could, year in and year out, pocket the taxpayers' money.

Now it is over; it shall be the same for everyone. It is the same for everyone in the sense of how the mandates are distributed. It is also the same for everyone in the sense that everyone must follow the rules and the routines that Sida has.

The recently discussed new instruction for Sida also applies, of course, to the Sweden Democrats' aid organization. No money shall go to organizations, including onward transmission to organizations, that for example undermine the rights of women and girls.

It should be equal for everyone, and it is we who have changed that system.

(Applause)

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Anna Lasses (C)

Madam Speaker! After the USA's slaughter of aid, the EU is now the world's largest aid donor. Now – actually just right now – the aid budget is being negotiated ahead of the next long-term budget.

When aid in the world decreases, it is primarily women and children who are hit hardest. We see how equality retreats, while at the same time we know that the most effective way to raise it again is to provide aid that benefits equality and SRHR.

Equality and SRHR are indeed Sweden's niche, and that is also something the government usually asserts. Therefore, my question to the Minister for Development Cooperation is whether the government will push for an earmarking of equality and SRHR in the EU's development aid for the coming seven years.

(Applause)

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Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

Madam Speaker! Thanks to the member for the question!

We share the commitment for women and girls all around the world, and we have already seen dramatic effects of the USA having precisely targeted these issues. The Mexico City Policy, or global gag rule as it is also called, has been introduced by actually all Republican presidents since Ronald Reagan and implies that everything connected to this area may no longer receive American support.

Against that background, the government made a decision during last year regarding an extra package specifically to secure more safe abortions. We know that unsafe abortions are one of the most common causes of death in poor countries.

Of course, the government will fly the flag high when it comes to the EU's long-term budget and aid work also on the European level. We do this not only in the EU but also in the World Bank and all other UN organizations in which we are involved, partly as a country but also where we have seats on the boards.

I can therefore assure the members that this is a priority issue for the government.

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

Annika Hirvonen (MP)

Madam Speaker! During the years that Sweden had troops in Afghanistan, our soldiers were dependent on locally employed personnel to carry out their mission. Today, about fifty of these remain in Afghanistan. They are hiding from the Taliban and are regarded as traitors and legitimate targets. In June, one of these was murdered, and on Monday we saw again how bombs are falling over Kabul.

Unlike other countries, Sweden has not continued the effort to help those who assisted our troops to get out of there. Several of our allies still do. In the Riksdag, SD has announced that they are blocking a solution that is on the Defense Minister's desk.

I want to ask the question to Pål Jonson: When will he move forward with this proposal? How long is SD to be allowed to block a solution?

(Applause)

In this speech, Jacob Risberg (MP) agreed.

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

Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

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

Let me say that the government continues to work with the ambition that persons who can remain in Afghanistan and have a need to have their grounds for protection assessed should be able to have it.

Then one must also be honest and say that it is more difficult to do so given that we do not have a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan. What I can say is that we are also in close contact with other allied countries that have also worked on relocating remaining persons.

One must also keep in mind that it could be ten or fifteen years back in time that one was potentially employed by the Armed Forces. But the ambition remains that those persons who are in Afghanistan after December 2021 and have a need to have their grounds for protection assessed should also have the opportunity to have it.

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

Alexandra Anstrell (M)

Madam Speaker! I was just visiting Finland and visited what is called FLF Finland, i.e., Forward Land Forces Finland – the defense of NATO's northeastern flank. We have understood that it differs slightly from other such operations. Can the Minister for Defence explain how and why it would be an advantage for Sweden?

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Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! Sweden is the country that has the framework responsibility for FLF Finland, which has the responsibility for NATO's activities for deterrence and defense.

We have a great advantage of being a framework nation, as the cooperation is based on the Swedish-Finnish defense cooperation, which is now expanding. We can ensure that it becomes extra powerful now that both Sweden and Finland are Nato allies. The work is moving forward quickly, and we have accelerated it in light of the serious security policy situation in the world.

There are special geographical conditions in northern Finland with about twenty rivers that need to be crossed. There is also a very large amount of forest. We will therefore not have a standing Swedish contingent in Finland, but the combat group FLF Finland will deploy from Boden. Then it can be rotated in and cooperate, just as we did within the framework of Cold Response with the other Nordic countries.

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Cecilia Engström (KD)

Madam Speaker! Swedish healthcare is characterized by large regional differences. This becomes particularly clear when we look at the healthcare queues.

During the years of the alliance, when the Christian Democrats were responsible for healthcare, the queues were halved. During the last two parliamentary terms with the Social Democrats, they more than doubled, even before the pandemic.

However, the development looks different in the country. In my home region of Skåne, we see that the healthcare queues have decreased the most in Sweden. It shows that it is possible to reverse the development and that the right priorities, leadership, and governance can yield results. The opposite is seen in other regions, such as in the red-green governed Stockholm, where the queues are instead growing.

This underscores the problem with today's system of 21 self-governing regions. Healthcare becomes unequal and dependent on where in the country one lives.

My question to Minister of Health Elisabet Lann is therefore: What can the minister do so that more regions can follow the result we see in Skåne and ensure that the healthcare queues are shortened across the entire country?

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

Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! It is exactly as the questioner says; there are differences between the regions when it comes to the conditions and the successes.

I have seen many great examples in different regions of how, at the operational level, a bit further down the line, they have succeeded fantastically well in removing queues by working in new ways. They have looked at where in the system and the flow blockages or bottlenecks occur and found good ways to reorganize the work through schedule changes and other means, and in that way achieved enormous success.

By introducing a national queue coordinator, we now find it easier to capture the good examples. He travels around the regions and picks up examples that he can pass on. Socialstyrelsen has also received very clear directives to work in a business-oriented manner, which they have been doing since last year. We see very good results from that, and the regions appreciate the support from Socialstyrelsen.

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

Monica Haider (S)

Madam Speaker! The Minister for Health and Care accuses my colleague of misinterpreting and lying, and this when we know that the economic policy directly affects the conditions for healthcare!

We in the Social Democrats have proposed significantly greater resources for welfare, while the government has prioritized tax cuts. We demand that the government presents a plan for how the cuts in maternity care shall be stopped and what consequences the underfunding of healthcare and the cut of 600 million to maternity care will have.

Can the Minister explain to midwives, nursing assistants, and nurses why it is more important to give Ulf Kristersson and Jimmie Åkesson a tax cut of approximately 6,000 kronor a month than to invest in safe maternity care?

(Applause)

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

Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! I do not lightly accuse people of lying. But when it is said that I have said that I want to forbid political opponents from using examples from outside the operations, it is a lie, because I have never said that.

I said the opposite, that I think it is very important that we from the political side listen to the staff out in the operations, and that is what I stand for. That is what I have said, and therefore I say it again.

We have developed a delivery plan. For the first time ever, there is a national plan for maternity care. Socialstyrelsen is now developing a knowledge support to implement this in the regions, provide clearer guidance and support, and create conditions for more equitable care.

It is however not the state grants, neither in the submitted budget, in the decided budget, nor in any shadow budget, that finance the foundation of healthcare, but it is the regions' tax revenues. What comes from the state is a small part, which is usually directed towards developing and supporting the activities in the improvement work.

(Applause)

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

Ludvig Aspling (SD)

Madam Speaker! The Fortification Agency decided last week to terminate the agreement with a large and popular hunting shooting club in Rosersberg.

The decision is quite difficult to understand, not least because the association supports the total defense, including the Authority for Civil Defence, and the Police Authority, which conducts shooting practice there. This type of association is, according to the total defense bill, a necessary part of the civil and military infrastructure. There are also not very many such shooting ranges in the Stockholm area.

I would therefore like to ask the Minister of Defence if he can consider taking any action to ensure that this type of shooting range is not closed down unless there are strong reasons for it, which does not seem to be the case in this instance.

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

Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Ludvig Aspling, for the question!

In a formal sense, the Fortification Agency falls under the Minister for Financial Markets Niklas Wykman, and I cannot really go in and comment on individual shooting ranges.

With that said: The shooting movement is important from a total defense perspective, which is also evident from the total defense bill. This involves, among other things, increasing the availability of shooting ranges.

The second dimension concerns the voluntary defense organizations. There are shooting movements involved in this, and we are now conducting a very close dialogue with several of the voluntary defense organizations. We see an increased pressure on our shooting ranges, not least against the background of the expansion of the entire military defense.

I can sometimes feel a concern that the voluntary defense organizations are getting reduced access to the shooting ranges. We are therefore conducting a dialogue within the government on the issue, and we are also conducting a dialogue with the relevant voluntary organizations to see what we can do to increase the accessibility and access to, among other things, shooting ranges.

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Daniel Bäckström (C)

Madam Speaker! I also wish to ask a question to Defense Minister Pål Jonson.

The Authority for Civil Defence has today its headquarters in Karlstad, and there approximately 550 employees work. Rescue services and protection of the civil population, parts of communication and supply preparedness are some of the areas of responsibility.

We have now received notice that the authority plans to move central functions from Karlstad to Stockholm. This creates great uncertainty regarding the future prospects for state jobs both in Karlstad and in the rest of the country within the preparedness area.

The centralization is occurring at a time with a deteriorated security situation, where we need to build resilience and reduce vulnerabilities. Centralization creates increased vulnerability, and the government needs to give clear statements on how the centralization should be met.

My question to Pål Jonson is: How does he view this centralization of state activities from Karlstad to Stockholm?

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

Försvarsministern Pål Jonson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Daniel Bäckström, for the question!

Formally, the Civil Defence Authority is under Minister Bohlin, but we maintain a very close dialogue linked to these matters.

The activities at the Swedish Defence Preparedness Agency have grown very powerfully in Karlstad in light of increased needs regarding the build-up of the total defense. The idea now is, above all, to purify a part of the activities in Karlstad, primarily so that it can do what it is best at, which is the work of building up a stronger rescue service. There are also many lessons to be drawn from the experiences of the war in Ukraine, which show how important and central the build-up of the rescue service is also during high alert and war.

Exactly how this will land and how the distribution will be between the headquarters in Karlstad and the operations in Solna, I must ask Minister Bohlin, as the responsible minister, to come back to.

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Jacob Risberg (MP)

Madam Speaker! A short while ago here in the chamber, the Minister for Migration blamed the deportations of youths on a legislative change under the previous government. However, it is only after the Tidö parties abolished the establishment valve that the problem with the family-splitting teenage deportations has become standard.

He now refers to the fact that a safety valve will be introduced during the spring but simultaneously refuses to take responsibility for the youths who have already received their deportation decisions and are now in prison-like detention awaiting a decision, or the teenagers who have been deported to Iran and now fear for their lives because of the war.

This is about the lives and futures of young people, young people who have spent almost their entire lives in Sweden and who, this summer, would have graduated from high school here.

I therefore want to ask the Minister for Migration: What does the Minister intend to do for those young people who have already received a deportation decision or have recently been deported to countries where there is now war? Without a change in the law, the young people may be denied their application to return to Sweden.

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Migrationsministern Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Jacob Risberg for the question.

The legislation we have today has been in place since 2016. It was Miljöpartiet who voted it through ten years ago. I would of course wish that Miljöpartiet had shown more initiative and been involved in developing a permanent solution. Miljöpartiet did not do that. Perhaps Jacob Risberg should look at himself in the mirror a bit more and reflect on his own and his party's responsibility in this.

We are the government that is now actually producing a permanent solution for this group of diligent young people. It is clear that they should be able to complete upper secondary school. It is clear that they should be able to build a future for themselves in Sweden if they work and behave correctly. But then we are not to have any emergency solutions. We are not to have a lot of panic solutions. Nor are we to have a return to the policy that the Miljöpartiet pushed through: totally insecure gymnasielaws and amnesty-like solutions that have been unfair, created a multitude of problems, and furthermore increased asylum migration very strongly.

For the group of young people that this now applies to, it is also the case that if one has received a decision, one can submit a new application to the migration court, or for that matter, apply for a new residence permit.

(Applause)

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Carl Nordblom (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Trade Benjamin Dousa.

In Sweden, we have one of the lowest numbers of smokers in the entire EU. It is a direct consequence of our long tradition of snus chewing. Snus is not only an important part of Sweden's tradition and culture; it is also a large industry in Sweden consisting of entrepreneurs and business owners who contribute with job opportunities and tax revenues. In terms of exports, snus is also a multi-million industry for Sweden, especially the white snus.

We are now seeing a number of threats from the EU regarding snus in Sweden, especially regarding the future of white snus within the union. I therefore wonder how Trade Minister Benjamin Dousa and the government are working to defend this industry and business in Europe.

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Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question.

We are currently seeing an attack against the Swedish white snus. It is not only an attack against free movement; it is also an attack against the Swedish way of life.

In the government, we are doing everything we can to put a stop to the plans that exist, both in Brussels, with taxes that could mean that a tin of white snus can cost as much as 20 kronor more, and in the countries – France, Spain and most recently Austria – that want to regulate, ban and, in France's case, even criminalize possession of white snus. It is, of course, completely unacceptable. We have used the sharpest tools we have in the toolbox to put a stop to this.

We will do everything we can. This government stands up for Swedish snus users. As a snus user, you can also feel secure knowing that we will continue to do so. What do these three countries have in common? Well, all three have higher tobacco-related mortality than we do here in Sweden.

(Applause)

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

Gudrun Brunegård (KD)

Madam Speaker! In the reform agenda for aid, the importance of long-term perspective, transparency, and efficiency is emphasized. Quality and clearer reporting of results is central.

In the civil society strategy, the requirement for transparency in Sida's process for selecting receiving organizations is highlighted. One and a half years after the government's decision, there are still questions regarding which distribution key, which criteria, and what scoring Sida uses to filter out which organizations shall be allowed to mediate Swedish aid, as well as how Sida arrives at the different funding levels, which can vary significantly between organizations. There are also questions regarding why Sida has begun to exclude a few Swedish CSOs from its normative dialogue.

How does the government ensure that Sida's assessment of which CSOs are awarded contracts to distribute aid is carried out in a transparent, predictable, and legally secure manner?

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

Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question.

As the Chamber is aware, we have made a major reorganization of the system for CSOs, which was previously very intransparent. 17 organizations had a particularly privileged position towards Sida. We have now fundamentally changed this. Now it is approximately 200 CSOs that have direct agreements with Sida. We are cleaning up step by step in the system that the Social Democrats had built up over decades and also rigged to their own advantage.

We will address those problems. Transparency is, of course, extremely important in this. I take exactly this type of input from the chamber with me. It is important that CSOs also know what applies and what criteria Sida uses and can plan their own activities based on that. But we shall not go back to the system as it was previously. We shall continue to reform based on the major reorganization that we have just pushed through.

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

Patrik Lundqvist (S)

Madam Speaker! I have a question for Minister of Health Lann.

National plans are all well and good, but it is people who deliver mothers. It is people who take care of newborns. There, it is about having people on the ground in the maternity care.

In my region Gävleborg, which is ruled by the right, there is now a pressured situation where the right-wing majority is trying to keep the delivery ward in Hudiksvall open at least on paper. They are trying to maintain a skeleton staff to avoid having to say that they need to close. This puts pressure on the staff in Gävle. It means that midwives need to schedule their vacations in May and September instead of during the regular vacation period because they cannot manage to take responsibility.

This is the culmination of three years of constant savings and constant pressure on the regions. My question to the Minister for Health and Social Affairs is: How will she ensure that maternity care in Sweden functions and that there is sufficient staff?

(Applause)

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Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! It is exactly as the questioner says: This is entirely dependent on staff. I have visited the delivery ward in Hudiksvall. It is the best in Sweden at preventing birth injuries – an incredibly impressive job! I truly hope that they succeed in keeping it open, but it is characterized by the rural area problems that plague many regions where it is incredibly much more difficult to recruit than in other regions.

I want to remind that the regions collectively had a surplus of approximately 8 billion last year. It is therefore not just a question of lack of resources, but the competence shortage is also due to other things.

The conditions are very unequally distributed in Sweden. Some regions have good conditions, while some have an almost impossible task. Had the Christian Democrats had their own majority, it would have looked different in that matter.

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Johnny Svedin (SD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa.

The EU and India have now finalized their free trade agreement. It will now be reviewed within the EU and eventually decided upon. This is where it becomes truly important, so to speak, because it is now the government that decides how Swedish interests are actually taken into account, both in the decision and in how the agreement is subsequently implemented. We must keep track of the consequences so that things do not emerge in hindsight, for example, increased immigration of low-skilled labor.

My question to the Minister is: What priorities is the government pursuing to secure Swedish interests in the implementation of the EU–India agreement, particularly regarding clear conditions, follow-up, and control?

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Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question.

My view is that the agreement that the Commission has negotiated together with India is largely based on exactly what has been the government's policy.

I have personally been a bit worried that the agreement to be presented to the council and parliament would be very narrow. India, for example, has an agreement today with Australia where not so many commodity codes or industries are covered, and it has not really gotten the exports started.

This is a substantial agreement that will be able to create thousands of jobs here in Sweden and hundreds of thousands of jobs in Europe. It will contribute to welfare, GDP, new tax revenues and new jobs.

Provisions on migration and mobility are common in free trade agreements. They are non-binding, which means that the Chamber, together with the Government, independently decides on what migration policy we shall have. But most often, non-binding parts are included to simplify, for example, export transactions.

Sweden governs its own migration policy itself. It is not governed through free trade agreements, for example with India.

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Caroline Högström (M)

Madam Speaker! A Swedish citizenship is more than a passport and a travel document. It is a community that entails both rights and obligations.

Over the years, we have had the pleasure of welcoming people who behave correctly and who are involved in making decisive contributions to Swedish growth and social cohesion. At the same time, we have seen clearly offensive situations where citizenship has been granted to people who neither follow Swedish law nor seem to have any interest in being a part of Swedish society.

The government is now moving forward with proposals for stricter requirements for citizenship. I wonder if Minister Johan Forssell can tell us more about which requirements the government intends to introduce and what impact it is assessed to have for Sweden.

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Migrationsministern Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Caroline Högström for the question.

It is true that Sweden, unfortunately, for many years has had legislation on citizenship that has been characterized by a lack of requirements. In Sweden, unlike in all other countries in all of Europe, one has been able to become a citizen without being able to speak a single word of Swedish. Is it reasonable that if one wants to become a citizen in our country, one does not need to be able to speak a single word of Swedish?

Now we are changing this. We are introducing a long series of different important and reasonable requirements. Yes, one needs to be able to speak decent Swedish. One needs to have a basic understanding of and knowledge about Swedish society. One must, of course, not have committed any crimes, and one must also have their own livelihood. For the first time in 50 years, a livelihood requirement linked to citizenship is being introduced in Sweden.

These are important changes so that we can succeed with the integration of all the people who have come to our country in recent years, so that they become an integrated part of Swedish society, and to enhance citizenship as such. One should be proud to be a citizen in our fantastic country.

Now we make these changes, and then we move Sweden forward.

(Applause)

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Arber Gashi (S)

Madam Speaker! I also have a question for Minister Forssell.

I want to say first and foremost that I welcome the decision to stop the deportations of teenagers and that the government has taken a position that the Social Democrats have clearly had during the recent period, that we need to arrange a pause quickly. What was claimed to be illegal and impossible turned out to be fully possible. Many welcomed the news at the press conference a few weeks ago.

There, the Prime Minister also said that everyone who is currently in the process, or who has received decisions that have not been executed, will be able to make new applications. Obviously, that has not quite been the case. The deportations continue, and both Aftonbladet and DN describe this.

Why does the government not, in practice, carry out what it says it wants to achieve, namely to stop these deportations and give those affected a real opportunity for a new review?

(Applause)

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Migrationsministern Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Arber Gashi for the question.

This is an important issue, which concerns legislation that was decided in 2016 in full political unity. I regret that a permanent solution was not put forward earlier, but we are actually the first government to do so. We have investigated the issue thoroughly so that the mistakes will not be repeated.

I have, during the weeks that have passed since the opposition seems to have noticed this, heard many different positions from the Social Democrats – first one, then a completely different one. That I should then engage in ministerial rule and call the Swedish Migration Agency and demand that they pause the legislation that the Chamber has decided on is not quite serious. That is not how a government acts in Sweden.

I want it to be good for this group, and therefore we are developing a permanent solution for the well-behaved youths so that they can finish upper secondary school, continue their studies at colleges and universities, work, and become a part of our country.

(Applause)

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Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)

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

Imam Ali Islamic Center in Järfälla has on repeated occasions been linked to the mullahs' regime in Iran and to environments that, according to the Security Service, constitute a security threat. There are also other mosques in Sweden that have links to dictatorships in the Middle East.

At the same time, the Vandel Investigation assesses that interaction between a foreigner and extremist movements or known individuals from such movements can constitute a lack of integrity. Such a lack of integrity shall be able to lead to a foreigner being refused a residence permit or having their residence permit revoked.

Does the Minister for Migration consider that foreigners who have dealings with extremist mosques, such as Imam Ali Islamic Center, are covered by the type of lack of integrity that the Vandal Investigation describes?

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Migrationsministern Johan Forssell (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Nima Gholam Ali Pour for the question.

The question is serious in that part because it highlights a serious societal problem. It is naturally not common, but we know that unfortunately there are quite a few extremist environments. An example that has been reported is mentioned here.

We also notice this in a long line of other areas, for example with citizenship applications, where the Security Service, in particular, is working proactively. It is a matter of detecting these environments and ensuring that work within them is hindered and that we never grant citizenship to a person who holds those views.

We have not presented the vandalism legislation yet. We will do so, and I believe it will be good. The law will open an important door.

The vast majority of people who come to Sweden do not have such views. They just want a better life for themselves, to be law-abiding and behave themselves in every way. But there is a small group that has those types of views, and there the legislation must be crystal clear. Now it will be.

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Fredrik Ahlstedt (M)

Madam Speaker! I would like to ask a question to Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa.

My question concerns the so-called Mercosur agreement. Many of us were pleased that it was ready for signing at the turn of the year. Then the EU Parliament blocked the agreement, among other things with the help of Vänsterpartiet and Miljöpartiet.

I would like to know what the status is for the agreement and what will happen. Are there things we can do to open other markets for Sweden and the EU?

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Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question.

The Mercosur agreement is one of the largest agreements that we can actually get across the finish line in the coming years. It would create the largest free trade zone in the entire world with 95 percent of all tariffs in both directions. It is estimated that it could create over 300,000 jobs in Europe alone. For Sweden's part, there are many export industries that would benefit from this, for example machinery, the Swedish manufacturing industry and trucks.

It is very remarkable and unfortunate that Miljöpartiet and Vänsterpartiet did everything they could in the European Parliament to stop the agreement. Unfortunately, it was not surprising. Vänsterpartiet and Miljöpartiet have been against virtually all free trade agreements over the last 20 years. The Social Democrats are no better. They did not even stand behind the free trade agreement with Canada. It is a trend we have seen.

The latest thing that has happened is that the EU Commission has decided to provisionally apply the Mercosur agreement. Within a few months, fortunately, it will start to apply, so that we avoid waiting up to two years before the Mercosur agreement enters into force.

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Marie-Louise Hänel Sandström (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Health and Social Affairs Elisabet Lann.

I have a practical student with me, Fatima Rashed, who is sitting in the gallery. I asked her which questions she considers most important. She felt that it was healthcare issues. She was then extra happy that the Minister for Health would be here today.

We have heard that the government is working a lot on the queues in healthcare. Much is being done to shorten the queues. Furthermore, the healthcare guarantee is to be strengthened so that one receives help for care more quickly.

But Fatima is still a bit worried about the healthcare queues. Will she get help, and will her family get help in good time?

Can even more be done to shorten the healthcare queues?

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Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank both the questioner and the questioner's intern.

My hope is that we will be able to stop talking about queues in a reasonably near future. It is incredibly pleasing that it is moving in the right direction, which I believe is due to the fact that this government is working on several fronts. I know that very diligent work is ongoing out in the regions. Now we are building up a system to utilize the capacity that exists all around the country. The national healthcare brokerage is not in place, but a structure is being created to better utilize competence, available operating rooms, and the resources that exist, so that the whole country can get somewhat better equal access to the healthcare capacity we have. That work will continue and needs to continue.

(Applause)

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Crister Carlsson (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Social Affairs and concerns home births.

The National Board of Health and Welfare has previously published national guidelines for maternity care for decision-makers. One point reads: Planned midwife-assisted home birth may be relevant for some pregnant women with uncomplicated pregnancy who have given birth previously.

The Swedish Medical Association's Association for Obstetrics and Gynecology, however, emphasizes that home births involve increased risks due to the lack of immediate access to advanced fetal monitoring and emergency medical equipment, which can lead to poorer outcomes and complications.

According to information, there are two main reasons why women choose to give birth outside the healthcare system. One is ideological. The other is that they have experienced or heard about things that have happened within maternity care.

Does one put ideology before the child's health? How does the minister view this?

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Sjukvårdsministern Elisabet Lann (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question. Answering it actually requires significantly more time than I have at my disposal.

The important point to emphasize is that childbirth must take place in a patient-safe manner. Therefore, there are guidelines that specify which circumstances must be present for home birth to be permitted. The guidelines are based entirely on medical assessments. I want to emphasize that it is also medical assessments that should form the basis for how care is offered.

Then I believe there is something to what the questioner raises, Madam Speaker – here there is a dividing line due to certain ideological aspects which perhaps make the issue extra complex and give it a special dynamic. But I also want to emphasize that it is important that the maternity units get better at creating a slightly more secure and home-like environment. I know that many maternity units work with that, also in order to reduce the demand for home births.

(Applause)

Question time was hereby concluded.

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