Question Time

TREDJE VICE TALMANNEN

I would like to welcome the ministers. Questions will be answered today by Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa, and Minister for Employment and acting Minister for Climate and Environment Johan Britz.

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

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Aida Birinxhiku (S)

Madam Speaker! Almost 100,000 more have become unemployed since this government took office. It is a very serious development, not least for all those young people who will soon graduate or complete their studies and who risk going straight into unemployment.

This is something that my colleagues and I have raised several times in this chamber – now with the government's third Minister for Employment. However, the measures from the government have been anything but sufficient, and now the mandate period is beginning to run out. Therefore, I would like to remind you of what Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson himself said before the last election. He said that a government should be evaluated based on the following control questions: Have more people come into work? Can more people support themselves?

What does the Minister and the Government answer to those questions today, when around 100,000 more have become unemployed?

(Applause)

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Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you very much for the question, Aida Birinxhiku!

Unemployment is dangerous and must be combated, and the government has a program to do so. It is about more people being able to take an education that leads to jobs and about it always paying off better to work than not to work. It is also about us continuing to have a strict asylum migration, because approximately half of the unemployed are foreign-born.

In addition to this, we are fighting a prolonged recession that has affected the labor market in a negative way. But we can state that there is also some pleasing news, namely that today there are fewer people registered as unemployed at Arbetsförmedlingen than during the corresponding period four years ago.

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Aida Birinxhiku (S)

Madam Speaker! What the Minister misses in his answer is that the government chose to cut back on labor market and education policy when unemployment rose and to prioritize tax cuts for those with the highest incomes when costs rose.

Ulf Kristersson asked the voters to judge the government based on the question of whether more people have entered employment. Does the minister think the government has passed that control question when 100,000 more have become unemployed?

(Applause)

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Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

Madam Speaker! Answer: Yes. Is it enough? No. Do we have too many unemployed? Yes. Are people unemployed for long periods? Yes. Does the policy that the government is pursuing lead to fewer unemployed and shorter periods of unemployment? Yes. For the first time in 20 years, we now see a policy that will drive down structural unemployment in Sweden.

The policy that the Social Democrats are pursuing will lead to higher unemployment and longer periods of unemployment, which is dangerous for the individual and harmful to our society.

(Applause)

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Rasmus Giertz (SD)

Madam Speaker! The Government has just presented a brand-new Arctic strategy where security policy, economy, and climate are linked together. At the same time, we see increased great power rivalry in the Arctic in the form of both Russian military presence and growing Chinese interests in the area.

My question is: How does the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the government intend to concretely ensure that Swedish security interests and control over our immediate vicinity are not subordinated to other actors' strategic ambitions? Is the government prepared to take further national measures to strengthen Swedish presence and sovereignty in the Arctic?

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Rasmus Giertz, for the question!

The answer is that it is precisely what we are doing now. With the Arctic Strategy, we note that the security policy situation is completely different than in 2020, when the previous strategy was released. The situation is much more serious, and we must, of course, draw conclusions from that.

That is also why we take responsibility when it comes to Arctic Sentry; I am one of those who has contributed absolutely the most there. We also take framework responsibility for FLF Finland, that is to say NATO's presence in Finland where training will be conducted in Arctic and not least sub-Arctic warfare. We are therefore truly taking responsibility, and we are also building much closer cooperation with the other countries in the Arctic – except Russia.

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Rasmus Giertz (SD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for a very good answer, Minister for Foreign Affairs!

My follow-up question is what concrete measures the government is taking to strengthen the resilience of the communities in northern Sweden that could become particularly vulnerable in the event of a security policy crisis.

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! It is very good that Rasmus Giertz raises exactly this, for it is a central part of the Arctic strategy. If we do not have resilient and living societies in the Arctic, we will also not be able to have a civil preparedness there. Therefore, it is important to invest in everything from faith in the future to infrastructure. Now, this strategy is just a strategy, and it must be put into action. This government will ensure that it is done.

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Lotta Johnsson Fornarve (V)

Madam Speaker! In 2021, Sida described Islamic Relief as an organization with high-quality, effective operations. Despite this, support was recently stopped, against the background of the government's clause that no funds may go to extremism.

In Sida's review, no links to violent extremism were found, and neither did Center against violent extremism find any such link. The support was stopped due to the precautionary principle because one cannot completely rule out a remote connection – a principle that is largely impossible for any organization operating in difficult contexts to live up to.

The result is, among other things, that Islamic Relief's project in Ethiopia, which aims to save the lives of malnourished infants, is completely stopped and no one takes over. The risk that small malnourished children will die is great. What is most important – saving the lives of malnourished children or an arbitrary and legally insecure precautionary principle?

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Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

Madam Speaker! Not a single tax krona shall end up with organizations that are extreme and Islamist and that undermine the rights of girls and women. Not a single Swedish tax krona, earned by hard-working people in our country, shall go to such things. Therefore, we have introduced this new instruction to apply a precautionary principle, and then it is Sida that makes the decisions.

At the same time, we see that counterparts to Sida in other countries have made similar decisions. The German security police evaluated Islamic Relief on behalf of Germany, and it could not be ruled out that money went to Islamism and extremism. They scaled back and removed the support in the Netherlands. In the United Kingdom, support was paused following anti-Semitic expressions from Islamic Relief in the United Kingdom.

Not a single Swedish tax krona shall go to such. This does not affect the resource allocation to Ethiopia at all.

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Lotta Johnsson Fornarve (V)

Madam Speaker! The fact remains, Minister: There is no connection between extremism and Islamic Relief.

We do not have ministerial rule in our country. Our authorities are independent and autonomous and make their own decisions in individual cases. DN and ETC have revealed that the minister interfered in the decision regarding Islamic Relief by having email contact with the board member Ranstorp and with the then director-general of Sida. Does the minister not realize that this conduct can be interpreted as interference in an authority's decision in a way that is not compatible with our constitution?

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Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

Madam Speaker! One might ask how the Left Party has the capacity to make that assessment. Does the Left Party have better capacity to make this type of assessment than Sida and the German security police? Does the Left Party have better capacity for that than what is found in the Netherlands or Great Britain?

Not a single Swedish tax krona shall go to extremists. Furthermore, we want to apply the precautionary principle. I suggest that Vänsterpartiet cleans up its own party before one starts complaining about how Swedish aid is managed.

(Applause)

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Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! My question is directed to Johan Britz.

The government has previously presented proposals to abolish the ban on uranium mining. Now, they also want to abolish the municipal influence over uranium mining. This has caused great uncertainty in Jämtland, Västergötland, Skåne, Öland, Östergötland and many other regions.

The uranium content in the Swedish bedrock is moderate. The reserves are modest – 0.2 percent of the world's reserves are estimated to be here in Sweden. The content is 300 grams per ton. In Canada, the content is 20 percent, i.e., 200 kilos per ton. This means that one must have enormous volumes and enormous areas to achieve profitability in Sweden.

In Oviken in Jämtland, a single company has secured 80,000 hectares. That is four times the size of Stockholm Municipality. It is more than half of Öland. It is 100,000 football fields. Still, the government wants to abolish the municipal influence over the municipality's own land and the possibility of putting a stop to uranium mining if one so wishes. How can one justify that when the interventions are so gigantic?

(Applause)

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Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank Rickard Nordin for the question.

How the resources in Sweden's lands shall be used is a matter of constant discussion and balancing. We believe that Sweden needs nuclear power. I know that the Center Party is against nuclear power, and it is therefore natural that one is also against uranium mining and the use of that uranium which becomes a byproduct in other types of mining.

We see it differently. We believe that Sweden needs nuclear power and that nuclear power in Sweden needs to be expanded. In that case, it is also reasonable that we, to the extent that it is possible, use the uranium that we have access to in Sweden.

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Rickard Nordin (C)

Madam Speaker! The uranium supply chain is much larger than just the mining. The Centre Party has no objection to nuclear power but does not think that the taxpayers should pay for it – that is something else entirely.

This is a question of municipal self-government and of local opportunities to influence one's life situation. A company wants to claim an area that is larger than half of Öland, and the government wants to remove the local residents' opportunities to put a stop to it. It is very difficult to understand why one should retain the veto against wind power when one wants to abolish the veto against uranium mining. The government must explain this.

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Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

Madam Speaker! It is common knowledge that the Center Party has been opposed to nuclear power for a very long time, if not always. The Center Party was one of the parties that was driving the process in connection with the first decommissioning of nuclear power, namely the decommissioning of Barsebäck at the end of the 90s. I think this sounds a bit false.

I believe it is important that we use the resources we have in Sweden. It is about securing our preparedness and our opportunities to have energy supply and energy production in Sweden that benefits the climate and competitiveness and which makes Sweden independent of countries in the Middle East.

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Rebecka Le Moine (MP)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Johan Britz.

When the last old-growth forests are logged, we do not only lose a place but also a home for endangered species and a large part of our carbon storage. We also lose a part of society's long-term resilience.

The Swedish Forest Agency states that all unprotected old-growth forests below the mountain-adjacent boundary – 670,000 hectares of forest with irreplaceable natural values – could be gone in 25 years if today's logging continues. Furthermore, the rate of logging in these forests is accelerating. The responsible authority, the Swedish Forest Agency, does not have time to process these logging permits, which means that today we have a lack of legal certainty in Swedish forest policy.

Why is it chosen to halve the time that Skogsstyrelsen has to process cases?

(Applause)

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Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank Rebecka Le Moine for the question.

I want to start by pointing out that the Swedish Forest Agency is under Minister Kullgren, so that we can clear up that detail.

To answer the member's question generally, I can say that it is important that we manage to balance production goals and environmental goals in the forest. That is what this government stands for. We want to take advantage of the opportunities that the Swedish forest offers, but at the same time, we want to protect valuable nature. I believe there is quite a large consensus on that balance in this chamber.

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Rebecka Le Moine (MP)

Madam Speaker! The reality for hundreds of landowners and forest owners in Sweden is that there is no compensation. This government has not prioritized landowners but only the interests of the forest industry. This has resulted in hundreds of landowners now, on a voluntary basis, applying to have their forests protected.

Why is the government placing a disproportionately heavy burden on the shoulders of the forest owners?

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Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

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

We think it is important to achieve the balance between production on one hand and the environment on the other. We have worked on proposals, which are not quite ready yet, so that forest owners who, for various reasons, receive logging bans shall receive higher compensation than they receive today. It is important, because then we, from the state's side, can contribute to environmental protection while simultaneously respecting the right of ownership.

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Margareta Cederfelt (M)

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

Recently, there has been speculation about whether the EU should negotiate with Russia regarding peace in Ukraine and who, in that case, should sit at the negotiating table. At the same time, we can see that Russia's aggression against Ukraine is increasing in scope and intensity. They are carrying out bestial attacks, not least against Kyiv, which is subjected to bombings daily.

I therefore wonder what role the Minister for Foreign Affairs considers the EU should play in the ongoing process to achieve a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine. I am speaking of a peace that shows respect for Ukraine's integrity, which should ideally come as soon as possible and which is respected by Russia.

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Margareta Cederfelt, for a very important question!

This question was on the agenda when the EU's foreign ministers met in Cyprus last week. My message was clear: Let us not get stuck in a discussion about who might sit at the table when we have peace negotiations with Russia, because it is completely obvious that Russia is not interested in peace.

We must instead focus on how we can increase the pressure on Russia and increase the support for Ukraine. Then we can change the equation so that Russia truly becomes interested in peace. We have no interest in rushing to a negotiating table where it is Russia that dictates the terms. We shall never be mediators, but we shall stand firm by Ukraine's side.

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Margareta Cederfelt (M)

Madam Speaker! Sweden has been and is a major donor to Ukraine, for which I am very grateful, and I am pleased that the government continues to focus on Ukraine.

Last week, the news came that Sweden is donating up to 16 Jas Gripen to Ukraine and that Ukraine will purchase 20 Jas Gripen.

How does the Minister for Foreign Affairs see that these can help Ukraine achieve peace?

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! Ukraine is not only defending its own freedom but also ours, and now we welcome Ukraine into the Gripen family. Nothing is more important for the government than safeguarding the security of Sweden and the Swedish people. Through this deal and with our donation, Ukraine, Europe, and Sweden become safer.

The Gripen is built for one thing: to fight Russia – and we warmly wish Ukraine good luck with that.

(Applause)

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Mathias Bengtsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! For many children and young people, it is a given to feel well. But for many others, life is a constant struggle, and they testify to an everyday life with worry about the future, involuntary loneliness, bullying, and body and behavior ideals that create anxiety and insecurity. More and more people are also seeking care for mental ill-health.

The queues to child and adolescent psychiatry, which steadily grew during the previous government, are now decreasing under the Christian Democratic minister. The queues for care and treatment have actually been halved during this mandate period, despite the influx of patients having increased significantly. But that the queues have been halved is a meager consolation for those who are in the queue or have a relative who is in the queue.

My question to the Minister for Social Affairs is: What is the government doing to clear the rest of the queues?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! It can be devastating to stand in a long queue to child and adolescent psychiatry. Therefore, I am extremely pleased that we are shortening the queues, even though the number of young people seeking child and adolescent psychiatry has increased by 48 percent over six years.

The government is making record-breaking investments, and we are demanding that accessibility and quality be prioritized. Now there is also a task force with so-called national development teams that are to help BUP across the country to receive even more children and shorten the queues further. This work is important and good and must remain in place, and I am worried that we might not be able to continue with it.

We also need to ensure that children and young people feel better from the start. Here, social media, among other things, plays a major role. We are now implementing a long series of measures so that children and young people are not fed distorted beauty ideals and have their self-esteem suppressed to the bottom or see things they should never see. Additionally, we are taking measures to give children and young people an active leisure time. We must, therefore, also work on this part of the problem.

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Mathias Bengtsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer.

In addition to the problem with accessibility, it is a problem that healthcare looks so different depending on where in the country one lives. There is a large difference in quality depending on which postal code one has. In Stockholm, for example, patients with severe eating disorders encounter a lack of treatment, poor care environments, and insufficient support.

How does the minister view the issue of unequal healthcare?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! I think it is deeply concerning. It is a matter of decency that no matter where one lives in Sweden, one should have good access to care and receive care in time.

I view with great concern that some regions are cutting back on, for example, psychiatry, despite the government investing heavily and providing support to the regions so that they can increase capacity. This must not happen, so it is deeply concerning.

(Applause)

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Daniel Vencu Öhrlund Castro (S)

Madam Speaker! I was quite surprised when the Minister for Employment said that the government passes the control question that more people have entered work this mandate period, when 100,000 more have become unemployed since the government took office in 2022.

Every time we ask questions about unemployment, the answers are that the demands should be placed on those who are seeking jobs. That is quite right, because if one can work, one should work.

The government, however, has a responsibility to create more jobs in Sweden. But instead, we have seen a record number of bankruptcies and an industrial policy that lacks a clear direction and which has led to the fact that the jobs of the future are not being created in Sweden.

What does the Minister for Employment have to say in response to the question of how to create more jobs for Sweden's young people? Does the government see that it has any responsibility at all to create jobs in our country?

(Applause)

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Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for a question about something very important.

The government invests in education that leads to jobs, and we ensure that it always pays off better to work than to receive benefits. We also continue with a strict asylum policy because the challenges among those who are unemployed are so great. Many lack language skills, formal education, and experience of the Swedish labor market. That is the situation here and now.

Furthermore, Sweden has had a long and protracted recession. The government has made major efforts here to break it. We have lowered the price of food, made it cheaper to employ young people, and made it more profitable to work by lowering taxes for ordinary people so that people get more money in their pockets.

That is how we get the wheels turning, and that is how we ensure that we also get down unemployment.

(Applause)

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Timothy Tréville (SD)

Madam Speaker! We live in a society of trust that is being subjected to severe pressure. Already 20 years ago, the first investigations into welfare crime were launched, but despite that, clans and family networks continue to treat the welfare system as an ATM filled with taxpayers' money.

Now the same serious patterns risk repeating themselves within the aid activities. The National Audit Office's report on Sida is a deeply concerning read, and Europol, among others, warns that the aid is being exploited for fraud. The activities are so complex that it is difficult to get a clear picture of where the money is going.

My question to Minister for Development Cooperation Benjamin Dousa is: Can the Minister account for what concrete measures the government has taken to ensure that taxpayers' money does not go straight into the pockets of organized crime via Swedish development aid intermediaries?

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Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for a very important question.

This is one of the most important components in the reorganization of Swedish aid. It is morally right towards the Swedish people, who pay for this, but also morally right towards the people who could receive help if the money did not disappear in bureaucracy or administration along the way or, in the worst case, in corruption. In approximately 10 percent of all Sida's active interventions, there is currently suspicion of corruption.

We are doing a great deal. First and foremost, more spot checks are being carried out. New technology is being used to be able to identify and combat corruption in aid. We have also reduced the dispersion. We arrived at an unmanageable table and did not even know how many organizations were receiving Swedish support because much of it was further mediated through many different links. We are now tightening this so that there are fewer links.

Step by step, we are cleaning up in the aid sector to get better control over the money.

(Applause)

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Kajsa Fredholm (V)

Madam Speaker! The government's climate policy during this parliamentary term can be summarized as a major flop. Much has been said about the importance of robustness, ambition, long-term perspective, and efficiency, but the result has been almost the opposite. Reforms have been halted or delayed in investigations, and as it stands now, we will not reach the important climate goals that we have jointly decided upon.

My question is: Is Climate Minister Britz satisfied with her government's climate policy, which has led to increased greenhouse gas emissions?

(Applause)

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Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

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

Climate policy is a marathon. What leads to reduced emissions in the long term is electrification. Unfortunately, we have pursued a policy in Sweden that involves phasing out nuclear power, and there has been a belief that we should use less electricity even though we need to use more. To compensate for the phased-out nuclear power, we have put biofuels into people's cars, which has resulted in higher fuel costs and reduced confidence in climate policy. We have now changed that.

Now we will go all out on electrification, because that is what will solve the climate challenge in Sweden. Other countries can also follow suit, and then we will continue to be an example.

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Stina Larsson (C)

Madam Speaker! The Government now proposes that the municipal veto against uranium mining should be abolished. The Swedish mining of uranium shall take place in alunschist, a mining process that lacks approved methods. There are great environmental risks with emissions of heavy metals that pose a risk to the drinking water and which also entail high climate emissions.

The Center Party is not prepared to sacrifice Swedish drinking water on the altar of uranium mining. We stand for liberal values, and for many people in the countryside, including in Skåne, this is a very serious decision. The experiences of such uranium mining are frightening, but the government seems to be so nuclear-blind that they are nevertheless prepared to carry it out.

I would like a clarification from Environment Minister Britz. I do not want him to come up with any argument that the Center Party is against nuclear power, because that is not true. Instead, he can answer how the government can strip municipalities of the right to decide on something that can truly pose a risk to the environment and the drinking water.

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Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question.

This is an important discussion, and it is important that we have it both nationally and locally.

The fact that we have nuclear power, that we need nuclear power and that we will need more nuclear power in the future means that we also need uranium. I think the Center Party lacks answers on how we are to transition and ensure that we achieve our energy independence in a better way than today.

I think it is reasonable that we have this discussion, and it is good that it is being raised. It is not that uranium mining will not be subjected to the very sharp environmental review that all types of mining in Sweden require.

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Mohamed Yassin (MP)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister Jakob Forssmed.

The Social Insurance Inspectorate has shown that people with long-term illness or disability risk falling between different safety nets and, in some cases, becoming dependent on financial assistance or being left without their own means of support.

It is not just about the economy but also about public health, mental health, and whether society's safety net actually holds when people are at their most vulnerable.

My question to the Minister for Social Affairs is: How does the Minister for Social Affairs view the social and health consequences of people with extensive health problems risking to fall between the welfare systems, and what does it mean for the government's responsibility for public health and mental health that sick people are pushed into economic insecurity and poverty?

(Applause)

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank you very much for the question. Even though it primarily concerns the areas of responsibility of other ministers, I think it is also important from the perspective that the member highlights, namely that one should, of course, be able to have a reasonable standard of living in Sweden. We know that it plays a major role for health.

Another thing that plays a very large role for health is that one has a job to go to and that, if one does not have work capacity, there is another context where one can be, be in demand, feel that one is needed and be able to contribute in different ways.

That is why I see, for example, the proposal for an activity requirement as something that is both a requirement – one must be in employment if one has the capacity to work – and an opportunity to enter a context where one is in demand and gets to contribute so that one is not hidden and forgotten in different types of systems or ends up between the chairs, as the member mentioned. I believe this can also come into play for people.

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Thomas Ragnarsson (M)

Madam Speaker! We have introduced a licensing requirement for dental care, which is good to ensure that it is serious business operators who want to provide dental care with high patient safety.

Unfortunately, it has emerged that Ivo is unable to manage this assignment within a reasonable timeframe. The consequence is that patients will have poorer access to dental care. For the Moderaterna, this is a very pressing issue. My question to Social Minister Jakob Forssmed is: What measures has the government taken to address this problem?

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Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

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

Just as Thomas Ragnarsson mentioned, there are very good reasons to introduce a licensing requirement. We have had too many dental care operations that have not been conducted in a patient-safe manner. In some cases, the public has been drained of funds, and dental care reimbursements that should have gone to the patients have been taken. Money has flowed into the pockets of criminals, and it is very urgent to do something about it.

Those who are serious and who are seeking a permit now must also be able to obtain it within a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner. I am not satisfied with how the processing times look at the Inspectorate for Health and Care, as they are worryingly long. That is the reason why, on two occasions during the last month, I have summoned the Director General of Ivo and requested an action plan to shorten the processing times, to streamline the process, and to ensure that the information is sufficiently clear so that one does not constantly need to supplement with new documentation and so that there is also a predictability in the status of the processing.

There is more to be done. I am following the issue closely and do not rule out further measures.

(Applause)

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Torsten Elofsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Minister for Social Affairs Forssmed.

A few weeks ago, I participated in Polisforum, a seminar organized by the Swedish Police Authority. It was established there and then that the police have a bit of a new timeline that starts from the time before and after the introduction of the smartphone. It is a tool that in a short time has fundamentally changed crime.

We underestimated the danger and the power of smartphones' impact on our children. Suddenly, a digital and boundless world opened up with a great impact on children, without insight from an oblivious adult world. Smartphones have in a short time become the criminals' primary tool. It is there that recruitment of young people who commit murder and other serious crimes takes place. Encrypted apps are used during the execution.

Now there is an investigation into limited access for young people to social media, but what is the Minister's view on a potential restriction of access to smartphones?

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

Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! It is an extremely urgent matter. It concerns the criminals' opportunities to have an infrastructure that reaches straight down into children's pockets. There we now have new legislation coming, where we, as the first EU country, give the police the possibility to tell the tech companies to take down the recruitment advertisements. It is incredibly urgent.

The criminals' opportunities exist because the infrastructure is there. That is why it is so urgent to postpone the debut when one gets their first smartphone. Now we have a bill in progress regarding an age limit for social media, which is very good.

I have also tasked the Public Health Agency to review the state of knowledge regarding whether there are grounds to issue a recommendation, a guideline, or a rule for when one should receive their first smartphone. They will report on the state of knowledge and any such guideline or recommendation during this month.

It is important that we fundamentally question the idea that children should have access to the internet at all times via an individual device from the age of eight.

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

Adrian Magnusson (S)

Madam Speaker! I note that the Minister for Employment seems to think that the government should be judged based on Ulf Kristersson's control question: Have more people entered employment, and can more people support themselves?

Another type of unemployment that has risen during this mandate period is youth unemployment, which is significantly higher today than it was when the government took office in 2022. We Social Democrats have proposed a number of different measures to address youth unemployment.

To mention some examples: We have proposed trainee jobs for young academics. We have proposed a driving license lift to get more young people into work. We have proposed SAO jobs so that young people can already early on get experience of the labor market. We have proposed more summer jobs than the government has done.

The Minister has mentioned some things that the government has done to try to combat unemployment, but after four years, one can state that the efforts have been so-so. Perhaps it is time to change course. My question to the Minister for Employment is therefore: When does the Minister for Employment intend to present proposals that can truly press down youth unemployment in Sweden?

(Applause)

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

Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

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

We can observe that the number of people registered with Arbetsförmedlingen is lower today. It was lower in April 2026 than it was in April 2022. We will start there so that we have it investigated.

I would also like to point out that the important thing for us to avoid having more young people in unemployment is, above all, that boys should not fail in upper secondary school. That is the great challenge ahead – to ensure that we have a primary school and an upper secondary school that equips, not least boys, to meet the future as an adult. There we need to do more.

Then we have the whole package when we restructure the education system to invest more in education that leads to jobs. We invest more in vocational adult education. We are now increasing the number of places in labor market training. We have increased the number of places at the University of Applied Sciences (yrkeshögskolan). And pleasingly enough, we see for the first time in quite a while an increased proportion who want to apply for upper secondary vocational education. It is very good, because then one does not become unemployed.

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

Christian Lindefjärd (SD)

Madam Speaker! The licensing requirement for private dental providers that was introduced on January 1 is fundamentally a very important reform. The purpose is to counter unserious actors within the dental care industry and combat welfare crime, something that the vast majority stand behind. The authority responsible for the assessment is the Health and Social Services Inspectorate, Ivo.

At the same time, it has emerged that a large number of applications have remained pending for a long time without a decision. Information indicates that nearly 60 applications have still not been fully processed. The consequence is that companies that have met the requirements and invested in premises, equipment, and staff cannot start their operations. During the waiting period, costs continue to run, which can lead to significant economic losses and, in some cases, bankruptcy before the business has even managed to open.

Against this background, I would like to ask the Minister for Social Affairs: What measures does the Minister intend to take to ensure that Ivo's processing of permit applications is carried out expeditiously so that serious dental care companies do not risk going bankrupt before they are given the opportunity to start their operations?

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

Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question.

Yes, as has been said, there are very good reasons to introduce this permit requirement. In recent years, we have seen far too many examples of why it is needed.

But there are not many good reasons to have very long processing times. That is the reason why I have, on several occasions, called for the Director General of Ivo and requested an action plan to ensure that we get increased efficiency and increased clarity on what is required so that an organization can do it right from the start when applying for this type of permit.

It is also important to emphasize, as there are some misunderstandings out there, that for new operations, only a plan for premises, staff, and equipment is required in the application to Ivo. One does not need to have everything in place, such as the management of costs. There is no requirement that one must front these costs, and it can be good to know that is the case.

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

Ciczie Weidby (V)

Madam Speaker! I turn to Minister for Employment Johan Britz.

On Wednesday, we held a women's parliament here. We noted, as always, that women as a group still earn less than men as a group, completely regardless of what education they have, what ethnicity they have, and where they live in the country. We have nursing assistants, childcare workers, and healthcare assistants who pay for the welfare with their bodies, with their health, and above all with their wages.

To say, as Johan Britz does, that it is the parties who have a responsibility no longer holds. Vänsterpartiet thinks that we, for example, should implement a women's wage lift of 30 billion over ten years to strengthen women-dominated occupations and reduce the wage gap.

If this government – against all odds, it should be added – receives renewed confidence, what is it prepared to do to break the structural value discrimination of women's work? When will women get to experience economic equality?

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

Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question.

This is very important. It is an issue that we have struggled with for many years. The unexplained pay gap in Sweden today amounts to somewhere just under 5 percent. It is unacceptable, but it has fallen. It has decreased over time, which is very positive.

Step by step, we need to take measures that ensure that men and women are valued equally, or at least not differently because of their gender, on the Swedish labor market.

But at the same time, I want to warn against interfering in the Swedish wage formation. The Swedish model has served us very well, but it is not a smorgasbord where one can say: "We like some things, and we don't like some things." We need to let the parties handle this issue, but we must not be silent. It is important.

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

Anders Ådahl (C)

Madam Speaker! The municipal veto, the Swedish principle of local influence over one's own immediate environment – yes, the government is clear that the veto for wind power is important. Good! We in the Center Party think so too.

At the same time, the government wants to abolish the municipal veto for uranium mining, an activity that affects municipal residents much more. Enormous interventions, equivalent to half of Öland, a municipality should not be allowed to decide on. But for individual wind turbines, the veto shall remain, the government believes.

In both cases, it is about energy supply. Does Johan Britz want to explain the logic in this for, for example, the people of Jämtland and Västgötaland – why a municipal veto for wind power but not for uranium mining?

(Applause)

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

Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question.

I think it is important that we discuss this issue. Issues concerning how we use our land and our nature are important for us to discuss, both locally and nationally.

But the question of nuclear power is in a way a bit special. In some places in Sweden, there is the possibility to use uranium from things that we have extracted in other contexts. It has been forbidden. We think that was stupid. It is better that we use the uranium that we can get out of our lands.

We have the world's best and strictest environmental regulations in this country. We shall not be afraid to use the resources that exist in our country for the sake of the climate, for the sake of competitiveness, and for the sake of our energy independence.

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Katarina Luhr (MP)

Madam Speaker! Last week we finally received the government's policy instrument investigation with measures so that we can reach the climate goals by 2030.

Many of us have long known that electrification alone will not be sufficient to reach the 2030 goals. The investigation also presents a list of measures that are needed.

The government, however, was quick to underline that they do not want to implement the commission's proposals. Acting Minister for Climate and Environment Britz called the commission a dead end and pointed to electrification as the only measure.

We know that electrification alone is not enough. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister if there are any other proposals than electrification that the government wants to proceed with in order to reach the climate goals by 2030.

(Applause)

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

Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

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

The electrification in Sweden has proceeded too slowly. There are various reasons for this – in a previous post, I described the view on electricity, the use of electricity, and the production of electricity. Another thing that has affected this is that we have built out the charging infrastructure too slowly. During this parliamentary term, we have doubled the number of charging points in Sweden.

What is important that we can do now is to ensure that someone who is going to change cars – or for that matter, a light truck or truck – chooses an electric vehicle, because then the transition will increase.

It is not the case that anyone becomes happier by us raising the price for those who today have a diesel car or a gasoline car, because even if we raise the price as Miljöpartiet wants, they cannot choose to instead fuel that car with electricity.

Therefore, it is important that we ensure this. We must return with more measures to accelerate the electrification, which unfortunately has taken too much time.

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

Katarina Tolgfors (M)

Madam Speaker! The NATO summit in Helsingborg was an important success for the alliance and for Sweden as the host country. The meeting demonstrated unity on collective defense, the continued support for Ukraine, and the need to meet the security policy challenges that Europe faces.

Since Sweden became a member of Nato, we have quickly established ourselves as an active and constructive ally. We contribute to security in our immediate area through our military capabilities, our support for Ukraine, and our commitment to the alliance's collective work. It is also pleasing that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has highlighted Sweden as a prominent and reliable partner within Nato.

Madam Speaker! My question to the Minister for Foreign Affairs is therefore: How does the government intend to build on the successes from the summit in Helsingborg and strengthen Sweden's role as a security-creating and leading partner within Nato?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Katarina Tolgfors for the important question.

"Now we have come home," said the Prime Minister when we joined Nato. It was very nice that we could gather all our 32 allies here in Sweden, even here in Skåne.

Sweden has in a short time taken a very active and natural role in Nato. We contribute in every possible way, which is also being noted. It is very pleasing. Not least, one is now highlighting the asset that Sweden has in the defense industry.

I believe this will continue to be discussed at the summit in Ankara. That meeting we had in Helsingborg was an important preparatory meeting, where we took important steps ahead of the summit in Ankara.

It is now important that we show unity in the alliance. It is also important in our counteraction against Russia. That was our goal, and we really succeeded in it.

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

Jonathan Svensson (S)

Madam Speaker! The Prime Minister has said that a government shall be evaluated, among other things, based on how it succeeds in pushing back unemployment. The Minister for Employment received the concrete question of whether he considers that the government has succeeded with that. To that question, the Minister for Employment answered yes. But that simply is not true. During this parliamentary term, we have had 100,000 more unemployed people in this country. Almost every fourth young person lacks a job to go to. I am thinking a bit extra about all the young people who are now leaving upper secondary or higher education studies to go straight into unemployment, despite having done everything right.

We Social Democrats have time and again submitted proposals to the Riksdag, but every time the government has said no. While unemployment is at a record high, the government is in practice doing nothing for these groups.

I want to ask the Minister for Employment if he stands by his statement that unemployment has fallen during this parliamentary term and what his answer is to all of Sweden's young people who are now becoming unemployed.

(Applause)

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

Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for the question. This is a very important issue that we usually discuss in this chamber. I am very pleased that we continue to do so.

The number of people registered with Arbetsförmedlingen has gone down. Are we satisfied with that? No. Do we need to do more? Probably. Are we on the right track? Yes. Have we fought a prolonged recession? Yes. Have we ensured that people have more money in their pockets? Yes.

Are we ensuring that those who undergo training also undergo training that leads to jobs? To a greater extent than before. Do we need to do more there? Yes. It is important that those who undergo training get jobs after the training.

Then we need to change our education system. There are too many who study theoretical programs in upper secondary school and too few who study vocational programs in upper secondary school. There are also too many today who study higher education programs in areas where the labor market is very weak. We need to do something about this, and we will continue to do so during the next parliamentary term. But the work has begun.

(Applause)

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

Martin Westmont (SD)

Madam Speaker! I would like to direct my question to Minister for Employment Johan Britz.

In our neighboring country Finland, the number of government jobs is decreasing. In Sweden, we see instead that the number of employees in the public sector is constantly increasing. I ask myself: Is there not something fundamentally wrong with the Swedish system when the state apparatus is constantly growing?

Madam Speaker! I can understand that the Social Democrats are delighted to employ masses of people in the public sector in order to thereby lower the unemployment figures. But what does the liberal thought look like regarding a state that never stops growing? Does the Minister for Employment see the same problems as the Sweden Democrats? Does the Minister share the objective that the state activity should be streamlined in Sweden, just as in Finland, and that the number of state employees should decrease?

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

Arbetsmarknadsminister och vikarierande klimat- och miljöministern Johan Britz (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank Martin Westmont for the question.

We must continue to constantly streamline the state and the public sector. There is a lot that needs to be done in that area. A good deal is being done today, and a good deal can be done better. There are also a good deal of things that one might perhaps need to prioritize away.

Regarding the number of employees in the state, I have no clear answer to provide. I can imagine that we agree that we need some more police officers and military personnel in Sweden. But I believe we can also agree that we perhaps need some fewer in other professional groups, so that we get an efficient state. The number of employees in the state matters in the total, but what is important is whether they do good things for Sweden. If that is the case, my answer is: Yes, then they shall be employed in the state.

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

Oskar Svärd (M)

Madam Speaker! Sweden is an export-dependent country where jobs, investments, and growth are largely dependent on favorable conditions for trade and business. In a time characterized by increased international competition, trade barriers, and economic uncertainty, it is important that Swedish companies are given good conditions to grow, export, and employ more people.

Against this background, I would like to ask the Minister: What measures does the government intend to take within trade policy to strengthen the competitiveness and growth opportunities of companies in Örebro County and in Sweden as a whole?

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

Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsministern Benjamin Dousa (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Oskar Svärd for this very important question. One can feel secure that we in this government are doing everything we can so that Swedish companies, regardless of whether they come from Örebro County or from the rest of Sweden, can more easily and cheaply export their products and services to other continents and countries.

However, we are not doing this with a tailwind. We know what trade policy the White House pursues, but in the name of honesty, many parties here at home in Sweden are pursuing a policy that is very close to Donald Trump's trade policy. Vänsterpartiet and Miljöpartiet have voted against virtually every free trade agreement over the last 25 years. We were very close to defeating the large Mercosur agreement with several South American countries. It had been negotiated for 27 years, and it was adopted by only a few votes. The Socialdemokraterna did not stand behind the free trade agreement with Canada, for example.

We do everything we can so that Örebro's companies can export cheaper and more easily, but we are doing it against the wind.

(Applause)

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

Annika Hirvonen (MP)

Madam Speaker! For weeks and months, we have seen the Swedish people stand up and protest against the deportations of teenagers that, among other things, the government's decision to abolish particularly distressing circumstances has led to. Now we have received a new proposal from the government regarding the fact that children of parents who lose their jobs can lose the right to live here with their parents.

I want to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is answering on general policy questions today, how the government actually intends to act when one says that they will stop deportations of people's 18-year-olds but opens the door to sending out people's minor children.

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! This government received a very clear mandate when it took over after a government in which the Green Party was included and which, above all, did not take responsibility for integration in Sweden. In order for us to be able to ensure that all children truly enter society and become their very best, we must have order in immigration. Unfortunately, we have not had that.

Now we have taken on that task, but it is also very important for this government that people who behave themselves should get a chance to stay here. That is also why we have agreed to make changes to the legislation that we have inherited and which has hit very hard against the teenagers who have been affected by teenage deportations. If there are other cases where it risks becoming unreasonable, we will of course look at those as well. But our goal is crystal clear: All children who grow up here shall get a real chance, and they did not get that with the Green Party in government.

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Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)

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

Last year, the Agency for Support to Religious Communities stopped the support to the Islamic Shia Communities in Sweden after it was established that the largest mosque within the Islamic Shia Communities in Sweden, Imam Ali Islamic Center, collaborated with the regime in Iran to conduct security-threatening activities against Sweden and against persons in the Iranian diaspora.

Recently, the Agency for Youth and Civil Society Affairs decided to grant the Islamic Shia Communities in Sweden 848,000 SEK in public funds. It is unclear which circumstances have changed since the previous assessment.

Does the Minister for Social Affairs consider it appropriate that public funds are distributed to organizations with such close ties to the regime in Iran?

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

Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! The new conditions for granting subsidies that we have agreed upon with the Sweden Democrats, which we are broadly agreed upon in the chamber, are important. They give the authorities better tools to deny subsidies to organizations or religious communities that do not meet the requirements.

The committee member mentions a community that was rejected by the Authority for support to religious communities, and a rejection has also been received in the processing and decision-making from the current authority.

Since then, the rejection has been appealed. The appeal was handled in the first instance, where the decision stood. Since then, that decision has been appealed again.

While the process is ongoing, the provisions state, against the background of various legal certainty requirements and other factors, that the payments continue until there are legally binding decisions in the highest relevant instance. It is not the case that MUCF has made a different assessment than the previous authority.

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

Alexandra Anstrell (M)

Madam Speaker! My question is addressed to Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Now we have received a new Arctic strategy. Good! The new strategy highlights the importance of cooperation for a peaceful, secure and sustainable Arctic.

I have for a couple of years been a special rapporteur in the Arctic cooperation regarding climate change and waste management. It looks a bit different in Arctic countries when it comes to waste management. Some of us get good grades, and others get worse grades. We also need to get better at reaching out to non-Arctic countries about getting better at waste management.

Sludge may seem like a small issue, but everyone knows how much damage micro-pollutants cause if the amount is large.

What initiatives will the Minister for Foreign Affairs take so that we become better in the Arctic and to reach out to non-Arctic countries so that they take greater responsibility for the waste that affects the Arctic?

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank Alexandra Anstrell for an important question and for the work she does in various Arctic collaborations.

The issue of littering in the Arctic is important. We also address this in the strategy. The Arctic is a sensitive area and is greatly affected by various environmental degradations and climate changes. Here, we must work together.

We had a meeting between the seven Arctic countries – Russia excluded – in Helsingborg. We jointly concluded that we want to intensify cooperation, and I am convinced that we will continue to do so.

Just as we say in the strategy, we must strive to reach out to other countries to a greater extent. It is often from other countries that the pollution comes – just as we know that much of what we take care of on the Swedish west coast comes from other countries.

This is a global issue, and therefore the government also works globally when it comes to environmental and climate issues.

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

Marie-Louise Hänel Sandström (M)

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

We are now in a restless geopolitical time, and a lot is happening in our world around us. Sweden is affected by it all the time. The other day we received the news that Denmark's government has finally been formed. It is positive that that work is finished, above all for the Danes.

We work a lot with Denmark on issues regarding foreign trade, export, defense cooperation, and commuting across the Öresund region. How will we be affected by the new government? It is somewhat changed from how it has been previously, and therefore I am curious about whether we will be affected and if our cooperation will be improved.

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! There is a special bond between Sweden and Denmark, and I, as a Scanian, feel that especially. We have also, during this parliamentary term, deepened the cooperation between Sweden and Denmark. We have updated the Öresund Treaty, which truly facilitates things for the tens of thousands of cross-border commuters who cross the strait every day.

We have also stood side by side with Denmark regarding the difficult and harmful rhetoric from the American administration concerning Greenland. When it was at its absolute toughest in the matter, my colleague Lars Løkke Rasmussen came here to Stockholm. I thought that was nice, and I am happy to continue working with him.

We are really focusing on the cooperation with the Nordic countries and the Nordic-Baltic countries to jointly strengthen our security. In that regard, we differ greatly from the previous Social Democratic-led government where Tahiti was more important than Tallinn and where the focus was largely on trying to get into the Security Council.

(Applause)

Question time was hereby concluded.

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