Government Statement

Ulf Kristersson (M)

Mr. Speaker and honorable members of the Swedish Parliament! The Moderates, Christian Democrats, and Liberals agree to take responsibility for Sweden together with the Sweden Democrats. The Moderates, Christian Democrats, and Liberals will join the government. The Sweden Democrats will cooperate with the government in the Riksdag, with political officials in the Government Offices.

Government Statement

In the election, the voters gave the coalition parties a mandate to put Sweden on a new course. The cooperation lays the foundation for a long-term policy with the goal of seriously solving Sweden's major societal problems. Change was necessary; change is now possible.

Our four parties know that society is larger than the state – that the whole of society can do more than just the state. But we also share the conviction that what the state is responsible for, the state must also do very well. Therefore, the state's core tasks must now be the focus of the government and the Riksdag.

Several of the supporting beams of the Swedish folkhemmet - internal security, external security, energy supply, and social cohesion - must be repaired and strengthened. If they truly break, the damage will be immeasurable. Then Sweden will no longer be Sweden. The ability to prioritize the state's most important tasks in a difficult time will be decisive for success.

Let me therefore speak plainly today. The government that is now taking office takes over the responsibility for a country that is in the midst of several parallel crises. Four very demanding tasks lie ahead of us.

Firstly: Immediately after the election, Sweden set its own bloody record in fatal shootings. The fight against serious crime must be won, and safety must be restored throughout our country. In this sense, the state must now take back control. Just that is a task of such magnitude, so great, that many distrust whether it is even possible. We in this chamber have a collective responsibility to prove that we can manage it.

Secondly, Sweden must once again have the strength to navigate through a recession, while many people and companies are subjected to dramatic cost increases through high inflation and extreme energy and fuel prices. Sweden's single greatest economic and social problem is due to large-scale immigration in combination with poor integration, which has led hundreds of thousands of people into exclusion and benefit dependency.

For the third, Sweden must get out of the energy crisis in order to both reach our climate goals and restore reasonable electricity prices to Sweden.

For the fourth, we shall lead Sweden into Nato, establish ourselves as a strong member state and equip our defense for a security policy environment that has not been so insecure since the Second World War.

My message today is therefore quite blunt. There is a very tough situation, which can become significantly worse. But my message is also hopeful. We in Sweden have solved difficult problems before; we can do it again. Generations of Swedes have faced tough times and passed the test.

Mr. Speaker! We in here, literally, have shown several times that we can cooperate when required. Many of you have been there yourselves, and even more know those who were there – such as during the 90s crisis, during the corona pandemic, when Russia launched its war of aggression, and not least when we made the historic decision to seek membership in Nato. I hope that we as parties and as citizens want to stand up for each other again – not because we think alike about everything, for we do not. Let us therefore honor Swedish democracy by boldly debating and doing what our friends in Ukraine just now cannot do.

But let us at the same time see the opportunities for cooperation. I will now form a government for all of Sweden and for everyone who lives here, a government anchored in strong values and which therefore finds it easy to respect others' values, a government that wants to see what unites and not just what divides – that wants to unite, not split. As Prime Minister, I want to lead Sweden from a divided country to a united country. We in this chamber have an extra large responsibility for the adult conversation. Let us shoulder that responsibility.

I feel confident today about the tasks we face - which you face and which I and Sweden's government face. It is not at all because I underestimate Sweden's problems, nor is it because I overestimate our or my ability. This is going to be difficult. It will take time. But it will work. Because there is nothing that is so bad in Sweden that it cannot be fixed with all that is really, really good.

Mr. Speaker! Sweden's unemployment is one of the highest in the EU, and we have the lowest growth of all countries in the union. The Swedish growth engine has stopped. Next year, unemployment is expected to increase from today's more than 7 percent. The fact is that Sweden has a historically high unemployment at the start of a recession. Inflation in Sweden is nearing 10 percent. In September, the interest rate was raised by 1 percentage point, the largest increase since the inflation target was introduced in 1993. Parts of the business sector are now struggling desperately to survive skyrocketing electricity costs.

The government will take responsibility. Order and discipline in the state's finances is a core task. Fiscal policy must not fuel inflation; the budget must not be expansive. Sweden must not, once again, fall into a price and wage spiral. The budget framework is fixed, and the state budget will be taken as a whole.

One of the government's first tasks will be to help households cope with the upcoming winter. Therefore, in the short term, a high-cost protection against extreme electricity prices targeted at households and companies is being introduced, where parts of the costs for the high electricity bills are returned to the consumers. The government will act for lower fuel prices. The amortization requirement is followed up with the relevant authorities.

To manage the recession more sustainably in the long term, the work line must be protected and Sweden's growth power must be strengthened. At the same time, the common welfare must be reliable. Today's level of unemployment insurance shall also apply in the future.

Swedish companies, not least the small companies, need relief from bureaucracy and administration. The Government will take a holistic approach to improve the business environment's conditions in the long term. The 3:12 rules are being reviewed and improved. A new productivity commission is appointed to, like the one three decades ago, conduct a collective analysis of the Swedish economy's competitiveness.

The Swedish business community is a greenhouse for prosperity and innovation, but now also a truly important environmental movement, world-leading in sustainability and green transition. The Government will be an offensive partner in that work.

All the enterprising people who create jobs, prosperity, and dynamism deserve respect. Free economy and free enterprise are the foundation for Swedish prosperity.

(Applause)

Mr. Speaker! Certain tasks are just as important now as breaking down exclusion. Those who are currently excluded and have lived on benefits year after year need to be given a chance to exchange benefit dependency for self-sufficiency. A major benefit reform shall be implemented. It shall take place during the mandate period, partly through lower taxes, especially for low- and middle-income earners, and partly through a benefit ceiling that ensures it always pays off better to work than to live on benefits.

Nothing creates prosperity in a country like work. Nothing counters individuals' poverty like work, and nothing creates new social mobility like getting one's very first job.

(Applause)

Those who have worked a full working life have the right to sufficient pensions that provide a dignified old age with good quality of life. The government's direction is reforms so that all pensioners' finances can be strengthened, among other things through reduced tax on pensions. The government will invite all parties to cross-bloc talks on pensions.

The drivers for ensuring that older people who want to can stay longer in working life will be improved. The experience and competence of older people are often overlooked in Sweden. Age discrimination can be unintentional, but it is still perceptible. It underestimates many older people's ability to contribute. The Government will have a clearly responsible minister for the collective issues concerning the elderly.

Mr. Speaker! No other country in all of Europe has experienced the same development of violence as Sweden. There have been 53 fatal shootings so far this year, often pure executions. Even innocent people are hit and killed by the gangs' bullets.

Crime is now a threat to the system. It damages the trust and the confidence that Swedish society rests on and is a greater threat to the social contract than any currently active Swedish politician has experienced. The government takes this very seriously.

The government is now launching the largest offensive in Swedish history against organized crime. Toughening individual sentences is necessary but not sufficient. The government is carrying out a complete review of the penal code. The focus shifts from the perpetrator to the crime victim and to societal protection. The sentences shall consistently reflect the gravity of the crime.

A new penalty, a detention sentence, shall be introduced. A unified council against serious organized crime shall be established at the Ministry of Justice. The council will need to gather all relevant authorities in the work against gang crime and lead the work that shall swiftly investigate Danish efforts against Swedish crimes.

The government intends to introduce double penalties for crimes committed in gang criminal environments and to make it a punishable offense to participate in criminal networks. More criminals without Swedish citizenship shall be deported, and less consideration shall be given to ties. Anonymous witnesses, residency bans, secret coercive measures, and time-limited visitation zones shall be introduced. The sentencing discount for minors is abolished. Today's form of quantity discount is abolished, and the rules on parole are tightened.

The Prison and Probation Service shall be significantly expanded and the possibility of renting prison places abroad shall be investigated. The Police's mandate shall be purified, and the authority shall receive more employees with higher salaries during the mandate period. The Police shall grow. The goal is that the police density shall at least correspond to the average in the EU.

All this will take time, and let us understand the gravity: It will become conflict-ridden when the criminal gangs' power is threatened. I want to emphasize the risk that it may get worse before it gets better.

The grossly criminal elements who control neighborhoods and illegal markets will not give them up voluntarily. The gangs that have infiltrated legal businesses and corrupt authorities and companies will not withdraw of their own accord. But there is no other way forward. The State must both take and win this fight, because safety has become our time's great issue of freedom.

(Applause)

Mr. Speaker! Many things must now be done simultaneously and in the long term. The Customs Service is receiving new tools to combat cross-border crime. Theft gangs that in practice are allowed to steal diesel, spare parts, agricultural machinery, and boat engines threaten many people's trust in the rule of law. The robbery-murders that affect many young people and the ruthless crime directed against many elderly people will be taken significantly more seriously.

The task of giving all children a fair chance to succeed is just as important as the task of locking up the adults who have abused trust. The preventive measures must therefore be carried out as systematically as the crime-fighting ones. Real prevention, in an evidence-based manner, prevents social problems and crime.

The crime prevention work shall be prioritized during the next parliamentary term. The most important crime-preventing communities are functioning families and a strong civil society. Parental responsibility shall be strengthened. Parental support programs shall be increased and the Social Services Act shall be reformed so that the social services receive a mandate to decide on more mandatory interventions. More open forms of support shall be established, for example at family centers that are being expanded. The ongoing work to strengthen the rights of socially vulnerable children shall be completed. Children and young people's own experiences and opinions shall be taken into account in that work.

(Applause)

A reporting obligation is introduced for schools to always report crimes committed at or in connection with the school. The state shall take greater responsibility for seriously criminal youths, and the responsibility shall be shifted from the municipalities' social services to the correctional services. Special youth prisons are established with the Correctional Services as the principal.

For a decade, deadly violence against women has been neglected. Last year, five women were murdered in three weeks. Stopping men's violence against women is about combating serious crimes, but it is also about freedom and equality. The government's very strong conviction is that no girls or women should be forced to adapt their lives to violent or controlling men.

(Applause)

In cases of suspected aggravated violation of a woman's integrity, mandatory detention shall occur, and the penalties shall be significantly increased.

Mr. Speaker! Immigration to Sweden has been unsustainable. The result has been a dangerous exclusion among many foreign-born people but also among children and young people who are born here in Sweden. The integration problems now affect the entire society in the form of housing segregation and overcrowding, unemployment and welfare dependency, health problems and poor school results, crime and vulnerability to crime as well as honor oppression, insecurity and violations of children's and young people's rights.

There has never been a well-considered view in Sweden on how many people can come to our country and on what conditions, nor on what rules of the game are required to integrate people into the Swedish community when they come from countries with completely different laws, rules, and cultures.

The government's message is: This cannot continue. A paradigm shift will now occur within Swedish migration policy.

The right of asylum will be upheld through the binding international rules that Sweden has committed to follow. The starting point shall be that protection for those fleeing a conflict or crisis shall be offered temporarily and for those fleeing Sweden's immediate vicinity. Sweden's legislation for asylum reception shall be adapted so as not to be more generous than what is an obligation for a member state according to EU law.

The following reforms will be implemented: The Government will introduce enhanced opportunities for internal foreign national controls, stricter conditions for family reunification, and incentives for voluntary return. Work will begin to establish transit centers. Stricter requirements will be introduced for citizenship, and revocation of residence permits shall occur in more cases. An investigation shall analyze the conditions for introducing the possibility of deporting foreign nationals who show lack of integrity, for example, association with criminal, violent, or extremist organizations or other environments that threaten fundamental Swedish values.

A reform is implemented that reduces the risk of people seeking out Sweden specifically for economic reasons. An investigation is commissioned to propose a model for successive qualification into Swedish welfare benefits through, for example, work or citizenship. The right to financial assistance is removed for those who stay illegally in the country. Higher activity requirements shall be set for subsistence support and establishment support.

A review shall be conducted of the asylum process in order to strengthen quality, uniformity, and legal certainty. The review shall include, among other things, criteria for public counsel and the assessment of cases concerning, among other things, converts and LGBTQ persons.

The government will tighten the conditions for labor migration, among other things through higher income requirements and a ban on switching tracks, in order to counter fraud - this at the same time as the rules for highly qualified labor migration, foreign researchers and doctoral students are improved to strengthen Sweden's competitiveness as a research nation.

An investigation is being prepared with a proposal for a national begging ban. A census shall be carried out, and coordination numbers that are not confirmed shall be revoked. There will be increased use of biometric data in alien cases, and measures are prioritized that increase the proportion of executed deportations. Enhanced opportunities are introduced for internal alien control.

Mr. Speaker! This is a government for everyone who strives and for everyone who wants to do right by themselves, regardless of whether one has immigrated to Sweden or was born here. People have, over the years, come here and contributed with knowledge, entrepreneurship, and tax money. When integration into Swedish society works, a richer, more tolerant, and more successful society is created. But, Sweden, we must never be tolerant towards intolerance.

Everyone who comes to Sweden will, of course, also become a part of Swedish society. An inquiry is appointed with the mandate to change the rules regarding social orientation for newcomers and social introduction for asylum seekers. Requirements to learn Swedish and to be self-sufficient are introduced in order to obtain Swedish citizenship.

Society's contact surface with children and their families shall become larger. The programs at BVC shall be expanded in the vulnerable areas, among other things through mandatory language screening, and a language preschool shall be introduced.

The government is intensifying the work against honor oppression. Virginity checks, virginity operations, and virginity certificates are being criminalized. Efforts for suddenly disappeared children shall be strengthened, and a fine shall be able to be imposed on guardians who do not cooperate in the return of the children. Marriages between cousins shall not be permitted. More who are convicted of honor-related crimes will be deported from the country.

(Applause)

Mr. Speaker! Four decades ago, Sweden carried out a unique expansion of nuclear power which led to an electrification that at the time had no equal in the world. Until quite recently, Sweden was self-sufficient in electricity all days of the year, all hours of the day. A total of six functioning nuclear reactors have since been decommissioned for political reasons. This government's view is that it was bad for the business sector, bad for the climate, and bad for household finances, and furthermore, bad security policy.

The decisions now make southern and central Sweden particularly vulnerable to the continent's electricity prices. The Swedish energy system must be rebuilt while the acute electricity crisis is mitigated for Swedish households and companies. The risks right now are very great.

The goal of energy policy is for Sweden to move from a threatening electricity shortage to an abundance of fossil-free electricity. Swedish international competitiveness is built on good access to affordable energy. The climate transition and security policy are now two major international factors that are added. Neither Sweden nor Europe can be allowed to be dependent on Russian energy production.

In the short term, the risk must be eliminated for acute economic problems when households and companies themselves are forced to bear the entire cost of the failed energy policy. The Government will therefore introduce a high-cost protection. At the same time, broad measures are being taken to reduce energy consumption in order to reduce the risk of unplanned outages. The Government intends to strengthen and broaden the support for energy efficiency for private individuals.

Secondly, the government will immediately give Svenska kraftnät a clarified mandate to procure dispatchable electricity production where it is most needed to increase electricity production and investigate the possibility of restarting dispatchable electricity production in southern Sweden. The price consequences must be mitigated. All new electricity production that strengthens the power system and contributes to the rapid expansion of the power system is needed. This also applies to wind and solar. The review of environmental permits for hydropower is paused. Flowing water and fish migration routes shall be restored with consideration given to electricity production.

Thirdly, the government will emphasize the importance of energy policy for climate policy. The energy policy goal is changed from 100 percent renewable to 100 percent fossil-free.

The conditions for maintaining, developing, and expanding Swedish nuclear power are being radically improved in order to meet both the households' and the green transition's massive needs for clean Swedish electricity.

The government will return with proposals for credit guarantees for the new construction of Swedish nuclear power while legislative changes are made to enable new nuclear power, including through shorter permit processes and administrative fast tracks. The prohibitions in the Environmental Code against new reactors in new locations and the prohibitions against more than ten reactors in simultaneous operation are removed. Vattenfall shall be given owner directives to commence the planning and procurement of new Swedish nuclear power.

(Applause)

Mr. Speaker! The development of the countryside is crucial for the success of the whole of Sweden. Here, the government has a unified focus: All of Sweden must be given the conditions to live. The possibility of traveling to work and with family is fundamental. The reduction obligation is lowered to the EU's minimum level on 1 January 2024 and applies during the mandate period.

Swedish forestry is central to Swedish climate work. The growing forest is crucial for biodiversity. The Government will wholeheartedly stand up for a sustainable Swedish forestry with care for future generations. The protection of property rights shall be strengthened within certain areas. The competitiveness of Swedish food production shall be strengthened.

(Applause)

The needs within the Swedish infrastructure are great, and maintenance is overdue. Investments in the railway shall primarily facilitate for work commuting and freight traffic, which strengthens jobs and growth.

Environmental problems are one of our time's great cross-border issues. Sweden's climate and environmental policy shall be ambitious. A program for international climate investments in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement is being developed. The investments contribute to achieving the Swedish climate goal of net-zero emissions by 2045. Major investments in charging infrastructure are being carried out, as well as in technology for carbon capture.

Special efforts are also being made to counteract eutrophication of the Baltic Sea and to move out the boundary for large-scale trawling.

Mr. Speaker! We now face the greatest foreign, security, and defense policy tests in modern times.

Russia challenges the free world with authoritarian domestic policy and aggressive foreign policy. Through its unjust and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia has broken the peace in Europe - an attack on both the international rule of law and the possibilities for effective intergovernmental cooperation.

The Russian war against Ukraine has led to the EU and Nato demonstrating unity, solidarity, and determination under difficult circumstances. It is a demonstration of strength from the Western democracies.

Foreign and security policy must be reoriented in this more dangerous time to meet the threats that Sweden and Europe now face.

Russia's war of aggression and the defense of Ukraine's freedom and sovereignty are the most defining foreign policy tasks of the recent years.

(Applause)

Given this, the government will conduct a primarily Swedish and European foreign policy. To safeguard Swedish interests and to stand up for democratic values is the very core of this policy. Just as clearly as Sweden always strives for dialogue to contribute to resolving contradictions, we will never hesitate to uphold our own vital interests in action.

Swedish foreign policy is best conducted together with countries that share our fundamental values. This occurs within the EU and not least together with our Nordic and Baltic neighbors. Closer and stronger Nordic cooperation is crucial both for our region's collective influence in the EU and for our own contribution to security within the framework of the upcoming NATO membership.

The rules-based international system, respect for the UN Charter and protection of human rights are still fundamental to foreign policy. We take this for granted, while millions of Iranians are currently fighting for their freedom. Sweden will never accept that aggressive states violate the freedom and self-determination of democratic countries. Power does not precede right.

(Applause)

Mr. Speaker! China's new tone towards Taiwan causes concern. Threats of military violence are unacceptable. This applies to all countries and especially for permanent members of the UN Security Council. Sweden's relationship with China should be anchored in a common European strategy with a clear transatlantic link.

We face three central foreign, defense, and security policy tasks during the upcoming mandate period. First, it is about completing the accession process to Nato together with Finland, strengthening the Swedish defense and living up to our obligations as a member, and systematically integrating ourselves into Nato's various structures. This paradigm shift for Swedish defense and security policy will guide the government's work.

The government will therefore, both before and after the NATO accession, deliberately fulfill the tripartite agreement between Sweden, Turkey, and Finland. Participation in terrorist organizations will be prohibited. Cooperation with the Social Democrats and the Centre Party on the NATO issue is being pursued. The broad consensus on the NATO issue is a strength for Sweden.

(Applause)

Sweden will, as a member of Nato, contribute to the security of the entire alliance. We have unique capabilities on the ground as well as on and under the water and in the air. The build-up of the total defense must be intensified. All branches of the defense forces shall be strengthened, and a continuous adaptation must be made to the rapid technological development in all domains. The defense industry has long been an asset for Sweden, and through Nato membership, it now becomes an asset for more.

Sweden shall achieve its commitment regarding defense spending corresponding to the target of 2 percent of GDP as soon as possible but no later than 2026. The basis for calculation for the two percent target is adapted to NATO's. We will, among other things in the Defence Preparedness Committee, seek broad political support for the path there.

Even the civilian parts of the total defense are lagging behind. Resilience against hybrid threats must increase. Cybersecurity must be improved. Therefore, the responsibility for civil defense and crisis preparedness will be moved from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of Defence. A special minister for civil defense will be appointed.

To coordinate Sweden's security policy actions, a national security council is established under the Prime Minister's leadership, following an international model. A new national security strategy is developed. This, in turn, constitutes the basis for the defense decision that the government plans to submit to the Riksdag. Shortly, the government will also appoint the first national security advisor, who shall, among other things, lead the security council's operational work.

The second central task, Mr. Speaker, is to assume the role of EU Presidency from January 1, 2023. The EU is Sweden's most important foreign policy platform and is also absolutely crucial for Sweden's economy. Sweden shall be an active, engaged, and proactive member of the EU - before, during, and after the presidency.

The Swedish parliamentary parties have, in broad consensus, identified a number of areas as particularly prioritized for our presidency. These concern creating security for Europe's citizens and jointly supporting Ukraine. Equally important areas are energy supply, the climate transition, and strengthening the union's competitiveness through a greater focus on digitalization and technology in cooperation with, not least, the USA. As an open, export-dependent economy, it is in Sweden's interest to strengthen the EU's internal market, the digital single market, and the EU's position as a trading bloc.

Thirdly, we must provide the maximum possible support to the war-torn Ukraine - politically, economically and in terms of security. A long-term and coherent program for both civil reconstruction and military support is being designed. This includes the transfer of more advanced weapons systems.

(Applause)

Swedish aid policy remains generous. The aid framework is set for three years but decoupled from bni. It shall be the results that count, not a disbursement target. Core support is redirected from multilateral organizations to civil society. In addition to increased support to Ukraine, thematic priorities are made with a focus on humanitarian aid, poverty reduction and health interventions for the most vulnerable, democracy aid to human rights defenders and democracy activists, expanded and streamlined climate aid, as well as women's and girls' rights and opportunities.

Development policy is also a tool to counter irregular migration, increase returns, and contribute to effective work for voluntary return. Development aid shall also include effective measures to reduce the root causes of migration.

In the longer term, it is trade and economic development that is the path from poverty to prosperity. In the government, the responsibility for development aid and foreign trade is therefore combined into one state council. The incoming Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade is given a special responsibility for the collective Swedish support for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

(Applause)

Mr. Speaker! High-quality education and research are absolutely crucial for Sweden's prosperity. After several years of falling results, the major reforms implemented during the Alliance government have borne fruit in the long term.

At the same time, the Swedish school system has serious problems. Many children begin their schooling with insufficient language skills and weak support from home. Integration places entirely new demands on school policy - but children must never be used as integration tools.

State responsibility is strengthened to increase equality. Steps are taken to introduce a nationally binding school fee norm. National initiatives are made regarding textbooks. The school's steering documents shall be reformed with a focus on learning and factual knowledge. To help students in need of support, more special education teachers are added, and more students shall receive instruction in special teaching groups. At the same time, initiatives are made for more specialized classes.

Schools shall have the authority to prescribe extra study time for students who need support outside of regular teaching hours. Remedial school shall be offered from lower grade levels, which presupposes both rule changes and state grants. An investigation shall review the mother tongue instruction.

The principal's responsibility to maintain safety and study environment shall be written into the Education Act. The school management shall have the mandate to decide on rules of order. Teachers' authority shall be strengthened, and the administrative burden shall be reduced. A broad review is conducted for the purpose of freeing up working time for planning and teaching. The Education Act's far-reaching requirements for student-oriented documentation are limited. The career service reform is developed.

The unique Swedish independent school system shall be developed through concrete reforms. National quality requirements shall be introduced, and digital national tests graded centrally shall be accelerated. School choice shall become mandatory, and the waiting time shall be shortened significantly compared to today.

A sanction ladder is introduced with increased fines, sanction fees, as well as replacement of management or compulsory administration. The Swedish Schools Inspectorate shall strengthen its inspection of schools with a confessional orientation, and decisive action shall be taken against extremism and Islamism. Profit distribution shall not occur during the first years after a school has been started or purchased by new owners. The purpose is to guarantee long-term ownership and that those who start or acquire a free school have sufficient financial strength. A principle of transparency in independent schools is introduced, which corresponds to today's principle of public access.

The need for qualified labor is acute today in many industries. In order to secure the supply of competence, the educational supply, particularly within adult education, shall be adapted to a greater extent to the needs of the labor market and the professionals. Vocational higher education is strengthened with a focus on quality.

Universities and colleges contribute strongly to society's development and the business sector's competitiveness. The concept of education is important, and it should not be set in opposition to professional skill and employability. Universities and colleges should be governed more by principles of educational quality and scientific excellence than by pure volume goals. Science and research shall always stand free from political governance.

Mr. Speaker! Swedish health and medical care is of very high quality - when one gets access to it. Since 2014 - already before the pandemic - the care queues have doubled. The queues to child and adolescent psychiatry tripled during the corresponding period.

Fewer than half of all women with breast cancer and not even one in three men with prostate cancer receive care in time. It is a major failure.

The government intends to increase the national responsibility for healthcare. More of a national leadership is needed. An investigation is appointed regarding the pros and cons of introducing a partial or full state ownership in the long term. A common national digital infrastructure is implemented.

A national healthcare coordination under state authority shall be established where available capacity is reported, and patients shall be given the opportunity to seek care throughout the country. A national long-term strategy to produce more healthcare places is developed.

A comprehensive expansion of primary care is being initiated with the goal that more general specialists and district nurses shall be available within primary care. The right to a fixed doctor contact shall be followed up.

A special initiative is being made for equal, close and patient-safe care throughout the country, with a particular focus on rural and sparsely populated areas. A special initiative is also being made on cancer and childhood cancer care, including follow-up care and rehabilitation.

An investigation is appointed to strengthen the high-cost protection for dental care to more closely resemble what exists in other healthcare. Elderly people with the worst oral health shall be prioritized.

Persons with disabilities shall be able to participate fully in society without being subjected to discrimination. Integrating the perspective of disability rights into more policy and social areas continues to be in focus. Measures for a state overall responsibility for personal assistance within the framework of LSS shall be considered.

A larger investment is being carried out targeted towards more equal healthcare, women's diseases, and research on women's diseases and health. Young women should not have to accept that it is normal to live with pain. A special initiative is made within care for migraine, endometriosis, and menopause care. The legislation is changed so that the possibility of having an abortion even at home is allowed. A national maternity plan is developed to increase accessibility and reduce regional differences. As many childbearing women as possible should have access to a midwife team before, during, and after childbirth.

Few questions, Mr. Speaker, are as important as reaching children and young people suffering from mental illness early. The statistics are bad enough. But for those who have someone with mental illness in their immediate vicinity, it is not statistics at all, but deep and personal tragedy. Many of us have personally experienced the absolute worst in our immediate surroundings.

A statutory care guarantee is introduced with the implication that children who need help and support shall receive it within 30 days. School health services shall be strengthened. Every school shall have school health care, and a school health guarantee is introduced. The new national strategy for mental health and suicide prevention shall be reported by September 1, 2023, at the latest. A national research program shall be established.

A national coordinator with collective responsibility for suicide prevention work shall be established. Follow-up of patients with suicidal behavior shall become a natural part of the care process. Every time a person ends their life, an "accident investigation board" shall be appointed so that social services, school, police, and healthcare can conduct an investigation and draw lessons for the future for the benefit of others.

(Applause)

Mental health is about laws and rules, but also about humanity. More people must care - and show that they care. More people need to have the strength to talk about mental health and make efforts for one another. Politics can do much more, but politics cannot do everything.

The importance of the Swedish sports movement for public health and cohesion cannot be overstated. The Government intends to make several initiatives during the mandate period.

Mr. Speaker! Free media, independent research and a vibrant cultural life are indispensable components of an open society. Culture and its practitioners are an indispensable part of civil society and keep the democratic conversation alive.

The government's cultural policy is guided by several important milestones. One is the principle of arm's length distance, which protects the cultural sector from politicization and undue governance. Both quality and accessibility shall be prioritized. The conditions for cultural creators shall be improved through more long-term grants and more favorable conditions for self-employment.

Sweden shall stand up for the ambassadors of free speech. The Government will continue the work to achieve a release of the journalist Dawit Isaak and the publisher and poet Gui Minhai.

(Applause)

We will do this both individually and in cooperation with other democracies. Lessons will be drawn from the review that will be published shortly.

Culture and our common history form the basis for our collective identity. It creates cohesion and increases our understanding of one another. Independent expert committees shall develop proposals for a Swedish cultural canon. An investigation shall be carried out to ensure that organizations that receive funds from the General Inheritance Fund follow democratic values.

A strong democracy presupposes a diversity of strong, free and independent media. The long-term funding of public service media is maintained and protected as part of the democratic infrastructure. This is the focus for the license period 2026-2033.

The ongoing constitutional commission, which aims, among other things, to strengthen the independence of the courts, shall be completed in accordance with current directives. A new constitutional commission shall be appointed to investigate, among other things, how the right to abortion can be strengthened by providing protection for a woman's right to abortion in the Instrument of Government.

Civil servant responsibility shall be introduced.

(Applause)

The work against antisemitism shall be prioritized, and an investigation shall review bans on foreign funding of religious communities in order to counter, among other things, Islamism and separatism.

In Sweden, everyone has the right to be who they are and to love whoever they want. The government stands up for the rights of LGBTQ people, regardless of who tries to find ways to restrict or violate them. A proposal to investigate a ban on conversion therapy that occurs under threat or coercion shall be investigated.

Mr. Speaker! The government takes over the responsibility for a fantastic country. We all now bear, in different ways, responsibility for Sweden's future. But we also learn from Sweden's history.

Sweden met the oil crisis in the 70s with a completely new energy policy, broke the link between growth and increasing emissions, and became one of the world's first almost entirely fossil-free industrial nations. After the 80s' oversupply policy, we saw the truth in plain sight and, in the 90s, changed course toward strict budget frameworks, low public debt, and well-managed public finances. When half a million people had been early-retired and Sweden had twice as many people on sick leave as other countries, we re-established the idea of the work line in the 00s. I am convinced that it is time again. We face a new historically important task for our country.

I therefore want to ask the Swedish people today to prepare for tough times. But I can also promise that the new government will do everything in our power to be good leaders along the way. The public sector exists to serve the citizens, never the other way around.

Four coalition parties went to the election to speak honestly about the seriousness of the situation and sought a mandate for change and to begin solving Sweden's serious problems. We are humble before the magnitude of the task, but we are also determined to take on the task.

Government Bill

Sweden shall be a country where the law and equality apply to everyone. A country where all children get to see their parents go to work and where it always pays off to work and do one's very best. A country where climate-smart wind, water, and nuclear power provide clean, stable, and cheap electricity. A country where green innovations, world-leading education and research, and new jobs – not riots and fatal shootings – give us big headlines abroad.

The Sweden that we love has been shaped by the dynamics between freedom and responsibility - the freedom to decide over one's own life and go one's own way, but also the duty to take responsibility for one another because alone is not always strong.

Freedom and responsibility are deeply rooted Swedish guiding principles. My government will navigate the country according to those guiding principles.

(Applause)

Notification of appointed ministers

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