Culture, media, religious communities and leisure

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Madam Speaker! I would first like to express my approval of the committee's proposal for a decision.

Cultural policy has become increasingly relevant for several reasons. Probably it is because the way cultural policy has been conducted previously has not been particularly questioned. For me as a Sverigedemokrat, it is however a very important political area, not least because it is culture that shapes our community as a nation and the cohesion that we believe is fundamental for a secure society.

Whether we are talking about the humanistic concept of culture, which encompasses the visible expression of culture, for example dance, song and art, or the social science and more anthropological concept of culture, which implies our patterns of life, our language and our customs, both parts are important. They interpenetrate in a tangible way.

The budget that is now on the table for debate is one that we Sverigedemokrater are very satisfied with. As a party of four, one must compromise. There are, of course, things that we would like to do a bit differently. But on the whole, we are satisfied, not least when it comes to the investments that are currently being made in cultural heritage.

For us Sweden Democrats, the cultural heritage and our Swedish history are central in cultural policy. Both the material and the intangible cultural heritage are what bring our history to life and connect us with generations of Swedes before us.

Our understanding of cultural heritage and its significance is now also reflected in the budget. It is tragic that previous governments have for too long neglected cultural heritage in favor of other priorities. Now we are investing, for example, despite a strained economic situation, over 100 million kronor in refurbishing the grant properties around the country. These are buildings and environments that house a great cultural-historical value.

We are also carrying out digitalization initiatives aimed at cultural heritage. It is extremely important, not least from a preparedness perspective. Russia's vile war of aggression against Ukraine caused most of us cultural politicians to wake up and realize how neglected the issue of preparedness is. More concretely, state institutions, such as archives and museums, are allocated 20 million for the purpose of strengthening the work of digitizing cultural heritage, to ensure that it is preserved through the digitalization of archives and collections belonging to state museums.

The needs regarding the care and preservation of the physical cultural heritage are considerable. Therefore, the government proposes that the National Heritage Board be granted an annual supplementary budget of 30 million kronor to promote the care and development of cultural environments throughout the country.

In addition, literacy and reading comprehension are high-priority areas for the government and the Sverigedemokraterna. Therefore, an annual investment of 40 million kronor to the public libraries is included.

The issue of popular education has been hot lately. We Sweden Democrats are naturally pleased that the support to study associations is now being reduced. My colleague Jonas Andersson will shortly elaborate on our view on that issue in his speech.

I would like to take the opportunity to highlight some points that the government and we are currently working on, which may lie somewhat outside of what is budget-driving. I want to first mention that a Swedish cultural canon is finally to be developed within the cultural areas of literature, film, visual arts, architecture, design, industrial design, music, theater, and performing arts. The issue has been important for us in Sverigedemokraterna and is something that we have succeeded in getting through in the Tidö Agreement.

Even though there are several reasons why a cultural canon is important, the discussion about Swedish culture is also an important purpose. We mean, in fact, that the journey towards the goal also has a value. Just as important as it is that a cultural canon is developed is that there is a good structure for the distribution of the canon once it is finished. That work is currently being prepared at the ministry.

But it is also important to emphasize that knowledge, not least among young people, of Swedish cultural history is very low. Understanding our history is fundamental to the national identity, which we believe is important, not least from an integrating and assimilating perspective. Our majority culture must be that which builds cohesion and community. The multicultural experiment that leading politicians have engaged in over several decades has, in fact, been devastating for our country.

Another matter that lies outside the budget is the review of the lottery law that is to be implemented. The purpose is to stop the party lotteries. The Social Democrats have, since the end of the 50s, under the protection of the association life's lotteries, taken advantage of the exceptions that exist. They have also ensured that their lotteries have been exempt from the gambling tax and other laws concerning consumer protection, for example the ban on selling lotteries on credit. But they have also repeatedly used aggressive sales methods over the phone to deceive poor pensioners. It is something that we in the Sverigedemokraterna have pointed out as very immoral.

The media support is also in place and shall begin to apply from January 1 next year. We are happy and positive about the bill that has been decided. We believe that it is good that the journalism across the country moves from opinion journalism to news journalism, and that the local and regional journalism is protected and prioritized.

Another area is sports. There, I will hand over to my colleague Angelika Bengtsson, who will present our initiatives in that area.

Another thing is that we finally got rid of the very strange requirement for dance permits, which the Social Democrats introduced in the 50s. It was a dance permit that the government was supposed to abolish as early as 2016 because all parties in the Riksdag, except for the Social Democrats, wanted to abolish it through a declaration. We are glad that we have pushed this through, but now the next step for us is to work to harmonize the so-called dance band VAT to make it more profitable for our dance bands to run their companies.

Band musicians, other musicians, authors and other creative creators act for the most part as self-employed individuals within the creative industries. And it is important to be aware of that. Small business owners' perspectives are completely fundamental for our growth.

I was myself raised in a family that has made a living as small business owners within the performing arts, and I mean that the conditions for the creative industries must become better. To a large extent, it is about regulatory simplification, simplifications in accounting, and how the culture authorities' contributions to the cultural and creative industries can be strengthened.

As part of the vision that Sverigedemokraterna has for cultural policy, we want to work to free culture from a dependency on the public sector. A large part of our cultural life requires public grants. That is how it is, and it is completely obvious. It is also completely crucial, not least for children and young people, the cultural heritage and a number of cultural institutions that we all see as important for our culture.

My colleague Anna-Lena Hedberg will shortly go through the conditions for the performing arts during her speech.

On the other hand, the commercial creative industries stand without support today, and these are industries that were not even identified as culture creators. It is actually true, and it became apparent during the pandemic. There, one stood completely without support and was identified more as a small business owner than as a culture creator. This largely testifies to the cultural policy that has been conducted over the last 50 years. It was a policy that was explicitly intended to counteract the negative effects of commercialism within the cultural sphere, as the Social Democrats called the bill that was submitted to the Riksdag in 1974.

I mean that it is harmful that one has deliberately tried to force culture creators into a dependency on public funds. If we want a free culture, it is high time to work to create better conditions for the creative industries so that they can stand on their own feet. There are plenty of good examples of countries in our vicinity that have significantly better conditions for their culture creators than we do. And it is a stubborn task that requires time, but we Sverigedemokrater are ready to roll up our sleeves.

The Sweden Democrats' ambition is quite simply to counteract the negative effects of socialism within the cultural sphere.

(Applause)

In this speech, Runar Filper (SD) agreed.

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

Magnus Manhammar (S)

Madam Speaker! I thank the member for the speech. You are here and debating today.

The reason I requested the floor was that I heard the member say that he was pleased that folkbildningen and study associations are receiving reduced funding. That gave me a lump in my stomach and made me worried. I would like to talk a little bit about this.

When we look out into the world where there are dictatorships and democracies, we can clearly see – and research also shows – that where there is a civil society, a study association activity that is the spark of life, there is a strong democracy. Many democracy researchers say that the stronger the civil society is, the stronger the democracy is. We can look on the other side of the Baltic Sea in Russia where the civil society is unfortunately beaten into pieces. The little that was nevertheless built up after the fall of the wall has today been completely beaten into pieces by the dictatorship.

There, one dreams of a civil society. One dreams of popular education and study associations, so that one can have a vital democracy that stands up against fake news and authoritarian trends. When the member says that he is happy about cuts to popular education and study associations in Sweden, I become sad, and I wonder how the member is thinking. Is there a will to weaken democracy? I cannot imagine that, and I hope that is not the case. What is the thinking?

I have worked closely with studieförbund in these issues. Just as many mention, there has been cheating, but they have an incredibly good system today to curb cheating. Many good things have happened that rather should be rewarded, and one should invest more in folkbildning now when democracy is in danger in many ways in the world.

I would like to ask the question and have a conversation.

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

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Madam Speaker! I thank Magnus Manhammar for the questions. Dialogue is healthy and good.

I would like to begin by assuring Magnus Manhammar that he does not need to be sad. We share the view that a strong civil society and strong education are important. I myself have extensive experience of civil society. But we see problems in the study associations, and it is there that I am sometimes a little surprised by the Social Democrats' inability to acknowledge this themselves. One can acknowledge that there have been problems and cheating, just as Magnus Manhammar said just now, but say that one has addressed it. I do not share that picture. I also do not share the picture that the study associations' problematic connections to various organizations would no longer exist. That is not the case.

The report from the National Audit Office is clear. The National Audit Office's audits show that approximately 44 percent of study associations cheated with membership lists to enrich themselves and obtain grants. Then one would logically think that we reduce the grants to the study associations by 44 percent, so they should be able to conduct the same activities as today without cheating. It is a logical economic thought. But now we are not reducing it by 44 percent. If all support to study associations is combined, from the municipality, region, and the Riksdag, we reduce it by 4-5 percent. It is a small reduction considering how much cheating has taken place in study associations.

That is why we are satisfied that the Folkbildningsrådet will no longer take care of the question of the management of the funds, but instead, we will do that from the Riksdag's side. Then we will see later if we can get the authorities to instead handle the auditing of the study associations. Then we can have clean study associations in Sweden with a sound and good education. That is my position.

(Applause)

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

Magnus Manhammar (S)

Madam Speaker! I am nevertheless concerned when I hear that the Sweden Democrats are clearly pushing for the Folkbildningsrådet to be removed. Folkbildningsrådet guarantees freedom - free and voluntary - that is to say that there is an independence in folk education, that it is not controlled by the state, as it has historically been in fascist states and in authoritarian states where the government decides over folk education. That is not democratic. That perspective is problematic. Folk education shall be independent, not be at the mercy of the Sweden Democrats who shall decide which study associations or what activities are allowed to exist. That is not democracy, and it worries me to hear this.

It also worries me to hear that the successful work that the study associations have done together so that cheating does not occur is not being followed. It has been a very great piece of work.

I would have wished that the same thing happened within all parties in Sweden. I have myself worked at Stiftelsen Expo previously and seen how many irregularities occur within the Sverigedemokraterna at all levels. It is not least about finances, and it also occurs in many other parties in Sweden.

We Social Democrats have not said that we should cut all party contributions for all parties, that the parties should be abolished or that we should cut 44 percent of them. No, because then we would have no democracy in Sweden.

If we cut back on study associations and slaughter civil society, we will also not have any democracy in Sweden in the long run. That is what makes me worried. I do not know if it is ignorance - it seems to be ignorance from the Sweden Democrats' side - or unwillingness, but I hope that you change your view on this and that you also think it is important with independent study associations, with human rights, and with democracy in Sweden. I believe that all people deep down want it. I believe that in the long run we might also agree on it. But right now, the development in Sweden is one that reminds us that we are moving in an increasingly authoritarian direction, and that is not the society I want my children and grandchildren to live in.

Thank you for the conversation! I hope that you change your view.

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

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Madam Speaker! I do not believe that we will change our view on this, because we will always react powerfully.

Recently, just a few weeks ago, it was one of ABF's local organizations that lent premises to some Palestinian group that partially denies the Holocaust. An investigation was conducted on that. I think it is problematic. I think the connections are problematic. I think it smells bad when such things are uncovered. Then it is our responsibility as politicians to actually ensure that these things do not continue.

That was also why I mentioned the Folkbildningsrådet's mandate. Contrary to what Magnus Manhammar says, I think it becomes a closed bubble. It becomes almost a corrupt system, where one audits oneself. That is a problem, because we must be able to take responsibility for the money that people out here get up early in the morning to bring in to our state treasury and which we as politicians have the responsibility to distribute. That is where the Sverigedemokraterna differ from the Socialdemokraterna.

But honestly - I would genuinely want to know. All this talk about education and so on - I actually believe there is a grain of truth in what you say. But I also believe there is a fear that ABF, which is the Social Democrats' study association, will receive lower grants. It is the largest study association, and it is also the one that has a number of different connections that are problematic.

People talk about democracy and how important it is. There has been a policy that not all parties are invited when debates are held with taxpayers' money. It is a problem, and I will counteract that as long as I am in this Riksdag.

(Applause)

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

Lawen Redar (S)

Madam Speaker! I thank you for an interesting speech about, among other things, cultural heritage and the importance of young people taking part in the Swedish cultural heritage and being shaped by it.

There are many important contributions that various cultural institutions have made by ensuring that school classes come and visit different museum activities. Studieförbunden have made an enormous contribution in this work. We can also see that even public service now has a program about Sweden's history.

Motion after motion, the Sweden Democrats have proposed a major cultural heritage boost for Sweden. In one motion, I believe it was over 1.5 billion kronor specifically targeted at cultural heritage. But now that they are a support party to the government and the largest party in that cooperation, it turns out that the development is going in the exact opposite direction.

Cost barriers and constraints are being built up on the state museums. The regional economy means that the county museums are having a very difficult time right now. Nationalmuseum is, for the first time, closed two days a week due to the economic crisis. Previously, it was one day a week.

All the promises that have been advocated for and spoken about for so long turned out to be untrue, because one has not invested in the cultural heritage. My question to the member is what it is that I am missing. What is actually the government's initiative to strengthen the Swedish cultural heritage, and what is it that the Sverigedemokraterna have proposed as a coalition partner?

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

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Lawen Redar, for perfectly reasonable questions!

What you perhaps have missed is spelled inflation. It is spelled that we are heading into a recession. It is spelled priorities. Sure, one can do as some other parties do and just increase the state treasury and the state debt and all sorts of things just to shove things in. It doesn't work that way when we have an inflation to take into account.

When it comes to cultural heritage issues, yes, let me use a metaphor! I am going to sell my house. Before I sell the house, I turn on the water hoses in the basement so that it becomes rotten and starts to rot in the foundation of the house. Then I sell the house, and when the new owner arrives, I, as the seller, blame them who has bought the house.

That is not how it works in reality. We have inherited an enormous deficiency regarding the maintenance of these institutions. I do not believe that Lawen Redar can say that one truly succeeded in prioritizing these issues when one sat in a government position for eight years. Now we have to handle them in an economically tight situation. That requires negotiations and agreements, and we must prioritize. That is how the economy and society work, and that is where we are today.

We would gladly have done more. But we cannot do that, because we need to take into account the financial conditions we have. So that is how it stands.

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

Lawen Redar (S)

Madam Speaker! I do not entirely agree with the answer, because Nationalmuseum has been renovated. They have problems with the cost and the development of that cost, which the government and Sverigedemokraterna have an obligation to provide for. They have no problems with their real estate portfolio at all.

It is quite true that there are other property holdings that we must take cross-party responsibility for together and which are neglected by Statens fastighetsverk. We definitely need to discuss that further, but that was not my question. It was about how to direct efforts so that more children and young people can take part in and educate themselves in the Swedish cultural heritage.

Everything is blamed on inflation, but this government's policy has led to inflation becoming a cost crisis for regions and municipalities. Our county museums have problems getting their finances to balance. Our state museums are building coffers that prevent families from visiting the operations.

What is being planned to strengthen cultural heritage in Sweden so that more people can take part in the content? Not everything can be explained by inflation, can it?

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

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Madam Speaker! Yes, to a large extent, unfortunately, it can. We have had the worst inflation in a very long time, and we will enter an even deeper recession if we pump in even more tax revenue and make investments that increase inflation. But Lawen Redar knows this. We need to take that into account; it is that simple.

Promoting reading is, as I also mentioned in my speech, something that the government is investing in. But it is not only this expenditure area that concerns the promotion of reading. It is an important part for us in the Culture Committee. But there is also a lack of reading comprehension, which we saw, not least in the Pisa results that arrived now. It is truly a serious problem for Sweden and our coming generation. I have four sons myself, and it is not entirely easy to get them to sit down with a book when they have other things that they perhaps experience as more fun. A parental responsibility, therefore, needs to exist, and the school needs to be involved. We as cultural politicians definitely have a responsibility, but what if we invest a huge amount in the libraries and the children do not come to the libraries. It is a very big question.

I believe Lawen Redar is onto something when it comes to dialogue across party lines, because if we are to address this for real, we need to have a long-term plan. I would very gladly have that conversation with Lawen Redar, who I also know has great knowledge in the matter. Absolutely!

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Madam Speaker! Member Alexander Christiansson highlighted in his speech initiatives he is proud of. He mentions the public libraries, the digitalization, and the investment in cultural heritage.

Then I would like to take the opportunity to inform the Chamber that the investment in public libraries in the government's budget, which is at 40 million, is de facto essentially a halving of the support for adult education that was in the previous budget and even less than what was in the red-green government's budget.

It is good that you continue with the digitalization initiative, but your initiative is lower than the one we launched during the last parliamentary term.

The Sweden Democrats and the government often highlight that they are taking responsibility for the cultural heritage. The Member mentioned in their previous post that they have inherited a debt that they now need to manage. But they are not managing that debt!

Madam Speaker! Nationalmuseum is requesting 40 million kronor to be able to stay open more than five days a week. Your government has given the museum 5 million, Alexander Christiansson. There are several state museums that are requesting funds to handle depreciations that are now starting to roll out due to previously made investments, for example, Botanhuset at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. It is an example of the efforts that we, during our time in government, made – we took responsibility for caring for the cultural properties which, in some cases, very rightly have a large maintenance need. Now the costs for this are ticking out, and the government chooses not to compensate for it.

I therefore want to ask Alexander Christiansson in what way one de facto handles this heavy debt in his operating budget. I also wonder if the member is satisfied with the worsened conditions that one gives the regional museums in this budget.

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

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Madam Speaker! It will be the same answer as the one I just gave to Lawen Redar, because that is where we stand. We stand in a situation where we need to take responsibility for an enormous number of social problems that have grown very strong in Sweden over a long period. We have an integration debt and an enormous development of crime in this country. The government has gone to the election on prioritizing these issues. It is about things such as safety and prosperity. Those things must be put in place.

When it comes to the other issues, I am still surprised, because it sounds a bit like Amanda Lind [is saying] that the previous government took full responsibility for these matters. It sounds as if one is in sync when it comes to those investments, and that is not my opinion at all. Instead, it requires quite a lot of resources to manage the debts that actually exist, not least within the cultural area but also in society as a whole.

There, we in the Sweden Democrats have been clear about how we will prioritize. This is an important issue for us, but we prioritize first and foremost that young girls should be able to go out on the streets in safety. We prioritize that Jews should be able to live in safety in this country. We mean that those types of issues are important to address here and now. On top of this, we have an inflation and are heading into a recession. Therefore, we must take responsibility for these issues first.

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! In that case, my view is that the member and the government should change their rhetoric regarding cultural heritage. Reference is repeatedly made to the fact that one has inherited a maintenance debt that one is now tackling - but one is de facto not doing so.

In the previous red-green government's budget, we strengthened the appropriations to the regional museums. We made permanent appropriations of 250 million to the cultural cooperation model and the regional cultural heritage. We invested in and began the work with digitalization. We made the appropriation to the Judiska museet permanent and allocated targeted funds to Skansen so that they could begin a necessary renovation work. We also strengthened the appropriations to the foundation museums.

We also addressed several of the maintenance issues that are now starting to tick into the operating budget that the Sweden Democrats have to manage - and which is completely ignored in this budget. They invest 15 million in digitalization for the state cultural heritage agencies and cut 15 million kronor in a general saving. How does that square with taking responsibility for cultural heritage?

If it is as the member says, that is to say that these issues are not being prioritized, I want to inform the Chamber and the audience that it is possible to make other priorities. In our culture budget, we invest large sums in a cultural heritage initiative. It is an investment in both digitalization, which we want to expand, and in the maintenance of cultural environments. I am allocating funds to the Nationalmuseum so that the conditions are met to remain open more than five days a week. I mean that something else is shameful.

I would like to direct the question to the member again: Even if priorities are different this year, how does it align with the Sweden Democrats' view on the need for culture throughout the country that you withdraw the PLO calculation for regional culture?

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

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! At the same time as Amanda Lind's government made these investments, crime in Sweden increased. Islamization increased, and there are major problems in society. We are very much aware of this and choose to prioritize.

We choose to renovate the basement first, to return to the metaphor I used in the exchange with Lawen Redar. The promise from us is still that we will renovate the kitchen, but if we do not renovate the basement now, we have no house to renovate a kitchen in. We must therefore prioritize in some form of train order here, and there we choose safety and combating crime. In an economically strained situation, we choose those kinds of priorities first, and we will continue to do so.

The questions you raise are however important, Amanda Lind. It is not that they are unimportant for the Sverigedemokraterna, and that we have managed to get even some initiatives within the culture budget to prioritize cultural heritage is a win for us. That is what I stand for, and I will continue to fight for it - at least as long as I sit in the government's support.

(Applause)

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

Catarina Deremar (C)

Mr. Speaker! I can agree with many things that Alexander Christiansson says. This applies, for example, to what he says about the state of the dance scene and about striving for a harmonization of the dance band VAT.

It was not for that reason, however, that I requested the floor, Mr. Speaker, but it was due to the member's speech on popular education. I see, in fact, the importance of popular education for the democratic conversation. The member has in previous exchanges of remarks himself touched upon exactly how the debate climate has hardened and that one is not safe if one belongs to a Jewish congregation or whatever it may be.

My question to Member of Parliament Alexander Christiansson is therefore: Where do the Sweden Democrats want to develop and create space for democratic dialogue in society?

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

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for a great question, Catarina Deremar! As I previously mentioned to Magnus Manhammar, education - which Magnus also accounted for - is a foundation for democratic development.

A huge amount of great things are being done within the study associations; there is no discussion about that. On the other hand, we have problems, and that is exactly it: We cannot turn a blind eye to the problems and, despite having knowledge of them, just continue to provide the same grants - the same volume of money - all the time. That the Folkbildningsrådet only late in the day woke up and said "Oh, we might need to start auditing ourselves a bit, because now there might be a change of government. Then maybe something might happen!" does not hold up. It testifies to a misunderstanding and an unwillingness to do anything about this fundamentally.

For the Sweden Democrats, these are important issues. Where the taxpayers' money goes and that it should benefit the democratic society - that it should benefit the goals one has with the funds - is central. We do, however, have many holes in the bucket in society today, and there are many researchers in these areas who testify to that. I have had conversations with them myself. One pumps money into the bucket, but it just disappears. Where do all the money go? It is sometimes difficult to find out, because it disappears into a mass of holes that no one knows anything about.

That is a problem, because it creates a welfare crime and a criminality. We mean that it must be choked off. In that case, the audit of student unions is extremely important, and based on the Riksrevisionen's report, they do not need that much money. That is how it is. It is written in black and white and is completely obvious in the report.

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

Catarina Deremar (C)

Mr. Speaker! It was more a reasoning about the cheating than an answer to the question of what place the democratic dialogue should have. That was what I wanted the member to elaborate on.

I would, however, like to continue speaking about the study associations. The study associations themselves took measures to address the fraud long before the National Audit Office pointed out the problems. Even here, we are in agreement: there should be no cheating with the taxpayers' money, and it should go toward what it is intended for. There is, however, another part where the study associations also play a very large role, and that is in the important ecosystem for cultural activities throughout the country. The study associations exist in every municipality and arrange a number of cultural activities every year.

My simple question is therefore: Does Alexander Christiansson believe it will become easier or harder for cultural creators to offer the whole country culture by making these cuts to the studio activities?

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

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I apologize for not giving a full answer to the question. I got stuck in the "cheating" mindset again.

It is a completely relevant question which platform should exist for the democratic dialogue. As I said, I think that study associations facilitate such a dialogue in a good way more often than not – often. But it is also the case that we see a change in society. We live in a digitized world. For me as a Sverigedemokrater, it is a fairly sober behavior to review these types of institutions and forms, because it is still state tax funds that go to these types of activities. It is not a question of the Sverigedemokrater's words when we come to these issues. I will not get stuck in the cheating again; I promise. I only mean that the resources that today go to the study associations need to be reviewed. That is also what we are doing now.

When it comes to education, this government is now prioritizing the folk high schools. I can be a bit skeptical of that in a way. We in the Sweden Democrats have previously been in favor of a reduction even within the folk high schools. We believe that it must lead somewhere. It cannot just be cozy clubs where you have a lunch disco for women. There must be a purpose with what one is doing. There must be a goal and a point. It must lead somewhere. Education and cultivation go together. I have personally within my family had people who have attended folk high schools, and it has been good. But there are also a whole lot of things there that do not work. We must review the whole, and it is a work that is ongoing all the time. That we are reducing by these few percent in the total for study associations, they call from the left side a slaughter. In that case, one hasn't quite understood what the word slaughter means.

I hope that I answered the question now, so that it didn't become a politician's answer. I did my best.

(Applause)

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Some time ago, I had the opportunity to listen to Ukraine's former Minister of Culture. He spoke about his work as Minister of Culture in a country at war that has been invaded by a foreign power and highlighted the great importance of culture. He naturally highlighted how important it was to protect and safeguard the cultural heritage. We have all seen the statues wrapped in plastic and heard the stories of how people carried protected objects from museums and hid them in shelters. The discussion on how the cultural heritage in Ukraine should be rebuilt is taking place both in Ukraine and around the world, so also in Sweden.

But the Ukrainian Minister of Culture also highlighted the value and importance of contemporary culture – of art, literature, music and community. In war, it is not only about surviving, but it is also about being reminded of what it is we live for and what values there are to defend.

Mr. Speaker! The free arts play an immensely important role here: to awaken consolation and hope, to function as a distraction, not least for children in a difficult situation, and to stimulate reflection, criticism, and conversation. It is simply something that brings light into the darkness.

Mr. Speaker! We live undeniably in a heavy time, with war in our surrounding world. Even in Sweden, we face great challenges. Russia's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has plunged Europe and Sweden into a cost crisis that affects households, businesses, and welfare. Gang violence, the climate crisis, and segregation tear at the body of society. Inflation and the recession strain the finances of municipalities, regions, and private individuals.

This is a time that requires a powerful economic policy, clear leadership, and a policy that inspires hope. In that case, Mr. Speaker, culture, sports, community life, and popular education are perhaps more important than ever. But in this situation, the government and the Sverigedemokraterna choose to present a culture budget that de facto means cuts in the vast majority of areas.

Mr. Speaker! We in Miljöpartiet want something else. Instead, we present a strong culture budget, with a total of 2.6 billion more than the government for the entire expenditure area 17. This is a budget that ensures more children get access to the culture school and public libraries, not fewer, and that our cultural heritage institutions and national stages do not have to save to compensate for previous investments made in the buildings. It is a budget that takes the needs of cultural life seriously after a difficult pandemic and that emphasizes the value of culture even in difficult times. It is a budget where we give civil society, the association life, and not least the sports movement the conditions to both get through the recession and meet more people with their important activities, and where we firmly distance ourselves from the government's harmful cuts to popular education.

Mr. Speaker! This week I was in Malmö. I met a local representative for the study association Kulturens Bildningsverksamhet, the study association which, after the government's budget shock, has now announced that it is forced to shut down its operations. In Malmö, for several years, they have planned for and built up their own cultural center with space for rehearsal rooms, studios, an instrument workshop, and meeting rooms for the local association and music life. The plan was to inaugurate the cultural center in December, but now they are forced instead to lock the doors.

I know that there are people here in this room who are strongly committed to popular education, to study associations, and to the folk high schools around our country. To you, I want to extend a big thank you – you are important.

Mr. Speaker! With 250 million kronor less in next year's budget for folkbildningen and then another 250 million in the coming year, it is about nearly one third of the state grant to folkbildningen. This is nothing less than a catastrophe.

We who care about this issue and meet with study associations and folk high schools across the country hear testimonies about how there are now plans to close premises that are known to be essential for the local music scene and community life, and how rehearsal rooms are now at risk of disappearing for the youth bands that need them. You are withdrawing study circles that are important for people with disabilities and for retirees. We know what important contributions study associations and folk high schools make so that people can be equipped to get closer to employment. We also know how important the study associations are as cultural organizers throughout the country.

With these draconian cuts, cultural life, education, integration, and democracy are affected. Sweden is becoming a poorer country, Mr. Speaker, and I deeply regret that. To this should be added that the temporary funds that existed both during the pandemic and during the refugee crisis, and which have built up and enabled important activities all over the country, were completely withdrawn in last year's budget.

Mr. Speaker! We want it differently. We in Miljöpartiet see the value and importance of folkbildning and its role for culture, education, and democracy in Sweden. We strengthen folkbildning in our budget. We do not agree with the government's cuts. We naturally reject the bill that it is the state that should distribute the grants between study associations and folk high schools. We think it is remarkable that one does not wait with this type of major reform until the large folkbildning inquiry led by Christer Nylander presents its proposals, which will come next year.

Mr. Speaker! I will also say a few words about the other parts of the culture budget. As I mentioned earlier, the budget de facto implies a cut in almost all areas. In addition to eroded appropriations due to inflation, the "cheese slicer" is being used on important activities. At the same time, people speak of investments. The Swedish National Music Board receives 1 million in a digitalization investment but also 1 million in a general saving. The same applies to the state museums: 15 million for digitalization, 15 million in general savings. One takes with one hand and gives with the other and calls it investing in cultural heritage.

Some of the government's proposals in the cultural area are welcome, but they are completely insufficient for a cultural sector that is on its knees. Cuts are being made on literary and cultural journals and on the visual and performing arts. The funding for the cultural schools (kulturskolor) should have been increased at a time when the cultural schools across the country are sounding alarms about cuts and that the number of places for students must be reduced.

Regarding regional culture, something has crept into the government's budget somewhat covertly that will have serious consequences. They have abolished the so-called PLO, the price and wage calculation, that is, the annual automatic adjustment of the grant to regional culture. This may sound technical and complicated, but it means that every year one needs to negotiate to get even a small crumb for important regional cultural activities from the state budget.

This, Mr. Speaker, is remarkable. We know that the state's support for regional culture such as regional stages, county museums and music - culture close to people throughout our country - has for many years been at too low a level. During our time in government, we took responsibility. We implemented several permanent level increases. With one abolished increase, the future becomes deeply uncertain for the regional cultural activities. It is also another blow to the regions' hard-pressed economy.

And what will happen to the cultural cooperation model, the agreement between the state and the regions on a joint funding of regional culture, when the state behaves in this way? Here, Mr. Speaker, the government owes an answer.

It is naturally also bad that the national stages are losing their funding. Unga Klara, Dramaten, the Opera and Riksteatern are forced to save. There are no funds for the free cultural life. It is obvious that the proposals of the restart investigation have been scrapped. So it was with the words about safeguarding culture in our entire country.

Mr. Speaker! I want to say something brief about outdoor life, the sports movement and the rest of civil society, which contribute a great deal to creating meeting places, community and inspiration for people in a difficult time in our entire country. Association life and civil society build our society strong.

In the Green Party's budget proposal, we want to strengthen the support for the sports movement that the government has initiated, so that the sports movement gets even better opportunities to operate in the so-called disadvantaged areas. We believe that sports have a great significance for the individual's opportunity to grow and for the possibility of seeing hope for a different future.

Mr. Speaker! When it comes to the cultural school, I want to remind of something. It is admittedly a municipal activity – that is something the Minister for Culture often points out in debates. But it is also the case that we have a national policy for the cultural school, which we have decided upon here in the chamber. There, there are the national development grants for the cultural school. There, we have the training of cultural school teachers, and there we have a cultural school council which aims to strengthen the coordination of cultural school activities around the country.

Mr. Speaker! Since it is precisely a national policy for the cultural school, it means that we absolutely have a responsibility to do more in a situation where the cultural school is under severe pressure all over our country. Therefore, I think it is remarkable that the government so lightly brushes away the issue in debates at the same time as there are testimonies regarding the need for cuts at the municipal level and thus at the municipal cultural school.

Mr. Speaker! I want to quote the poet Faysa Idle. She returns to the book and the word in her book as an important lifebuoy. Faysa Idle grew up in Bergsjön and Tensta, surrounded by honor culture and gang criminality. She describes how reading and literature have become an opportunity for her to travel. It is about learning to express oneself in words and writing and about escaping to other worlds. This has given her hope in an otherwise very heavy upbringing.

In response to this question, I want to particularly emphasize that I find it regrettable that the government in this budget chooses to end the state initiative Stärkta bibliotek. It has been extremely important for ensuring that library activities, the book, and literature reach more children and young people throughout our country.

Mr. Speaker! I conclude here. I will not move for approval of the budget proposal, but I refer to our specific statement regarding the budget itself. And I look forward to a continued debate.

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

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Amanda Lind, for the speech! Amanda Lind delivered a fiery speech. I have a question connected to this regarding PLO. I may have misunderstood, but what I understand is that not that much was done on that point during the time Amanda Lind was minister. But I could be wrong. Amanda Lind is welcome to elaborate on this a bit.

Miljöpartiet is investing heavily in culture in its budget - that is what we hear here. It is gold and green forests. I believe it is more specifically 2.6 billion kronor more in expenditure area 17. In the total budget for the entire kingdom, they invest 130 billion kronor more than the government and SD do. Approximately half of this is to be financed with tax increases, and half is to be financed with an increased state debt.

Most experts agree that this is not a very smart thing to do in a situation with high inflation and when we are heading into a recession. It would be interesting to hear Amanda Lind reason a bit regarding the risks of such an incredibly expansive budget, where one can, of course, promise everything at once and where one can renovate the kitchen, the basement, and the attic at the same time.

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I will begin with the appropriations where the government has now removed the PLO calculation that has existed previously. It concerns appropriation 2:1 Contribution to certain performing arts institutions and the appropriation for regional culture, i.e., the cultural cooperation model. It is a PLO calculation that has existed previously, during our time in government, which the government is abolishing in next year's budget.

This is very regrettable. Regional cultural policy representatives have naturally reacted to this, not least now when the cultural cooperation model is being processed and is under investigation. What does this mean for the long-term joint commitment moving forward?

There I can ask a question to Alexander Christiansson. Now that Alexander Christiansson has finished his point, I wonder: Is this something that the Sverigedemokraterna side will work to change?

This is a debate about the culture budget, but we naturally have a different economic policy than the Sweden Democrats and the government. That is clear. On the other hand, it is not at all the case that all experts speak of the need to conduct a policy as austerity-driven as the government does. Everyone from Svenskt Näringsliv to LO believes that the government should invest more. We are in a recession. We see how inflation is starting to move downwards. Now would be the time to invest instead, and this government, unfortunately, chooses not to do so.

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

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I do not know how long one is allowed to say that one is new to a political area. But I have not sat here for a year yet. Just this with PLO, I actually do not have a full grasp of. I truly want to admit that I do not. I will look closer at it - very interesting.

There are experts - and Svenskt Näringsliv and LO, as Amanda Lind mentions - who express exactly this opinion linked to whether we should accelerate or brake our way out of this. Here, the government has chosen to keep a bit more on the brakes until we see what happens. I believe it is more realistic and more reasonable to do so. It is also why we stand behind the budget - it has been negotiated with us.

There are absolute risks with accelerating as much as Miljöpartiet chooses to do in its budget. One risk is that we get a deepened recession, and then it really is not possible to make all the investments that one wants to make in the culture budget. Somewhere we must find a balance. We must be able to find a balance on the seesaw when it comes to our financial economy. There, I think the conservative path is better to take. It is about caution until one has all the facts on the table and about accelerating when it is time for it. That is how we see it.

I thank you very much for the answers to the questions.

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Alexander Christiansson, for bringing up the question of the PLO increase! I am genuinely concerned here. This creates a great deal of insecurity for the regional cultural politicians and not least for the operations that do not know if there will be any increase at all from the state side in the coming years. It becomes difficult to plan. I also think it is inconsistent with the very idea of cultural cooperation, which is what the regional culture is based on.

It is possible to invest significantly more than the Sweden Democrats and the government do. In other countries, a more ambitious fiscal policy is pursued. It is also possible to make investments that reduce inflation. We have such proposals in our state budget.

Regarding the budget for expenditure area 17, which we are now discussing, I regret that the government is not doing more to safeguard and preserve the cultural heritage and to support the cultural sector, the sports movement, and the voluntary sector through a tough period. I regret that, in this case, it is chosen to proceed in this manner.

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

Kristina Axén Olin (M)

Mr. Speaker! I am somewhat fascinated when Amanda Lind speaks so warmly about cultural heritage and argues that we are spending too little money on protecting cultural heritage. We are spending 100 million on the emergency properties, we are spending money on the digitization or digitalization of museum objects, and we are giving Riksantikvarieämbetet even larger assignments.

Then I must wonder, Mr. Speaker: What did Amanda Lind do during all the years she was Minister for Culture? What was done to prevent the Opera from continuing to fall apart and crumble so that it is now almost at risk of closing? What has been done about the Swedish Museum of Natural History? There, the roof has collapsed so that it has had to be closed at least until the spring break. What did Amanda Lind do as Minister for Culture to protect our cultural heritage?

The Swedish National Heritage Board has conducted an inventory of how many of our museums have a list of which objects should be prioritized in the event of war or invasion, i.e., which objects should be carried out first or wrapped in plastic, as Amanda Lind speaks about. It is 30 percent of our museums that have made such a list and have such a preparedness.

Mr. Speaker! I wonder if Amanda Lind can answer these questions?

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I was in an earlier exchange of remarks regarding what we did during my years as Minister for Culture when it comes to cultural heritage. We launched a major digitalization initiative, larger than the one the government is now continuing with. We invested in investing in the foundation museums, in Skansen.

When it comes to the alarms that reached us regarding properties that needed renovation, for example Botanhuset, we took the initiative and carried out those types of investments – investments that are now ticking out in increased costs in the form of depreciation and which the government unfortunately chooses not to handle.

We ensured that the Jewish Museum received permanent appropriations. We increased support and grants for cultural heritage conservation. We provided both the Swedish National Heritage Board and the National Archives with permanent appropriation funds. Not least, we invested in regional culture, which is also important for cultural heritage.

When it comes to the Opera, it is perhaps a separate issue that several governments have handled and conducted investigations regarding. The government has now proceeded with a path that I regret and which perhaps narrows the direction for the upcoming renovation considerably.

We have stood here in a previous debate and discussed the Opera. At that time, I perceived that there are certain openings to not only carry out a simple renovation but also to see how the Opera can be given good opportunities to move forward. I hope, Mr. Speaker, that the Moderaterna remain at that opening.

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

Kristina Axén Olin (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is interesting how much money one has when one is in opposition that one does not have when one sits in government power or is the Minister for Culture oneself.

Mr. Speaker! The bourgeois government, with a Moderate Culture Minister, has had to take over a neglected policy area with cultural properties that are decaying and with a number of other heart-wrenching and incredibly important purposes where it is not functioning.

It is a difficult time with war in our vicinity which means that we must upgrade our defense. We have a crime situation that is terrible. We also have children whom the Social Democratic government has messed up for so that they cannot read, and therefore we must now invest extra money on reading in schools and in our libraries.

This government has prioritized doing what is necessary: it invests in our cultural heritage, it invests in digitizing our museums, and it invests in the Swedish National Heritage Board. In order to be able to make these investments in cultural heritage, Mr. Speaker, we are in practice taking 250 million from the study associations, which have a budget of over 4 billion. 4 billion! I can compare it with the sports movement in Sweden, which receives 2 billion of our state tax money. Obviously, folk education is twice as important as sports in Amanda Lind's world.

So we take 250 million from the student unions. Of those, we allocate 100 million to the folk high schools, which we believe have an important role to fulfill. The remaining money we take to use for other things that we believe are important, where Amanda Lind's government and the Social Democrats have not done what should have been done many years ago.

Mr. Speaker! I must hear what Amanda Lind says regarding popular education. Is it twice as important as sports in Sweden? Is it twice as important as our cultural heritage sites? Or how can it be that people talk about cuts and slaughter because we take 250 million from an area that has over 4 billion kronor?

(Applause)

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! It is interesting with what emphasis Kristina Axén Olin speaks about the cuts to folk education. I wonder if the member has been in contact with study association activities around the country that are now forced to close cultural venues, withdraw study associations, and cut back on staff and important activities.

Mr. Speaker! I think it is remarkable that people are talking about this cut with such enthusiasm.

We are now discussing the government's budget. Contrary to what the Minister for Culture often highlights in debates, that one has inherited a large bag that must be managed, it is not the case that the government takes responsibility for the cultural heritage.

The question regarding the Swedish Museum of Natural History was never on my desk during my time in government. The question regarding the Opera has been handled by many governments. We made large investments in cultural heritage—investments that are now being written off and which the government chooses not to handle. Instead, stronger pressure is being placed on hard-pressed cultural heritage institutions.

Mr. Speaker! I think Member Kristina Axén Olin should take responsibility for the culture budget. It is too low. I would instead have liked to hear an ambition to strengthen the culture budget moving forward. One can advantageously look at the Miljöpartiet's proposal. We have some good ones!

(Applause)

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

Kristina Axén Olin (M)

Mr. Speaker! Last Thursday, I was at a fantastic concert with Rosa Kvartetten in Eric Ericsonhallen. On Sunday, I was at another incredibly good concert in Ersta Church with Bengt Ollén's Lunae Kammarkör. Many of us enjoy going to Junibacken to immerse ourselves in Astrid Lindgren's world and ride the fairy tale train. I don't know how many times I have done it, but I think it is just as fantastic every time.

We have so much good and wonderful culture in Sweden, and we Swedes really like our culture. Most have actually seen a film or read a book in the last week, and practically all Swedes listen to music daily.

Sometimes one gets the impression, Mr. Speaker, that culture is equated with state, regional or municipal grants. But that is really not the case. None of the examples I told about at the beginning - Eric Ericsonhallen, Rosa Kvartetten, Junibacken or for that matter Ersta kyrka - have any state, regional or municipal grants. Still, they are fantastic examples of good culture.

The creative industry and the cultural sector in Sweden are doing very well with 190,000 employees and a turnover of over 400 billion. Exports alone account for 20 billion, which is more than the export of the automotive industry and the timber industry. It is 3 percent of our GDP.

In the gaming industry in Sweden, over 8,000 people are now working. Last year was an all-time high with a turnover of 32 ½ billion.

But despite the successes of the cultural sector and the creative industry, there are reasons for a state cultural policy, and there are specific initiatives that we must undertake and take responsibility for. This includes, for example, our cultural heritage and our cultural properties, which will never be able to sustain themselves in a market economy.

That is why we Moderates are proud of the Moderate-led government, which, despite the tough times we have now when we must prioritize investments in both defense, crime policy, the energy crisis and other issues, has succeeded in making investments that specifically concern our cultural heritage and the digitalization of our museum objects. We are now also presenting a plan for the renovation of an opera house, this incredibly neglected history.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I move for approval of and am proud of the Culture Committee's proposal for the budget.

(Applause)

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

Lawen Redar (S)

Mr. Speaker! It is a dark winter, and it will become darker. The Swedish economy is in a recession, and the country's GDP is falling. Sweden has almost the worst growth prospects in all of Europe and higher inflation than many comparable countries. Food prices have risen by 26 percent in two years. Households have lost ten years of real wage increases, and the proportion of households struggling to make ends meet has increased to 30 percent.

What is the government and the Sweden Democrats doing then? Well, they think that an economic crisis that affects everyone should be handled by the individual. Change banks if the interest rate is too high! Review your electricity contract! Sometimes one wonders if it is consumer advocates who are running this country.

The problem is that consumer information does not work for those with the smallest margins, because they have already done what they can to reduce their costs. Households with small economic margins are already shopping cheaply and therefore cannot replace expensive goods with less expensive goods. Without support and help from the government and Sverigedemokraterna, the winter will not only be cold, but it will also be associated with how one had to turn and twist the kronor before Christmas.

At Tidö Palace, perhaps one did not see this reality coming. But neither in Rosenbad does it seem that one understands what all the other governments in Europe are doing to support their people economically. Why must our government be the last to call in the food giants or introduce a tax on the banks' excess profits? Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy and the Czech Republic have already introduced a tax on the banks' excess profits against the background of raised interest rates, and several governments are already underway.

Last year, the government and the Sweden Democrats thought it was more important to inflation-protect the country's highest earners. A large proportion avoided paying state income tax. This year, the government and the Sweden Democrats think that healthcare, schools, elderly care, and culture should bear the crisis. The spring will be characterized by warnings, layoffs, and hiring freezes in region after region and municipality after municipality.

But instead of dealing with all this, the political debate seems to be something completely different. Instead, it is about macabre statements from the Sverigedemokraterna, who demand the government's constant cleanup. I must admit that it is quite skillful. Why talk about unemployment, housing construction, healthcare, and household finances when one can instead devote oneself to macabre statements and avoid taking responsibility for what was promised during the election campaign, such as low prices on falukorv, early electricity support, and 10 kronor lower fuel prices? Then it was possible, but now when redistribution and interventions are actually needed, it is suddenly no longer possible.

This year can be summarized in many ways. For me, it has become increasingly clear that our country is economically and socially divided and that our living conditions differ. While some children engage in culture and sports because it is fun and self-fulfilling, other children risk being recruited by criminal gangs outside the football pitch.

Yesterday's PISA survey reminds us of the systemic failures that cause students with the weakest socioeconomic background to receive the worst education in the entire country. It is precisely these children who will probably never get to experience culture or performing arts during their school years, and whose lack of reading skills will constitute obstacles throughout their lives because reading skills are the foundation for all other learning.

Culture should be the real opportunity to break with the obstacles that come from upbringing, class background, or parents' circumstances. Now, the cost increases and the lack of national initiatives will leave a mark on thousands of young people in our country. What does it mean that 94 percent of the country's cultural schools are forced to scale back, or that in this cost crisis, they have to pay the average fee of 1,300-1,400 kronor? Who will leave the football club, the basketball team, or the dance lessons when the fees are raised? And how large are the hidden costs for things such as equipment, tournaments, instruments, public transport passes, and travel? It is clear that this also has an impact on children's participation in culture and meaningful leisure time. What we know is that everything one is excluded from during the short, formative childhood actually has an impact on the whole life.

Mr. Speaker! I do not believe in the right's cultural policy. We can certainly debate the interesting proposals that are on the table, but as a way to increase social cohesion, they are not sufficient. It is about built-up funds and entrance fees at our state museums, reckless savings on Sweden's cultural school activities, increased fees for sports activities, and smaller investments in vulnerable areas, where sports have an enormous impact.

I also do not believe in that reshaping of the democratic culture that is now taking place, when one wants to carry out a historical cut in study associations. It is not just about 250 million next year. What is being signaled is 350 million the year after and half a billion in 2026. It has shown that one will not get away with this, but instead it leads to the closure of cultural study associations, that is to say those that arrange rehearsal rooms for the young and provide continuing education for our art and culture creators.

I wonder why an investigation that was to examine how society can quality-assure leisure center activities was withdrawn, and why we do not have a democratic condition bill in place, which ensures that state funds are not paid out to civil society organizations or religious communities that do not meet requirements for democratic freedoms and rights.

In conclusion, I also see that the merger of the Swedish Arts Council and the Swedish Arts Council (Kulturrådet) can involve many major challenges, as they have completely different mandates.

The shadow budget that we Social Democrats propose involves 10 billion more for municipalities and regions. In total, we want to increase the subsidies to welfare by 26 billion kronor next year. Naturally, this would have an impact on the funding of the culture school, public libraries, county museums, county theaters, culture houses, local meeting places, folk education and voluntary forces.

We also have 100 million more in development grants to the culture school and 100 million more for sports in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. We want to maintain free admission and strengthen the study associations in their work of conducting active cultural and educational activities in all of Sweden's municipalities.

We also want to continue our efforts against antisemitism. Under the S-led government, we launched several initiatives, and it is gratifying that the government has now also allocated an additional 10 million for security work in the Jewish communities in Sweden. I am doubtful as to whether this is sufficient, but the initiatives that have now been introduced are good and absolutely necessary.

Mr. Speaker! We Social Democrats have a special statement and therefore do not participate in the decision. But we mean that today's difficult economic situation places high demands on political leadership. Social cohesion means that one looks at the social and economic conditions of the entire population. I hope that the government and the Sverigedemokraterna, above all, see the children and the high price they are now having to pay for their politics. It will be three long years if it continues in this direction.

(Applause)

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

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Lawen Redar for a spirited speech.

We learned about the economic situation of households even before Russia's despicable war of aggression against Ukraine. I remember that SVT had to hold courses on what times of day one should vacuum to keep electricity costs down - this due to, among other things, the shutdown of nuclear power. This development is therefore something that S itself has a great deal to do with. This also applies to the inflation development and so on.

However, I did not intend to dwell on that, but I intended to ask Lawen Redar and the Social Democrats about the famous principle of arm's length distance, which was debated extensively during the spring. The Social Democrats are clear that they do not want an ideological and political management of culture. But in the cultural proposition from 1974, it was stated that they wanted to counteract the negative effects of commercialism on the cultural sphere. I find it very difficult to see how this aligns with the principle of arm's length distance and cultural freedom. Can Lawen Redar elaborate on his thought linked to this?

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

Lawen Redar (S)

Mr. Speaker! Oh, how glad I am to be able to discuss the world-famous cultural policy proposition that all parties in the Swedish Riksdag stood behind during Bengt Göransson's time as Minister for Culture. He was actually my personal mentor in cultural policy issues, and I regret his passing. What he motivated and debated during his time was the absolute freedom of culture and that culture must have both commercial and public support to be free.

The concept of arm's length distance was also debated during the preparation of the bill in order to implement what had been done in many other countries, namely the idea that politics should keep an arm's length distance from cultural creation and that the orders made by the public sector should be developed at their own pace without steering from politics. This is about democracy. Without freedom of expression, free creation and arm's length distance, it is difficult to maintain the democratic freedom that culture is to constitute.

Once again: I am grateful for the question, and I would gladly debate the 1974 cultural policy proposition. But the latest cultural policy proposition and the national goals were formulated by a bourgeois government in 2009, so the curiosity regarding the earlier proposition unfortunately does not apply today.

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

Alexander Christiansson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I naturally have a follow-up question, which Lawen Redar surely understands.

I almost fell off my chair when I read the Social Democrats' cultural policy principle program: "We Social Democrats start from the premise that human imagination is greater than what is contained within the current society and see culture as a source for and a tool for social change. A force that can point out and criticize the class society and reveal different power structures – totalitarian, capitalist, patriarchal and colonial – that can point out the perversions of commercialism and question all attempts to master and lock in people's thoughts."

For me, this is nearly Marxism and something I believe is the definition of ideologically and politically governing culture, which one has also obviously done. Does Lawen Redar see this, or does she believe that culture has been depoliticized since 1974? Are the experts and cultural creators who argue that culture has been governed by the Social Democrats' thinking, not least based on the still current principle program where they speak about the perversions of commercialism, wrong? For me, this is hair-raising. Lawen Redar is welcome to elaborate on this.

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

Lawen Redar (S)

Mr. Speaker! In a budget debate, I do not intend to delve into Social Democratic ideology, but I am happy to have that conversation in another context.

When it comes to controlling the content of culture, I do not intend to be lectured by a Sverigedemokrat. They probably need to keep their own regional and municipal representatives in order. It is not socialdemokrater who have strangled the major initiative for public libraries to purchase books in languages other than Swedish, and it is not a socialdemokrat who has sat as chairman of Länsmuseet Gävleborg and expressed that they want to get rid of the entire department for free art, which is a fantastic exhibition.

It is about arm's length distance in the true sense. When it comes to how well the Sverigedemokraterna live up to this, it is definitely up to be proven. I am not very impressed.

(Applause)

(cont. § 15)

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