Regional development

Eric Palmqvist (SD)

Regional development

Mr. Speaker! Let me begin by expressing my approval of the committee's proposal for a decision.

Today we are debating regional development. It is a narrow area of expenditure but nevertheless a broad policy area. Not least, the Riksrevisionen's report on regional growth policy, which we debated here in February, points out the difficulties in delimiting what is regional development policy and what is not, because almost all policy areas in one way or another affect the conditions for living and working in all parts of the country.

In these debates, I usually say that we all, from right to left, claim that all of Sweden should live, and that there is a kind of consensus regarding that. If one reads the committee's report that we are now debating, one can gladly note that neither in the committee's proposal for a decision nor in the specific statements that S, V, C, and MP have submitted is there anyone who wants to make large cuts in this policy area. That is good. That we then have different priorities and choose different paths in this is perfectly natural – we belong to different parties, after all.

Those of you who have participated in these debates before have accompanied me on my travels in the country. I, in fact, enjoy offering personal reflections and own experiences in such contexts.

For those of you who do not know, I can mention that I have been a professional driver previously. It is becoming quite many years since I had Sweden's and Europe's roads as my workplace, but they were interesting and very educational years.

A lesson I drew, which perhaps one does not need to drive a truck to realize, is how different the conditions are in different regions, but also that there are similarities and common denominators – or should we call them common challenges?

Another lesson is that in very many places in our country, there are companies and operations that few outside the area in which they operate have any significant knowledge about, yet the innovative power there is enormous, and their products or the know-how they possess are in demand not only in the whole country but in the whole world. It is a striking insight.

If you wonder what I mean, I should mention a few companies that started their journey in my own municipality, Gällivare. Aimpoint, which makes red dot sights that are now world-famous and used by military and police forces all over the world, started its journey in a garage in Gällivare. The hamburger chain Max was started by Curt Bergfors, who had his first small street kitchen in central Gällivare before he created the Max brand, whose first restaurant under that name opened its doors in Luleå. We have Gefa System, who are experts in automation and who sell control systems for mine ventilation in many places in the world.

Best of all is that Gällivare is not unique. There are many other places in Sweden where products that are now world-famous have seen the light of day.

For all this to be possible, there must, however, be people with drive who want to and can live in all parts of the country. I believe, or am convinced, Mr. Speaker, that the primary way to successful regional development is to create good conditions for living and working in the whole country, not primarily by launching various targeted supports but by tearing down obstacles and regulations that appear to be hindering and driving urbanization. People who live in the countryside do not want to be pitied and seen as subsidy-dependent. They want decent conditions to show that they actually have the ability themselves.

It is difficult in this context to overlook how transport costs have developed over the recent years. Now, fuel prices and other transport costs are not the subject of today's debate, and there are surely objectors here in this assembly who argue that the reduction occurring at New Year is small. But let us state that we, together with the government, have pointed out a direction in this issue that breaks a trend and goes in a different direction than the one we would have reaped the fruits of if we had not had a change of power in the autumn election.

I also believe that the energy crisis that the Swedish people and our companies are now experiencing is destructive in many ways, not least from a regional development perspective. Without throwing myself into an energy policy debate - that area of expenditure was debated yesterday - I think: How did we end up here? What out-of-touch decisions brought us here? How could one dismantle a functioning energy system?

For us Sverigedemokrater, it is completely incomprehensible, and as Swedish families receive their electricity bills this winter, they will likely ask exactly the same question. It will take time and cost, but it is with satisfaction that I see that the new government base will do everything to bring in new energy. However, that is a side issue in this debate on regional development policy.

Something that, on the other hand, is directly linked to this policy area is the support for commercial services in our rural areas. Here I perceive that there is a consensus between several of the parties that now make up the government basis, and I therefore hope that the design, adequacy, and accuracy of these supports will be scrutinized during the mandate period.

The fact is that if one reads the committee motions from past years that bear on things such as promoting regional growth policy, one sees that there are several things that are not negotiated in the Tidö Agreement where there is nevertheless some kind of consensus between several of the Tidö parties, which makes me hold good hopes that during the coming three years we will land on many good decisions that we will have reason to be proud of and that the opposition will also perceive as wise. We are, after all, in agreement that all of Sweden shall live.

With that said, Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to wish the Speaker's chair, the members present here in the chamber, and the hardworking officials who are a prerequisite for keeping the Riksdag running a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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

Monica Haider (S)

Mr. Speaker! In last year's budget debate, Eric Palmqvist stood in the speaker's chair and spoke about the high fuel prices, just as he did here today, and how they affect the countryside. During the election campaign, the Sverigedemokraterna promised that they would lower the price at the pump by 10 kronor for diesel and 6.50 for petrol.

What became of it? It became a joke, one could say. It became a 40 öre reduction for diesel and a reduction of 14 öre for petrol. One could say that it was a breach of promise, and I believe that in the countryside, people are quite disappointed with the Sverigedemokraterna today.

What we have also been able to read in today's DN is that it probably is not possible to lower the reduction obligation to the EU's lowest level, as it has been said that one should do. It will become very expensive, because then we would need to buy emission rights instead. It is also stated there that the government has tasked the Swedish Energy Agency to find out how little one could lower the reduction obligation without risking fines from the EU.

My question to Eric Palmqvist is whether he is satisfied with this. It was not exactly what you promised when Jimmie Åkesson stood with a tank handle during the election campaign.

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Eric Palmqvist (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the question, Monica Haider!

The Sweden Democrats are the party that had the highest ambitions in this area when we entered the constellation that now constitutes a government basis. If one looks at the decisions that were made during the last parliamentary term, one sees that the Sweden Democrats were the only party that actually voted against raising the reduction obligation at all.

I note that we received 20 percent in the election, and since then we have had to compromise. I do not mince words in that we have had higher ambitions than what is now on the table. If we had had 51 percent in the chamber during the past parliamentary term, we would not have had the reduction obligation that we have now discussed lowering.

My message is that if we had received higher support in the election or had been in power during the previous term, we would not have the fuel prices we have today. Now we have to continue to fight for this during this term. This is a high-priority issue for us. This is my message to both Member of Parliament Haider and our voters: this is an issue that we take with the utmost seriousness and which we are still not satisfied with.

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Monica Haider (S)

Mr. Speaker! I interpret Eric Palmqvist as not being satisfied. But the conclusion one can also draw, given what is written in Dagens Nyheter today, is that one didn't really know what one was promising and that one actually will not be able to lower the reduction obligation as much as was promised during the election campaign. That was not known. It is another broken promise in the row, against what was promised during the election campaign.

I simply note that it is broken promise after broken promise. I have no further questions for Eric Palmqvist.

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

Eric Palmqvist (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Monica, who had no further questions!

I still want to comment that it would have been much easier not to introduce the increased reduction obligation. Had we not put ourselves in the situation we are in today, we would also not have had to back out of earlier decisions.

I deeply regret that this was introduced, because the result was that fuel prices at the turn of the year, as if by a stroke of fate, were raised very significantly for the country's motorists and companies. It was deeply unfortunate. I am proud to belong to a party that voted against it, and I would have gladly seen that we did not end up there.

Now we have ended up here, and even though I myself do not work with the issues concerning the reduction obligation because it does not belong to my committee, I am completely convinced that the entry point in this is that decisions that have previously been made should also be able to be overturned. I have seen the newspaper headlines myself, and what lies to the ground for why we should not be able to do this, I am not so well informed about. I believe, however, that our starting point in this is still that we should be able to do something about the reduction obligation and get down the fuel prices.

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Monica Haider (S)

Mr. Speaker! Today we are debating the report NU2 Expenditure Area 19 Regional Development, in other words, the appropriations in next year's budget for this expenditure area.

Since the parliamentary majority in the first step of the budget process has decided on a different direction than the one we desire, we abstain from taking a position regarding the allocation of appropriations within expenditure area 19.

The Social Democrats' budget alternative should be seen as a whole, a coherent package, where no part can be broken out and treated in isolation. Our collective proposal regarding the state budget is found in party motion 2022/23:2074.

The motion contains no deviations from the budget bill regarding the appropriations within expenditure area 19 Regional development. But in our special statement, we report our view on the policy's direction, which is also evident from our motion.

Mr. Speaker! When it comes to the political direction for the expenditure area, we believe that regional development policy is a driving force with strengthened local and regional competitiveness for sustainable development in all parts of the country. Regional development takes place out in the country's regions, and that is how it should be. The state's task is to create conditions for regional development, and in the concept of regional development, one can include most things. We notice that in these debates when we have them.

In my world, it means that there is a strong welfare state that functions, an equal school, healthcare and care - yes, quite simply a strong society. A strong welfare state is needed for all of Sweden to be able to live and grow.

That is why we Social Democrats are investing 12 billion more than the right-wing government in welfare in our budget, because we see that there are great needs in regions and municipalities that now face a cold shower in the times we are in.

Equality and trust in the state decrease when teacher shortages are allowed to persist in small rural municipalities while additional independent schools establish themselves in the large cities. It becomes a growing democratic problem when privatizations and market forces are allowed to create an unfair access to everything from pharmacies to vehicle testing and parcel delivery. It is central that both public service and commercial service exist throughout the entire country.

Mr. Speaker! The support for grocery stores that the previous government introduced slowed down the closure of grocery stores and reduced the distance to the nearest store, so we really need to keep the operating support.

In my county, Kronoberg, there are several stores that will receive the support - those in Konga, Älmeboda, Linneryd, Södra Ljunga, Agunnaryd and Skruv. Skruv's lanthandel received this year's lanthandlarpris in Kronoberg county.

Kronoberg County would have been without shops in many of these localities if the support had not existed. It would truly worsen the service and cohesion significantly if the support were not there. The shop is not just a shop but often also a gathering point for the locality. It is a delivery point, often a gas station, a charging station, a cafe, a library and sometimes even a restaurant.

We also need to continue the expansion of broadband across the entire country but also ensure that we have mobile coverage regardless of which mobile subscription we have. What we have seen during the pandemic is that not everyone needs to travel to work every day and that we can work from home to a greater extent. But that presupposes that there is functioning broadband. After the pandemic, we also see that more people want to settle in the countryside, and that is very good.

Now that we are entering a tough situation with record-high inflation, skyrocketing electricity prices and reduced construction, we need a policy that meets this. What we can foresee is a recession and higher unemployment.

Regional development policy needs to be in harmony with other policy areas for Sweden to be able to lead the green industrial revolution and create new jobs. This is extra important in the time we are in now.

This is not only happening in northern Sweden, but we see that it is happening in all of Sweden right now. It is important. Companies see the potential that Sweden has to offer. Here, we obviously need to be on our toes to be able to meet the needs that arise.

Mr. Speaker! There must be jobs and companies. If all this is in place, the possibility for regional development increases. A functioning labor and skills supply throughout the country is the key to that, but what we see now is that the right-wing parties do not prioritize this. They are completing the cuts at Arbetsförmedlingen, where we are putting money in to increase the local presence across the country and especially where unemployment is highest.

In our budget motion, we are investing in labor market training, extra services, and adult education. We also want to see more service offices throughout Sweden. In the situation we are in now, all measures are needed so that we are prepared for the future but also to meet the demand for labor that already exists.

In many industries, the right competence is not available, and in that case, it is central with educational places but also labor market training - for private companies but also for the public sector, where there are very large needs for competence. There, Äldreomsorgslyftet would have been important, but it is being removed by the government that is now in power.

As we have said, we need a policy that is adapted to the different conditions that exist in our elongated country. Sweden's rural areas are different. What is the same is the need for welfare so that we can live and function regardless of where we live. We simply need a strong society, a safer society.

With that, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Mats Green (M)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by expressing my approval of the proposal in the report.

For the Moderaterna, it is a self-evident matter that people should be able to live and work in all of Sweden. People and companies should be given the opportunity to grow and develop regardless of whether one chooses to settle in the city or in the countryside. For this to work, it needs to be simple to start companies, among other things. Transport needs to be efficient, and municipal self-government needs to be strong.

We Moderates see the potential and the development opportunities for the Swedish countryside. It is here that good ideas and entrepreneurship grow. To reach this potential, however, purposeful work is required to remove obstacles and clarify the opportunities in the countryside. By making it easier to start and run businesses even in the countryside, we can create more opportunities for people to live, grow, and work in all of Sweden.

A type of business that is often found in the countryside but has long been opposed are microbreweries, cideries, vineyards, and distilleries. More and more such companies are being established in Sweden, which is unequivocally positive. A major problem for these companies, however, is that they are not allowed to sell their produced goods on-site because farm sales are not permitted in Sweden - yet. A regulatory framework that enables farm sales of alcohol should be reviewed for the sake of the companies but also for the sake of the countryside.

Mr. Speaker! It needs to become easier for companies to operate in rural areas. Living and working outside major cities can involve great distances, not least for entrepreneurs. This entails large costs, for example in the form of high fuel costs. This becomes a major cost disadvantage for entrepreneurs primarily in northern Sweden, where the distances between communities are tens of miles long.

In order for this disadvantage to be compensated to a greater extent, the government is now increasing the grant for regional transport subsidies. The transport subsidy compensates companies in Sweden's four northernmost counties - Norrbotten, Västerbotten, Jämtland and Västernorrland - for the cost disadvantages that result from the long distances. It is positive that this government also improves the conditions for entrepreneurs, or perhaps I should say specifically, in rural areas.

What northern Sweden, however, has that a large part of the rest of Sweden does not have is many of the Swedish mines. The mining industry supplies both Sweden and other countries with metals and minerals, in particular the minerals that are needed to meet the climate challenge.

Dysprosium is such an example, Mr. Speaker, which we also have near Gränna in Jönköping County, where I live. It is an earth metal with an extremely high degree of magnetism, which is needed, among other things, for wind turbines – for those who think that Sweden's energy challenge is best managed with wind power, even if I perhaps do not think so.

If one believes in environmental technology and wants Sweden to maintain its leading position there, it is important that we get more permissive mining and mineral legislation. Above all, the mining industry also means that one adds strong regional growth and also jobs outside the large cities, something that one can sometimes feel is lacking in the Swedish debate, especially when it concerns the mining and mineral industry.

We can also observe that the previous government did not prioritize the mining industry. From having been among the top ten among attractive mining countries, according to the Fraser Institute's ranking, which is the current ranking regarding the mining industry in the world, Sweden has lost twenty places in recent years and has now plummeted to just below rank 40. It is not sufficient, Mr. Speaker, if one says and means that one should be a leading country when it comes to the climate challenge.

Above all, this is about the unreasonably long and unpredictable permit processes, which lead to investments often being lost in their entirety and to job opportunities and economic growth being lost. It is not a development that Sweden needs, and it is not an development that we can actually afford, Mr. Speaker, especially not when mining plays such an important role in the climate transition. Therefore, the permit processes must be shortened and become significantly more predictable. One way to achieve this is to limit the number of authorities acting on behalf of the state in permit cases.

We also need to get rid of the absurdity that different government agencies appeal what other government agencies have decided. It is not acceptable – the state must, above all, sort out its own mess.

In an investigation presented earlier this autumn, Mr. Speaker, it was proposed that mining operations should transfer funds to municipalities, which can be used so that the municipality can build the infrastructure needed in connection with the mining operations but also make other investments. It is only right and reasonable that revenues from mining operations also, to some extent, come to the local community. Above all, this is for the benefit of the local community. In this way, local acceptance for the mining operations is increased, but above all, Sweden becomes less vulnerable.

Local acceptance, Mr. Speaker, is also important in another issue that is high on the agenda right now, electricity production. This is particularly relevant when it comes to wind power. Therefore, the government has given the investigation Strengthened incentives for expanded wind power an additional mandate to clearly propose how the operators should compensate the municipalities in the expansion of wind power. In this way, the municipalities are compensated for the fact that the local population and the environment are significantly affected by the expansion of wind power. We also say that it is important to take greater consideration of both local interests and the local environment when it comes to the wind power expansion that is now taking place on a large scale in Sweden.

Mr. Speaker! Sweden's regions, municipalities, cities and localities all have different conditions and face different types of challenges. In large cities, the problems do not always manifest in the same way as they do for those of us who live in smaller communities in the countryside. The opportunities in the countryside, outside the metropolitan regions, are not the same as in the middle of the city bustle. Here I am certain that the Moderate-led government, together with our partners, will change course. Sweden is simply a large country. We shall take advantage of that and ensure that people can live, reside and work in all of Sweden.

(Applause)

In this speech, Eric Palmqvist (SD) agreed.

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Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C)

Mr. Speaker! I know that energy costs and energy prices were debated yesterday, but I still have a question for Mats Green. It is currently minus 25 degrees in Hammarstrand. In the last month, electricity prices rose by 140 percent and in the last week by 60 percent in electricity area 2. In Ragunda, 5 terawatts of electricity are produced per year. That corresponds to household electricity for 1 million villas.

Initially, the high-cost protection was intended to apply to historically high electricity costs. In that case, the design was reasonable. But Minister for Energy and Business Busch has made it clear that the support is intended for the coming period, and in that case, northern Sweden must also be covered by the support.

When Moderate-led municipalities in southern Sweden refuse to build wind power and think that it should be paid for by hydropower municipalities in the north, without them getting anything in return, I wonder: How does the government view northern Sweden? Will you call all parties to urgent electricity price talks or immediately instruct Svenska kraftnät to recalculate the electricity price subsidies so that they align with what the government says they are intended to apply to?

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Mats Green (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, member, for the question! First, I want to say that in this situation, with an ongoing energy crisis and risk of acute electricity shortages in Sweden, it is as Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist asks about one of the measures that the government has preparedness for. But one also needs to be honest and say that we need to take responsibility for the whole picture - for the economy so that we do not increase the risk of higher inflation and for the electricity systems so that people are given the conditions to get through the winter. We are also working full out to press electricity prices in all parts and fully.

When it comes to northern Sweden, it is clear that we can regret that the previous government - and I must state that the Center Party certainly has a large part in this - phased out nuclear power in southern Sweden, which actually meant that one said that northern Sweden should supply southern Sweden with electricity. So that naturally cannot be, but southern Sweden must manage its own electricity production and its own challenges there.

Regarding cross-party conversations and discussions, we are for all good ideas. But that does not mean that one can come there and expect to be able to lay a veto against clean, stable, cheap electricity in the form of new nuclear power, which, as Centerpartiet primarily says, needs to be on the table. That cannot be an option. But if one is prepared to contribute to a clean, stable and cheap electricity supply, especially new nuclear power, we are definitely open to all such conversations, at any time - around the clock and every day of the year.

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Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Mats Green, for the open attitude!

I want to return to the fact that we currently have something of a crisis situation, where the changes in the price picture have occurred quite rapidly. What we have heard from Svenska kraftnät is that they have looked at a model based on the fact that prices have historically been at high levels in southern Sweden, but now we are at very high levels in northern Sweden. It is, as said, a bit tricky, to say the least, if one happens to have direct electricity and tries to save energy when temperatures are at minus 20 or minus 30 degrees.

My concrete question is: I understand that you want to talk about future types of energy and so on, but what can the government do in this current situation to ensure that those who live in northern Sweden also feel that they can afford to celebrate Christmas and will be able to know what the spring will look like, given that the weather conditions and energy prices are causing a fairly high degree of panic?

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Mats Green (M)

Mr. Speaker! The government has a preparedness for what is to come, which is still somewhat unclear. We also need to see how long there will be extremely high electricity prices in the north. It is not yet clear how electricity prices will develop in the south either, because we have such enormous fluctuations. But regardless of where, one obviously needs to have a preparedness.

With that said, there are many different considerations to take into account beyond this. It is a matter of not pushing up inflation further, and we have rising interest rates. We do not want to end up in the ditch that the United Kingdom was about to land in when they moved forward with large unfunded tax cuts and investments they did not have the money for. We must ensure that we handle this sustainably and responsibly, because no one, especially those with low incomes in small houses, benefits from higher interest rates or higher inflation. It is therefore a whole that must fit together.

Of course, the electricity price is a large part, but one also needs to focus on the root cause, that is, the electricity shortage and that we need more electricity production in Sweden, especially in southern Sweden but also in northern Sweden, even if one now has relatively good conditions there. But it is clear that one needs to have a preparedness there as well.

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Elin Söderberg (MP)

Madam Speaker! Today we are debating regional development and the conditions for living and working in the entire country.

Miljöpartiet wants to allocate 567 million more than the government and the coalition partner Sverigedemokraterna in its budget motion in this area.

I note that the Moderates, in their statement, focus on the mining industry, even though it is regional development we are discussing. It gives me the impression that the Moderates' view on regional development and Sweden's rural and sparsely populated areas is that these should be exploited to extract raw materials.

We obviously need minerals, and mineral policy is important. Miljöpartiet has several proposals on how we can improve the mineral supply in Sweden, and I hope to be able to debate this at a later occasion.

But I wonder why the Moderates choose to dwell on this subject when we are talking about regional development.

At the same time, the transport subsidy is changed in the budget so that it excludes everyone in rural and remote areas who do not own a car but still need to transport themselves, and so that it provides fewer resources to rural municipalities, as well as presenting an electricity price subsidy that excludes the entire northern part of Sweden.

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Mats Green (M)

Madam Speaker! It is perhaps an understatement to say that there are great differences between the Moderates and the Green Party in the view of the countryside. Above all, we do not believe that the countryside should be a large Skansen museum, but we believe that the countryside should stand on its own feet and also drive the growth of the whole of Sweden. For those of us who live in the countryside, this is obviously particularly important.

Then one cannot rule out the mining and mineral industry, which is obviously a fantastic opportunity for Sweden in general and for the countryside in particular - especially if one believes in environmental technology, which you in Miljöpartiet usually say that you do.

Let me ask the same question that I asked yesterday without receiving an answer: Where do you believe we should mine rare earth metals? In countries with appalling working and environmental conditions? Or in Sweden, where we can guarantee both good working conditions, fair terms, and environmental legislation that meets the standard? Furthermore, it makes us less vulnerable in times of crisis and war. It is clear that we should mine these in Sweden and that the revenues should, in part, go to the local community. It is therefore a fantastic opportunity, particularly for the rural areas in Sweden, and we need to get started with this now.

The transport subsidy should obviously primarily go to the companies. It is they, above all, who build our prosperity, not state or municipal transfers. Private individuals should obviously be compensated, but with tax cuts, especially for those with low and medium-high incomes.

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Elin Söderberg (MP)

Madam Speaker! All of Sweden shall live, and all people in Sweden shall be given the conditions to live and work in our fantastic country.

Miljöpartiet, as stated, allocates 567 million more than the government in this expenditure area. An important contribution is to improve competence and personnel supply. Today, it is not a lack of jobs, but a lack of personnel in large parts of Sweden's rural and sparsely populated areas. In northern Sweden, we see an enormous need, and if one wants a strong social development, personnel are needed broadly, not just for the green industrial revolution, which indeed needs an extremely large amount of personnel. This industry will lead to a fantastic social development in the entire country.

Miljöpartiet has made major efforts to strengthen the competence and personnel supply for the green industrial revolution and the companies' climate transition. This also applies to the personnel supply in welfare in rural areas and the countryside so that we can maintain this throughout the country. We have also made efforts to improve the conditions for living and working in the entire country.

When the Moderaterna in this situation provide insufficient resources for welfare and social development and make it difficult for people to move to our country to work, how will they then contribute to a strong social development in the countryside and rural areas?

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Mats Green (M)

Madam Speaker! Yes, the Green Party is devoting enormous resources to rural areas and the countryside, primarily to ensure that nothing can be done there. One shall neither be able to cultivate one's forest nor establish new mines; instead, everything shall be like a large Skansen museum that Stockholmers can visit every now and then to get some peace and quiet and play Emil i Lönneberga.

We have a completely different starting point. We want to achieve as much activity and growth there as possible instead, and this growth is not created through state subsidies but through a strong local business sector.

All mineral deposits in Sweden are located in rural areas, not just in northern Sweden but in other places in Sweden, for example in my constituency. This activity must be developed so that rural areas are not dependent on state handouts from Miljöpartiet and other parties here, but can grow by virtue of their own conditions.

We also need to invest in property rights. Miljöpartiet wants to abolish property rights to forests. But we want to strengthen property rights across the board. The previous government cooperation failed thoroughly in this. Centerpartiet said that property rights would be strengthened, but it was then changed imperceptibly to that property rights should be protected—and actually mostly for their coalition colleagues in Miljöpartiet.

We have a completely opposite picture. We want to strengthen the opportunities for the mining industry and strengthen the right of ownership.

(Applause)

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Monica Haider (S)

Madam Speaker! I noted that the member, in their speech, spoke about that all of Sweden shall live. But that apparently does not apply in all matters. In today's tough situation with increased prices on food, rents, energy and fuels and rising inflation, measures were needed that mitigate these effects. This high price level will hit the countryside just as much as the large cities. The skyrocketing electricity prices hit the countryside in all of Sweden.

During the election campaign, one went out and promised an electricity price subsidy by November 1. Now it looks as if it might come in February, at least for us private consumers. Where the business owners get their subsidy is written somewhere else, but there is no time specification for it. It has also been decided that the electricity price subsidy shall only apply to southern Sweden, not for northern Sweden.

My question is therefore: When will the electricity price support arrive? And will you revise your proposal so that it covers all of Sweden, including northern Sweden?

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Mats Green (M)

Madam Speaker! We start from the mandate that Monica Haider's own government gave in the middle of August. There it was specified that it should be an electricity price subsidy that is to go to the areas that have had the most extreme price increases.

The previous Social Democratic government specified this by writing that Svenska kraftnät shall take into account that the electricity price is geographically conditioned in such a way that the emergency measures primarily affect consumers and companies in southern Sweden.

So, observe the logic that exists in the proposal that the Social Democrats themselves have put forward.

The previous government gave the assignment to Svenska kraftnät. We have handled the assignment from Svenska kraftnät. It is easy to see this logic because it is in southern Sweden where there have been extreme increases. Then this has been based on a national reference price that is the same for everyone. And everyone who has exceeded this reference price during this period would receive a share of the support.

Stand up for your own decisions, and see the logic in them!

When it comes to the question of future electricity price subsidies, there is, as I said earlier, a preparedness for it. But in a situation with an ongoing energy crisis and risk of acute electricity shortages in large parts of Sweden, it is one of many measures that we need to have preparedness for, while at the same time we must take responsibility for inflation, interest rates, and people's private finances. All of this is, in fact, a whole.

Then I want to remind you that the single largest item in the budget is a reduction of fuel taxes. The Social Democrats oppose large parts of this; that must be remembered. But it is all, of course, about balance. Now we have invested so much in reduced fuel taxes that the concern for private finances, that is to say higher interest rates and the risk of higher inflation, actually allows. It is a whole that must fit together.

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Monica Haider (S)

Madam Speaker! It is good to hear that one wants to take responsibility now that one is in a government position. I truly stand behind the assignment that we gave to Svenska kraftnät. When this assignment was given, the prices in northern Sweden were actually not as high as they are now. Just as Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist said, it has changed. Ebba Busch has also stated that the support is actually intended to cover future costs for this winter. And this winter, northern Sweden also has high prices. Therefore, the support should reasonably also include northern Sweden. We have reassessed this in our budget proposal, i.e., that it should apply to all of Sweden.

I think it is a bit strange that one cannot see that the whole of Sweden needs this support. In northern Sweden, they also use quite a bit more energy because it is actually very much colder there.

I could argue that it is a breach of promise again, given that people actually do not receive the support when they were supposed to receive it. One can, therefore, stack the breaches of promise on top of each other.

My question is: Will you re-evaluate this?

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Mats Green (M)

Madam Speaker! We said that we would present a high-cost protection before November 1, and we did so.

Then I am the first to regret that technical difficulties with payments are causing this to be delayed for far too long. I believe we are all frustrated by that. Work is being done day and night to get this out as quickly as possible. We all share that frustration, and there is no reason to hide it.

As Monica Haider herself notes, this is about a historical period where there have been much higher price increases in southern Sweden than in northern Sweden. Then, of course, one must constantly monitor the situation and the development and perhaps not just look at the development over a few weeks but over a longer period of time. If needed, there will also be resources for this.

I can think it is a bit absurd that one, when having spent the last eight years in a government position and dismantled the most fundamental part of Swedish electricity production, demands that we, in eight weeks, should completely clean up after the previous eight years.

I have great confidence in this government and in the Tidö Agreement, but I do not believe that anyone can manage the task of sorting out eight years of disorder in eight weeks. This will be a task that will not be completed overnight; it will take time. But this change of course has begun, and it has begun across the board now.

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Lorena Delgado Varas (V)

Madam Speaker! How do we actually achieve regional development? Yes, it is of course not solely through investments in this expenditure area. It is about being able to have the conditions for development throughout the country - to be strengthened locally, to get the tools and the power to do so, and above all to get the resources.

Today, there are large and growing regional differences that have unfortunately only increased over the years. It is a matter of the various functions of society having abandoned parts of Sweden. In their eagerness to cut funding and power, they have systematically increased the absence.

In the wake of that, a part of the business sector has also withdrawn. Add two years of pandemic, now an economic crisis, the effects of a war in the surrounding area and a crashed electricity price market, and the conditions for parts of Sweden become much more difficult - not for everyone but for a fairly large part of Sweden. Those with large incomes fare better, those who own several properties and the large corporations. Medium- and low-income earners and small businesses will have to manage as best they can.

Inequality in Sweden is visible on the maps. The money is in the center, in the large cities and in the city cores. At the same time, the countryside, the industrial towns, and the suburbs are left behind. Here in Stockholm, it runs through the transparent line after Mälarhöjden on the red line and at Duvbo on the blue line. In the country, it is entire municipalities that are left behind - Ljusnarsberg, Åsele and Hälletorp to name a few.

I must add that tax cuts are being made on high incomes. Nothing in the budget is allocated to pensioners, the sick, and the unemployed. And the electricity price support is misplaced. It benefits those who have several properties, and nothing goes to northern Sweden. Unfortunately, it will create greater inequalities.

An overall strategy for regional development policy is needed, based on long-term perspective, developed cooperation, greater regional influence, and a clear responsibility for the state to ensure that basic community services exist throughout the country. This was also stated by the Swedish National Audit Office when they reviewed the regional development policy - something that had not been done for 20 years.

Access to public services is crucial for people to be able to live and lead dignified lives regardless of where in Sweden they are located. State services must be available even in rural areas and in neglected areas. There is therefore a need for investments to make important social functions accessible in areas where the public sector has been dismantled.

In recent decades, the public sector has been the first to leave the countryside and the suburbs to their fate. I would like to see initiatives that affect all parts of society. The state must take an overall responsibility for a number of measures that ensure that companies can be started, grow, and be continued. I mean that there is a need for a different policy - a policy that means that everyone in Sweden gets the same opportunities, which means that one can rely on the welfare society functioning regardless of where one lives, and which provides the conditions for jobs, housing, and good public services.

We in Vänsterpartiet have full employment as a goal. This means a policy for full employment in combination with strong security systems that provide protection for individuals during temporary periods of unemployment, illness, and parental leave, as well as when you retire. You shall feel secure that society supports you when you need it, and you shall contribute to society to the best of your ability. Such a system must be supported by an economic policy with large investments in welfare, education, and investments.

The high inflation puts Sweden's municipalities and regions under strong economic pressure. We see it in price increases, in the unjust electricity prices, and in the interest rates. Here I want to say that Vänsterpartiet is driving increased state grants to municipalities and regions as a priority issue.

The welfare sector has been underfunded for a long time. Society needs to renew its commitment to ensuring a good working environment and good working conditions both for those who seek employment within preschools, healthcare, schools, and elderly care, and for those who already work there. Unfortunately, the government chooses to cut back on municipalities and regions during a time of crisis, i.e., in a time when we need stable social functions.

We choose to allocate 30 billion to municipalities and regions in our budget, in addition to investment grants. In our budget, we also propose a specific rural supplement of 1 billion kronor, to secure the availability of healthcare and elderly care in sparsely populated areas.

These are some of the proposals we have put forward in our budget. Specifically in this expenditure area, we also propose targeted support for grants to increased tourism in municipalities with a high proportion of old-growth forest. We believe that increased national tourism provides an opportunity for more people to take a holiday away from home if they wish to. It also develops the local economy in municipalities with a high proportion of old-growth forest, which in turn leads to people staying and seeing a future – or perhaps even people moving there.

These municipalities must also bear a significant responsibility for the collective benefits that arise in protected forests with high nature values. Therefore, these municipalities should be compensated through increased state support, and Vänsterpartiet proposes 30 million kronor for this purpose.

Retail trade is a supporting part of the survival of many smaller towns. We need to protect and modernize it. The needs for digitalization and efficiency are great, but the space to carry out this is often small for these companies. Vänsterpartiet wants to strengthen the local commercial service by investing in this, and we increase the appropriation by an additional 40 million.

Vänsterpartiet chooses not to participate in the decision because we propose a higher level than the government in this expenditure area, which means we cannot abstain. However, we have a specific motion.

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Lili André (KD)

Madam Speaker! I would like to begin by moving to approve the government's proposal for the allocation of appropriations in expenditure area 19 Regional Development and to reject the opposing proposals in the motions.

The Christian Democrats raised the concept of the heartland in this year's election campaign. For us, it is a conscious position rooted in the conviction that we must have a national policy that sees all of Sweden, city and countryside, and counters all forces that threaten to divide our country. It is so easy to talk about us and them - north against south, city against country - but we are one country, and all parts are needed and complement each other.

The goal of regional development concerns all parts of the country and is about good health and a good life for people. It is about entrepreneurship, competitive companies, growth, development and innovation. It is about public service, culture, healthcare and education. Costs for travel shall decrease. Regional policy at the national level is about creating the conditions for this.

One item I want to highlight a bit extra is 1:1 Regional development measures. Behind this perhaps somewhat dry heading, there are a lot of good things.

In large parts of our elongated country, the general store is the heart of the community and so much more than just a business. Alongside the school, the general store is the most important function for a community to be able to live. A general store is not just a place where one goes to buy their food, but it is very often the place where one can do postal errands, drop off a tip, pick up their medicine, or receive a delivery from a family member or a good friend who lives far away.

Retail is perhaps most of all a social hub. Facebook, Instagram and other platforms in all their glory; we humans want and need to meet other people in real life. Retail is a physical hub where one can do just this in unplanned and very simple forms. That small talk that occurs in connection with purchases is an incredibly important health-promoting factor and promotes community.

In addition to the fact that the general store is a watering hole for community-minded people in rural areas, it is also a very important factor for the local business life. It is very well justified to invest tax money in this, and I am glad that we have a government that has also reached this conclusion.

Madam Speaker! Politics is not just about counting money and moving it between different accounts. We Kristdemokrater want to highlight that our country needs to be governed based on a set of values and a culture rooted in the insight that we are not as urbanized as we perhaps think.

You have surely heard the myth about the urbanized Sweden – that the future would belong only to our largest cities and that the rest would only be waste areas, as a so-called future scout said a couple of years ago. This is often considered proven by the fact that nine out of ten Swedes live in an urban area.

On paper, that statistic is true, but there are other ways to slice it. One way is to note that four out of ten Swedes live in the countryside - in villages or communities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. Roughly an equal number identify themselves as living in the country rather than in the city.

Significant, therefore, are the investments that are now prioritized in the budget: that the business sector is given good conditions to strengthen competitiveness, create jobs and contribute to green innovations - and thereby to the transition to a sustainable development.

I want to emphasize that regional development policy includes more measures than those financed within the expenditure area and that it is important that initiatives within this and other policy areas, such as rural policy and policy for sustainable urban development, complement each other and contribute to creating synergies.

As a Christian Democrat, I am therefore both proud and happy that we can here approve a budget that has just this insight and which seriously sees the need for a regional development policy that takes its starting point in strengthening Sweden so that everyone has the same opportunity to live and work in all of Sweden. The more parts of the country that are developmentally powerful and sustainable, the stronger Sweden becomes.

With this, Madam Speaker, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C)

Madam Speaker! Common to all who live in some kind of countryside is probably that they have the same everyday worries as everyone else. Will the children be able to attend a good school somewhat nearby? Will care and healthcare be available for me and my loved ones when needed? Will an ambulance or rescue personnel be able to arrive when it is an emergency? Will there be jobs for me? Will my business survive?

Madam Speaker! The goal of the regional development policy is that the conditions for living, working and living in the whole country shall be improved. That is the primary purpose for this expenditure area, but as several others have pointed out, it is not at all only this budget area that provides the conditions for creating good growth in the whole country.

The countryside needs delivery now, not empty promises. The rapidly rising fuel prices have pressured all those households in the Swedish countryside that are dependent on the car to get to work, do business, shop for food, drop the children off at extracurricular activities, or perhaps be able to participate in association activities themselves.

What seems to be so difficult to understand is distances. Strömsund Municipality is as large as the whole of Skåne in terms of area. The archipelago can be very accessible during six wonderful summer weeks but completely inaccessible for the rest of the year. Where it is most sparse, it is also very difficult to get public transport to work. It simply doesn't work; you don't make a profit from it. Where public transport does work, it can also be the case that the bus has to make so many stops along the way that it takes twice as long as traveling by car.

It is not possible to compare the situation in the countryside with that for those who have public transport in urban areas. Those who are completely dependent in the countryside simply need different conditions.

Madam Speaker! I must unfortunately say that the new government has not had the ability to deliver after all the many promises that were made during the election campaign. It may be a harsh observation, but many of us perhaps did not believe in it either. As it stands now, there is also not really any plan to deliver. The lowered diesel prices - or gasoline prices - at the pump were not at all what was promised.

The Center Party wants to both lower fuel costs and increase the travel deduction. There should be a discount of 3 kronor at the pump, and it should apply up to 1,200 liters per year. The increases of the travel deduction should go to those who have no alternative. There is a good model, where the whole thing depends on distance. This model does not take into account what type of means of transport one travels with. From today's 18.50 per kilometer, we can go up to 30 kronor per kilometer. That is 5 kronor more than what the government proposes.

We have looked into the electricity costs during the day. Those who are most affected are not those who live in the cities but, in this case, those who live where the district heating does not reach and where the villas with direct electricity still remain, because one has not had the opportunity to switch or because one needs electricity to heat one's own hot water.

The high-cost protection is still very unclear both for people and for companies. I do not believe that it is precisely this that is inflation-driving, but it is just a matter of fairness.

Rural residents need more than just to fuel their cars and heat their homes. Across the country, many municipalities and regions are now being affected by dwindling revenues and increasing costs. The economic cycle and the high electricity prices are heavily impacting the finances of many smaller municipalities. These are municipalities that have very small margins after covid.

Centerpartiet therefore proposes that the general state grants be increased by 10 billion kronor next year. This is 4 billion more than the government's increase. We also choose not to earmark them, because we believe that people who live closest to their own challenges also have the ability to understand what the grants should be used for.

We must trust that the politicians who are elected locally will actually do what is best for their municipalities and regions, even though we know that many want to invest in better and staffed health centers regardless of whether they are in private or public hands.

Another prerequisite for people to be able to live, work and run businesses in the countryside is that the digital infrastructure works. The expansion of broadband is going far too slowly. We know that many want to be able to work digitally where it suits them.

Now, the mobile coverage is also catastrophically poor in many places. One wonders how this is possible when it was better ten years ago. It is, of course, because our new phones require much more capacity. There are people who live where one does not know if they can call 112 because the mobile network does not work. To live with that realization is "gruvsamt", as we say in Jämtland.

I want to take you to Ottsjöbua. It is located in Ottsjö, a one and a half hour journey from Östersund. It is located at the foot of Ottfjället. About 130 people live there full-time.

Ottsjöbua is the meeting point. It is here that one can buy locally produced cheese, a pair of rubber boots or fishing licenses. Ordinary food is also available. One can pick up things from the pharmacy, Systembolaget and the post office.

For me, this is an example. That is because I have been there countless times and know that it is people driven by passion, heart, and incredible pride over their home region who do this.

The prerequisite for this to work is, of course, that there are good conditions for entrepreneurship. It is a matter of us here not over-regulating the everyday lives of small businesses and that the municipalities ensure they do not follow up unnecessarily much when it comes to small businesses.

Sometimes the operating support that we decide on in this expenditure area is also required. That means Ottsjöbua can upgrade its cash system and can hire someone, so that the owners can get a vacation sometime. Imagine if the reduced employer contributions for hiring young people had remained – then the operating support would have lasted much longer.

Madam Speaker! Sweden's collective growth depends on the growth created locally and regionally. Competitive companies and individuals are a prerequisite for a competitive Sweden. The more regions that have a strong and expansive economy, the better for all of Sweden.

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Louise Eklund (L)

Madam Speaker! It is Friday, so I take the liberty of making a small personal digression at the outset. I hope the Speaker can endure it. I promise that I have a point!

I grew up on the southern coast of Scania in a small coastal community that transformed during the summer months as the summer guests moved in. For us children who lived there year-round, it became quite obvious how great the differences were between us year-round residents and those who grew up in Malmö or Lund. We were hopelessly behind.

When we wore sweatpants with Disney prints, they had already moved on to tough, stone-washed jeans. A bit later, they made super cool music references to MTV that went completely over our heads because we only had channel 1 and 2 and, on weather-wise clear days, Danish DR1.

What do I want to say with these anecdotes from the rural areas of Skåne in the 1980s? Well, that the lives of the children and young people who today grow up in Beddingestrand, which is what this little community is called, look completely different. It is no longer a day trip to get to Malmö or Lund, thanks to the new train connection that now exists. There are no longer such large cultural differences between the children there and the children in Malmö or, for that matter, in Stockholm. Everyone follows the same people on TikTok, shops online from the same online store, listens to the same music groups, and watches the same series.

The digital revolution and the Swedish broadband expansion have smoothed out not only the geographical but also the cultural differences. Not everything is naturally good about it, but it highlights how both the digital and the more traditional infrastructure are prerequisites for our ambition that people should be able to work and live in the entire country. Therefore, I think it is pleasing that the government has put forward a policy for regional development that focuses on just this.

The expansion and maintenance of socially important infrastructure, such as the establishment of broadband and the maintenance of roads, shall be intensified. The costs for traveling shall decrease. We shall have a focus on local and regional commuting so that one can continue to live outside urban areas but commute to work or to the school one has chosen, regardless of which municipality they are located in. In this way, we increase freedom and enable more people to choose the form of living and working that suits them and their families best.

Madam Speaker! I am pleased that the government sees the opportunities throughout the country but also the problems that we in politics need to address. One example is the companies' problems with skills supply and the lack of matching between the unemployed and vacant jobs, which has major consequences for Swedish growth. If we do not deal with the issues, there is a risk that companies will shut down their operations or move.

To secure the supply of skills in the long term, adult education, colleges, and universities of high quality are required. Here, I also want to take the opportunity to make an extra point for the university college, which has an incredibly important task to fulfill. It is an efficient education linked to the regional labor market. The local folk high schools also make great efforts that are worth highlighting.

When we discuss regional development, it is obvious to mention the tourism industry. It was, for a period, the fastest-growing industry in Sweden, but it has had it extremely tough in recent years. It often concerns small family businesses that are strongly connected to the local area.

Many positive examples can be found. In Halland in recent years, the development of hotels and restaurants such as Knystaforsen and Stedsan has brought about an enormous upswing for the entire region and an influx of visitors not only from Sweden but also across national borders. Such companies must be given good conditions to develop.

In this context, it may be worth highlighting how the possibility of farm sales could further contribute to this positive development. It is high time that we get started with this now, not least in light of the Fehmarn Belt link that is now being built between Denmark and Germany and which will further shorten travel times between Sweden and the continent.

Madam Speaker! It is not possible to have a debate on regional development without talking about the very concerning energy situation. In the southern parts of the country, the situation is acute, and more local energy production needs to be established quickly.

Companies are on their knees, and it is very uncertain whether everyone will make it through the energy crisis we find ourselves in. It is extremely worrying. The government's electricity support is absolutely necessary and also a first step. The government will monitor the issue very closely going forward.

It is extra worrying that the price picture that so far has mostly been seen in the southern parts of the country is now moving northward. Even electricity price areas 1 and 2 have seen increasing prices. The green re-industrialization in the north with investments in Boden, Luleå, Skellefteå and Umeå is based on the fact that there continues to be good and secure access to electricity. We must secure it. Not only does existing energy production in the north need to be protected and developed, but we also need to make decisions that secure the future energy supply.

Wind power will continue to be important, but I would believe that we also need to look at how nuclear power can contribute to the new industrialization in the north.

I therefore move for approval of the government's proposal for expenditure area 19 concerning regional development.

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Elin Söderberg (MP)

Madam Speaker! I want to begin by wishing for a substantive debate. In an earlier statement today, the Moderates expressed that the Green Party wants Sweden's countryside and rural areas to become a Skansen museum and that we would like to abolish ownership rights. This is directly incorrect.

You are very welcome to criticize and argue against the policy I put forward and that my party represents, but in that case, I want you to argue against the policy we actually advocate for. You are very welcome to read Miljöpartiet's rural policy program or motion 2022/23:2171 Rural and sparsely populated areas with strong social development, which I submitted during the general motion period this year. There, we highlight, among other things, that we strongly want to improve the investment opportunities in rural and sparsely populated areas. It is completely central.

We also highlight that Miljöpartiet wants to see a good and accessible welfare in rural and sparsely populated areas and a strengthened community service. We also want a vibrant culture and a vibrant civil society there. We have several proposals in these areas.

Within expenditure area 19, which concerns regional development, Miljöpartiet invests 567 million more than the government. We want, among other things, that the money goes to the skills supply needed as a result of the fantastic green industrial revolution that we are now seeing happen, and to broad personnel supply for good social development and to ensure that there is staff for community services and welfare throughout the country. Measures are needed to improve the conditions for living and working in the whole country. That is why Miljöpartiet invests 567 million more than the government.

Madam Speaker! In the Green Party's budget motion, there is a long series of initiatives within other expenditure areas which obviously also affect regional development. It concerns more resources for welfare, culture, climate transition, environmental policy, transport infrastructure investments, and so on.

In the Miljöpartiet's Sweden, one should be able to be who one is, fulfill one's full potential, and live and work in the entire country.

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Kjell Jansson (M)

Madam Speaker! We are debating regional development, and I want to begin by moving for the approval of the proposals in the report.

The key to a living countryside depends on several factors. We see today that rural development is threatened by agency activism. I will give some examples of how this happens in the archipelago where I live.

Good infrastructure is needed for the countryside to function, but the maintenance that Trafikverket is responsible for is increasingly neglected. The road network is getting worse and worse. It is so bad that it is even traffic-dangerous in many places.

Broadband needs to be expanded, which has been mentioned here, but it is moving slowly - and it seems to move just as slowly regardless of which government we have.

Postservicen is being phased out. It does not work. Letters disappear. Important mail disappears.

One opposes microbreweries. I have a good friend who runs Norrtelje bränneri. It requires 33 agency permits to distill spirits - 33 agency permits - are you with me? Simplifications of regulations are needed if one wants a business sector that functions in the countryside.

I will take up another example. Out in the archipelago, we had during the war a shipyard that had 130 employees. It was the largest workplace in the archipelago. The shipyard has gradually shrunk due to problems with generational transitions that have not functioned. Now the grandchild wants to open up the shipyard again. It is a very fine shipyard where large economic buildings and everything exists. It is not a new establishment that it is about, but just a restart.

The party concerned seeks permission from the County Administrative Board in due order. The County Administrative Board sends the matter out for consultation and asks all neighbors what they think. Then, there is one neighbor who is against it for a reason that the County Administrative Board sees as important and therefore says that she is not granted permission to open the shipyard again.

Such arbitrary decisions from the authorities are worrying if we want a living countryside. Perhaps it wouldn't have become 130 employees at the shipyard again, but maybe eighty or ten. It would also have been worthy of effort out in the archipelago.

At the same time, the region is proceeding with archipelago development plans and says that they are to have a living archipelago. They have been doing that for many years. They sprinkle out a little money here and there in support of projects, but nothing is long-lived. Entrepreneurship and simplified regulations are needed.

If you live on an island in the archipelago, do not have a helicopter but a boat to get there, you apply in good order for a permit from the municipality to build a pier. You get the answer that the permit is granted. Then the county administrative board's officials arbitrarily come in and tear up the coastal protection exemption for the pier with the murky reason that the pier destroys the bottom and the fish life. If you have a stone crib pier, the fish play there. The fish play in stone cribs and reed beds, nowhere else.

It is a lot of agency activism that we must address.

Regional development

If we are to have a living countryside, the coastal protection also needs to be heavily reformed and not least the Environmental Code, which is very strict. It makes it almost impossible to initiate mineral mining, as my colleague Mats Green took up here earlier. We have enormous mineral resources in Sweden, and we need to reconsider the entire Mining Act and start looking at starting mineral mining. I believe that would be very good to start with, especially for the northern parts of Sweden. We also need to have uranium when we are eventually going to start up new nuclear power.

(Applause)

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

Regional development

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

Economic security for families and children

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