Minority issues

Michael Rubbestad (SD)

Madam Speaker! I would like to begin by moving for approval of the committee's proposal for a decision.

Sweden has five recognized national minorities. They are Jews, Roma, Sámi, Swedish-Finns and Torneviens. In addition, we have five national minority languages: Yiddish, Romani Chib, Sámi, Finnish and Meänkieli. These are living cultures, languages and identities that have emerged over a very long period and constitute an important part of Sweden's historical and cultural foundation. Their special status rests on deep roots, documented historical presence and a responsibility from the state's side to safeguard cultures and languages that otherwise risk being lost.

An accessible cultural heritage is crucial for identity both at an individual level and at a societal level. The right to language, culture and identity is fundamental in a democracy, regardless of whether one belongs to the majority population or a national minority.

At the same time, it is important to emphasize individual freedom. No one should be forced into a collective identity, and no one should be questioned for identifying with both minority culture and majority culture or with only one of them. For that very reason, we need to think more long-term about how the minorities' cultural heritage can be made accessible and preserved without politicizing or locking people into categories.

The Sámi were granted status as an indigenous people in 1977. The investigation preceding this, however, did not have the task of investigating whether there could be other groups that meet the criteria to be considered an indigenous people. The investigation stated, among other things, that "the Sámi constitute an original population that is likely as old as or older than the country's majority population. The Sámi are thus not immigrants in the modern sense."

Svenska Tornedalingars Riksförbund has several times addressed the government with requests to investigate whether Tornedalians, Kveners, and Lantalaiset also fulfill the requirements to be considered an indigenous people. An investigation was dismissed by the then Social Democratic government.

We in the Sweden Democrats want to see a broad investigation to review whether there may be other groups in Sweden that, like the Sámi, meet the requirements to be considered indigenous peoples.

Madam Speaker! Language is often the key to a culture's survival. Today, there are so-called administrative areas for Finnish, Sami, and Meänkieli, which provide special rights within, for example, preschool, elderly care, and contact with authorities. I myself live in a municipality that constitutes a Finnish administrative area. When I call the municipality's contact center, I can press key 1 on my phone if I want to speak with someone in Finnish. But outside these areas, access to minority languages within welfare is often very limited. This means in practice that a person's right to their language becomes dependent on where in the country she lives, which is not reasonable. We simply need to investigate alternative ways to enable the use of minority languages within the welfare sector, even outside today's administrative areas, but not through coercion but through flexible and practical solutions.

Popular culture and media play a decisive role today for the visibility of languages. When a major international production such as Disney's Frozen 2 is dubbed into North Sami and made available worldwide, it shows what potential exists. Within streaming media, subtitles are already offered today in a large number of languages. To also include our minority languages could contribute to language preservation and increased interest among younger generations. The possibilities to facilitate such initiatives should be investigated. Sveriges Television, which is state-funded, should also be tasked with offering subtitles in minority languages to a greater extent in productions where there are already Swedish or English subtitles today.

I also want to specifically address the situation of the Jewish minority. Antisemitism in Sweden has increased sharply, not least after Hamas's terror attack on October 7, 2023. Jews in Sweden testify to threats, hate, and an everyday life where it is becoming increasingly difficult to live openly as a Jew. Particularly in Malmö, this has had very concrete consequences. When people leave their homes out of fear, society has failed. It is therefore crucial that the state continues and strengthens the work to secure and facilitate Jewish life throughout Sweden.

In conclusion, I would like to mention two language issues that often fall into the shadows.

Swedish sign language is a full-fledged language with its own grammar and a long history in Sweden. It is many people's first language. Despite this, sign language lacks the protection that the minority law provides, which should be changed.

Älvdalska also deserves to be highlighted. It is a language with origins dating back to the Iron Age which, according to language researchers, clearly differs from Swedish. According to language researchers and the Council of Europe's expert committee and council of ministers, Älvdalska is to be regarded as a separate language and not a formal dialect. Even the American linguistic organization SIL classified Älvdalska as a separate language as early as 2016. Interest is growing, not least among young people, but even here measures are needed to ensure that the language is not lost. Given the fact that Älvdalska is to be regarded as a separate language that is both spoken today and has ancient origins, the Sverigedemokraterna argue that we should investigate the possibility of recognizing Älvdalska as a minority language to secure the language's survival even for future generations.

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

Jessica Wetterling (V)

Madam Speaker! Thank you to the Member for the speech! I agree with much of it, but it also makes me a bit curious.

If it is indeed the case that the Sweden Democrats agree with S, V, MP, and C and want to investigate the status of the Älvdalskan, why has one not joined reservation 25 to do just that? Then this Riksdag could have made a decision on a referral to the government regarding the Älvdalskan.

I listened particularly closely to what Michael Rubbestad said in his speech about that the question of indigenous status for the minorities Tornevallar, Lantalaiset, and Kven should be investigated. I truly agree. That is also why the Left Party, together with the Green Party, has a reservation on that, reservation number 4.

I became a bit curious about how the Sweden Democrats will vote when the vote takes place later today. Will you join these reservations? That would be fantastic. There seems to be broad support for this in the Riksdag, especially regarding the Älvdalen dialect. I believe that even the Christian Democrats think there are reasons to investigate the issue of the Älvdalen dialect – at least that was the opinion in the opposition. I think it is very welcome, so I would like to thank you for the speech.

We are quite pleasant in this committee when we respond to one another, but I became very curious as to how it is that the Sweden Democrats have not stood behind the reservations that say exactly what the member says from the rostrum that he wants to do. It is simply a matter of voting for those reservations, number 4 and number 25, which already exist in the report.

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

Michael Rubbestad (SD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Member Jessica Wetterling, for the question! It is a bit unusual to have an exchange of remarks in the Committee on the Constitution, but I think it is a bit amusing.

These questions are both issues that the Sweden Democrats have pushed for quite a long time and have been quite clear about. They have been included in our committee motions for quite a long time.

Reservation 25 on the Älvdalskan, the joint one from the united opposition, I know has been there previously. However, I am unsure whether reservation 4 is new or not.

This is an issue that we consider important. I know that there are other parties on our side who also consider it important – among others the Christian Democrats, who have campaigned quite a lot for this issue. It is an issue that we discuss within the government cooperation that exists. I have been informed that this is an issue that is considered important and that there is an intention to work further with it, so in some sense, that issue is already underway.

Thus, there is no reason to stand behind a specific reservation, which might lock itself into how an investigation should look or be formulated. As far as I understand, there is already an ongoing work, and I am quite satisfied with how it looks today.

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

Jessica Wetterling (V)

Madam Speaker! There is a little new information. But it would be fantastic if the Ministry of Culture would start working on these issues, because a bill and a referral will come from there this parliamentary year. It is quite disappointing that more will not come, I would say.

The responsible minister has also, at least as it appears, made it her thing to make herself an enemy of everyone affected by her areas of responsibility. But she is not here and cannot defend herself.

It is very positive if this is underway, but I still question why the proposals contained in this report are not supported. It could have sent an even clearer signal that there is a common and broad support in the Swedish Riksdag for the government to step up its work a bit.

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

Michael Rubbestad (SD)

Madam Speaker! I am pleased that we are in agreement. As I have understood it and already mentioned, a dialogue is ongoing, and I have been assured that these are issues that will be invested in.

It has been quite a while since I read reservation 25, I must admit. I probably looked at it as late as last year. When we raised it for internal discussion, we saw several parts in that reservation that mean we unfortunately cannot quite stand behind it, because it opens up for much broader investigations than those that we specifically want to look at.

I wish I had looked through the reservation again this year, because then I could have given a significantly better answer. I actually have to apologize for that. But given that these questions are underway, we can well hope that the current government receives a new vote of confidence and that we have a new government where the Sverigedemokraterna are also included when this bill is finally laid on the table. Then I hope that we can achieve a broad consensus across the entire chamber, because in these questions, I believe we are in agreement.

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

Mirja Räihä (S)

Madam Speaker! The goal of the minority policy is to provide protection for the national minorities and strengthen their opportunities for influence, as well as to support the historical minority languages so that they are kept alive. The law turned 25 years old last year, and this was highlighted by the Riksdag with a large seminar together with all groups.

The Committee on the Constitution's report contains many motions aimed at strengthening minority policy in Sweden. At the same time, the needs of the different national minorities differ. The motions concern support for organizations and indigenous status, language initiatives, and additional truth commissions.

I would like, while I still remember, to call for approval of reservation 14, point 11, but we Social Democrats naturally stand behind all the reservations that the Social Democrats have in this matter.

During 2025, 250 years of Jewish life in Sweden were celebrated. Last week, the Riksdag observed Holocaust Remembrance Day. We think it is good that the government is strengthening the work to protect Jewish life in Sweden. This strengthening is necessary as antisemitism both in Europe and in Sweden seems to be impossible to eradicate.

The goal for our joint mission in the Committee on the Constitution must be that antisemitism must not be allowed to flourish and continue to grow in our country. The Jewish minority is in a special way exposed to hate and threats from extreme groups of various kinds. Continued work to strengthen the security around Jewish institutions and to increase the safety for Jews in Sweden is necessary. The police should therefore be given a special mandate to strengthen the security around vulnerable arrangements and institutions.

This summer I was in Kungsträdgården at 5 Folk Festival. The only group that was not in the tent was the Jewish group. Everyone else was there. The reason could be that one feels unsafe and feels that one cannot be on site where everyone else is.

We consider it good that the study trips may continue even in the future. They are an important part of the Riksdag's work.

Madam Speaker! There are, however, four additional national minorities that during the mandate period have actually received reduced resources to continue their important work. The Institute for Language and Heritage and the Sami Parliament have been tasked with running language centers for the national minority languages Finnish, Yiddish, Meänkieli, Romani Chib, and Sami. The national language centers shall provide support and knowledge that facilitates for language speakers throughout the country to maintain, reclaim, and develop their language.

I believe I have said this in every debate: We have third-generation language death in Sweden today. This needs to be addressed.

The long-term goal of the measures is to increase the use of the languages both at the individual level and in society as a whole, as well as to promote a functioning transmission of the national minorities' languages and culture to the next generation. The purpose is that the national minority languages shall live on in Sweden.

We also want to emphasize the importance of preserving, developing, and passing on the national minority languages and the minorities' culture to future generations. They have long been an important part of our country's cultural and linguistic diversity.

The language centers supported by the state have proven to be central actors in preserving and developing the languages and cultural heritage of these minorities. By giving the language centers the opportunity to work long-term and stably, it is ensured that their valuable work can continue.

When it otherwise concerns the language centers and their work to revitalize and preserve minority languages, this is not a project work over a few years. The National Audit Office has criticized the work with language and considers that temporary projects are not sufficient. The Government has now finally chosen to make funds permanent for the language centers. We Social Democrats naturally think that this is good, and it is something we have demanded throughout the entire mandate period.

The truth, however, is that the resources in the budget for 2025 have decreased from 38 million to 28 million. One could have done a lot with the 10 million that are missing.

Madam Speaker! A truth and reconciliation commission for the review of violations and abuses against the Tornedalians, Kveners, and Lantalaiset submitted its final report to the government at the end of 2023. It is a solid piece of work that clearly demonstrates the pressure that the Swedish state exerted on Tornedalians for linguistic, religious, and cultural assimilation. The Swedish-ification policy meant that the minority's language, culture, and identity were devalued, shamed, and rendered invisible.

The referral response was to be submitted in April 2024, which has also occurred. However, very little has been decided by the government on how the work should proceed, and it still states on the government's website that they continue to process the commission's proposals.

The consequence has been that Meänkieli has decreased in use and has not been passed on to the next generation except to a very limited extent. In the commission's final report, it is stated that the state and the church have a moral responsibility to compensate the minority for the damage that has been the consequence of the assimilation policy and that this compensation and reconciliation need to take its starting point in the minority's needs today.

The Government has tasked Forum för levande historia to produce a popular version of the truth and reconciliation commission's work. This is something we welcome.

Madam Speaker! The Government needs to continue to take the Commission's proposals to heart and, in the first instance, recognize the historical violations committed against the minority but also consider other proposals from the investigation. One example is to investigate indigenous status.

Now the Minister for Culture has been to Karungi church and said that the government shall take responsibility for the violations that have been ongoing. However, we know neither when nor how, and that is the reason for the motion I have submitted – that they shall take responsibility. It will be interesting to see if the entire Riksdag now thinks it is important to take responsibility.

The work of the Truth Commission for the Sámi people is currently underway. I await the results and the measures proposed as a result of the commission's work with anticipation.

The Committee on the Constitution noted that when the government laid down the renmark investigation during the spring of 2025, the government had not fulfilled the Consultation Act in its true sense. At the same time, the government actually stated that a new investigation would be appointed, but so far nothing has happened. I believe that the Sámi expect that investigation to be put in place.

The consultation law for consultation with the Sámi is important and needs to be used in the way described in the preparatory works to the law. Consultation shall therefore be carried out well in advance before the government makes a decision, and it shall be carried out in good spirit characterized by sincerity and honesty.

A long-term strategy for Roma inclusion runs from 2013 to 2030. The overall goal of the strategy is that a Roma person who turns 20 in 2032 shall have equal opportunities in life as one who is non-Roma. The strategy concerns measures within the areas of governance and knowledge building, education, housing, health, social care and safety, culture and language, as well as Roma organization and participation in civil society. Now, MUCF, which is the new monitoring authority, has hired additional case officers specifically to work with the Roma group, so there is great hope that it can become better.

Madam Speaker! I finally want to say something about the role of the Älvdalskan, which the Committee on the Constitution has talked about for a very long time. It needs to be investigated. It is a bit of a shame that a united Riksdag cannot make a decision on the Älvdalskan's position in Sweden. We shall see how it goes when the Sverigedemokraterna have had their will pushed through by the government.

It is therefore important that the resource libraries continue to exist for the minority languages. They do a fantastic job of serving municipalities, schools, and other institutions with both book packages and literature for reading circles throughout the country.

In conclusion, consultation also applies to the other minority groups. I am a bit saddened when I hear from the media that the government simply dismisses an investigation on minority languages without explaining why and without consulting with the minority groups.

So there have been some improvements, but much more needs to be done in this area. And sharpening, the government, when it comes to consultation both with the Sámi and with other minority groups!

(Applause)

In this speech, Hans Ekström and Peter Hedberg (both S) concurred.

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

Susanne Nordström (M)

Madam Speaker! I intended, of course, to speak about minorities. In my manuscript, there is the exact same wording as in Michael Rubbestad's speech when he spoke about which five minorities there are in Sweden, so I will skip that part. Instead, I say that these five minorities are an obvious part of our country and our common cultural heritage. Their rights are protected through the Minority Act and international conventions, and belonging is based on self-identification and voluntariness.

A responsible minority policy is ultimately about democracy, human rights, and the credibility of the rule of law. But it is also about long-term thinking, clear structures, and a state responsibility that holds over time. A functioning minority policy also presupposes stable agency structures. Therefore, the Institute for Language and Folk Memory's instructions have been supplemented with a responsibility for language centers for Finnish, Yiddish, Meänkieli, and Romani Chib. It strengthens the work so that more people can use, reclaim, and pass on their minority languages. It is also a clear response to the Swedish National Audit Office's criticism regarding previous short-sightedness.

In the same spirit, the national responsibility for minority policy is moved from the County Administrative Board of Stockholm County to the Agency for Youth and Civil Society Issues. The purpose is to strengthen the observance of minorities' rights and to centralize the national mandate within an agency with a clear focus on participation and civil society. The Government is aware of the criticism that has been voiced and has therefore ensured the transfer of experience and continued dialogue. Influence and consultation are not an option in minority policy; they are a prerequisite.

I also want to touch upon the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the Torneviens, Kvens, and Lantalaiset. The Commission's work clearly shows how the state's assimilation policy has had far-reaching consequences, including through language loss and cultural impoverishment. The Government acknowledges its responsibility for these violations and the effects they have had and is now continuing the reconciliation work in close dialogue with the minority. It is about taking history seriously but also about creating conditions for faith in the future.

Mr. Speaker! I shall also speak about the Sámi. The Sámi are Sweden's indigenous people and have for centuries lived, acted, and carried their culture in the areas that today constitute our country. They are a people whose language, culture, and way of life are a living part of our country's history and present. A modern Sámi policy must combine respect for Sámi rights with the ability to manage difficult goal conflicts and complex societal challenges.

The government is now strengthening support for Sámi culture and Sámi languages. According to the budget bill for 2026, the grant to Sámi culture is increased by 5 million kronor per year during 2026–2028. This gives the Sámi Parliament better conditions to prioritize measures for language, culture, and identity themselves.

At the same time, Sweden is in the midst of a necessary green transition. As we all know, this implies increased land claims from perhaps the mining industry, perhaps forestry, perhaps wind power, and perhaps infrastructure. When conflicts of interest arise, they must be handled in a legally secure manner.

The Sámi's right to reindeer husbandry is protected by law, and the licensing authorities shall make careful assessments, often with conditions and adaptation measures. Dialogue has therefore become increasingly important. The consultation procedure, which was introduced in 2022, strengthens the reindeer husbandry's opportunities for influence in decision-making processes and contributes to better decisions and – hopefully – increased trust.

It is also a matter of taking responsibility for increasing knowledge about the state's historical policy towards the Sámi. The Truth Commission for the Sámi people has been granted extended time and resources to complete its mandate. The work is crucial for understanding history, making abuses visible, and contributing to reconciliation, not least because ignorance still affects the relationship between the state and the Sámi.

An important part of this responsibility concerns the return of Sami human remains and unjustly acquired cultural objects. This is a matter of dignity and respect. Therefore, the Sami Parliament has been allocated special funds, and the Swedish National Heritage Board has received a clear mandate to support legally secure and transparent return processes.

Mr. Speaker! In our time, it is particularly important that the knowledge of the Holocaust is not weakened but, on the contrary, kept alive and passed on. The Holocaust should have a special place in our collective memory. To honor the millions of people who were murdered is also a way to arm society against our time's antisemitism, antiziganism, and intolerance. The expressions of hate change. We have seen it firsthand, and it can never be accepted.

The government has therefore increased and made permanent the support for memorial trips to the sites of the Holocaust with 8 million kronor per year starting from 2026. More people shall be given the opportunity to participate, not least school students. Forum för levande historia plays a central role here, both through the trips and through the continued work of developing the message in the educational material. If this is the case, you may tell us.

We need to work long-term to strengthen Jewish life in Sweden and counter antisemitism. Jewish culture is a valuable and natural part of Swedish society. Nevertheless, many Jews today experience increased insecurity. Therefore, the government has adopted a national strategy to strengthen Jewish life and counter antisemitism for the period 2025–2034. The strategy brings together authorities, civil society, and academia in a shared responsibility, with clear mandates and resources. A national coordinator has been appointed to ensure implementation, follow-up, and results.

In summary, Mr. Speaker, the government's minority policy is built on three fundamental pillars: respect for rights, order and clarity in the state's responsibilities, and long-term thinking in implementation. This is how we strengthen minorities, democracy, and cohesion in Sweden.

(Applause)

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

Jessica Wetterling (V)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by moving to approve reservation 17.

We should actually be able to agree on these questions in this chamber, but as previous speakers have pointed out, it seems to be whether one sits in opposition or in a majority and government position that determines whether one thinks things should be investigated or not and what should be acknowledged when it comes to our national minorities. I think that is quite unfortunate.

If there is now very broad support in the chamber to, for example, recognize älvdalska, or at least investigate the status of älvdalska, it feels a bit strange that all opposition parties have their own reservation while other parties stand in the speaker's chair and say they want the same thing – but are not part of the reservation. This applies particularly when one happens to know that the same parties motioned on the issue during the previous parliamentary period, when they were in opposition, and then received a no from those who now have a reservation and think the issue should be investigated. It becomes a bit perverse.

So it is quite often in the Riksdag, not just when it concerns national minorities. But one might think that certain areas – for example this – should somewhat stand above the political bickering, as one might call it.

Just as previous speakers have pointed out, this is a report concerning all our five national minorities as well as the indigenous people, the Sámi. I do not intend to list the national minorities – I know them perfectly well, but previous speakers have already mentioned them. It is very broad, and since Vänsterpartiet has many proposals in this area, I will not be able to speak about all the proposals from my party. Of 26 reservations, 13 are signed by my party, so it will be quite a lot.

It is quite clear that my party, unlike the government, has ambitions in this area that aim to strengthen minorities and fulfill the legislation that already applies today.

When the Riksdag in 2000 decided that Sweden should join the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, it was for real. It was an important recognition of the five national minorities and the indigenous people, the Sámi. This obligates. Through that decision, the State also recognized that we have special obligations towards our national minorities, especially when it comes to protecting and developing the minorities' languages and culture. It should be quite obvious to everyone in the chamber debating this matter that the difficult situation prevailing for our minority languages requires proper efforts from the State.

Mr. Speaker! The state's assimilation policy has historically been extremely successful. The oppression of national minorities and forced assimilation is a very dark part of Sweden's history that in many ways remains unprocessed and which lives on and has consequences even in our time. People have been rendered invisible and mapped in a discriminatory way solely because they belonged to a minority. The previous assimilation policy also meant that people were forced to deny their origins and stop speaking their language in order not to be excluded from the majority society.

Some of the Left Party's proposals concern truth commissions. The Sami truth commission's work is currently ongoing. The truth commission for Torneviens, Lantalaiset, and Kveners has concluded its work and submitted its report, but there is still a huge amount of work to do. There is a number of recommendations and measures that need to be taken into account by the government, but unfortunately, not much has happened so far. I hope that the government increases the pace in that work and that a public apology is issued for the abuses that occurred.

Mr. Speaker! Finnish speakers have lived in Sweden since the 1200s. The number of people in Sweden with a Finnish background is estimated to be around 700,000. This is our largest national minority. Just like other national minorities, the Swedish-Finns have been subjected to racism, discrimination, and injustices.

The Swedish-Finns' delegation is an umbrella organization for the Swedish-Finnish minority. They have urged the Swedish state to recognize the abuses and the assimilation that the Swedish-Finnish minority has been subjected to through a truth commission. In connection with this, the organization applied for funds for a preliminary study, but in March 2025, the government rejected the Swedish-Finns' application. The reason stated was that they first wanted to evaluate the ongoing truth and reconciliation commissions.

In my opinion and the Left Party's, it is a very strange justification. All minority groups have the right to receive redress and recognition from the state, regardless of what an evaluation of the ongoing processes concludes. We therefore believe that an independent truth commission should be appointed.

Mr. Speaker! Unfortunately, one cannot claim that this government holds the banner particularly high when it comes to the national minorities, especially not when it comes to the language issue.

Our national language centers shall provide support and knowledge that facilitates for language speakers throughout the country to maintain, reclaim and develop their language. The long-term goal of these measures is to increase the use of the languages, both at the individual level and in society at large, and to promote a functioning transmission from one generation to the next, so that the languages live on in Sweden and so that a language death is avoided in coming generations, as Mirja Räihä pointed out earlier.

Unfortunately, almost all of our national minority languages are seriously threatened, even if there are certainly degrees of difference. I do not think it can be overemphasized the importance of preserving, developing, and passing on the national minority languages and the minorities' cultures to future generations. They have long been an important part of our country's cultural and linguistic diversity, and the language centers supported by the state have been extremely important and central actors precisely when it comes to preserving and developing the languages. Therefore, we in Vänsterpartiet believe that their funding needs to be made permanent, increased, and become more stable.

Of course, this cannot continue to be threatened, Mr. Speaker. The goal must be that everyone who lives in Sweden, regardless of whether they belong to a national minority or are of another origin, should be able to preserve their culture and their language and feel safe and included in a society where diversity and differences are seen as an enriching wealth. Today, instead, all minorities testify that they have been subjected to racism in different ways.

Mr. Speaker! I realize that I will exceed my registered speaking time quite a bit. I apologize, but that is what happens when there is a lot to talk about.

I think quite often about how it feels for the people in our vicinity, whom we meet in our everyday lives, who live in an insecurity and vulnerability that we, who perhaps are more designated as the majority society, do not experience at all in the same way.

Just a few years ago, the Sámi were specially invited guests to the Gothenburg Book Fair. It is usually seen as particularly honorable to be a special guest there. However, a seminar was organized that dealt with whether the Sámi were a privileged minority or a vulnerable indigenous people. Most of those who participated in the conversation did not even have any personal experience of the vulnerability that it entails to be part of a minority. I believe this is something that the majority society has very difficulty relating to. Therefore, it becomes so regrettable when arrangements are carried out in that manner.

Something particularly memorable happened when I had dinner with a Sami representative in connection with the Book Fair. When we were about to part ways at a tram stop in Gothenburg – the city that I love and feel safe in – she tied her coat extra tight and asked me if her kolt was visible. I was very puzzled. We were in a city that I think is one of the best in Sweden – the front side, you know. How could she feel worried that something would happen because she was showing an attribute that revealed which minority she belonged to?

Mr. Speaker! The last time Sweden was reviewed by the UN, the government claimed that it was actively working on ratifying ILO 169. At that time, some years ago, I thought it was very interesting and positive, but that is not the case – if it were, I would not have had to include reservation 1 in this report. I will not, however, move for its approval; I move, as I said, for the approval of reservation 17.

What is most depressing is that it appears as if the government is lying. One thing was claimed before the UN, but when my colleague Jan Riise submitted a written question about how it is going with the ratification of ILO 169, the answer instead was that they have no ongoing work and that they also have no timetable. That is how it is in this chamber sometimes.

In conclusion, I would like to touch upon something that occurred last year. At that time, 250 years of Jewish life in Sweden were celebrated. There is a broad consensus in the chamber about strengthening Jewish life, and there is also an inquiry that is very welcome.

Particularly memorable, connected to this, was when we in the committee had the privilege of visiting the synagogue here in Stockholm and meeting Jewish representatives. It was important, especially given the increasing antisemitism in society.

It is something that is quite crazy in our society when one is held accountable and asked to take a stand for something one does not have control over. The criticism that exists against Israel as a state and its warfare should, of course, be directed at Israel's government, not against Swedish Jews living in Sweden.

Something else I took away from the meeting with the Jewish representatives was that it is obviously important to safeguard Holocaust Remembrance Day and remind each other of what happened during the Holocaust, but that the Jewish minority is so much more than the Holocaust.

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

Gudrun Brunegård (KD)

Mr. Speaker! A week ago, the day of remembrance for the Holocaust was solemnly observed here in the Riksdag. It was a dignified moment for the commemoration of some of the most horrific events we have seen in modern times.

Piotr Zettinger was taken as a two-year-old with his family to the ghetto in Warsaw, and even after all these years, he has memories of dead people on the streets. When he was four years old, he was helped to flee through the sewers out of the city to a convent. Several years later, I believe it was three years later, a woman came who took him to some relatives. The sufferings had, however, changed her so much that it took him time to realize that the woman was his mother. I believe that everyone who was there was deeply moved by both his story and the stories Katherine Hauptman and Helena Lindahl recounted about their respective grandparents' experiences.

I myself live with strong memories of the artist Lotte Laserstein's stories. I got to know her when I was 14 years old, and we stood so close to each other for a number of years that I called her my pretend grandmother. During the summers I spent with her, I got to learn a lot about how the emerging antisemitism in Germany in the 1930s affected the well-integrated Jewish population.

Lotte Laserstein's most famous work, Evening over Potsdam, from 1930, depicts a group of serious friends on a terrace after a meal. They talk about what they have seen, heard and read and how they should interpret it. They had all read Mein Kampf and knew what was waiting. But how would they handle it? Some of them fled while there was time.

Lotte herself received an invitation in 1938 to exhibit her artworks in Stockholm and left Germany in the last month that Sweden's border was open for Jews. In order to be able to stay here, she entered into a sham marriage and avoided returning to Germany. That luck her mother did not have. She was murdered in Ravensbrück. Lotte's sister managed to stay alive in Berlin, but Lotte described her as a nervous wreck after the war. Besides her sister, there was only one survivor from Lotte's large family, a cousin in Switzerland.

But it was truly not only these somber memories that were topics of conversation during our time together, but also much joy. It was stories about interesting people she had met, Jewish humor, literature, traditions, dishes, and other cultural expressions. She taught me, among other things, how to cook Hungarian goulash according to her grandmother's recipe.

When we debate the KU's report on the national minorities today, it is important to remember that our primary focus when it comes to the Jewish minority must be to support Jewish life in Sweden, not just the commemoration of the Holocaust. Last year we celebrated 250 years of Jewish life in Sweden. Looking back, one can state that this has also meant that Swedish life has been enriched through the contributions of Jews within art, science, trade, and politics.

I cannot deny that I feel great concern about how it will look in the future. Will there be any Jews left in Sweden in 250 years? The concern is justified given how antisemitism is spreading within certain groups and how even prominent representatives for at least one party represented in the Swedish Riksdag can make antisemitic statements and depictions without the party leadership intervening.

The current situation is unsustainable. More and more people of Jewish descent are seriously questioning whether there is a future and a life for them in our country. They do not feel safe and refrain from expressing Jewish identity publicly. A Jewish man I know describes how, during school visits, he is subjected to purely antisemitic expressions and, as an individual Swedish Jew, is held accountable for how Israel's government acts.

There is a big difference between criticizing Israel's government and its actions and wishing death upon all Jews living in Israel. When Jews living in Sweden are subjected to hate and harassment simply because they are Jews, another serious line has been crossed.

The government adopted a national strategy last spring to strengthen Jewish life and counter antisemitism. It aims to create a structure for the national work against antisemitism over a ten-year period. Three focus areas have been defined:

knowledge, education and research on Jewish life

Jewish culture and Swedish-Jewish cultural heritage

Safety and openness – the work against antisemitism.

Forum för levande historia has received a mandate from the government to carry out knowledge-raising measures against antisemitism aimed at teachers and other staff within the education system. Everyone needs to be able to recognize antisemitism and know how to handle it.

Mr. Speaker! The policy for the Sámi people and the national minorities shall strengthen their opportunities to maintain and develop their ethnic, linguistic, and religious community life and support their languages so that they are kept alive. The latter has proven to be a challenge, which not least a recent review by the Swedish National Audit Office has shown. It is important that steps are now taken to enable all five national minority languages to both survive and be revitalized and that teachers and preschool teachers are trained in the languages so that they, in turn, can teach children with Sámi, Torne Valley Finnish, Finnish, Romani, or Yiddish-speaking backgrounds so that these receive a full language.

Previous speakers, not least Susanne Nordström, have accounted well for the government's policy on the minority area, so I will refrain from further deep dives into this.

Mr. Speaker! Let me finally say a few words about Älvdalska. I myself have for many years championed the issue of investigating its status in order to be able to recognize it as a language, for which there is also a Christian Democratic parliamentary decision. The Council of Europe's linguistic council assesses Älvdalska as a separate language, distinct from Swedish through both grammar, syntax, and pronunciation. As recently as last week, a bachelor's thesis on Älvdalska was submitted at the Italian university in Perugia.

For several years, work has been carried out in Älvdalen Municipality to preserve the language. With support from the General Inheritance Fund and language researchers, students have been taught during their free time, and books, games, and music recordings have been funded, and even the film Pelle Svanslös has been dubbed into Älvdalska.

A recognition of Älvdalska as a minority language would, however, have extensive consequences because Swedish legislation implies that speakers of a minority language shall have access to translation and interpretation in official contexts, for example, in contacts with the municipality, region, and state. This is not something the people of Älvdalen demand or even expect.

To separate the current Swedish minority legislation and introduce what many countries have – the category of regional languages – would involve a very extensive legislative history. But even without an official recognition of Älvdalska as a language, it is important to support the revitalization of the language given the strong and living interest that exists among the younger generation in Älvdalen. It is a cultural-historical act to support this. Structured linguistic support for the revitalization of Älvdalska could be conveyed, for example, through the Institute for Language and Folklore, Isof.

With this, Mr. Speaker, I move for approval of the proposal in the committee report and rejection of the motions.

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! I believe we should see the few minutes by which the speaking times have been exceeded here as evidence of a great commitment. I want to thank the previous speakers, and surely the subsequent ones as well, for the enormous commitment that exists in these issues. It bodes well for Swedish minority policy. It is an incredible privilege to listen not only to the commitment that exists but also to the enormous competence that the members possess in these issues.

With this said, Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by saying that we live in a time where the conversation about who we are and where we come from has become increasingly important. For many of us, identity is not just a question of which passport we carry in our pocket, but it is also about the traditions, the culture, and the language that we carry in our hearts.

Sweden's national minorities are an irreplaceable part of Sweden and our common cultural heritage, but their history is also a reminder of times when the Swedish state has not always stood on the side of diversity. We carry a history of Swedification, coercion, and marginalization. Therefore, minority policy is not just a series of administrative points in a report, but it is an ongoing work to heal wounds, to strengthen rights, and to ensure that Sweden is a country where one can be both one hundred percent Swedish and one hundred percent a bearer of one's minority culture.

Mr. Speaker! Today we unfortunately see that minorities in Sweden face new and old challenges. We see how hate and threats against Jewish but also Roma groups increase in the shadow of polarization. We see how the Sami rights are being tested. And we see – perhaps most acutely – how minority languages struggle for their survival.

When a language falls silent, it is not only words that disappear, but an entire worldview, a way of understanding history, and a connection between generations that is lost. The Centre Party believes in a Sweden that holds together by embracing differences, not by erasing them. We believe in the individual's right to own their own history. Against this background, I want to move today to approve the Centre Party's reservation 26.

Mr. Speaker! I want to begin with what several here have touched upon, namely the position of the Älvdalen constituency. I must say that I am amazed by the great consensus that exists here without it actually succeeding in becoming a consensus. For those out there who are listening, it must seem quite odd that we do not manage to move forward despite there being a broad common view and great consensus.

For decades, residents of Älvdalen have fought for their language to be recognized for what it actually is: a separate language, not a dialect. Those who have heard Älvdalska know that it carries a unique linguistic richness that differs significantly from standard Swedish. International linguists are in agreement, and the Council of Europe has repeatedly urged Sweden to reconsider its position.

But here at home, we have not quite managed to move forward. We are hiding behind old definitions and administrative hurdles. The Center Party believes that it is now high time to listen to the expertise and, above all, to those who themselves speak Älvdalska. By giving Älvdalska the status of a national minority language, we provide it with the tools needed for the language to be able to live on, in schools, in public discourse, and in homes. It is about respect for local culture and about preserving a unique part of the European linguistic heritage.

Mr. Speaker! I will now move on to reservation 26, which concerns the status of Swedish sign language.

Today, the Swedish sign language finds itself in what one could call a legal paradox. It is recognized as a language in the Language Act, but it is not covered by the Act on National Minorities. This means that sign language users do not have the same statutory rights to service and support in their mother tongue as other minorities have.

For a deaf person, sign language is not a complement or an aid, but it is the first language. It is the point of cultural identification. To be denied the right to be fully equated with the national minorities can send a signal that the needs of sign language users are less worthy or more complicated to handle.

Centerpartiet wants to see a legislative change where Swedish sign language is recognized as a national minority language. We want to ensure that the right to education, culture, and contact with authorities in sign language is not just a beautiful ambition on paper but a legal right that can be enforced. It is about basic accessibility and about everyone's right to participation in democracy.

Mr. Speaker! Democracy is best measured in how we treat our minorities. It is about daring to be a state that does not just tolerate diversity but actively promotes it.

By recognizing the status of Älvdalska and sign language, we show that Sweden is a country that truly values diversity. We show that we take our responsibility for the international conventions we have signed, but above all, we show respect for the people who every day fight to keep their languages and their cultures alive.

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

Mauricio Rojas (L)

Mr. Speaker! Just over 250 years ago – in May 1774 – a Jewish man traveled from Stralsund to Ystad with the aim of settling permanently in Sweden. His family and friends considered it to be pure madness to undertake such a journey.

Carl Grimberg described the departure scene in Svenska folkets underbara öden in the following way: ”But his companions thought that he was mad, who dared to venture into such dangers. As long as the ship, which he traveled over from Stralsund, was in sight, they stood on the shore and read blessings over him.”

This adventurous man was named Aaron Isaac and was a skilled seal engraver. What made his voyage so daring was, however, not primarily that he was Jewish, but that he was not prepared to convert to the Lutheran faith in order to settle in Sweden.

The strange, and for the future significant, thing in this story is that Aaron Isaac nevertheless got to do just this in the year 1775 through a groundbreaking decision by King Gustav III.

In the same year, Isaac founded the Jewish congregation in Stockholm. Nathan Shachar described the reactions to this in Dagens Nyheter on May 5, 2025, as follows: The news hit like a bomb in Stockholm. Isaac's joy vanished. He was insulted in the streets and stayed indoors. The press reporting was a wild concoction of passions and fantasies. A gloomy future, warned pamphlets and flyers, now awaited the Swedes.

But Aaron Isaac persevered. Over time he became respected, wealthy and influential. He received important assignments, including as a royal supplier, and his son Natanael was appointed as the king's jeweler.

Mr. Speaker! So begins the story of the Jewish minority in our country – a story that encompasses thousands of life stories and very significant contributions to Sweden's development on all levels. This history has many bright sides, but also darker episodes linked to the anti-Semitic perceptions that unfortunately have characterized all Christian societies.

In Sweden, antisemitism has not been as prominent or violent as in many other European countries, but it has nevertheless existed here, as a stain on our history.

The atmosphere at the end of the 1930s, when Nazi persecution intensified in Central Europe and many Jews desperately needed a haven, gives us some sad examples of this.

Tage Erlander writes the following about the Jewish refugees who sought refuge in our country in the first volume of his memoirs: I have previously told about what a disappointment it was for Gustav Möller to observe how hostile the predominant part of the Swedish opinion was toward the idea that we should receive and provide sanctuary for refugees. Especially within the academic world, a violent agitation was underway. I believed for the longest time that these currents were superficial and lacked real grip over the academics. I learned otherwise.

Tage Erlander continues: But the academics were not alone. We received heaps of statements marked by the same mentality. It felt humiliating. It still feels that way. All of this occurred before the war. Sweden was a free country. We could decide for ourselves how we treated the refugees. We had no one to blame. We could look at ourselves in the mirror. It was not a beautiful picture we encountered. But it is useful to see what kind of people we are when we form our opinions without pressure from the outside.

It is undeniably harsh words from Erlander. But that is how it was, and we have a duty to remember these dark moments in our history.

At the same time, there are, pleasingly enough, also many bright moments to remember: the reception of the surviving Norwegian Jews in the autumn and winter of 1942, the rescue of around 8,000 Danish Jews during the first days of October 1943, Raoul Wallenberg's heroic efforts in Budapest during the second half of 1944, as well as Folke Bernadotte's white buses in the spring of 1945.

Mr. Speaker! Unfortunately, we live today in a dark time regarding the life of the Jewish minority in Sweden, perhaps the darkest in its long history. After Hamas's brutal terror attacks on innocent civilians in Israel on October 7, 2023, the worst massacre directed against Jews since the Holocaust, a wave of antisemitism has washed over our country. Who can forget the cheering car caravans that filled the streets of Malmö that day to celebrate that over 1,200 Jews were cold-bloodedly murdered and hundreds were taken hostage?

It was frightening enough, but it was only the beginning. In a report from the Swedish Crime Prevention Council published in the spring of 2024, it is stated that there was a fivefold increase in police-reported hate crimes with antisemitic motives between October 7 and December 31, 2023, compared to the corresponding period the year before – a fivefold increase, Mr. Speaker!

The continued developments have made it appropriate to, as Susanna Birgersson in Göteborgs-Posten on August 4, 2024, pose the following sorrowful questions: "How much longer will there be Jewish life in Sweden? That small but very multifaceted minority, how long will they endure? How many will continue to dare to send their children to Jewish schools with reinforced windows and armed guards? How many will continue to try to instill knowledge and pride in the Jewish identity in their children – when it is precisely that identity that makes them targets for harassment in Swedish schoolyards and in Swedish classrooms? How many will let the identity fade? How many will leave the country?"

Mr. Speaker! The hatred and threats against the Jews come from several sides, from far-right, left-radical, and Islamist environments. More Jews state that they are considering leaving the country due to threats and harassment.

At the same time, the Instrument of Government recognizes the Jewish group as one of Sweden's national minorities. If the state does not protect this minority, we risk violating the intentions of the constitution. The Jewish minority's right to live safe and free lives in Sweden is therefore a priority task for the government.

This is expressed, among other things, in the government's decision on May 15, 2025, regarding a national strategy to strengthen Jewish life and counter antisemitism. The strategy shall create a structure for the national work during the period 2025–2034.

This is good and important. But we in the Liberals would like to see more being done in order to protect Jewish life in our country, for example by, as stated in the motion Protection for the Jewish minority by the Liberal MP Joar Forssell, classifying synagogues, Jewish schools and other Jewish objects as protected objects and thereby enabling permanent armed guarding, photo bans and other security measures.

It is also important, as stated in the same motion, that knowledge of antisemitism, including its contemporary expressions, is included as a mandatory component in primary and secondary school as well as in the teacher training program.

So it is important that municipalities and state authorities are required to ensure that no public funds go to organizations that spread antisemitism and deny the Holocaust.

Mr. Speaker! These and other similar measures are important. But the most important thing of all is that each one of us, in a tangible and personal way, manifests our solidarity with the Jews in Sweden.

That is why I participated in the Hanukkah celebration, the festival of lights, on December 16 last year, which became particularly significant in a dark time like ours. Two days earlier, on December 14, 15 people had been murdered in connection with the beginning of Hanukkah in Sydney. It was shocking to stand there, at Stockholm's Norrmalmstorg, and see how the lights were lit and how the dancing began – despite everything.

The Minister for Civil Defence, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, addressed the following words to those assembled that evening:

"The oil in the lamp will never run out, and the light will overcome the darkness. Chanukka is about the Jewish people's indomitability. You carry this within you and shall feel pride over this every day."

Mr. Speaker! Let us heed these words and together ensure that the oil in the lamp of the Jewish minority never runs out.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to vote in favor of the committee's proposal.

(Applause)

(cont. § 13)

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