Party debate on the occasion of the election to the European Parliament

FÖRSTE VICE TALMANNEN

This is a party debate ahead of the election to the European Parliament on June 9. The regular party debate that usually takes place in the middle of June is cancelled because the debates were only a few weeks apart in terms of timing. I would therefore like to say a few words regarding the subject of the debate.

The norm in the Riksdag is that a debate has a topic and that the presiding Speaker points out if a debater does not stick to the topic. An exception to this are the three annual party leader debates, which have no specific topic other than that the party leaders shall be given the opportunity to present their party's policies and question the policies of other parties. The presiding Speaker can therefore not intervene and point out that the party leaders are not sticking to the topic of that debate.

Once a year, in October, we have a party leader debate on EU policy, and it has, on the other hand, one subject, namely just EU policy. The presiding Speaker can therefore point out if contributions concern issues that have no connection whatsoever to EU policy.

The debate we are now about to conduct ahead of the election to the European Parliament falls subject-wise somewhere in between. It is a general political party leader debate, but it is prompted by a specific event, the EU election on June 9.

Since today's debate replaces the regular party leader debate in June and since the parties in an election campaign are free to highlight whatever issues they wish to convince the voters, we have concluded that the debate should be handled subject-wise as a regular party leader debate. I assume that the debate will focus on the election to the European Parliament, but the presiding Speaker will therefore not make any remarks regarding the subject of the debate, regardless of which issues are raised in different contributions.

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

Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)

Mr. Speaker! The Moderates are the gathering party in Swedish politics. We are the party that gets things done.

I am here today to speak about the war, the climate, competitiveness, and crime, and to speak about how we at the European level could cooperate more for Sweden's best interests. We differ on many issues, but everyone elected to the European Parliament on June 9 has a common responsibility to safeguard Swedish interests. That responsibility falls extra heavily on the three large parties: Moderaterna, Sverigedemokraterna, and Socialdemokraterna.

Mr. Speaker! I urge everyone not to let the political game block the important issues. Let us move away from the unworthy Americanization and the uncompromising tone that has characterized the debate in Sweden recently. Europe faces fateful issues. Let us collectively in Sweden show that we are mature enough to shoulder that responsibility.

Mr. Speaker! In 2022, the Swedish people voted to get order in Sweden. We take that mandate very seriously and are now implementing reforms day by day and month by month. We are tackling the problems that have been allowed to grow for far too long, and we are getting things done in Swedish politics - from talk to results. But several of Sweden's major issues are also Europe's, and things must also be gotten done in Brussels. Cooperation is required to create majorities.

After almost ten years of deadlocks, Sweden created European unity to reduce immigration. Both Tomas Tobé in the European Parliament and Maria Malmer Stenergard made it possible during our presidency. We gathered a broad majority - from Swedish Social Democrats to the Italian government - to strengthen the control of the EU's external border.

We reached an agreement on climate policy. Naturally, it is not flawless, but now no countries can any longer free-ride on other countries in the climate transition. Now all countries must reduce their emissions. We ensured that nuclear power is classified as a green investment together with all the renewables.

Furthermore, we maintained the unity in the EU's support for Ukraine. When our continent is attacked by Russia, no task is more important than that.

This is what the EU election should be about.

(Applause)

Mr. Speaker! The Moderates have been in favor of European cooperation since 1961, just as we were in favor of NATO membership long before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A small country like Sweden becomes safer and freer if we solve major problems together with others, such as internal and external security. Russia's invasion of Ukraine reminds us all of the worst chapters in Europe's history. But the Ukrainian resistance also reminds us of Europe's proudest moments. And we stand by Ukraine for as long as is required.

(Applause)

That matter we demonstrate once again with today's announcement. Today we present a multi-year support to Ukraine totaling 75 billion kronor. We join forces with countries such as Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Germany and the United Kingdom.

(Applause)

We do this for Ukraine's sake but also for our own. Should Russia win, it will have consequences for generations to come. At the front in Kharkiv in Ukraine, the first line of defense for Europe's freedom is currently being fought. External security is therefore about holding that border.

Internal security is about keeping track of the border. We guard the free movement in the EU, and therefore we must put a stop to gang criminals who abuse it. Today, Swedish gangsters are tricking Swedish pensioners out of money from the Spanish coast. Weapons and drugs are smuggled across land borders. In that case, a European special police force is needed with the mission to combat cross-border crime and terrorism. We set boundaries for the criminals, not for the police.

Mr. Speaker! Swedish interests must be better protected in the EU, but Sweden was far too passive in Brussels for too long. One must not, like the S- and MP-government, leave it to other countries to fight the battle for the Swedish forest. After eight years of uncertainty, all EU countries now know that Sweden unequivocally stands up for Swedish forestry.

At the beginning of the year, I and the Prime Minister of Finland met with the President of the European Commission to discuss the forest's important role in the climate transition. Our forest must not be reduced to a carbon sink that is to compensate for other countries' emissions. Our forest is a growth engine with 200 billion in export revenues and 120,000 jobs, but also a source of new fossil-free products.

If you want to get something done in the EU and stand guard over Swedish interests in Europe, you cannot sit on your hands. Cooperation is required and negotiations are required for Sweden's best interests.

Mr. Speaker! In that spirit, I will go to the European Parliament on June 9.

(Applause)

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

Magdalena Andersson (S)

Mr. Speaker! Ulf Kristersson is pretending that nothing has happened, but it has. I will return to that later.

Mr. Speaker! Outside the chamber, Sweden is at its most beautiful right now. The trees have turned green, and the primroses are blooming. In a few weeks, the young people here in the gallery who are still in school will run out towards summer vacation. Everything is exactly as usual. But at the same time, nothing is, Ulf Kristersson, as usual.

It is also the case that we live in a new era. Our cohesion, our security, and our way of life are threatened by external and internal forces. These are external forces such as the Russian regime, where Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine will continue to cast long shadows over Europe and Sweden for a long time to come.

The fight in the Ukrainian trenches is about Ukraine's right to independence and freedom. But it is also about Sweden, our security, and our way of life. It is the defining task for our generation. If Russia wins the war, it will change the playing field for Sweden and Europe for decades to come.

Therefore, we must increase the deliveries of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, and it must be long-term. I therefore welcome the government's announcement today. But we must also send the Jas Gripen to Ukraine. They request it so fervently.

We shall collectively send a clear signal. We will stand by Ukraine's side. I wish that the signal could come from everyone in this assembly. We stand by Ukraine's side until the last Russian soldier has left. Slava Ukraini!

(Applause)

Mr. Speaker! Our security and our cohesion are threatened not only by external forces but also by internal ones. These are forces that want to divide Europe, some even funded by Putin.

It is right-wing populist authoritarian forces that are undermining support for Ukraine, who want to pit group against group and human against human, fuel the level of conflict, and who spread disinformation and mislead the citizens. We see it across Europe, and we see it here at home.

The largest party in the government support has been caught running a troll factory with fake accounts and employees whose purpose is to manipulate the Swedish political conversation.

It is not, as the party leaders here seem to believe, about what tone of conversation should be held between the Tidö parties, or about all parties maintaining a good tone. It is also not about, as others want to make it about, harmless jokes or humor.

It is about a large number of fake and anonymous accounts that spread hate and incite against people because of their background or faith. Upon closer inspection, they have been shown to spread white supremacist propaganda and share material from neo-Nazis.

They have harassed individual citizens. They have exposed and ridiculed young people for having taken a political stand. Everything has been done in order to silence critical voices, to scare into silence, to raise the level of conflict, and to distort the democratic conversation.

We still do not know the extent of it, how many accounts there are and what they have spread. It is simply because the Sverigedemokraterna refuse to play with open cards. It is a way of working that brings to mind Russia.

When one is caught with this, after a thorough journalistic investigation, it is natural that it has consequences. One apologizes, and one corrects and makes amends. That is how it works in normal parties. But the Sweden Democrats, instead, go on a full-scale attack on their political opponents, on their coalition parties, and on the entire Swedish press corps.

All politicians know that it can be tough to be scrutinized, especially if it leads to fully justified and legitimate questions. But those are the rules of the game. That power is subjected to scrutiny is a fundamental and vital part of a democracy.

It shows with all clarity that the Sweden Democrats are not a party like others. You who believed that by joining a government base and gaining power they would mature and be normalized now know that those hopes have been put to shame, to put it cautiously.

The plan has failed. The question now is: What does plan B look like? Because it cannot be that you Moderates, Christian Democrats and Liberals will legitimize this type of murky, undemocratic methods by continuing as if nothing has happened?

It is ultimately a question of our democracy and our security. Now there are 18 days left until the election. What will the Prime Minister do to stop the hidden influence operation that the Sverigedemokraterna are currently conducting and which the youths up here in the stands receive on their phones every day? The Prime Minister must answer fully legitimate questions.

The Social Democrats' position is crystal clear. We will continue to stand up against right-wing populist authoritarian forces. We Social Democrats have always been the counterforce against that type of right-wing populists historically and in other countries. We stand up for Sweden. We put Sweden and the Swedish people first.

(Applause)

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

Jimmie Åkesson (SD)

Mr. Speaker! One can hold our country and Europe together in a few different ways. One way is, naturally, to increase polarization and talk a lot of nonsense from the rostrum of the Riksdag. Another way is to refrain from doing that. But one naturally chooses for oneself.

Before I move on to what I had intended to speak about, I want to say one thing. We in Sverigedemokraterna stand by Ukraine's side until the last Russian soldier has left.

Mr. Speaker! I appreciate the approach in what Ulf Kristersson presents here in his opening statement. The politicians whom the Swedish people are sending to Brussels on June 9 should, to a greater extent, see it as their common task to work for precisely Swedish interests, to safeguard Swedish interests and also to cooperate in that spirit.

The Sweden Democrats are Sweden's EU-critical party. We oppose federalist plans, and we want to work to return power to the EU's member states. At the same time, we work for cooperation on common problems and to cooperate to remove trade barriers and other things in our immediate vicinity. These are important things that we stand behind. But it does not mean, Mr. Speaker, that politicians and bureaucrats in Brussels - politicians from other countries, whom we cannot vote in and cannot remove if we think they are doing a bad job - should have power over absolutely everything that happens in Sweden. That is what distinguishes us from the other parties in this election; it is the Sweden Democrats who are the EU-critical alternative.

A confident Sweden that stands on its own feet or an obedient Sweden that stands with its hat in hand and bows every time the Brussels bureaucrats, who want more power, knock? A Sweden that holds the border and puts security first or a Sweden that yields and kindly agrees to every proposal that leads to more open borders, more migration, and more serious crime? These are the choices that the Swedish people face now on June 9.

Mr. Speaker! It should not be particularly difficult to make that choice. It should not be particularly difficult to say no when ideas are presented regarding forced renovations that would cost Swedish villa owners hundreds of thousands of kronor. It should not be so difficult to say no when proposals come that involve more immigration and more open borders. It should not be so difficult to say no when people who have never even been to Sweden and who know nothing about Sweden at all want to rule and dictate over Swedish forestry or Swedish hunting.

It should not be so difficult to say no. And it is not for us Sverigedemokrater either, because we stand up for Swedish interests and for the interests of Swedish citizens. We put these things in the foreground, and we are proud of that. Unfortunately, we are forced to note that other parties are not guided by the same moral compass.

The Social Democrats can rightly be named the worst in class when it comes to being honest with the voters. At the same time as Magdalena Andersson here in Sweden speaks about the party driving a strict immigration policy and indeed always has done so, a completely different reality unfolds in Brussels. It is Social Democratic Members of the European Parliament who vote for the EU to finance transport of migrants across the Mediterranean. It is Social Democratic members who as recently as March voted against allocating funds to strengthen the protection of the external border. It is Social Democratic members who vote for criticism against Swedish border controls.

Mr. Speaker! The truth is that the Social Democrats in Brussels have voted no to proposal after proposal that could reduce immigration to Europe and Sweden. This is the great issue of this election, because it is about Europe's future. If we cannot manage to maintain the outer border, we will soon have even more of serious crime and more drugs and weapons on our streets and our schoolyards. The Sweden Democrats intend to act against this.

(Applause)

In this speech, Staffan Eklöf, Eric Westroth and Leonid Yurkovskiy (all SD) concurred.

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

Nooshi Dadgostar (V)

Mr. Speaker! We live in restless times where a war is raging in the middle of our own continent. The economic gaps are increasing at a rapid pace, and the fundamental values of democracy are at stake. We face a climate transition that must be just. There are many who threaten our cohesion.

In this time, it is a matter of destiny to ensure that the elections we conduct are free and fair. Voters must be able to make their choices without manipulation. That is what distinguishes well-functioning democracies from authoritarian regimes, where manipulation of elections in various ways is the norm.

This is not a given. After the 2016 presidential election in the USA, 13 Russian citizens were indicted. They had operated a troll factory in Saint Petersburg under the name Internet Research Agency, one of Putin's many troll factories. They had created hundreds of fake anonymous accounts where they spread disinformation and defamatory images of the Democrats' candidate. These troll accounts focused primarily on issues that would divide the population, such as ethnicity and migration. They were particularly targeted at areas where it was politically close between the candidates.

This has been condemned by everyone as a horrific attempt to manipulate democratic elections. The politically explosive question then was whether Donald Trump, who was the opposing candidate, had had any knowledge of or involvement with these troll factories as an attempt to manipulate the elections.

In Sweden, we do not need to ask ourselves that question; we know that Ulf Kristersson has dealings with those who run the troll factory. All of his power originates even from those who run the troll factory. It is not just that he has had knowledge of or dealings with them, but he has also invited them to the Government Offices. In Sweden, those who run the troll factories are not just trying to influence power, they are sitting on power. And that has not been enough, the troll factories are also to help them get all the power. They therefore do not even hesitate to attack their coalition partners. We all know which party I am talking about: the Sverigedemokraterna, the only party in Sweden that runs a troll factory.

I believe it is difficult for an ordinary citizen to understand why it is reprehensible to manipulate elections with troll factories from Saint Petersburg but perfectly okay to do so from a parliamentary office in Stockholm. I want to be clear that if the Prime Minister continues to build his power on a party that runs troll factories in the EU election, he is embarking on a path where power is everything. It is a dangerous path, and there is no shortage of warning examples in Europe.

The most frightening thing in the wake of the revelation is that SD is now openly running a troll factory. We now stand at a crossroads. Is Sweden to become the first Western country where troll factories are accepted as a legitimate political tool – something one does not need to apologize for, to quote Jimmie Åkesson? It is probably only Russia that would appreciate such a development.

DN already wrote in 2015: Putin's net provocateurs have a base in Saint Petersburg, but on Twitter and Facebook, the Kremlin's trolls reach a global scope. DN had then the optimistic headline Trolls burst in the sun. But that is not what happened. The Moderates have chosen to offer the trolls shade by consistently driving cabbage-soup theories in the media.

Ulf Kristersson is Sweden's Prime Minister. His primary responsibility is to secure the future of Swedish democracy. Take that responsibility! Understand the gravity! Have the courage! Shut down the troll factory! Protect democracy!

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! One can hold Europe and Sweden together in different ways - by talking nonsense and polarizing or by refraining from it. So says Jimmie Åkesson from the rostrum. We all know, and we have all seen, what choice he and his party make, namely to do the first: to polarize, hate, and incite but never manage to take responsibility for their actions.

I would still like to thank you, Jimmie Åkesson, for once again reminding us all of the important words that Thorbjörn Fälldin, our then Prime Minister, expressed in this house: Hold the line! Those were Thorbjörn Fälldin's words when a Russian submarine ran aground outside the Karlskrona archipelago, when external enemies threatened Sweden's security.

"Hold the line" is also the Center Party's message in the EU election, where the election campaign is in the midst of its most intensive period. We chose the message from the then Prime Minister Fälldin to demonstrate his courage and decisiveness, but also because this is what the Center Party continues to stand up for and will always do in politics. We will hold the line here in the Riksdag and in the parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg. We hold the line against climate deniers, against Putin-lovers, and against populists. We hold the line for peace and freedom.

This may sound like self-evident truths. But unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we have seen that it is not so. In this chamber, right among us, sits Sweden's second-largest party, which operates its own troll factories. With hidden accounts, they spread and amplify hate and lies and talk about how to fuel the LVU campaign, one of the biggest security threats to Sweden in decades, when they think no one is listening—a Trojan horse in the middle of the Riksdag.

And instead of apologizing, instead of taking it back and saying "We will redo this," one chooses to attack free, independent media. One strikes at the foundations of our shared liberal democracy and calls what is being revealed as satire and humor – satire and humor!

Ask the social workers all over the country who sit behind bulletproof glass with guards outside the door and are forced to have protected addresses if they think this is funny! Ask female politicians and former party leaders if they are laughing! Ask the grassroots of politics all over the country or the youth in the climate movement if they think this is funny!

But here inside also sit the party leaders for the other Tidö parties who know how the Sweden Democrats have worked year after year, who at this moment see the hatred also being directed towards their own, and who have heard Jimmie Åkesson's answer that he intends to continue with the same methods. One is being tricked openly and clearly, in front of all of us, but one does not lift a finger to do anything about the matter. Instead, one has let the hatred into Rosenbad. One lets Åkesson dictate the terms for Sweden's government even though the Prime Minister himself has said that he does not know if he can trust the Sweden Democrats.

Here we are, 2024, with an election day only 18 days away.

Many of us have warned against this. Many of us have seen this and said that this was where we were headed. We saw how they worked, how they were inspired by their role models around Europe in countries where freedom for media, women, and opposition is now retreating. We warned. We saw it coming.

Then it was called a betrayal - when we stood up for our values. We saw, we understood, and we took a stand, and I am proud to say that we had the strength to stand our ground. I am proud that we in Centerpartiet continue to hold the line. But one question remains for the party leaders of the Tidö parties: Where is your line?

(Applause)

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The Christian Democrats' task in Swedish politics is to be a pragmatic, value-oriented alternative that has its raison d'être in always standing up for others, in not getting involved in political games but keeping the course and solving difficult problems for Sweden and now Europe.

Now Sweden goes to an election to the European Parliament. Today, the early voting opens.

An EU that tries to do everything will not succeed with anything. It is exactly like for most of us here in life. That is why the Christian Democrats go to the election with the slogan "Borders and Freedom". We want to set boundaries for what the EU should focus on, so that the EU can truly succeed with its core task. Things that are best decided at kitchen tables in Sweden should not be decided at desks in Brussels. The EU should not interfere in our working hours, exactly what happens in forest and land, or how Swedish mothers and fathers organize their parental leave.

It is therefore necessary to have boundaries for when decisions are best made under the blue and yellow Swedish flag and when it is best for decisions to be made under the blue and yellow EU flag. That is what it means to vote blue and yellow in this election.

Today, I would like to focus on three areas where the EU needs more weight and where the EU can solve problems that a single member state cannot solve on its own. These are the fight against the tech giants, a growth-oriented green transition, and the support for Ukraine.

Mr. Speaker! Phones and apps are becoming an ever larger part of our children's lives. When my party colleague Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed recently visited a high school in Stockholm, a student said to him: I got my first phone in fourth grade, and since then it has been stuck in my hand.

I want you to listen to these figures: Figures show that girls in the 15-year-old age group who suffer from depression and anxiety spend an average of 38 hours and 34 minutes a week with their mobile phones. It is almost a full-time job.

Social media is somewhat of a drug for children's brains. The dopamine hit makes almost nothing else in life become fun. At the same time, the number of children and young people who take antidepressants has increased sharply in recent years. The queues to BUP remain long.

Mr. Speaker! It is mothers and fathers who are responsible for what their children do online and also for the children's screen time and when they should go to bed. However, it is impossible to take that responsibility if one cannot influence the global tech giants' default settings and actions that increase our children's dependence on quick kicks and which are designed to make the children dependent on them.

The Christian Democrats therefore go to the election with demands for clear boundaries for the tech giants. All platform companies within the EU need to share information on how their algorithms work with authorities and researchers and demonstrate that the services are not built in such a way that they become harmful to users. The apps' default settings must be changed so that parental controls can be strengthened. A childhood in freedom needs boundaries online. We need to regain control over the screens.

Mr. Speaker! The path towards a climate-neutral EU by 2050 goes through electrification. When the member states phase out fossil energy sources and build fossil-free industries, large amounts of energy will be required. The path there is spelled by all good forces, but also much more nuclear power.

Nuclear power must be granted the same rules of the game throughout the EU as those that other types of power take for granted. Investments in nuclear power must become predictable. A vote for KD is a secure vote for more nuclear power in Europe and a green transition that promotes growth, strengthens households, and strengthens the welfare of the future.

Mr. Speaker! Ukraine is fighting for Europe's freedom. It is our moral duty to ensure that Ukraine wins the war.

Today, our four coalition parties are announcing the creation of a three-year framework for support to Ukraine totaling 75 billion kronor over the coming years. I myself had the opportunity to sit down with wounded Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv just a few weeks ago. The last few weeks have also been some of the toughest at the front. We now need to take the initiative to enable faster access to ammunition within the EU. I will personally ensure that we have such a meeting this week.

This is an EU that stands for borders and freedom and thus also succeeds in its core task.

(Applause)

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! What we do today will be decisive for us as a generation. The election to the European Parliament stands between hope and mistrust, between freedom and oppression, and between trying to save this planet and fueling the climate crisis. What we do and perhaps above all what we do not do in the coming years is absolutely crucial for the climate and for nature and biodiversity.

We need to manage to make the decisions that are required during the upcoming mandate period. It is about safeguarding life in the oceans and the biodiversity in our forests, phasing out the fossil subsidies, supporting the transition of industry, forestry, and agriculture, and at the same time ensuring that the transition becomes fair and something that becomes good for all of us in Sweden and in Europe.

What we choose matters for you and me, for everyone living in today's Europe and for everyone who comes after us. We Greens choose a policy of responsibility, for hope and for faith in the future.

Mr. Speaker! During the past weeks, the Sweden Democrats' troll factories and the hate emanating from them have caused debate and headlines. It is good that it is coming to light, but I would be lying if I said I was surprised.

Jimmie Åkesson speaks about how the opposition's criticism fuels polarization. But where is Jimmie Åkesson's responsibility? How easy it would be to simply stop anonymous accounts that spread defamatory images and hate. How simple it would be. But it is not simple for the Sverigedemokraterna.

Ulf Kristersson's entire government sits on the mercy of a party that actively fuels contradictions in today's Sweden. The total lack of consequences can mean nothing other than that all the parties in the government mostly hope that this is something that will pass, and it is shameful.

During this time, Sweden is being torn apart by inequality, crime, and economic disparities. Shootings shake entire communities, and people are forced to live in constant fear of ruthless criminals.

Many children in Sweden today are forced to grow up in poverty while the welfare is not there in all too many places.

At the same time as troll factories destroy the climate for conversation and the Sweden Democrats launch frontal attacks against free media in Sweden, democracy in the world is in decline. Freedom is increasingly threatened.

But we can choose another path, where we invest in what is our common ground for a society free from violence and oppression and for a democratic Sweden and Europe.

Mr. Speaker! There are moments in history when the choices for a country's future are put to the test, and where the world's support, or lack thereof, will forever be etched in memory.

Since Hamas's heinous terrorist attack on October 7, Gaza has been transformed into hell on earth. Humanitarian aid is being blocked from entering Gaza, and there is no longer any place for people to be safe.

The world has watched without acting, and now significantly firmer action is required from both Sweden and the EU to achieve a permanent ceasefire. Hamas must release the hostages. An arms embargo must be put in place, and all trade with Israel should be frozen. Humanitarian aid must increase. Israel's illegal occupation must come to an end, and a two-state solution with two democratic states must be established. The killing must stop.

(Applause)

In Europe, Putin's unlawful war of aggression against Ukraine continues. One of the EU's most important tasks must be to use foreign policy as a tool to build peace, security, and democracy in the world, and in Ukraine, it is precisely these values that are at stake. The Ukrainians are fighting not only for their own freedom but for all of Europe's.

There is only one alternative for how the war ends. It is that Ukraine wins, that Russia leaves Ukraine and that Putin is brought to justice. Until that day, Sweden's and the EU's support must be unwavering, both civil and military as well as economic. That is what we owe the Ukrainians.

Mr. Speaker! Together with Europe's green parties, we are running for election on June 9 to reduce emissions and implement a green and just transition where everyone can be a part. We are running for election to banish the fossil to the scrapheap of history and direct the money towards that which builds a better, greener, freer, and safer world where we stand up for democracy and safeguard an open conversation free from trolls and hate.

(Applause)

In this speech, Janine Alm Ericson, Emma Berginger, Jacob Risberg and Ulrika Westerlund (all MP) concurred.

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

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! There is war in our Europe. It is war again.

Climate change threatens our planet, and on our continent, the home-made energy crisis that has followed the red-green nuclear power shutdowns has caused the important green transition to falter.

At the same time, gang criminals continue their deadly trade travels around Europe and order new murders in Sweden from a sun lounger in Spain.

In the face of these global problems, it is obvious that alone is not strong. These problems can only be solved together with a deeper and stronger European cooperation. Our freedom and security in Sweden cannot be defended in a weak Europe. Russia, China and Iran can only be met by a strong Europe. Only a strong Europe can support Ukraine with full force. Only a strong Europe can accelerate the global climate transition. Only a strong Europe can put a stop to the gross and cross-border international crime.

Mr. Speaker! A strong and united EU has been crucial for Ukraine's impressive defense capability at an incomprehensibly high human cost. The Liberals have been clear throughout that our support must increase if we want Ukraine to prevail. It simply must not be weighed against other important needs in the country Sweden.

We have therefore proposed a special war budget in support of Ukraine - a liberal demand that now becomes a reality when the government puts forward a Ukraine framework and a special support of 75 billion kronor over the next three years. It is not an upper limit but a floor. It is a historic commitment to help our blue-and-yellow friends overcome Putin's murderer regime.

At the same time, the Liberals want to deepen European defense cooperation, because it is only together that we can strengthen Europe's defense capability and release even more blue-and-yellow support. Sweden cannot stand up for Ukraine alone, but a strong Europe can stand up against Putin and hold the line against his tyranny.

Emissions, Mr. Speaker, do not care about the lines on a map. Climate change moves across borders and affects us all, in both Hallsberg and Hanoi. Sweden today takes a great responsibility for the transition, but it is not enough. Today, Europe accounts for just over 6 percent of the world's emissions. Therefore, we must bring the world along in the global transition, and we do that through a stronger Europe that becomes even more of the world's most important climate organization.

Europe's countries have the conditions to become world leaders in green technology, renewable energy sources, and climate-smart solutions for ordinary people. But it requires clarity, long-term perspective, and perseverance. It requires a European cooperation that does more for the climate and not less.

We Liberals will not let anyone tear up the EU's climate plan. On the contrary, we want to see a Europe where we together ramp up the ambitions, a Europe that sets tough climate tariffs on Chinese plastic and invests in carbon capture and reforestation.

We want to see more nuclear reactors across Europe - ten should be located in Sweden - and have a commission that puts a stop to the red-green decommissioning of safe nuclear power in our union because it affects everyone and affects the climate.

A stronger cooperation for a greener tomorrow - that is the only way Europe can become the world's first fossil-free continent.

Mr. Speaker! It becomes clear with every shooting that Sweden needs a deepened police cooperation with other countries in Europe. Organized crime is an acute problem that knows no borders. When gang criminals move freely, we must strengthen the toolbox for the police throughout Europe.

We know that a large part of the gangs operate in several countries, and we know that even though there is good cooperation in Europol, it must be reinforced with an operational effort to counter the cross-border crimes in Europe that destroy the lives of people in our country. That is the only way we can crush the serious crime. That is the only way we can together ensure that Sweden and Europe become safer. A stronger Europe gives a stronger Sweden.

(Applause)

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

Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)

Mr. Speaker! Now we have - just as I unfortunately thought - heard everything about the political game. Let me bring the discussion back to the substantive issues.

Many of those who are now shooting and those who are now being shot were of preschool age when the Socialdemokraterna and Miljöpartiet first formed a government. Those parties often talk about prevention, but what was done when today's fifteen-year-olds were five years old ten years ago?

Now we are restructuring the crime policy. Month by month, it is becoming harder to be a criminal. In October, the police were granted the right to wiretap gangs to prevent shootings and explosions. In January, the penalties for serious weapons offenses were doubled. In February, preventive stay bans were introduced, and in April, it became possible to establish security zones to remove weapons from the streets.

We take crime in Sweden seriously. With the same seriousness, we must take crime in Europe. Of the criminal gangs in the EU, 70 percent appear to operate in at least three countries. Drugs come in from the major European ports to the streets of Swedish cities. Weapons are brought in for those who rule over the gangs' child soldiers.

We want to see an operational European special police force that fights cross-border crime and terrorism, with the authority to surveil, investigate, and intervene throughout the union. Safety and security are the great freedom issues of our time. We take them as seriously in Europe as we do in Sweden.

(Applause)

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

Magdalena Andersson (S)

Mr. Speaker! I am convinced that Ulf Kristersson and I are in complete agreement that free and independent scrutinizing media are a central part of democracy. Both Ulf Kristersson and I also know that it can be difficult to be scrutinized.

When the Sweden Democrats were caught with their troll factory, they launched a furious attack on the entire Swedish press corps - yes, on the entire idea of a free and scrutinizing press. Here, I lack a clear marking from Sweden's Prime Minister against the Sweden Democrats' attacks on the press corps. I am now giving you an opportunity to clearly distance yourself and mark against this. You have one minute of speaking time. The Swedish people are listening.

(Applause)

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

Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)

Mr. Speaker! Given the extensive amount of time Magdalena Andersson has spent on this issue, it is strange that she has missed what I have said about it. Time and again I have been asked, and time and again I have answered what I think about anonymous accounts, mudslinging, and the tone that many parties have contributed to over a long period.

The Socialdemokraterna themselves were accused in 2018 of so-called troll accounts or anonymous accounts. You had to relocate people. This time, the criticism is directed at the Sverigedemokraterna, on good grounds. I have agreed with that criticism, but this is a sign of something much broader, an intransigence in politics and an Americanization of campaign methods that is not worthy of Sweden. One can allow oneself that in a society without real problems.

We should come together, solve difficult problems together and discuss honestly when we disagree. That is what we should do.

(Applause)

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

Magdalena Andersson (S)

Mr. Speaker! Ulf Kristersson - you are the country's Prime Minister! The largest party in your government base, which you are completely dependent on, has launched a full-scale attack on the Swedish press corps. I gave you the opportunity to take a stand against this. You chose not to do so.

Ulf Kristersson - just like Nooshi Dadgostar, you are currently facing a crossroads! Will you clearly mark your position and distance yourself from the Sweden Democrats' attack against the press corps, or will you legitimize it by burying your head in the sand, even though you yourself have said that this is dangerous? Dangerous things do not disappear when one buries their head in the sand.

(Applause)

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

Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)

Mr. Speaker! No one is burying their head in the sand. It is quite obvious that we are saying what we think.

The Sweden Democrats and the Social Democrats are a bit obsessed with each other. There is also a similarity; it is a high tone.

I do not intend to answer questions about what the Sverigedemokraterna do in their communications department. Ask that question to the Sverigedemokraterna!

I take responsibility for the government's policy. We are addressing problems that should have been addressed a long time ago but which the previous government, with Magdalena Andersson at the helm, could or would not address. That is what I am dealing with in Sweden and Europe.

We have war in Europe and crime in Sweden. We have really big problems to tackle. The Swedish people deserve politicians who get something done in reality. You have to solve your problems with the Sverigedemokraterna yourselves.

(Applause)

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

Nooshi Dadgostar (V)

Mr. Speaker! Ulf Kristersson is Sweden's Prime Minister. Free and fair elections are the core of the democratic process. Voters must be able to make their choices without interference and manipulation. This is what the EU writes, and the European Parliament has been clear that manipulated elections with fake accounts violate free and fair elections.

According to Swedish law, it is a crime to distort the outcome of an election or improperly influence the voting. As head of government and most responsible for the executive power, it is the Prime Minister's responsibility that democratic elections are conducted in a correct manner. Does Ulf Kristersson intend to take that responsibility and shut down the Sweden Democrats' troll factories now that we are facing an EU election?

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

Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)

Mr. Speaker! If Nooshi Dadgostar asks me if I intend to take over the responsibility of Swedish legal authorities and make such decisions on my own, the answer is no.

It is absolutely obvious that free, fair elections are the core of democracy. I believe that all eight parties in this chamber agree on that.

If criminal acts are suspected to have occurred in some way in any party, there are also criminal investigative authorities responsible for that matter. Most democratic countries refrain from having prime ministers acting as judges. I have full confidence that our independent authorities take that responsibility.

We also have freedom of speech in this country. But not everything that is legal is appropriate. I have many times spoken out against fully legal things and said: Think about what you are achieving! Restrain yourselves! Think about the tone! One must think about what risks one exposes Sweden to in an escalated international situation.

(Applause)

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

Nooshi Dadgostar (V)

Mr. Speaker! The answer to my question was therefore no. The Prime Minister does not intend to guarantee free and fair elections, according to what the European Parliament has concluded. Is that correctly understood? I perceived no other answer.

What then is Ulf Kristersson's responsibility? How is Ulf Kristersson to guarantee these elections? In the EU Parliament, there is an agreement that fake accounts conflict with free and fair elections due to the manipulation they entail and the way this has been carried out. Is Ulf Kristersson's view that it is not his responsibility to guarantee democracy in our country?

Ulf Kristersson is welcome to take another round and explain if he does not intend to take responsibility for the fact that we are now going to enter free and fair elections.

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

Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)

Madam Speaker! That is an absurd accusation. It is clear that we have free elections in Sweden. It states in the constitution that it shall be so, and we have authorities that uphold this. All of us work, not least the executive power, under current Swedish law.

We also have freedom of speech. One is allowed to say stupid things in Sweden, and one is allowed to react against stupid things in Sweden. One is allowed to be anonymous in Sweden, and one is allowed to think that anonymous accounts are bad in Sweden.

It is an incomprehensible position to place the responsibility on the government to step in and regulate what different parties do as long as they are legal matters. If they were illegal matters, we have independent law enforcement authorities. It surprises me that there seems to be uncertainty on that point. Such things usually only occur in countries that have problems with exactly that issue.

Sweden is a rule of law state. We remain a rule of law state. Let us discuss openly and honestly, also our working methods, and criticize each other if we think someone is doing something wrong. That is how a rule of law state works.

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Madam Speaker! The Prime Minister said that he would get Sweden in order. Instead, we are now witnessing how the Prime Minister is being trolled, openly and in real time, by Jimmie Åkesson. The Sweden Democrats are openly defying the Prime Minister, and he seems to accept being overridden time and again. The alleged boundaries appear to be infinitely flexible.

And now it is spoken of political games. This is no longer about troll factories. It is not about political games, as the Prime Minister claims. It is about the nation's security, about things that since Gösta Bohman's time have been moderate nuclear values but which seem to have been lost at Tidö Castle.

After the latest week's responses and actions from Jimmie Åkesson and the Sweden Democrats' mocking internal training and statements about continuing exactly as one has always done, I have a question for the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister answer whether he trusts Jimmie Åkesson 100 percent?

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

Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)

Madam Speaker! I am pleased with the Centre Party's concern regarding the cooperation between the government and the Sweden Democrats. But if the Centre Party wants to discuss the Sweden Democrats, they can do so with the Sweden Democrats.

It is fully legitimate to both criticize and praise. I maintain what I have said previously: I dislike the Americanization of the Swedish debate climate, I dislike anonymous accounts, and I dislike mudslinging, both when it is directed at opponents and at partners. I have said it many times, and I am happy to repeat it again.

It is not my way of working, partly because I do not like it personally – there you can have different opinions – but also because Sweden has real and important problems to tackle. I spend almost the entire day trying to solve those. Then you others can go about your business in the political game.

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Madam Speaker! The Prime Minister is usually quick to try to stand his ground, but now it seems the foot does not want to come down. The ambiguity in what is expressed is very clear. It is not about the Sweden Democrats. It is not about troll factories or political games. It is about Sweden's security.

The Prime Minister himself has expressed that he does not know if he can trust the Sweden Democrats. Therefore, the question is legitimate.

The Prime Minister has said it himself, and the government has expressed it together with Säpo and Magnus Ranstorp: that the LVU campaigns are one of the most serious things Sweden has been subjected to. Still, in Kalla faktas granskning, we can hear how employees at the Sweden Democrats' office are sitting and talking about setting up websites with the aim of fueling the LVU campaign. Therefore, the question becomes relevant. It is not a question of the Tidö Agreement or courtesy clauses, but about Sweden's security.

I repeat the question. Can the Prime Minister say whether he trusts Jimmie Åkesson fully or not?

(Applause)

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

Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)

Madam Speaker! I have full confidence that we will carry out exactly what we have agreed upon to improve Sweden and solve major problems. That is what politics is about. I have full confidence in that.

Let us talk about the LVU campaign. I have repeatedly warned about the dangerous consequences that the campaign, orchestrated from abroad, has – for children who need the social services' care and for the risk of attacks from other countries. It is about verbal but also physical attacks, in a situation with an escalated tone internationally and an increased risk of terrorism in Sweden. All of this I, as Muharrem Demirok knows, take very seriously.

At the same time, we have freedom of speech in Sweden. One is allowed to say a lot of stupid things in Sweden. If a crime were to be committed, we have judicial authorities that handle those matters. That is not my task. But just because it is legal does not mean it has to be appropriate. I say it time and again: If one says such stupid things about Swedish social services, it risks having serious consequences.

(Applause)

(THIRD DEPUTY SPEAKER: I want to point out that props are not to be used in the chamber, but it is the spoken word that prevails.)

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Madam Speaker! Heat, hats, and racist abuse have become commonplace for many who choose to engage politically. People are heckled and mocked online and are forced to look over their shoulder one extra time when on their way home from a political meeting. Many hesitate today to make their voices heard online, for fear of being targeted. I am distressed when Ulf Kristersson calls this political games. I know, in fact, that Ulf Kristersson knows that words matter and that we politicians have a responsibility for how we express ourselves and what consequences it has.

Despite this, Ulf Kristersson has chosen to build his government on the Sweden Democrats. And what Jimmie Åkesson calls political satire creates ripples of racism, of hate, and of threats. The response to Kalla's revelation about SD's troll factories, to call it a domestic influence operation, and the way of viewing free media does not belong in Sweden.

What does the Prime Minister intend to do to stop and counter the hatred that follows in the wake of the Sweden Democrats?

(Applause)

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

Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)

Madam Speaker! Let me first of all welcome Amanda Lind to the party leadership circle. It is a very exciting job. I can promise many spirited debates between us in the coming years. Welcome!

I have time and again said what I think about the tone that is being described. It happens quite correctly on social media, but if we are to be honest, it does not only happen on social media. I have several times had to interrupt physical meetings because bullies, hecklers, have forced their way in with the aim of destroying those meetings, because they think differently on a specific issue.

I have seen many rallies where people who have less protection around them than we party leaders have not wanted to make their voices heard because they encounter people who are threatening and hateful - from right to left. Let us be honest on that point. Let us therefore take a collective responsibility in all parties to maintain a decent climate for conversation.

I am very concerned about this, but let us not isolate it to just a few. This is a much broader societal problem, most recently in the form of the Sverigedemokraterna, who receive well-deserved criticism for it.

(Applause)

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Prime Minister, for the answer! For me, it becomes almost painful to hear how Ulf Kristersson and the Moderaterna constantly try to address this issue as a problem for all parties. Of course, we shall take a collective responsibility for the democratic conversation, but the fact remains: The use of anonymous accounts with this content is something that is reserved for the Sverigedemokraterna.

I must ask again. The Prime Minister speaks of substantive politics. There is an opportunity to act on substantive politics regarding this. We in Miljöpartiet have submitted an initiative to ban the possibility for parties to have anonymous accounts. It is a concrete substantive issue where the Prime Minister could join in. My question is whether one is prepared to support this initiative. And again: How does the Prime Minister take responsibility for ensuring that his government base does not contribute to poisoning the political conversation in this way?

(Applause)

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

Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)

Madam Speaker! Just as I said, I think very poorly of anonymous accounts. I think poorly of people who smear others. I would never come up with the idea of doing such a thing myself. I think poorly of this.

Most recently, it is the Sweden Democrats who have received criticism. But let us be honest - many others have smeared their opponents in other ways previously. This does not diminish the criticism this time, but let us still be honest about this.

An excellent proposal is to discuss precisely this issue in an ongoing investigation on party funding. Today, this is perfectly legal. Can we agree on something else, legislatively or as a code of conduct, I am completely open to that.

But I am not a judge who on my own decides what one is allowed to say and how in Sweden, as long as it is legal. On the other hand, I have the right to say that not everything that is legal is appropriate.

(Applause)

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

Magdalena Andersson (S)

Madam Speaker! Right now, at the same time as we gather here in the chamber, thousands of Ukrainian women and men are fighting in the trenches. They are fighting for their freedom and democracy and for Ukraine's right to self-determination but also for us, for our security. No task is so important in the coming years in Europe as ensuring that Russia is not allowed to win the war. Then we must take a stand, Madam Speaker, when there are forces here in the Riksdag that spread Russian narratives and try to undermine the support for Ukraine.

On June 9, we all have a choice to make. This EU election will not be like anything else, simply because there is so much at stake. In a restless time, European cooperation is... Excuse me, it is difficult to speak. May I have extra time now because it is difficult to concentrate when they sit and chatter so loudly?

(THIRD DEPUTY SPEAKER: I ask everyone to observe silence when someone else is speaking.)

In a time of uncertainty, European cooperation is a safe haven. Sweden and the Swedish people need a strong and united Europe. It is only a strong and united Europe that can support Ukraine, tackle cross-border crime, ensure that other countries do their part when it comes to reducing emissions and lifting ordinary people out of the economic crisis. And it is only a strong and united Europe that can stand up to Putin.

But then we must stand up against the right-wing populist and authoritarian forces that want to divide us and make Europe weaker. Then we must choose cohesion over division, Madam Speaker. It is no small matter.

(Applause)

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

Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)

Madam Speaker! Let me return to the substantive policy. In my introduction, I mentioned the importance of the Swedish forest, a base industry that accounts for 200 billion in export revenues and 120,000 Swedish jobs and is crucial for the climate transition.

In Brussels, it is an established truth that the previous government did not speak with a clear voice for Swedish forestry. There are several examples of this. The previous government voted for harmful legislation that we are now trying to change. They did not join forces with other countries that tried to stop legislation in time and were not even present at important meetings where this was discussed. Now we are truly standing up for the Swedish forest.

During the next parliamentary term, the question will return. Then the question will be on the agenda once again, and our starting point is clear: Swedish forests shall not compensate for the emissions of dirty industries in other countries. Are you in the Social Democrats now prepared to change your policy and join forces with us to save Swedish forestry?

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

Magdalena Andersson (S)

Madam Speaker! I have spent many hours in Brussels explaining how important the Swedish forest is for the climate transition but also for the Swedish business sector - for Sweden and Swedish industry. I think Ulf Kristersson should ask Ursula von der Leyen how tired she was of hearing my nagging. Ask Frans Timmermans how many hours I have spent together with him. There we have nothing to be ashamed of.

Ulf Kristersson says that it is important to work on substantive issues and tackle important matters; this is his focus. But racism and hate against young people who engage politically are also important issues, aren't they? How does Ulf Kristersson intend to tackle them, together with the party that, we have learned, has hundreds of anonymous accounts just to spread racism, white power propaganda, neo-Nazism, and hate against young climate activists?

(Applause)

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

Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)

Madam Speaker! It is the party leader of the party whose own members sent out images of feces and insinuations that Fredrik Reinfeldt would be a pedophile in his time. Such hypocrisy! I have time and again turned against this tone, but there must be limits. The one who can say that they themselves do not spread hateful propaganda or slander and have not had reason to personally apologize on behalf of party friends can cast the first stone.

Now the eyes are turning, on good grounds, towards Sverigedemokraterna. I dislike the way they have worked with their communication. I have said this personally, and I have said it publicly, time and again.

In the month you made an impact in Brussels, everyone else missed it. When I invited Ursula von der Leyen and Petteri Orpo to a meeting about the forest in Stockholm, they had not heard the previous government's views on that issue.

(Applause)

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

Magdalena Andersson (S)

Madam Speaker! All parties have had members or employees who have committed transgressions. Even Ulf Kristersson's closest associates have committed data breaches at us Social Democrats. The difference is that the parties have then apologized. They have made amends, and they have done the right thing.

Now Ulf Kristersson is cooperating with a party that says they will continue to spread hate, incitement, and threats via anonymous accounts and poison the Swedish political conversation. Ulf Kristersson speaks about being adult, the adult in the room. But is it adult in such a situation to clearly mark a position, distance oneself, and speak out, or is it adult to do as Ulf Kristersson does and bury one's head in the sand?

(Applause)

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

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! A stronger Sweden requires a stronger Europe, a Europe that takes responsibility in the climate transition. In that regard, I am very pleased that we now have a strong climate plan that can take all of Europe to net zero and make us the first climate-neutral continent. In that, nuclear power is a very central part.

My question to Magdalena Andersson is: Do Magdalena Andersson and the Social Democrats in the European Parliament intend to work for us to build more nuclear power in Sweden and in the rest of Europe? Do you want to see this nuclear power as an important part of the climate transition, and is Magdalena Andersson prepared to ensure that functioning and safe nuclear power in Europe is not shut down, which would worsen the climate crisis?

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

Magdalena Andersson (S)

Madam Speaker! We have been very pragmatic in that matter. We think that Europe needs more cheap electricity, and it needs to be expanded quickly. Therefore, we would need a broad energy agreement in Sweden. That would be good.

On the other hand, we do not want to send Swedish taxpayers' money to build expensive nuclear power in other countries. I do not believe that is where the money does the most good.

Johan Pehrson, our parties together paved the way for Swedish democracy with free and universal suffrage and free and independent scrutinizing media. But right now, you seem to have reduced the proud Swedish Liberal Party to an activity whose primary political purpose is to pave the way for the Sweden Democrats' right-wing populism. Why then?

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

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! When solving the energy issue in Europe, it is central to do so with new, clean and carbon-free electricity to stop climate change. In that case, it is not sufficient to say that we do not need to do more at the European level.

The last time we debated here, Magdalena Andersson said that the Social Democrats are indeed for new nuclear power in the places where nuclear power already exists. But we are talking about being able to build new nuclear power in Sweden in new places, because we need to do our part. We need ten reactors in Sweden, but we surely need up to 100 in Europe. That is how we can move Europe forward. That is how we can ensure that Europe becomes carbon-free and an example for the whole world to follow.

Swedish democracy is based on parties standing in general elections and receiving votes. It is about arguing for one's cause. We others shall say that those who commit transgressions should stop doing so. If we are not satisfied with this, we shall change the laws. That is the Liberals' proposal.

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

Magdalena Andersson (S)

Madam Speaker! Many view today's Liberals with sadness - a party that has stood up for so much of what is Sweden and what we believe in, where democracy is the foundation. Now, instead, one has chosen to cooperate with a party that attacks the free media and spreads hate and incitement against people because of their faith and their religion.

It was not that Johan Pehrson had no other choice after the 2022 election. Johan Pehrson could have chosen another path. He could have cooperated with me rather than with the Sverigedemokraterna. We can observe that there was more liberal policy in the January cooperation than there is now, when he is daily run over and battered by Jimmie Åkesson.

(Applause)

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

Jimmie Åkesson (SD)

Madam Speaker! After nearly 15 years in these debates, I should have learned to carefully check that I have actually pressed my button. I did not do that, so I never got to speak in the last exchange of remarks. But I intend to say roughly the same thing now; it doesn't matter that much, then.

The Social Democrats have, through the influence operation that has been launched, not least by TV4, gotten the election campaign, or at least the beginning of it, exactly where they want it. They avoid having to talk about their enormous betrayal of Sweden, of Swedish interests and of the Swedish people down in Brussels. In Brussels, they fight for continued large-scale immigration despite the fact that here at home in Sweden they claim they have always been for strict immigration and shall continue to be so. They worsen things for Swedish forestry. They vote to force completely ordinary villa owners to compulsorily renovate their houses for hundreds of thousands of kronor and so on.

So, this is what Magdalena Andersson and her Social Democrats do not want to talk about, and now they will escape it. Now they can talk about something else instead. And I understand that they do not want to talk about it. I would have laughed my eyes out if I had been Magdalena Andersson and betrayed the Swedish people in the way that the Social Democrats do in Brussels.

The Sweden Democrats have nothing to be ashamed of, and especially not regarding how we act in Brussels. It is not we who have destroyed Sweden. It is not we who have destroyed this country through mass immigration, general lack of requirements and coddling of gross criminals, but it is primarily the Social Democrats who have done it.

Madam Speaker! When we go to the election on June 9, the election is primarily about whether we should continue in the same way as the Social Democrats and others in Brussels or if we want a change. It is the Sweden Democrats who stand for that change.

(Applause)

In this speech, Eric Westroth (SD) agreed.

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

Magdalena Andersson (S)

Madam Speaker! Now we have listened to the Sweden Democrats' free fantasies for five minutes. There is only one problem for Jimmie Åkesson - reality.

Thousands of healthcare workers will now lose their jobs because of Jimmie Åkesson's home-cooked healthcare crisis. But Jimmie Åkesson does not intend to stop there. He will, with surgical precision, worsen the unemployment insurance specifically for women in LO occupations, and the stumbling block seems to be reintroduced.

What does Jimmie Åkesson say to the nursing assistant who is now being laid off and who, thanks to you, will face a diminished unemployment insurance? What do you say to the healthcare assistant who remains on the ward but is worn out by stress and, during the sick leave, needs to worry about being excluded from insurance, rather than focusing on getting well?

Before the election, Jimmie Åkesson promised to be the guarantor of the welfare. What does Jimmie Åkesson say to these women today?

(Applause)

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

Jimmie Åkesson (SD)

Madam Speaker! I say that we, together with the government, have allocated many billions to the regions so that nursing assistants, nurses, doctors, and other staff can remain despite the regions having a strained economy. Hopefully, and with all probability, this strained economy is temporary. It actually looks brighter already next year. This is a fact.

I also say, Madam Speaker, that the Social Democrats had power for eight years. With some exceptions, one has basically had power for a hundred years. To blame me for how things look in Sweden today, I think, is therefore a bit of a stretch.

The Social Democrats have, for example, promised better working conditions in health and care election after election after election. They have promised the right to full-time employment, and they have promised to remove split shifts in health and care. For some strange reason, they have not implemented it, Madam Speaker, but if I am given the opportunity, I intend to implement those things. It is my message to them that Magdalena Andersson is trying to address.

(Applause)

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

Magdalena Andersson (S)

Madam Speaker! It is not without one wondering if Jimmie Åkesson will ever, in his political life, reach a point where he takes responsibility for something – for his own troll factories, for the fact that Sweden, as the only country in the Nordic region, has not increased child benefits in this cost crisis, for the construction workers who are now becoming unemployed as construction crashes, or for the healthcare crisis that he is rolling out across the country.

It is the case that there will be 5,000 fewer employees in Swedish healthcare at the end of this year. Jimmie Åkesson proposes a worsened unemployment insurance just for women in these LO occupations, just for those women who will now become unemployed. He also wants to reintroduce the "stoppstock" in the health insurance.

This is what happens when you have the power, Jimmie Åkesson. Take responsibility for your decisions!

(Applause)

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

Jimmie Åkesson (SD)

Madam Speaker! I do not intend to take responsibility for Social Democratic policy or for Social Democratic failures and mishaps. That is for the Social Democrats to do, and then the voters can judge whether they think that Magdalena Andersson and the Social Democrats take enough responsibility for this or not.

I also do not intend to start conducting Social Democratic policy, Madam Speaker. That is not why I and my members in the assembly were elected. We are elected to conduct Sweden Democrat policy, and we do so with some success. We have 20 percent of the votes. This means that one cannot push through 100 percent of one's policy – it would be quite unreasonable if we were to get that, even though I would have liked it. But we can push through a good deal of our policy, just as other parties in the government cooperation push through parts of their policy.

That is how our democracy works. That is how our multi-party system works. I am very happy that I get the opportunity to work in a democracy like the Swedish one and to be able to influence from outside the election result and the trust that the voters have given us. That is what I work for, and I take responsibility for what I am responsible for.

(Applause)

(THIRD DEPUTY SPEAKER: I want to remind everyone that even in party leadership debates, all speakers address the Speaker, which is why "you" and "you" (du and dig), according to our parliamentary custom, do not occur.)

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

Nooshi Dadgostar (V)

Madam Speaker! Obviously, Jimmie Åkesson is not interested in taking responsibility for the decisions he himself has made. He has blocked a bank tax that could have helped households through the crisis, he has stopped an increase in child benefits, and he will now significantly lower the unemployment insurance - 10,000 kronor for an ordinary LO worker in a reduced unemployment insurance - and worsen the sickness insurance. He has also actively worked to ensure that we do not inject more money into the municipalities.

Even at the EU level, I am surprised by this Sweden Democrat posturing. The Sweden Democrats say nothing about the fact that it is the EU that controls the railways in Sweden. They have not worked against that. It is the EU that rules, and they have sold out Swedish electricity to Germany.

Will the Sweden Democrats work to ensure that public utilities in Sweden are governed by us in Sweden and not burdened by the commercial requirements coming from the EU?

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

Jimmie Åkesson (SD)

Madam Speaker! Nooshi Dadgostar and the Left Party can rely on the fact that every Sweden Democrat who is elected either to the Riksdag or to the European Parliament will work to ensure that as much power as possible is moved back to or remains in Sweden, so that it is those who are elected here in Sweden in free and general elections to the Riksdag who decide on Swedish legislation and not politicians from other countries, whom we cannot vote for and cannot remove.

It is my starting point, and above all, it is my starting point in Sweden's relationship with the EU and the EU election that we now face. In that regard, Nooshi Dadgostar does not need to hesitate; it is a rather self-evident matter.

That bank tax sounds very good, Madam Speaker. We have also sniffed around such proposals, and I do not rule it out. The problem is, above all as it is constructed from what the Vänsterpartiet proposes, that it always hits us who are customers in the bank – always. It is not the bank that is hit by a bank tax, but it is those who are customers in the bank. Therefore, we are against Vänsterpartiet's proposal.

(Applause)

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

Nooshi Dadgostar (V)

Madam Speaker! The bank tax is designed so that it will lower interest rates and costs from the bank's side. It will therefore not affect the customers. That is exactly how we have designed it, so what Jimmie Åkesson says is completely wrong.

However, I note that the Sweden Democrats do not answer the question regarding public service housing. You have not worked for us to decide for ourselves over public service housing in Sweden. This would have lowered the rents by several thousand kronor. This is something the Sweden Democrats have not worked for.

You have sat in the EU Parliament for some time now. You have let the EU rule over the railway. Now you want to sell out our Swedish electricity in southern Sweden to Germany. You sit in silence when Scholz is here on a visit.

All of this is a Sweden Democrat posing. The Sweden Democrats do nothing of what they say. I ask the question again: Shall the rules for public housing be decided in Sweden? Will the Sweden Democrats actively work for this? You have not done so before. Will the Sweden Democrats work for this so that we can lower the new production rents by several thousand kronor - yes or no?

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

Jimmie Åkesson (SD)

Madam Speaker! When it comes to Nooshi Dadgost's and the Left Party's calculations and general knowledge regarding economic policy, I dare not bet that she is right. But if the question is more general, that is, whether we want to work for it being here in Sweden that we decide on Swedish conditions and that politicians from other countries shall not do it, the answer is yes. I thought it was quite clear in the previous exchange of remarks.

It is the same thing when it comes to the bank tax. As has been said, a bank tax can sound very good. It is very populist. But we, who do not engage in populism but try to solve real problems, also see problems with populist proposals that are precisely posturing, that is to say, if we put a tax on the banks, it will affect the Swedish people. No - because then the banks will raise some other fee so that they are not hit by that tax.

Carry it out if you want when you get power, if you get it, but we do not intend to contribute to it.

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Madam Speaker! From the parliamentary rostrum, we hear attacks on free, independent media regarding an influence campaign. Let us therefore remind each other of the largest influence campaign against Sweden in modern times. This is what Swedish authorities call the LVU campaign, built on lies that social services kidnap Muslim children. Terror expert Magnus Ranstorp, Säpo, and the government itself all agree that the campaign has increased the threat against Sweden.

I clearly and distinctly heard the facts revealed that Sverigedemokratiska officials spoke about registering websites to spread disinformation in Arabic about kidnapped children. My question to Jimmie Åkesson is therefore straight and clear: Can Jimmie Åkesson himself say with 100 percent certainty that no one in his party or with connections to his party has amplified or further spread parts of the LVU campaign?

(Applause)

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

Jimmie Åkesson (SD)

Madam Speaker! When one listens to Muharrem Demirok, one could almost believe that it is the Sweden Democrats who have had problems with Islamists in the party.

That is not the case, Madam Speaker, but it is the Centre Party that has had that problem – a recurring problem that has actually also had consequences for real people through Islamist lay judges and so on.

That the Sweden Democrats would in any way contribute to Islamist influence in Sweden or Islamist influence operations in Sweden is one of the most absurd things I have ever heard. How Muharrem Demirok can draw that conclusion based on the distorted, warped, and bizarre reporting that TV4 has shown, I do not understand. I do not understand at all where he gets this from, but he has repeated this so many times now.

No, we have no Islamists in our party who engage in this. Sweep clean in front of your own door, as the saying goes, Madam Speaker, and I think Muharrem Demirok should take that to heart.

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Madam Speaker! I understand that Jimmie Åkesson wants to raise the tone. I understand it very well. When one is faced with a situation where one needs to take responsibility for one's own policy when one has not had to do so, it becomes difficult.

The Center Party takes responsibility for its policy and for its party. We do not let any people who have committed errors graduate, run out with Pommac and confetti when they have been caught running troll accounts. But obviously, we differ. We take responsibility. You need to learn that.

If Jimmie Åkesson's coalition partners are content with total non-answers, I will not be content with that, and neither will the Center Party or the Swedish people be content with that. I ask again: Can Jimmie Åkesson guarantee that no person with connections to the Sweden Democrats or to your hidden activities in any way has been involved in what is called the LVU campaign?

(Applause)

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

Jimmie Åkesson (SD)

Madam Speaker! Yes, I can guarantee that. I can guarantee, Madam Speaker, that Islamist influence operations are nothing that we engage in, unlike other parties in the Swedish Riksdag. Unfortunately, it is not only the Center Party that has had to take responsibility for such things, but it is also other parties. We had Islamists in the government not so long ago, and there are parties that have had Islamists in their party boards and the like.

I listened to Muharrem Demirok earlier when he gave his speech. He must have completely misunderstood what TV4 and Kalla fakta have shown. They do not show any troll factory. Stop using that term! There is no troll factory here. That is what TV4 has shown. No disinformation is being spread from us.

I am happy to discuss the rules of the game for how we should conduct the political debate, but let us then do so in a sensible, reasonable manner and based on actual facts, not based on conspiracy theories and wild fantasies.

(Applause)

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Madam Speaker! The Sweden Democrats' climate policy has long been able to be summarized as doing as little as possible, preferably some other time, somewhere else, and by someone else. That is how it usually sounds, and it often ends with lifting the gaze toward China or some other country far away and talking about their emissions. But the surprising thing is that when the Sweden Democrats in the EU actually had the chance to put pressure on China to reduce their emissions, you voted no.

The new climate tariffs will level the playing field between goods produced by European companies, which have already paid for their emissions within the emissions trading system, and goods imported from other parts of the world. It is a "win-win-win" because Swedish and European companies benefit, because it drives the transition in other parts of the world, and because it is good for the climate.

How is it that you voted against this?

(Applause)

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

Jimmie Åkesson (SD)

Madam Speaker! Let me paraphrase a former Social Democratic party leader and prime ministerial candidate: Just look at what the Green Party does, and then do exactly the opposite. That usually turns out well.

It is somewhat the starting point that we often have in politics. The Green Party's climate policy has ravaged our country. They have shut down fully functioning nuclear power, torn apart the world's best planned energy systems, and pursued a policy that has given us the world's highest diesel prices, which we have fortunately corrected by pursuing a different, more realistic policy and lowering the diesel price by 10 kronor.

We focus on electrification, on rebuilding what is good and what was good with the Swedish energy system, namely nuclear power. It was needed. If we are to manage the transition and electrification, it is nuclear power we need. There, Miljöpartiet is consistently opposed. Then I do not understand how one can at all call oneself an environmental party.

(Applause)

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Madam Speaker! It is extraordinarily remarkable how the Sweden Democrats time and again show how little you care about the climate, so little that you are happy to oppose other countries' efforts. It is not only climate tariffs that you are against, but you have voted no to the law on putting pressure on the large corporations that produce various goods. You want to abolish Fit for 55. You want to make emissions cheaper, and you want to tear up large parts of the work to protect Swedish nature.

All parties voted for the climate tariffs, except for the Sweden Democrats. It makes me wonder how the Sweden Democrats have even imagined that climate change is to be halted. No, it is not enough, it is not sufficient to talk about nuclear power. It is too expensive, it is too late and it is not what the industry in Sweden needs to transition to the renewable and to the green future.

(Applause)

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

Jimmie Åkesson (SD)

Madam Speaker! "All other parties" does not work on me. It is somewhat my lifeblood that if all other parties do something, one must not automatically jump on it. One can, even if everyone does something in a certain way, make one's own analysis and then reflect on whether one thinks it is right or not.

The Sweden Democrats have done just that when it comes to migration policy and climate policy. We note that more and more are following our lead. When it comes to migration policy, there is now a majority in the chamber for a stricter policy. When it comes to climate policy and the bizarre idea of the world's highest diesel prices, more parties that actually at one time voted for the reduction obligation have now chosen to follow the Sweden Democrats and instead implemented the change.

What all the other parties do, Madam Speaker, I do not care so much about. I do what I have promised my voters to do, and that is what I intend to continue to do.

(Applause)

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

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! Europe must be strong. There are few things that can benefit the country Sweden more. If we are to manage to stand up against Putin, Europe must be strong. If we are to manage the climate, Europe must be strong. If we are to stop gang crime, Europe must be strong.

Just now we heard, Madam Speaker, a discussion between two parties, namely the Left Party and the Sweden Democrats, both of which to varying degrees are experimenting with svexit, even though we have seen a brexit unfold with catastrophic results for the citizens.

That is how it began, that is to say that it was said that we can do best, we do not need to cooperate and we fare better on our own. We are Sweden.

I love Sweden. I am a friend of Sweden. That requires a stronger Europe. Will Jimmie Åkesson ever make a move and push for svexit?

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

Jimmie Åkesson (SD)

Madam Speaker! I agree with Johan Pehrson that Europe must be strong. It is important. But a strong Sweden is a strong Europe. Sweden is not so strong right now, especially not from a European perspective. This is largely due to failures, mistakes, and poor politics that have been pursued historically and for which we now have to take responsibility in various ways.

The Sweden Democrats do not advocate for Svexit. The Sweden Democrats are trying to act constructively in this colossus, constructively in such a way that what belongs at the European level should be decided and cooperated on at the European level, but what belongs at the national level should be decided at the national level. That is where we differ from the Liberals, who actually want to move the power over everything to some kind of federal state in Brussels.

It is fun with political differences, I have nothing against it, but we differ a lot in that regard.

(Applause)

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

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Madam Speaker! Yes, God knows we differ, but we can maintain a reasonable tone when highlighting the enormous differences because we have chosen to take collective responsibility for Sweden. We hardly have a marriage without a contract that we shall complete important reforms to make Sweden stronger. We do it to strengthen internal and external security, to manage migration and integration, to solve the energy issue, and to get the school in order. The latter is crucial for this country to be able to be strong.

Sweden cannot manage the climate alone, and therefore it is important that we stick to the climate plan at the European level. It is also important that we have strong support for Ukraine from all of Europe, despite the fact that there are forces that want to start negotiating with Putin and betray Ukraine. It is also about gang crime. More cooperation is needed to solve common problems. That is how Sweden becomes strong.

But let us be content with the fact that we stand a good bit apart from each other.

(Applause)

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

Jimmie Åkesson (SD)

Madam Speaker! I have never been married, nor have I been with Johan Pehrson. But some kind of partnership we may have entered into nonetheless – a partnership for peace, or whatever one should call it.

We are far apart here. But, yes, climate policy is best conducted at an international level, and the arena we have that is best suited for that is obviously the EU. That does not mean that everything decided at the EU level is good. We know how the climate plans, which Johan Pehrson praises, will affect Swedish forestry. Here, we do not intend to sit still but will continue to do what we can so that it does not affect Swedish forestry negatively. There is also other, for example, the ban on internal combustion engines.

This is something we are opposed to, but it does not mean that we are opposed to solving it together. The climate plan, however, entails significant burdens for Sweden and Swedish industry, which will likely affect Sweden in the long term. Therefore, it needs to be changed. But we will continue to cooperate.

(Applause)

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

Nooshi Dadgostar (V)

Madam Speaker! I note that Ulf Kristersson is not in the chamber but has chosen to have a press conference in the middle of the party leadership debate, instead of having it immediately afterwards. I hope there are good reasons for this. But perhaps it is to avoid taking responsibility for what he needs to do. It is weak and irresponsible. We have a government that lacks leadership.

The government and the Sweden Democrats are cutting back on healthcare, worsening the unemployment insurance and the health insurance, and increasing emissions. Then they pour money into their anonymous accounts to dodge all criticism of this. To avoid debating their policy, they orchestrate armies that are to spread threats, fear, and white supremacist symbols. They work actively to divide our population. So that is their path.

But we in the Left Party promise to do the job. We will take the fight for Sweden in Brussels. Workers shall have good conditions at work and not be outcompeted by criminal companies with seats in other countries. In Sweden, Swedish collective agreements shall apply to everyone. We shall have a Sweden and a Europe where the trains run on time and where one can lie down to sleep in Stockholm and wake up in Paris, Prague, or Rome. We will always work for low electricity prices because it enables the climate transition. We will remove the rule that raises the rents, and when that is completed, the rents will go down by several thousand kronor.

We can change Sweden and Europe. With a strong left in the EU Parliament, we will make Sweden a better country to live in.

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Madam Speaker! Sometimes a word as simple as "but" puts a finger on something larger: I do not want to sound pro-Russian, but we must force Russia into negotiations in some way. These words were uttered by a colleague of Nooshi Dadgostar, the pseudonym of the Vänsterpartiet European election list. She spoke about exploring all paths for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

I think it is appropriate to try to bring clarity to this issue here and now. Is the Left Party's position that Ukraine should negotiate with Russia?

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

Nooshi Dadgostar (V)

Madam Speaker! No, of course not. It is very simple for Russia to create peace; they just have to withdraw from Ukraine. Ukraine belongs to the Ukrainians. Every centimeter of Ukraine shall go back to the Ukrainian people. Every people has the right to decide their own path forward and their future. We are very clear about this. Muharrem Demirok knows this, but he chooses to act a bit dumber than he is. He knows exactly where Vänsterpartiet stands on this issue.

I regret that Muharrem Demirok does not choose to join forces with us and push the government to have Sweden export Jas 39 Gripen to Ukraine. Together, we could prioritize Ukraine in all export deals both nationally and at the EU level to quickly create peace once Russia has withdrawn from all of Ukraine.

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Madam Speaker! I may be dumber than I look, but the words were clear: I do not want to sound pro-Russian, but we must force Russia into negotiations in some way.

This is serious. Such rhetoric should not be uttered by a Swedish party in the midst of a burning war, because when Europe's peace and freedom are at stake, there is no room for ambiguities. And the ambiguities are many, because the Left Party has previously wavered in its support for Ukraine.

I am pleased that the question of Jas 39 Gripen is being raised. The Centre Party was the first parliamentary party to raise the question of at least 1 percent of GDP in support of Ukraine and that no ceiling should be set.

I hope that we can now get clarity and hear that the idea that a negotiation on peace is necessary has not taken root in Vänsterpartiet.

(Applause)

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

Nooshi Dadgostar (V)

Madam Speaker! I realize that Muharrem Demirok has a difficult task. In order to gain relevance in Swedish politics, he grasps at every straw to get his candidate into the European Parliament, and he must create some kind of conflict with the Left Party to fire up his own members.

I nevertheless urge Muharrem Demirok not to make political games out of such important issues. There is a broad consensus in Sweden regarding strong support for Ukraine, and in the European Parliament, it will be very important that Sweden holds this position.

Vänsterpartiet wants to go even further. We want Sweden, in all instances, to prioritize arms exports to Ukraine over sending weapons to Brazil, USA, India, and others. We hope that we have the Centerpartiet with us in this struggle.

(Applause)

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Madam Speaker! Two weeks ago, the Left Party held its congress in the wonderful city of Jönköping. A new party program was to be adopted, and for the most part, this went under the radar.

Sweden's membership in Nato is, however, crucial in terms of stability in our immediate vicinity. Nato makes Sweden safer, and Sweden makes Nato stronger. Nato is a guarantor and a prerequisite for peace and freedom in Europe.

Unfortunately, the Left Party reaches a different conclusion. The red-green alternative is therefore continuing to be divided on an issue that is crucial for Sweden's security. In the Left Party's party program, it now states that Sweden shall be a counterweight to NATO's buildup with a view to leaving the organization.

My question to Dadgostar is: How does Vänsterpartiet justify its no to Nato?

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

Nooshi Dadgostar (V)

Madam Speaker! The decision made at the Left Party's congress was that the Left Party shall work within Nato to change the outdated structures that exist.

It was not good that Turkey was allowed to decide over Swedish foreign policy in the process that Ebba Busch governed. It was weak leadership from Ebba Busch and her government. That is something we will want to change. Dictators should not decide over democracies. Erdogan is a man who has political refugees. The other day, he imprisoned the Vänsterpartiet party leader at 42 years old on political grounds. There, this government should have clearly expressed its criticism.

We will fundamentally not believe that democracies should cooperate with dictators in issues as important as security policy. I think it is good that I share this with Johan Pehrson, who also wants to exclude Turkey.

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! There is a rather big difference between wanting to be involved in changing and developing Nato and having the goal of being a counterweight to Nato. Nooshi Dadgostar does not pretend that this is what has been decided on or that one wants to aim to leave Nato. It is something completely different, Mr. Speaker, than what Nooshi Dadgostar presents here.

I can understand and respect the principled objections, but I do not appreciate this double game. It does not get any better when we, in a Ukraine debate on TV, heard the candidate express that she does not want to sound pro-Russian but that she believes we must force Russia into negotiations in all different ways and that one must explore all paths. Had one expressed oneself that way as a candidate for the Kristdemokraterna, one would no longer have the support to be a candidate.

Thanks to Sweden now being in Nato, we facilitate that help can arrive if the eastern flank were to be attacked. I wonder if Nooshi Dadgostar thinks that the Baltic states regret their membership, and what is the alternative if V is now to work for that they leave?

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

Nooshi Dadgostar (V)

Mr. Speaker! I want everyone listening to this debate to know that Vänsterpartiet wants to send more weapons than Kristdemokraterna to Ukraine to get the last Russian out of their country. We want to send more weapons, but it is Kristdemokraterna who are holding back.

The market school has not been good for Ebba Busch. It does not say "counterweight to Nato" but "Nato's buildup" - the structures that allow dictators to decide over democracies. That was indeed what happened. Turkey was to decide over Swedish domestic and foreign policy. We notice that now when the government does not clearly say that it is wrong to have political refugees.

The Left Party does not believe that that type of partner should be included in the long term in security and defense cooperation. We fundamentally believe that an organization that Sweden should be part of must be an organization of democracies. Together with dictators, one cannot defend openness, democracy, and security.

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! A question that often pops into one's head is: What is freedom? For me, the question has often received the answer: to take my son by the hand, take the jacket in the hallway and follow him to school, to talk about everything between heaven and earth, to meet colleagues at work or to stand here in a free, open debate between democratically elected parties.

It is a freedom that we have long taken for granted, but which is currently being destroyed in a neighboring European country. In Ukraine, schools that look just like my son's school have been bombed to pieces, families have been torn apart, and parents have had to trade their jobs and daily lives for the front lines' trenches and shelters for one reason only: Vladimir Putin and his satanic murderers.

The fight for Ukraine's freedom is crucial. Our support determines their future, and their future determines ours. Now is not the time to question it, undermine it, or talk about limiting it. Support must increase, and I welcome the government's announcement in this - which the Center Party has proposed for a good while now from Sweden and from the EU: More money, more weapons and more humanitarian aid must be sent.

Sweden must contribute with the finest we have: Jas 39 Gripen. We must do more for the Ukrainian refugees here at home in earnest, not just through words. We must also act tougher against all Putin supporters and against Putin himself. We must tighten the sanctions, seize every single Russian blood ruble or euro and send them to Ukraine, as well as place the Russian-owned Kubals aluminum plant in Sundsvall under forced management.

Now there is only one way forward - to hold the line against Russia and Putin, for peace and freedom and to ensure that Ukrainian parents also get to take the jacket off the hook in the hallway, take their children by the hand and walk towards schools again, towards freedom.

(Applause)

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Phones and apps are becoming an ever larger part of our children's lives. In fact, one in three girls in year 1 of upper secondary school sleeps with their mobile phone in bed.

Social media becomes a bit like drugs for children's brains. The dopamine rush makes it so that few things outside of it become fun. At the same time, the number of children and young people who take antidepressants has increased sharply in recent years. The queues to BUP are still long. All of this is of course not social media's fault, but screen use pushes out things that we know are absolutely fundamental for us to feel well.

KD is therefore going to the election with demands for clear boundaries for the tech giants' basic settings. I would like to ask Muharrem Demirok how Centerpartiet views the issue and the problems.

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Ebba Busch for raising the issue of youth mental health. It is an extremely serious issue. We see how phone addiction is becoming ever greater.

I am a father of three. I live with this reality and the use of mobile phones all the time. We have chosen a admittedly old-fashioned Christian Democratic honest line, namely to let the family take a large responsibility. We have chosen to talk about this at the kitchen table, and I have an app on my phone called Family Link where one can deliberately limit children's usage. We have, therefore, tried to take this at home at the kitchen table, where families can sit and discuss the boundaries for the use of social media.

I would also like to raise the issue to something larger. The queues at BUP with those who are suffering and need to be heard, we will now see grow longer. The regions are on their knees, and the money that the government has decided to provide will not be enough. Those who are suffering will have to wait even longer in queue because of the government's deficient policy when it comes to supporting the regions.

(Applause)

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I try to stick to this question, which I believe deserves space. As a father, Muharrem Demirok is responsible for his children's screen time and for when they should go to bed. As a mother, I am responsible for when my children should go to bed and for how much they are allowed to sit with the tablets.

We currently have a construction in many apps and social media that makes it quite quickly possible to be led into explicit sexual material and onto pages that spread conspiracy theories about Jews and incite antisemitism worldwide, and which have a basic design to ensure that children become addicted to the use of social media.

We as parents cannot tolerate this, and here I hope for the support of the Center Party. We cannot afford to be naive here. The EU must set a clear limit for the tech giants' basic settings. Then parents can take the responsibility that is reasonable to place on Swedish mothers and fathers.

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! I believe we agree with the Christian Democrats, and hopefully more, on the importance of this issue, namely what the young people are exposed to, not least troll factories, which we have now seen, and influence operations from Swedish parliamentary parties in this time.

If we are to take the issue most seriously, I am prepared to look at everything the government can present regarding these issues, but I must also see the whole picture, that is to say that the queues to BUP that we now see growing succeed in becoming shorter, no longer, so that young people who are feeling unwell get the help they need and that no further cuts are made to the staff in the school, because it is there that the students get the first opportunity for help when they begin to feel unwell. When cuts are now made to school staff, teachers are laid off and the number of school nurses is reduced, we will see more people becoming ill and feeling unwell.

I hope that the government and the Christian Democrats take this development as seriously and that we can find a consensus that no more teachers in Swedish schools shall be laid off and that the queues to BUP shall be shortened.

(Applause)

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

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! The pen that Muharrem Demirok had and for which he received a reprimand from the Speaker was indeed a pen troll. Someone close to me often says that I have such a hairstyle when I wake up in the morning. The question, however, is whether Muharrem Demirok is not his own pen troll.

You in C call yourselves liberals, but I must say it is very odd for liberals in Europe not to fight to participate fully in the European cooperation - the European cooperation - which is an important thing in a time of unrest, when Sweden all too often risks having to sit at the children's table instead of the adults' table.

Therefore, I ask: Is C's strong work to not join the euro a result of the Farmers' Union, eco-humanism, or liberalism?

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the question. I can answer very clearly. It is sound common sense to raise the question of the euro in this chamber and everywhere and to discuss it in a sensible way. Yes, there are advantages to the euro, but there are also disadvantages. There are entire generations living today who were not able to participate in the referendum that we once had. I was able to participate, but not the youth living today.

We need to investigate the issue. We in Centerpartiet are clear that if there are overriding advantages, we see no problem with it becoming an issue that we can raise in this chamber. It is not an issue that should be decided in the EU Parliament, Brussels, or Strasbourg, but it is Sweden and the Swedish people who should decide and how we should participate in the European cooperation. If it is the case that the advantages are clearly overriding, let us then raise the issue and debate and discuss it. I am open to what is best for Sweden.

(Applause)

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

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! It is unclear whether it was the Farmers' Union, eco-humanism, or liberalism.

We have looked at this now for over 20 years. Every company I meet, every person who works with security and every person who works at a bank says that we have a vulnerability in Sweden because we do not participate fully in the economic cooperation. We have, as a former Riksbank governor said, to sit outside and eat nuts while the large countries cooperate. When France is there, when Finland is there and when the Netherlands are there – why should we then sit outside with Bulgaria or Hungary? This is completely incomprehensible for a liberal.

We must have a stronger cooperation. It is good for the companies, it is good for the citizens and it is good for the investments in Sweden. But the Center Party shall look at the issue and call itself liberal.

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! Many times I have sat in this chamber and heard that the government has a majority. It is the first time in a long time that we have had a government with a majority. Then one asks: If you have a majority, Johan Pehrson, why do you not push the issue through? Could it be that you are not bringing your other colleagues in the Tidö cooperation with you?

Let us see if we can get a parliamentary inquiry that looks at the pros and cons. The Centre Party will not block an inquiry regardless of whether it is a yes or no on this issue. We are liberals. We stand clear on this: What is best for Sweden, we will also do.

I do, however, want the Swedish people to be able to take a stand. It should not just be a key during an EU parliamentary election, but I want the Swedish people and its parliamentary members to be able to take a stand clearly and distinctly. It is a classic liberal, common-sense position.

(Applause)

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I wish to speak about migration - a humane but also sustainable and orderly migration.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people risk their lives to reach the EU. The journey often takes place in overcrowded boats across the Mediterranean. These dangerous journeys must come to an end. The EU needs to find a more humane and long-term sustainable migration policy. The Christian Democrats therefore propose something we call migration package 2.0. We need to establish a quota refugee system where asylum can be sought even before one arrives in the EU. In this way, the incentive to set out with one's life at stake on dangerous routes is reduced.

A quota refugee system lays the foundation for an organized and predictable reception where asylum is primarily directed to those in the greatest need, where our responsibility is to help people in distress, and where asylum is primarily sought before one even arrives in the EU.

Mr. Speaker! A sustainable migration policy creates the conditions for common values that endure over time and a sense of community that everyone can be a part of, regardless of faith, regardless of background, and regardless of whether we have deep or relatively newly transplanted roots in this country.

We experienced that values matter during Eurovision week in Malmö, when a 20-year-old girl from Israel had to receive both hate and threats. Twelve cars, six motorcycles, and a helicopter escorted her to the arena to guarantee her life. Over 1,000 police officers were deployed. There were many who wished her harm. Eden Golan was accused of putting others in danger when it was she who the mob was after. It is completely despicable.

KD stands up for the freedom that allows people to think differently, but we need boundaries against the wave of antisemitism that is now washing over Europe. To vote blue and yellow is to vote for Europe's common values in this election.

(Applause)

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

Nooshi Dadgostar (V)

Mr. Speaker! The electricity price we have in Sweden is largely determined by the European electricity market. Ebba Busch is the Minister for Energy in Sweden, but according to media reports, Ebba Busch has not participated in a single one of the energy ministers' meetings, with the exception of the December meeting. One can truly wonder what the reason for this is, because cheap electricity is completely central for Sweden, so that we can heat our homes but also, naturally, to transition for the climate.

The German head of government Scholz was here on a visit. He will not divide Germany into two different electricity areas because this would harm German industry.

Instead, Sweden is to build a cable to Germany, which would cause electricity prices in Skåne to skyrocket. Why has Ebba Busch not stood her ground and said no to this?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We have an integrated electricity market in the EU. It is also that, Mr. Speaker, which enables Sweden, on those days when the sun does not shine and the wind does not blow, to import power production from, in some cases, the equivalent of three nuclear power plants from other countries so that we can manage.

The reason for the situation is that there has been an over-reliance on weather and wind to solve Sweden's energy system. Weather-dependent power production has been pumped in over the last ten years, while four nuclear reactors in Sweden have been decommissioned and the planning of two additional nuclear reactors has been stopped, under the belief that this would not have any effect. No effect was exactly what Sweden was left with - a shortage of power in municipality after municipality. This responsibility lies with Vänsterpartiet, Socialdemokraterna, Miljöpartiet, and Centerpartiet. We must clean up our own house. It is not the EU's task. It is not Germany's task.

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

Nooshi Dadgostar (V)

Mr. Speaker! Now I understand why Ebba Busch has not been at a single energy minister meeting. She does not answer the question. A new cable to Germany would cause electricity prices in southern Sweden to skyrocket. It is not I who is saying it, but Svenskt Näringsliv, LO and Svenska kraftnät. Everyone is fully aware of this.

Scholz has a mission: to protect his industry. Therefore, he naturally wants this cable. He wants to plug the power cord into Sweden to avoid building his own energy. I understand that. But Ebba Busch does not understand that her mission is to protect the Swedish population and Swedish industry by standing her ground and saying: Help us instead to change this price model, so that we can keep prices down in southern Sweden! Ebba Busch's approach is very strange.

Once again: Why has the Minister for Energy not attended meetings and represented Swedish interests?

(Applause)

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! It is very simple to check what I did instead of attending the only energy council meeting that has taken place so far. For the first, everything that was to be discussed at that council meeting had already been fully negotiated. For the second, I chose to be present at the International Energy Agency's large gathering to press some issues there that are completely crucial for Sweden's part. In all cases, I weigh how we can best achieve the greatest impact for Swedish interests in different contexts. IEA is a completely crucial organization even for influencing where the decisions land in EU contexts.

We have been clear that there will be no further cable to Germany, unless Germany gets its power production in order or we get order on the damaged power production and energy policy that the Left Party and the Social Democrats left behind after eight years in power. That is where my focus lies, both in Sweden and in the EU.

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! Politics is not about wanting. Politics is about doing. In the election campaign nearly two years ago, Ebba Busch was clear that she wanted to stop the import of Russian gas to Sweden. Despite that, we see boats arriving at Swedish ports. Ebba Busch now sits herself in the government and is responsible for precisely these issues. But the ships with Russian gas continue to call at Swedish ports.

During this time, the government has simultaneously succeeded in stopping Swedish farmers from continuing to produce more domestic biofuels. They have succeeded in stopping Swedish farmers from producing Swedish fuels while the Russian gas continues to arrive.

I want to ask the question to Minister Ebba Busch: When do we stop the Russian gas from Swedish ports?

(Applause)

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! The Government has pushed hard in various EU contexts to ensure that Russian gas and oil are also included more strictly and clearly in the EU's common sanctions package. We do not have war in the EU, but we have war in Europe. One of Putin's primary objectives with this war is to divide Europe and divide the European Union. Therefore, we have seen great value in the EU being able to speak with a common and united voice as much as possible. It is also within the framework of the EU that we have pushed for sanctions to be able to stop the Russian oil and gas.

Now this is up for discussion regarding a 14th sanctions package. There, we are pushing hard. But I have also signaled on behalf of the Swedish government that Sweden will go its own way if the EU member states do not manage to reach an agreement. We have waited long enough, and we want to put a complete stop to this.

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for the answer. This is an EU issue; we have heard that. But time is passing. The clock is ticking. Europe is 70 percent dependent on fossil energy. Swedish farmers and Swedish biofuels could have been a good alternative - not for everything, but for a part of this.

Now we see discord in the EU instead. The Russian gas continues to reach European and Swedish ports. Now we intend to go head-to-head. But the message is still not clear. Why can we not now say "stop - no" to Russian gas? Why can we not jointly in this chamber decide to choke Putin's war chest and stop the money that goes from Sweden to Putin?

I do not think it is a difficult question. I think we can agree on this. Cut off the money to Putin's war chest - not tomorrow, but today!

(Applause)

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We can agree on this. We are in agreement on this. But it is not as simple as that for an individual country to act when we have free trade within the EU. That is why I, as Minister for Enterprise and Minister for Energy, have clearly urged all Swedish companies not to accept this: Do not be dependent on Russia - cut it off!

We have also pushed very hard for the EU as a whole to act together. Now, this is finally up for sharp discussion within the framework of the 14th sanctions package. If an agreement is not reached, Sweden will find a way to act alone. As I hear, there is a broad consensus in this chamber, and I am pleased about that.

(Applause)

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! The Baltic Sea is a sea in crisis and is, unfortunately, on a steady course towards ecological collapse. The cod has disappeared long ago. The herring and sprat have decreased by 80 percent since the 70s.

In the autumn, the EU Commission presented a long-awaited proposal to stop fishing for herring and sprat in the entire Baltic Sea. This proposal was welcomed by both researchers and environmental organizations as well as by Swedish expert agencies. But it was strongly opposed by the Swedish government with the argument that they wanted to protect the coastal fish. This is not true, however. In reality, the industrial trawlers account for 95 percent of the fishing in the Baltic Sea. They vacuum the sea of fish, while the coastal fish are now left behind and pleading for help. The situation is acute.

Are the Christian Democrats and the government prepared to push actively to stop all industrial trawling in the Baltic Sea?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I also want to start by welcoming Amanda Lind into the party leadership circle. I appreciate both tough criticism and good accountability of the government. The debate has been very generous so far today. I appreciate that start.

Thanks to Sweden's efforts during the autumn quota negotiations, the total fishing quotas were lower than what the other states concerned desired. Had we not pushed so hard there, it would have been something else. It would have been worse within the entire European Union. It would also have been worse for Sweden.

Through our negotiation participation, we pushed down the quotas, so now they are reduced by 31 percent for Baltic herring, 43 percent for herring in the central Baltic Sea and 10 percent for sprat. The levels are lower than at any of the times when the red-green government negotiated in Brussels. It does not mean that we got fully what we wanted, but it has become significantly better thanks to Sweden's participation.

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Ebba Busch, for the answer!

The Swedish government shall follow the laws that have been established, and we are very critical that the government pushed through this quota for herring - which is not low enough - despite the fact that researchers see that there is now a risk of collapse of the herring stock.

Both the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management and Stockholm University have judged the time-limited fishing bans that have been stated. I have heard the Christian Democrats in the debate argue that this would have a great effect, but it is a fact that the bans have been placed during periods in spring and summer when fishing is not conducted anyway, with the exception of Hanöbukten.

We need to get measures that actually make a real difference for the sea and for the coastal fishermen, who now cannot find any herring to fish. The question is whether the Christian Democrats are prepared to move forward with us with effective proposals that would make a difference. A total ban on industrial trawling in the Baltic Sea was needed. Can Ebba Busch be prepared to work for that?

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I am very concerned about the situation in Swedish waters, which has deteriorated dramatically in recent years. The situation has been tough for a long time, but now it is really, really serious.

Politics in Brussels is very complex in EU contexts, because it is 27 countries that have to reach an agreement. Here, Sweden had the choice to pursue the optimal line - the one we think is right and correct and where both the government and Miljöpartiet as well as Kristdemokraterna and Miljöpartiet actually stand closer to each other than it might sound - but then stand outside the sharp negotiations, without the possibility to influence.

We are not satisfied with the result, but we are satisfied that we succeeded in influencing this in the right direction. We are also happy to continue the discussion in a Swedish context, as we can take even greater personal responsibility and continue to join forces for Team Sweden in the EU.

(Applause)

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Everything begins and ends with the climate. But a climate transition does not happen by itself; it requires political will.

From country to country, right-wing populist forces are being allowed to steer the agenda. The united right in both Sweden and Europe seems to believe that it is the climate policy that is the problem and not the climate changes. Nothing could have been more wrong. The alternative to making the green transition is, in fact, rapid and escalating climate changes that will both fundamentally change and worsen our lives, with extreme weather that strikes entire communities to pieces.

This government's climate policy has resulted in both failed climate goals and increased emissions. It is described by the Fiscal Policy Council with the words: The government's climate policy will lead to an inefficient and expensive climate transition if it continues on the path it has taken.

Mr. Speaker! It should make anyone rethink. But instead of investing in the transition, in Sweden, one has made it cheaper with fossil fuels and cheaper with aviation. One has pulled the rug out from under the industry's transition, made it more expensive with electric cars, and accepted that the price of public transport is skyrocketing.

In the EU, together with Viktor Orbán's Hungary, one has blocked legislation to protect nature and done its part to obstruct reforms that reduce emissions. Now, Ulf Kristersson and the Moderaterna have also signed an agreement that his group in the European Parliament during the next mandate period shall not put forward any new climate policy whatsoever. It is completely bizarre.

The transition is about leaving the fossil behind and building a renewable future, about investing in sun and wind and stopping the feeding of despots' war chests by spending our money on gas and oil. It is about making our time's great societal transformation and about doing it together. Everything begins and ends with the climate.

(Applause)

In this speech, Daniel Helldén and Jan Riise (both MP) concurred.

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thought that we, ahead of such a super important election, should take the opportunity to talk a bit of politics, debate with one another and talk about just EU issues, for with a slogan about the climate and courage - in both senses - Miljöpartiet goes to the election on the basis that the billion-profit margins within the clothing industry shall cease.

I believe both Amanda Lind and I agree that more needs to be done to counter the throwaway culture. Here, the Swedish fashion industry is at the forefront. The textile strategy negotiated during the Swedish presidency lays the foundation for more sustainable reuse and fairer conditions. When I speak with representatives for the industry, few are those who say that the profit margins are too large; many unfortunately have a very tough time making ends meet. At the end of the day, it is the consumers – the Swedes – who have to pay for all the increasingly expensive clothes.

My question to Amanda Lind is: Why does Miljöpartiet want families with children to pay even more for clothes instead of creating incentives for the industry to be able to think sustainably?

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! When it comes to countering the throwaway society, we must naturally work with both incentives and with sharp rules.

We in Miljöpartiet have presented several proposals on how we want to facilitate a sustainable textile production. We want to tighten the requirements on the production side, and we want to promote consumption of, for example, secondhand and reuse and work more with circular recycling of products - all to achieve the sustainable flows of materials that are so important for the consumption of clothes to be able to become sustainable in the long run.

It is very important that we support the actors within the fashion industry who want to take these steps so that what is good for the environment and good for sustainability does not become more expensive in the long run. That requires a political commitment, and it requires both investments and incentives. I wonder what proposals the Kristdemokraterna have to facilitate a sustainable fashion industry at the EU level.

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! We are in complete agreement that more needs to be done to counter the throwaway culture in the clothing industry.

I am a parent myself, and many of us probably know what it is like when you have ordered clothes online, perhaps a bit stressed, and then find that they do not fit the children at home. You send the clothes back – but not for them to be reused, as many consumers believe. Instead, fully functional clothes are thrown away – and burned – today. It is not sustainable from any perspective. From next year onwards, a separate collection of textile waste will therefore be introduced in the country's municipalities. It is a very good step that the government is taking as it puts the climate benefit first.

The difference between us and the Green Party, Mr. Speaker, is that we want to increase the economic incentives for companies and consumers to do the right thing – not give them more burdens and increased prices. It needs to be cheaper to be Swedish, not the other way around. That is how we facilitate reuse, secondhand trade, and a more sustainable clothing industry.

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Mr. Speaker! The step towards reusing textiles is something that we in Miljöpartiet have pushed for. It is positive that Kristdemokraterna appreciate our reform there, because the work for circular flows is a completely fundamental part of countering the throwaway society.

We have many incentives; we are pushing for a large transition budget in the EU and in Sweden so that one can ensure both to invest in the industries and companies as well as compensate private individuals, so that the transition becomes fair. This is actually something that the government lacks a policy for, which the Fiscal Policy Council also points out. One has no distributional aspect whatsoever in their climate policy. It then also becomes difficult to safeguard the finances of private individuals and families, if Ebba Busch is serious about what she says.

(Applause)

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

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Security is, unsurprisingly, at the top of the agenda. I welcome the Riksdag's broad commitment to strengthening our country in these turbulent times. I would have, however, expected that more in this chamber would thus want to go all the way to defend the security of Sweden and its citizens. I am, of course, speaking about the importance of replacing the krona with the euro.

The excessively weak and unstable krona does not only make us poorer, but this is above all a security issue. Unpleasant states - superpowers - use trade relations as a means of pressure. In times of crisis and war, smaller currencies and currency areas are always affected, not least the Swedish krona.

It is not reasonable that an industrial nation like Sweden has a currency that fluctuates here and there and that fluctuates when the situation in the world around us becomes increasingly difficult and more unpredictable.

This is also a question of belonging. It is not good for a strong Sweden to wait outside the meeting room when the major economic issues for Sweden and Europe are being decided. To paraphrase a former Riksbank Governor: One sits and waits outside and eats nuts.

We have relinquished influence over the future of Swedish jobs and companies, and we are therefore becoming weaker. We sit outside and wait together with Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. How can one believe that this serves Sweden well?

To those of you who hold on to a weak currency, I want to say this: You turned around the EU, and you turned around Nato. I hope that you will turn again.

Europe is about Swedish security in a difficult time, about Swedish influence over Sweden's own future and about Swedish prosperity through entrepreneurship and jobs in the country. Alone is not strong.

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! Bengt Westerberg stood up and left when the racists entered the studio. Jan Björklund stood up against racism when he was afraid that it would affect his children. He slammed the door in the faces of the Sverigedemokraterna. Johan Pehrson is now, instead, pulling out the chair for them at the table in Rosenbad. Polished shoes and patterned ties be damned – imagine if the Liberalerna could be as eager about their old values as they are about their old clothes.

The latest revelations in Kalla fakta have clearly shown what many of us have known for a long time. I previously asked a straight question to the Prime Minister: Can he trust the Sverigedemokraterna? I received no straight and clear answer. With 18 days left of the EU election campaign, I ask the same question to Johan Pehrson: Can Johan Pehrson say if he trusts Jimmie Åkesson and Sverigedemokraterna fully? Does he trust that they have stopped working with hidden accounts and with hate and disinformation?

(Applause)

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

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! The liberal and bourgeois government has a cooperation with the Sweden Democrats called the Tidö Agreement. It is intended to solve difficult problems for Sweden and to take responsibility for Sweden. The Liberals participate in this cooperation to take responsibility for Sweden and solve real societal problems. I assume that the Sweden Democrats also do everything they can to do the same.

I hear what Jimmie Åkesson is saying, and I am infuriated by it. I do not think that one should work with false flag. When I hear this, I say: It is not acceptable. From the Liberals' side, we present the same code to this chamber as we have in the European Parliament when it comes to false flag. We are prepared to move forward legislatively so that all parties that have state funding and party support shall be prohibited from using false flag. It is a quite powerful reaction, and I assume that the Center Party supports the Liberals in both of these parts.

(Applause)

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

Muharrem Demirok (C)

Mr. Speaker! I do not doubt that Johan Pehrson is angry, but being angry is not enough. Action is also required.

I did not get a single clear or straight answer to the question I asked, namely whether Johan Pehrson trusts Jimmie Åkesson and the Sverigedemokraterna or not. Johan Pehrson and the Liberalerna have portrayed themselves as the liberal watchdog in this cooperation, but I cannot see any watchdog function whatsoever in it.

This watchdog is not acting. If it does not act now, when the Liberals have presented all these proposals, what will the Liberals do then?

You have demanded dialogue. You have demanded action. You have been met with fireworks with Pommac and confetti.

Here and now we must be able to get a straight answer in this chamber: Does Johan Pehrson fully trust Jimmie Åkesson and the Sverigedemokraterna? Is the answer yes or no?

(Applause)

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

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! I trust no one but myself. We are sitting in the Swedish Parliament. Here, parties behave however they want, whenever they want, and almost wherever they want.

We have presented a proposal for an agreement. Yes or no? We have presented a proposal that this should be solved with legislation, because it must apply to everyone - not just Sverigedemokraterna. I call these tough packages. Centerpartiet should be jumping for joy over this and support it instead of saying that it is not sufficient.

No, that is not sufficient. We in the Liberals take responsibility for ourselves. We also take responsibility for Sweden in and with the Tidö Agreement. I cannot take responsibility for either how Muharrem Demirok acts with the Centerpartiet or how Jimmie Åkesson acts with the Sverigedemokraterna. On the other hand, if we get to decide, it will become a ban on false flag regarding parties that have public funding.

(Applause)

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! When some liberal parties run around with sticks and pens in a difficult situation for Sweden and Europe, I appreciate a liberal force that is ready to take responsibility and move from words to action.

The Liberals and the Christian Democrats share a great commitment to Ukraine. Today, our coalition partners are announcing a support package for Ukraine that spans the next three years. Ukraine is fighting not only for its freedom but also for ours. To further strengthen Sweden's support for Ukraine and create long-term stability, we have agreed to create a three-year Ukraine framework totaling 75 billion kronor.

The EU is not at war, but Europe is. My question to Johan Pehrson is whether we can also in an EU context work together for Ukraine. Do the Christian Democrats have support from the Liberals for their proposal in this EU election movement regarding a common cyber defense and increased cooperation when it comes to ammunition production?

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

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! It is central to strengthen the European defense union. This should not be confused with the fact that we work in Nato for our physical security and the Nato countries' common borders.

Europe's countries have a great responsibility to produce more defense materiel and more ammunition both for themselves and to support Ukraine. This fits well within this framework, which is, therefore, a floor and not a ceiling. We do not know what more will be required, because our future is very closely linked to how the Ukrainian people succeed in pushing Putin back from Ukraine.

When I speak of a stronger defense union, I am speaking, among other things, about cyber issues and materiel. It is also a matter of ensuring that one has supplies broadly across the EU to withstand the absolute worst that can happen, that is to say a war from Putin against more countries in Europe.

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

Energi- och näringsministern Ebba Busch (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I am pleased to hear this.

Just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel into a war-torn Ukraine myself and sit down with wounded Ukrainian soldiers. One of them was Alexander, who had just had his leg amputated and learned to walk with his prosthesis. He gave me a badge from the 79th Airborne Brigade that he had worn in active combat. He asked me to take it to Sweden as a reminder of the ultimate price that the Ukrainians are prepared to pay for their and Europe's freedom.

Every time Russia fires 10,000 artillery shells - and that happens every day - Ukraine can respond with 2,000. I wonder if the Christian Democrats have the Liberals' support in now pushing for the EU to increase the pace when it comes to permits for ammunition. Before the war it took ten months, but now it takes five to six years. We must put pressure on the Commission and get the European Parliament moving on the ammunition issue.

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

Arbetsmarknads- och integrationsministern Johan Pehrson (L)

Mr. Speaker! The Liberals share that view. I have met companies in not least my own constituency that ensure that there is ammunition that can get through. In Karlskoga, people are now working in multiple shifts to produce and do what they can to get out the ammunition and the weapons that are needed to protect Ukraine. At the same time, we must do better and more at the European level.

That is why the Liberals want to take further steps forward in the defense union issue and ensure that we become better at this. It is not enough to promise shells and then not deliver them. It is the Ukrainian people and the person Ebba Busch refers to who have paid the price.

I was in Linköping yesterday. I sat in a Jas plane; I both got in and out of it. We know what the Swedish aviation will be able to mean within Nato. We know what the Swedish aviation, which is created and made in Sweden, will be able to contribute to in order to increase security. We know what the Swedish defense is doing right now to help Ukraine with aviation missions. We shall continue with that.

(Applause)

The party debate was hereby concluded.

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