Public service and film

Jonas Andersson (SD)

Madam Speaker! Today we are debating the Culture Committee's report on public service and film here in the chamber.

Public service in the form of the three companies Sveriges Television, Sveriges Radio and Utbildningsradion is a central part of today's Kultursverige and the state culture policy. The same applies, of course, to the film policy, which covers the conditions for Swedish film production, the cinemas and much more.

Something that both the policy for public service and the film policy have in common is that virtually all of these policy areas are now being reviewed through decisive investigations, the results of which will be presented during the remainder of the mandate period. Regarding public service, furthermore, all parliamentary parties have representatives in the parliamentary committee working to produce proposals on how public service should be regulated ahead of the next licensing period. This, of course, affects this debate to some extent. I can neither nor want to anticipate the work of the public service committee.

Madam Speaker! The Sweden Democrats have never before influenced Swedish cultural policy as much as they do now. Certain political forces argue that we Sweden Democrats must be kept from having a decisive influence over cultural policy. But these forces have already lost, and they lost big. The Tidö Agreement and other agreements that SD has with the government now underscore this.

SD influences how the education reform is carried out so that we take control and ensure that state subsidies do not go to fraud, Islamists or gang criminals.

SD influences so that a cultural canon is developed in Sweden, which is very important for lifting Swedish culture higher up on the agenda in our country.

SD also influences so that we put a stop to the problem linked to the party lotteries that exist in Sweden, which have led to Social Democratic Kombispel driving enormous amounts of vulnerable pensioners to the Swedish Enforcement Authority (Kronofogden).

Madam Speaker! The public service and film policy, which are the subjects of today's debate, are no exception when it comes to what the Sweden Democrats are involved in and influencing. We have a great influence over these issues. We have negotiated the investigation directives for both investigations with the government.

When it comes to public service, there are of course a number of important issues to address for the future. For the Sweden Democrats, it is important to strengthen the impartiality in the public service companies' work, to take one example. Overall, confidence in public service is strong in Sweden. But depending on party sympathies, confidence varies very strongly.

If one takes Swedish cultural policy and public service seriously, one cannot be satisfied with it being as it is. As a politician, one would rather fuel a perception that exists in certain circles that there is a left-wing bias within public service.

I said earlier that I do not want to precede the public service committee's important work, and that certainly remains the case. But I still want to highlight some starting values for those listening to this debate.

Public service has a mirroring mandate. It is fundamentally good. All parts of the country from north to south should be mirrored in public service. But left-wing identity politics does not belong in the mirroring mandate. The Sweden Democrats want to tear up the mirroring mandate in its current form because too much focus today is placed on things such as gender identity, gender expression, ethnic background and other irrelevant attributes that do not belong in the regulation of public service.

Madam Speaker! During the film summit in Gothenburg at the end of January, ahead of the Gothenburg Film Festival, I was present. During this year's edition of the event, the investigation that will now review more or less the entire film policy was presented. In addition to issues such as cooperation with the film industry and the preservation of film heritage, the film policy goals shall also be investigated. This is important. It is, as I see it, a political success for SD, and that this is to be reviewed is something we have pushed for for a long time.

The criticism we have regarding identity politics when it comes to public service and the policy in that area, we have in a similar way when it comes to film policy. The report *Så fri är konsten* from the Swedish Agency for Cultural Analysis, which was presented a few years ago, truly clarified how the current film policy goal that equality and diversity should characterize the film area has negatively affected artistic freedom. Filmmakers have felt forced to adapt their applications to receive financial support from the Swedish Film Institute. State film policy should not encourage such. One should not have to quota out people in one's film projects because they have the wrong gender or the wrong ethnic background.

Madam Speaker! These were some highlights from me regarding the priorities the Sweden Democrats have concerning public service and film policy. Of course, I do not have time to take up all of the future's important issues in these areas in this speech, but gladly, these issues will be handled through the inquiries that have been commissioned and whose directions we Sweden Democrats have negotiated with the government.

I can once again state that the Sweden Democrats have never influenced Swedish cultural policy as much as they do today.

(Applause)

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

Amanda Lind (MP)

Madam Speaker! In this report, we address issues concerning public service and film. Since the work of the parliamentary public service committee is ongoing, we in Miljöpartiet have chosen to submit a special statement regarding the part of the report concerning public service. I shall begin my speech by saying a few words about public service and then focus on film.

Public service, that is to say Sveriges Television, Sveriges Radio and Utbildningsradion, plays an indispensable role for our democracy and for a vital media market. One of Miljöpartiet's starting points in the policy area is that we want to emphasize the importance of a broad and independent public service as well as its democratic significance.

The broad mandate is crucial for the public's knowledge of public service, its relevance to the population and, in the long run, also its trust. The public service companies enjoy a high level of trust among the public and have high accessibility. This we must safeguard.

We must also stand guard over local news journalism, the cultural mandate, public service's role regarding the Swedish language and the Swedish production market for both moving images and audio, as well as broadcasts in the national minority languages. These are important areas that need to be handled with both seriousness and high ambitions moving forward.

The question of total defense and public service's role during high alert has become further topical since the directives to the public service committee were issued. In its second partial report on December 19, 2023, the Defense Preparation Board highlights the importance of a strong public service as part of society's ability to manage crises and situations with high alert. The Defense Preparation Board points out, among other things, the public service companies' special status through their broad mandate in the public service, their stable funding, the high requirements for availability, and the trust the public holds for the companies' operations.

The Defense Preparedness Board establishes that a strong public service in peacetime, with high public trust and broad geographical distribution, lays the foundation for public service's role even in high alert. It also writes that the high trust is an important part of the operation's value for the total defense. Likewise, the Defense Preparedness Board highlights the importance of robust distribution systems, independent journalism, fact-checking, and objective information dissemination, and that public service is part of a vibrant and free cultural life as a force for cohesion and resilience in the event of high alert.

Miljöpartiet argues that the Defense Committee's conclusions are relevant and must be taken seriously when the upcoming broadcasting license for public service is being developed.

Madam Speaker! When it comes to the film sector and the motions we have to deal with there, we in Miljöpartiet believe it is pleasing that the government has now proceeded with a film policy investigation. Sweden is a prominent film country with competence of the highest class both in front of and behind the cameras. Swedish film is regularly honored at the biggest film galas - most recently Oscar successes through, among others, Ludwig Göransson, who was honored for best film score.

At the same time, challenges are not lacking. Production costs have increased, and the pace of production has slowed down. Already poor conditions for film workers risk deteriorating further in the tough economic situation. The viewership share of Swedish films in cinemas is not as high as the corresponding share in our Nordic neighboring countries. At the same time, Sweden has much lower state support for film than the rest of the Nordics. I think we in this chamber can ask ourselves if there is a connection here.

We in the opposition already requested a new film policy investigation last year, and as stated, it is good that one has now been commissioned. Since the new film policy was launched in 2017, the conditions for Swedish film have drastically changed, both in terms of production and distribution. One finds oneself in an international arena where countries compete for productions and expertise. The development of streaming services, new behavioral patterns among the audience, and new conditions and financing models for productions mean that a holistic approach to film policy is required for Swedish film to remain strong in the future.

Madam Speaker! We in Miljöpartiet believe, however, that such an investigation would have needed to span the entire audiovisual field in order to take just such a necessary holistic approach and had advocated for such a clear mandate in the directives. We also believe that a parliamentary reference group should have been appointed to the investigation to ensure an early and broad political anchoring of both the proposals moving forward and the evaluative elements in the state film policy.

Madam Speaker! A question that we in Miljöpartiet also believe should be analyzed and seriously considered in the upcoming film policy investigation is the question of a fee for co-financing domestic production of film and TV drama. In 2018, the EU decided on legislation for audiovisual services, which, among other things, contains quotas for streaming services, for example Netflix, for the proportion of European content. The law enables the EU's member states to set requirements for streaming services to contribute to national film and TV production. More and more countries in Europe have introduced or will introduce such a fee, for example France, Denmark and Belgium. The countries have settled on different levels for the fee, and exactly how it should be designed is clearly something that must be looked at. Common, however, is that it is seen as reasonable that these services, in the same way as domestic actors via the tax system, are involved and contribute to domestic film production.

Madam Speaker! Considering a fee for streaming services would be a good step, as well as following how the implementation has developed in other countries in Europe in this work. We in Miljöpartiet assume – I really want to emphasize that – that the film policy investigation considers this with great seriousness.

Furthermore, Madam Speaker, the conditions for cinemas need to be reviewed. Cinemas are part of the cultural infrastructure and enable meetings and community throughout the country. Proximity to a local cinema simplifies school cinema and is a prerequisite for local film festivals and film club activities. When the audience fails, cinemas risk having to close down. Now we see, admittedly, positive signs that the audience has returned to the theaters after the pandemic, but the situation remains fragile. The upcoming investigation must therefore take the conditions for cinemas very seriously.

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I would like to raise the issue of film workers' conditions, an issue that has been highly topical for several years. Poor working conditions combined with an attractive industry mean that people risk being exploited in various ways. The film industry has here taken many steps by, for example, introducing certifications and skills development. This work is important, not least so that everyone feels that they can work within the world of film. In this context, I also want to emphasize the importance of continued work for diversity and broadened recruitment within the film sector. The investigation that is now ongoing must therefore take into account the skills supply issues and the work for broadened recruitment.

Madam Speaker! There is much more to say about the film. I will not go into all the questions, but I can state that it is an immensely important work that is underway. It is important for Swedish film but also for the Swedish cultural and creative industries and exports moving forward. It is also important for the image of us as a country.

I hope once again that the government takes an initiative to appoint a party-political reference group to the ongoing investigation. I believe that it would facilitate our work here in the chamber moving forward.

Finally, I would like to move for approval of the Green Party's motion on the film area.

(Applause)

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

Peter Ollén (M)

Madam Speaker! Let me begin by moving to approve the Culture Committee's proposal for a decision.

As long as Swedish films are produced that the visitors want to see, we are satisfied - so said Peter Fornstam, who leads the Swedish cinema network, when he opened the Riksdag's seminar on Swedish film in the autumn, arranged by the Moderate group in the Culture Committee. The cinema network includes 781 of the country's 942 cinema halls, so it is a heavy player.

While many other cultural actors are dependent on various forms of support, the cinema industry sees the primary threat as films that no one wants to watch. Given this, it is interesting that when film subsidies are distributed in Sweden, one looks at in and of themselves essential points such as gender, origin, and environmental aspects, while for the consultants it is not a criterion to assess whether it is a film that can be assumed to attract a large audience.

A very large number of films are also produced in Sweden. On average, there is a premiere for more than one Swedish-produced film per week. It goes without saying that the cinemas cannot manage to show that much, especially not when the interest from cinema-goers is so low. Fewer than one in five cinema-goers chose a Swedish film last year, just as it has been in recent years, and even then it was an increase compared to the year before. In Denmark and Norway, the proportion choosing domestically produced film is almost twice as large. And despite the country being only a little over half the size of Sweden, all of the top five films in Denmark last year had more visitors than the most-watched film in Sweden, which was Håkan Bråkan.

One of the things I hope the ongoing film inquiry looks at is whether we should set a goal for the proportion of cinema-goers who choose Swedish film.

It will also be interesting to see if the film inquiry will provide proposals on how politics can step back, so that the filmmakers can once again feel free to produce films that they judge to be relevant for the Swedish audience.

Can't politics then withdraw completely? No, the support to produce film is necessary in small language areas such as the Nordic ones. We do not want English to be spoken in Swedish films. Therefore, a grant is distributed for film in Swedish. Furthermore, Sveriges Television contributes to co-financing a dozen films every year. That, for example, meant that on Christmas Day we could rejoice over the premiere of the blockbuster Hammarskjöld, which cost 75 million kronor to produce. The average for a Swedish film production otherwise lies around 25 million.

Sweden is cinema-rich. We have as many cinemas as the Netherlands, which has twice the population of Sweden. But geography means that we need many cinemas. In very many places, the cinema is also the only cultural meeting place, besides the library.

Mikael Sandberg is the culture manager at Folkets Hus och Parker. He says that their visitor numbers double when there are good Swedish films. While in the large cities two-thirds of the films are American, two-thirds of the audience outside the large cities instead come to see Swedish and Nordic film.

I look forward to reading the proposals from the film inquiry and hope that we can soon look forward to a reality where far more visitors choose to see Swedish film when they go to the cinema.

(Applause)

In this speech, Magnus Resare (M) agreed.

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

Lawen Redar (S)

Mr. Speaker! Today marks ten years since Sveriges Radios foreign correspondent Nils Horner was murdered in the street in Kabul, Afghanistan. The event still prompts reflection on journalism's important mission: to depict complex conflicts impartially and objectively, with great integrity and knowledge.

Nils Horner was not very interested in interviewing the big power players and the high-ups. His reports were about the conversation with the tailor, the shop assistant, or the teacher and their living conditions in strained and challenged societies. In this way, Nils Horner was an expressive storyteller. He was a hoarse Borås voice who brought another part of the world closer to Sweden.

For the first time in five years, more journalists have been killed in war zones than in peace zones. According to the American press freedom organization CPJ, the war in Gaza is the deadliest conflict for journalists. During the last three months of 2023, more journalists were killed than had previously occurred in a country in a single year.

Particularly vulnerable are the journalists monitoring Iran, Russia, Belarus and Turkey. In total, 521 journalists are imprisoned at the beginning of this year, primarily in these countries.

We are, however, completely dependent on journalists reporting on what is happening where war and conflicts prevail. The more dangerous it becomes, the less information we receive about potential abuses, violations, and war crimes.

Today, the security situation both in Sweden's immediate vicinity and globally is characterized by instability and unpredictability. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has changed the security order in Sweden and in Europe. We live in a time where an armed attack against Sweden can no longer be ruled out. It also cannot be ruled out that military means of power may be used against Sweden. The security policy situation is the most serious since the end of the Second World War.

The Defence Preparation Board notes that the threat situation against Sweden is broad and is becoming increasingly complex. The threats include improper information influence, disinformation, influence operations, cyberattacks, illegal intelligence gathering, terrorism and sabotage, threats to critical infrastructure and the exploitation of economic dependencies.

The clearest conclusion is that the preparations, the readiness, and the capability within the entire total defense must be increased expeditiously. The insights need to permeate all parts of Swedish society immediately.

Mr. Speaker! It is evident that improper information influence is continuously directed towards Sweden in order to influence the perceptions, behaviors, and decision-making of various target groups. Sweden is exposed to influence campaigns, influence operations, and disinformation from malicious, antagonistic actors who want to create polarization in the population and attempt to undermine trust in society's institutions and democracy. The purpose of all this is to attack the most important thing: society's collective resilience.

The media have a very important function in the current situation. In a crisis situation, it is not only important but absolutely crucial that everyone in Sweden can be reached by independent information and news reporting. Therefore, the media's own security and preparedness are completely crucial. A failure of operations can in itself mean that a current crisis escalates and worsens.

The Defense Preparedness Board emphasizes that public service has particular importance for the Swedish society's preparedness and a significant role in the total defense through its broad mandate in the public service, its stable funding, the high requirements for availability, and the trust that the public currently has for the companies' operations.

We Social Democrats in the Culture Committee agree with the Defense Committee's conclusions. A technology-neutral and broad public service with high trust across the entire population is a matter of importance for Sweden's total defense and for Sweden's collective resilience. Public service's primary task is to keep the citizens well-informed and ensure that the population is not only reached by information but reached by the right information.

We know that this will require competence initiatives to be able to verify all the material coming from these war zones. We know that it entails requirements for increased security for the foreign correspondents from Sweden. And finally, it demands more from the politics, because the companies are a natural part of the Swedish total defense.

In the ongoing public service committee, the upcoming broadcasting period, ten years forward into this new era, is being addressed. It is a work that is ongoing and which is managed between all the parties in the Riksdag. Our Social Democratic starting points are well known. We strive for broad cooperation and collaboration in the issues. We believe that public service's role is so important for all of Sweden and for the Swedish people that one must seek consensus between all the parties in the Riksdag.

Against the background of the ongoing work, I do not have much more to say from the rostrum today. We have a specific statement where we set out our positions. We continue the discussions in the parliamentary committee.

Regarding the film issues in this debate, I refer to my colleague Lars Mejern Larsson.

I am therefore referring to our specific statement in the report.

(Applause)

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

Catarina Deremar (C)

Mr. Speaker! As the previous speaker has mentioned, we are in the middle of the public service committee's work, and the government has just appointed a new film inquiry. It is precisely those two subjects we are debating tonight.

Centerpartiet truly welcomes a film inquiry. Regardless of the government, we have worked for and waited for such an inquiry, and it is good that it is in place now. It is to be completed in February 2025.

There are several points that are interesting in the investigation, for example that one should review and potentially propose new forms for party and industry cooperation. The investigation shall also submit proposals on how the state film policy support forms, including production incentives, should be designed taking into account EU rules on state aid. There is also a point about analyzing the conditions for promoting a living film heritage that is preserved, used and developed, among other things through continued digitalization. Several things are to be looked at, but these are some points that I see as positive that they are included. I also, of course, wish that we in politics receive updates while the investigation's work is ongoing or that some form of dialogue is maintained with us in the political parties.

Mr. Speaker! I want to return to public service, which we are working quite intensively with these days. It is no secret that the Center Party continues to want a broad mandate for public service. It shall be productions of good quality, and they shall reflect the whole country, Sweden. Public service shall be relevant for many.

A unanimous defense preparation was very clear in the report submitted in December last year. On several points in it, they point out public services' important role from a preparedness perspective.

For us in Centerpartiet, it is of great importance that public service's independence is protected. We do not have to like everything that public service does, but we must be able to trust that what is said in news reporting is true. If someone has acted with falsehood, it is of great importance that it is reported that an error occurred or that incorrect information was provided, and that it is corrected.

All of us who work and are over 18 years old are involved in and pay for public service, and therefore we also have the right to demand impartiality and independence. Public service should be relevant for as many as possible.

Another important part of the report concerns the fact that SVT, in particular, plays a major role when it comes to film and drama production. SVT has good collaborations and a large involvement in the production of Swedish film and Swedish drama.

I have no particular opinion and no reservation.

(Applause)

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

Vasiliki Tsouplaki (V)

Mr. Speaker! This debate concerns both the terms for public service, that is to say SVT, Sveriges Radio and Utbildningsradion, and the film policy. Today I will focus on the film issues. Several have mentioned that all parties are currently sitting in a committee to produce the terms for the next license period for public service. It is to be finished in just a few weeks. It will therefore be difficult to say anything specific on that issue today.

People's cultural habits and consumption habits change with new technology, and it happens quickly. What we have previously seen within music has now happened in the film area. There have been fewer intermediaries, and a large range is easily accessible through the streaming companies. I believe it is predominantly positive, but we need to think anew from the political side and also in the industry to keep up and not lose important values along the way.

Companies within Swedish film and TV are at the intersection of cultural policy and business policy. Many are dependent on public support from national and regional levels while simultaneously being in an international arena and a global market. Swedish film has achieved great success in recent years with many international awards. In parallel, there is a clear pattern that the cinema audience has decreased significantly, and visitors see Swedish film to a lesser extent. Consequently, profitability is low in most segments.

During the corona pandemic, many cinema halls were completely closed or half-empty. It has been difficult to lure the audience back, but during 2023 we actually saw a reversal of that trend. Critics argue that it is primarily the improved opportunities to watch films in other ways that account for the decrease. Already between 2018 and 2019, that is before the pandemic, the number of cinema visits in Sweden decreased by nearly 1 million.

For us in Vänsterpartiet, it is important to also continue supporting cinemas across the country through the Swedish Film Institute. The digitalization of cinemas and the emergence of new digital viewing forms, for example, for the live broadcast of performances of dance and opera from stages all over the world, have provided opportunities for an increased and more flexible cultural offering throughout the country. Association-run and municipal cinemas are also a prerequisite for activities such as school cinema and film clubs. Experiencing and discussing film with others is a different kind of experience than streaming film at home.

Streaming services make a huge range of both films and series available. It is of course an advantage for all of us consumers and in some respects also for cultural creators within different professional categories. To an ever increasing extent, these companies produce their own films that are not shown in cinemas but go directly onto their own platform. This creates gaps in the financing chain and reduces revenues from, for example, the cinema VAT, which is intended to compensate for the state's film policy.

The regional actor Film i Väst is very significant and important for the country's filmmakers. Film i Väst also produces many interesting materials. They analyze, among other things, the audience changes and the production changes that the development has led to. They point out how attractive it can be for those who want to make films to only have a financier and a guaranteed viewing platform in the form of, for example, a streaming company such as Netflix or HBO. In the old conventional model, one is forced to seek money from a multitude of different financiers.

Development has its advantages but is not only for the better. New questions have arisen regarding which legislation should apply, for example regarding copyright when American companies buy up rights. How do the rights of Swedish artists and filmmakers stand then? We hope that the copyright directive that we adopted here in the Riksdag some time ago can strengthen their position.

Overall, one can see that what I have mentioned now regarding changed conditions for production and distribution and changed audience patterns have entailed new challenges. They highlight the need for a new audiovisual cultural policy to encompass a larger area than today's film policy. Already in the autumn of 2022, we in Vänsterpartiet motioned that it was needed, but at that time it only received support from Socialdemokraterna and Miljöpartiet. In January, however, the announcement came that the government is appointing a film inquiry. It is very pleasing, even if it does not have the breadth that I might have wished for. I would have been even more satisfied if a political reference group had also been linked to the inquiry to achieve a broad anchoring of the future's film policy.

Mr. Speaker! I think that from the cultural policy side, perhaps we should not take responsibility for granting subsidies to all different types of film. I believe that Peter Ollén was on to that. I think that we need to monitor that which is not commercially viable, is not perceived to have an international audience, or does not fit the mold for the American streaming companies. Support is particularly needed for innovative and challenging film and new aesthetic forms of expression. I think that support also needs to be directed towards film with stories in a Swedish context and in the Swedish language, which previous speakers have also mentioned.

Our role, therefore, is not to favor a specific business model or ensure that today's companies can survive, but we must ensure that the art form of film can be created and reach people. An important part of this is, for example, to ensure that there are relevant educations and to support initiatives that enable skills supply. We want to see that there is film under the auspices of the Kulturskolan, so that children and young people can develop within the genre at an early age. When it comes to high-quality programs at upper secondary school, folk high school, and vocational higher education, as well as artistic educations at the higher education level, we can make a contribution from the political side.

Mr. Speaker! The last area within film policy that I want to mention is the Swedish cinematic cultural heritage. We will have a cultural heritage debate here later, but we often forget to highlight just the film as cultural heritage. I think that we need to highlight this and that it must not fall into neglect.

It must also not be inaccessible to the public, and with the digitalization, we have the opportunity to distribute the older films on a large scale - in the country's cinemas but also via other digital platforms. The problem is that it is going very slowly. Kulturutskottet has previously visited the Swedish Film Institute and seen how the work is carried out, but increased competence is needed. There are not enough people who know how this is to be done. If we do not speed up, there will also be a shortage of machine parts and other technology to carry this out.

Therefore, I mean, we cannot let the question drag on in the film investigation that the government has appointed. The digitalization of the cultural heritage needs a fast track instead – an action plan rather than a longer investigation. I therefore move for approval of reservation 2, which is precisely about speeding up the digitalization of the cinematic cultural heritage.

(Applause)

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

Roland Utbult (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I vote in favor of the proposal in the committee's report.

If one wants to delve deeper into public service and film policy, one can listen to the cultural debate in the Swedish Riksdag, Mr. Speaker! Much fact and many interesting aspects are presented here.

The public service license contains, among other things, general provisions on technical quality as well as what the broadcasts shall contain and how the programming activities shall be conducted. In addition, there are specific conditions regarding advertising, sponsorship, and product placement. There are also rules concerning preparedness and security issues – issues that are important, not least in these times, when the threats from the outside world are increasing.

Mr. Speaker! At the Christian Democrats' national convention in 2019, we made a number of decisions that we have since pursued and continue to pursue in politics. We want, for example, to strengthen public service's legitimacy over time by narrowing the mandate and having a primary focus on social information, independent and objective news reporting. In addition, there shall be a, as we expressed it, high-quality cultural offering. An important part of the public service mandate is also to make the offering accessible to persons with disabilities and to meet the needs and wishes of minorities. So goes KD's policy.

Let us state that the trust for public service is high in Sweden. According to Media Academy's latest survey, 68 percent of those surveyed say they have trust in Sveriges Radio. The corresponding figure for Sveriges Television is 63 percent. These are good figures, but there is - as always - potential for improvement.

The current broadcasting license for public service runs from 2020-2025, and the next license shall be valid from 2026 and eight years forward, until 2033. In February 2023, the government decided to appoint a public service committee with the mandate to propose how the public service mandate shall be regulated from 2026 onwards and what shall be included in the mandate during the next eight-year license period. The proposals that the committee comes up with shall aim to create good conditions for the public service operations and safeguard its independence.

The assignment must be reported by April 30th this year at the latest, so there is not much time left. I believe that all of us who are participating in this debate – some here are actually also members of the public service committee – are very much looking forward to taking part in what the committee will come to.

Mr. Speaker! I would like to further mention something about film policy. As someone mentioned, film is an important cultural heritage, and film is art. It also creates many jobs, and Swedish actors and directors serve as brands for Sweden and contribute to a positive image of the country. We have a good reputation in the world, with many award-winning directors, actors, makeup artists, photographers and producers through the years. As has been mentioned, "we" won two awards during the Oscars recently; among other things, Ludwig Göransson won an Oscar for best film score for the film Oppenheimer. One simply becomes proud.

Mr. Speaker! 70 years ago, there were neither social media nor televisions in most homes. I am actually about that age, so I was there during that period. During the late 50s, roughly at the same time as television established itself, Sweden held the European record regarding the number of cinemas. Cinema was what constituted the entertainment for children and young people.

Those who were young in the 40s and 50s – well, in the 40s I didn't exist, but in any case – could choose between Tarzan or The Children from Frostmo Mountain. I shudder just thinking about it! The more pious families chose the latter, and I remember how we walked to Hemvärnsgården on Öckerö, where someone creative managed to show exactly The Children from Frostmo Mountain. As you hear, I grew up in a pious family – perhaps one cannot believe it, but that is how it is. It must be admitted, however, that it was possible to sneak into the Tarzan films, just as long as the parents didn't know about it. In the 60s, when I had grown up a bit, I could see films at the cinemas such as Viva Las Vegas with Elvis Presley or The Bridge over the River Kwai.

Mr. Speaker! On January 25 this year, the government decided to appoint a special investigator to conduct a review of the national film policy, which several speakers have mentioned. The purpose is for the film policy to better meet the challenges and needs of the world. The assignment is to be reported on February 28, 2025. We Kristdemokrater believe that the investigation is important to improve the conditions for Swedish film.

Important issues ahead concern the technical development, the changed forms of distribution and display, but also how support forms and production incentives can be adapted to better meet the challenges. As several have mentioned, film is also a part of our cultural heritage. We in Kristdemokraterna look forward to following the investigation and taking part in its proposals.

(Applause)

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

Malin Danielsson (L)

Mr. Speaker! Just as several speakers have pointed out, there is an ongoing public service inquiry. Mr. Speaker may wonder what I am doing here now again. I was up debating social committee issues a short while ago. Now it is culture committee issues, and I actually sit in the constitution committee. It is a bit like the man in the box. I do not have a very good grasp of film. But we have joint custody of public service in the culture committee and the constitution committee, so I will stick a little to public service.

It has hardly escaped anyone that we Liberals often highlight the importance of public service. We do so because we are convinced that public service plays an indispensable role in our democracy and is an important part of our media market.

The media's independent role and critical scrutiny is the foundation of every democracy. Public service has an important function in that work. To safeguard and promote its independence and quality is something that we see as a liberal task.

Mr. Speaker! We are, however, living in a very restless time, and the importance of independent journalism is perhaps greater than it has been in a long time. We live in a time where disinformation often travels faster than serious news. There are foreign and antagonistic powers that wish us ill, and sometimes domestic interests that live on dividing and using disinformation to achieve their goals. Our common resistance requires a media industry that accommodates different voices and perspectives, and the common denominator is high-quality journalism.

Mr. Speaker! Here, the Swedish public service companies are an indispensable part. They function as a kind of outer front line against the attacks on democracy that disinformation and fake news constitute. A few years ago, the question of public service's role in times of crisis and war would probably have felt a bit irrelevant. But public service's role in our preparedness can hardly be emphasized more than now. In just a few years, the world has changed. First came the pandemic, when large parts of the population turned to public service precisely to get relevant information on how we would collectively tackle the fight against the virus.

Today we live in times of war, in serious times, and in a geopolitical storm. Like a defense against antagonistic forces that want to influence our perception of reality regarding what is true and false, public service is a cornerstone in the construction of our collective resilience. It is precisely for that reason that public service needs to play an important role in the total defense.

Mr. Speaker! To mention another good example, I want to bring up the verification of authenticity in image material from the war in Ukraine, which SVT in particular has invested time and resources in. It has been very valuable for us to know what is true or false in a time when images and film clips can often be easily manipulated.

Mr. Speaker! Since the first public service broadcast in Sweden, the media market has undergone a development that no one at the time thought was possible. We have received vivid descriptions of this earlier in the speaker's chair. Today we consume news, films, series, documentaries, reviews, and other things from all over the world. The time when everyone gathered around a few channels feels very far away.

Today, there is a fantastic diversity just a button press away. The new reality implies great opportunities but also changed conditions for public service. It is important to find ways forward so that we further strengthen the trust for public service in all groups in society without, for that part, nibbling away at the breadth that has a decisive importance for the trust.

Mr. Speaker! We are now awaiting the parliamentary commission of inquiry on public service that has been appointed, where a number of future issues will be highlighted and answered. Those of us who are not on the commission are waiting for it with anticipation. I would therefore like to move for approval of the committee's proposal in the report.

(Applause)

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

Lars Mejern Larsson (S)

Mr. Speaker! The population of Ekshärad are called Sweden's Indians and they have their own totem pole. There are two backgrounds to the origin of why they are called Indians. When timber was rafted on the Klarälven in former times, the rafters followed the timber all the way to the sorting at Forshaga. When these civilized people from the south came into contact with these Norrköping residents who previously had not been out from their home region, they saw these as savages.

They were bare-chested and had become tanned by the spring sun, sinewy and muscular, did not say much, but when they did say something it was difficult to understand. The Ekshär people today have a dialect that is very special, they speak fast and cut off the words, and have entirely their own words where one word has several meanings depending on how it is emphasized." This is a quote from Ghosthunter.

Mr. Speaker, colleagues, listeners and film lovers! I love and am happiest in the world to be able to stand here and talk about film. When I was little, we played Indians and cowboys, influenced by classic western series such as The Macahans and The Fight for Colorado. The latter was about Arapaho Indians.

Mr. Speaker! I still have the fire in me. Film and moving images are something that concerns us all. Therefore, I want to highlight the profound significance that Swedish film has for our country. It is not only a source of entertainment and artistic expression but is also a significant economic engine that creates jobs and generates growth in our long country.

Film is also one of our most powerful cultural expressions with a unique ability to influence and touch people deeply. It is an art form that, like music, has no equal.

During the weekend, my sister took me to the Victoria cinema in Söder to see the film about my namesake Lars, who, like me, adores La France, loves France. The film was Den sista resan.

Mr. Speaker! The film evokes a mixture of laughter and tears. It shows the importance of embracing every moment, regardless of life's inevitable challenges and limitations. Through its tragicomic lens, Filip and Fredrik also manage to disarm an Indian from Ekshärad.

When I, as a representative for the Social Democrats, get to work on and ensure that Swedish film continues to flourish and reaches a broad audience, I want to emphasize that Swedish film is a national matter.

A new Swedish film policy has all the conditions to be successful as it contributes to both local creativity and international exchange. Every successful film production contributes to strengthening our economy, as several have pointed out, by generating income for cinema screenings, streaming services, international sales and not least film tourism, restaurants and hotels.

Throughout history, the Swedish film industry has contributed to the country's cultural identity and international reputation and is part of our Swedish cultural heritage. The future for Swedish film and moving images is uncertain today, as several have also mentioned.

The economic system of local financiers, co-producers, and commissioners, which has at all times been a guarantee for Swedish film and TV production, is under severe pressure. The investments in and the long-term availability of Swedish film and moving images are thus being challenged.

Mr. Speaker! Film and moving images are likely also the cultural industry that has the greatest socio-economic effects. But then a proper analysis is required that is capable of addressing the major challenges that Swedish film and TV face.

In order for Swedish film to become an attraction that draws cinema-goers back to the theaters, the investigation must highlight and provide proposals for better conditions for the country's filmmakers. It is a prerequisite for film culture to remain in our entire elongated country.

Several government public inquiries have shown that the creative industries need to be given better conditions through strengthened investment capital, incentives for productions in Sweden, and support from the public regarding skills supply. Despite this, the film industry is not treated as the growth engine it has the potential to be.

The film investigation is welcome. It is something that we Social Democrats have requested for a long time. I welcome Eva Bergquist, who has been appointed to lead this broad investigation.

Regarding the film inquiry, the government has not chosen to conduct a dialogue with the opposition with the aim of finding a long-term consensus on Swedish film. The government's directive to the decided film inquiry should have been more focused on the central question of film financing.

We wish that the film inquiry receives clear additional directives regarding, among other things, the financing of films, how the film VAT affects the number of cinema-goers, access to cinemas across the country, illegal handling of films, films in minority languages, and the digitalization of Swedish film.

We consider, like several others, that the film investigation should have a parliamentary anchoring. Therefore, I move for approval of reservation 1.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, it is time that we revive the viewing culture - to appreciate film in its proper element, namely in a cinema.

A creative example from Värmland is Kristinehamn Municipality, where they have conducted school cinema for grade 5 for 20 years. Here, everyone gets the opportunity to share the film experience with their classmates. It starts already with the younger generation. When we introduce the children to the magic of seeing a film on a big screen, the seed is sown.

For this to be possible, it is crucial that families, regardless of economic resources, should be able to take their children on this cultural adventure. When inflation and food prices reach record high levels, one chooses to opt out of cinema visits. A VAT reduction would contribute positively to an increased audience at the country's cinemas.

Mr. Speaker! Through a joint effort, we can ensure that Swedish film continues to be a vital part of our culture and economy, in Värmland and throughout the country for all generations.

Public service and film

It is difficult to live in a world that is not divided, as the Polish film director Krzysztof Kieslowski expressed it.

(Applause)

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(A decision was to be taken on 20 March.)

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