Opening of the Riksdag
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
1 M considers Sweden to be a fantastic country where welfare is built on individual efforts 1. M argues that previous governments did not protect Sweden sufficiently, which led to gang shootings, failed migration policy, and high inflation 1. M claims that the government has now changed course, which has resulted in fewer shootings, lower asylum migration, and rising real wages 1. M wants to combat gang crime through harsher penalties, more police, prison places, and AI for facial recognition 1. M wants to tighten the requirements for Swedish citizenship 1, increase deportations 1, and advocates for zero tolerance towards honor-based oppression 1. M wants to strengthen welfare against fraud 1, lower taxes 1, and enable the expansion of nuclear power 1. M argues that Sweden is upgrading the total defense 1 and that it is important to support Ukraine 1. M emphasizes that European cooperation is crucial 1.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
TALMANNEN
I move that Your Majesty declare the parliamentary session open.
HANS MAJESTÄT KONUNGEN
Mr. Speaker! Honored members! We gather here today to begin a new parliamentary year. The decisions made in this chamber affect people's everyday lives and their faith in the future.
Sweden and the world face significant challenges. In Gaza, the human suffering is indescribable, and the conflicts in the Middle East risk having serious consequences for international stability. In Ukraine, the Russian aggression continues to claim lives and threaten security in Europe. Every day, the Ukrainian people defend not only their own country but also the freedom we all share.
These wars and conflicts are a reminder that peace, security, and respect for human dignity cannot be taken for granted, as well as how important cooperation across national borders is when international law is threatened and lawlessness risks taking over. The UN Charter, which was adopted 80 years ago, is a poignant message about the importance of international legal order.
We also face decisive crossroads when it comes to climate change, energy supply, and the rapid technological development.
Sweden's voice is needed now more than ever. Through Nordic and European cooperation and with the strength of our NATO membership, we can be a global force for security and democracy. Together, we have the knowledge, the resources, and the innovative power to shape a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Honorable members! In a time when facts are questioned and democratic values are being pushed back, we need to stand up for the open society – for the right to think, speak, and research freely. For that very reason, our universities and colleges play a decisive role. They are places for free thinking and critical examination. The independence of research is a cornerstone of our democracy. It is there that new knowledge emerges, and with that knowledge, we build a better society that is equipped for a world in change.
My hope is that this parliamentary year is permeated by precisely respect, responsiveness, and long-term perspective. You who have been elected to represent the Swedish people have a great responsibility. As Dag Hammarskjöld said: Only those who justify it daily deserve power.
Every day represents a new opportunity to contribute to a better future together. With these words, I wish you strength, courage, and wisdom for the upcoming parliamentary year.
TALMANNEN
I move that the Prime Minister delivers the government statement.
Statsministern Ulf Kristersson (M)
Your Majesty! Your Royal Highnesses! Mr. Speaker! Honoured members of the Riksdag! Ladies and gentlemen! Sweden is fantastic. All of us who have had the privilege of being born here, or who later in life have become a part of Sweden, have reason to be grateful that just this piece of land on earth became ours.
We are the country that believes in equality, gender equality and children's unique own rights and that exports both special steel and pop music all over the world. We are the country where the common welfare is built on millions of people's individual efforts and where everyone who wants can experience the dizzying sense of freedom that our forests, waters and mountains can bestow. It is Sweden.
For far too many years, we took these successes for granted. The social problems grew and shook our welfare society to its foundations, not because anyone wanted to destroy Sweden, but because we did not sufficiently protect that which had made Sweden so successful.
In the last election, the coalition parties Moderaterna, Kristdemokraterna, Liberalerna, and Sverigedemokraterna received a clear mandate from the voters to get Sweden in order. We took over a country where gang shootings had become commonplace, where a failed migration and integration policy had led to extensive social exclusion, where fossil-free energy had been abandoned for ideological reasons, and where inflation was double-digit, school results were falling, and security policy was in limbo awaiting NATO membership. Sweden had reached the end of the road.
The government has now changed course. Everyone knows that a long way remains to be traveled, but the direction of the journey is clear. Step by step, we are making our country safer and more successful. The paradigm shifts that the government is implementing in central policy areas are yielding results.
Since 2022, the shootings have decreased year by year, many more serious crimes are being solved, and 11,500 police officers in outer service are now patrolling our streets and squares – a record. Asylum applications have been more than halved, and Sweden now has the lowest asylum migration since 1985. We have fought inflation, and Swedes' real wages are rising again. And in the most dangerous time since the Second World War, Sweden is a natural and respected member of Nato. In area after area, Sweden has received a new start. From the return of the knowledge school and a preventive social service to the decisions that now lay the foundation for a historic expansion of nuclear power.
But one more thing has happened that now feels so self-evident that it hardly needs to be mentioned. Political stability has returned to Sweden. After more than a decade of weak governments, recurring government crises, and entire budgets that have fallen, there is now a stable majority behind the policy the government is driving.
On important issues we have been able to gather an even broader majority in the Riksdag, and I place a great value on the fact that we can sometimes unite in a broad national political consensus. It is good for Sweden in these times of international unrest.
The time has now come to once again dare to believe in the future and to dare to believe in Sweden and all that we can achieve together in this fantastic country.
Mr. Speaker! During the parliamentary year ahead of us, the government will present a long series of legislative proposals to build Sweden stronger. The pace of reform will continue to be high. This is a government that gets things done.
Mr. Speaker and members of Parliament! Roll up your sleeves, and welcome to the autumn session!
No task is more central for the government than combating gang crime. When we took over, the deadly gun violence had tripled in a decade, and the criminal economy had grown to 100–150 billion kronor a year. Organized crime threatens the very foundation of our free welfare society, and the government is engaged in an offensive without equal. The strategy is three-fold: to strike hard against the gangs' gross violence, break the recruitment of children and young people, and choke the criminal economy.
Enormous investments have been made to equip the justice system with more police officers and more prison places. This summer, the government reached an agreement with Estonia to rent 600 prison places in Tartu, and soon it is up to the Riksdag to take a position.
At the same time, we have sharpened crime fighting with new tools such as secret preventive measures, stay-away orders, security zones, and significantly expanded camera surveillance. During the autumn, proposals will be introduced for the police to be allowed to use AI for real-time facial recognition to prevent and investigate certain serious crimes. To reach the clients and enablers in criminal networks, more actions shall be criminalized, as well as participation in criminal gangs itself.
The message to the gang criminals is crystal clear: the Swedish justice system will hunt you across national borders, monitor you, seize your luxury items, deport you, imprison you for a long time and ultimately deport you from Sweden if you are not Swedish citizens.
The government also wants to make it possible to revoke citizenship for gang criminals with dual citizenship who have committed crimes that seriously damage Sweden's vital interests.
For far too long, Sweden has protected the interests of the perpetrator. We are now implementing a shift in perspective where the crime victim and public safety are instead placed at the center. The sentencing scales shall reflect the gravity of the crimes. Gang criminals shall be able to receive double sentences, today's bulk discount will be abolished, and repeated serious sexual offenses shall be able to lead to life imprisonment.
The rules for conditional release are being tightened, and for the most dangerous repeat offenders, a new sentence without a time limit is being introduced, a kind of detention sentence. Dangerous people must be locked up so that decent people dare to be out.
Children are ruthlessly exploited by criminal networks to commit serious crimes. To protect both the children and their potential crime victims, the government is taking strong action against this cynical exploitation. From October 1, it will be possible to use secret preventive measures even against children under 15 years of age. The age of criminal responsibility will be lowered, and the sentence reduction will be significantly reduced for young people, while it will be completely abolished for young people who are of legal age. Special youth prisons shall be ready by July 1.
But the goal must, naturally, be that it never goes that far for a child. The Government has therefore implemented the largest reform of the social services in over 40 years. It makes it possible to intervene early so that children in risk zones are caught even before crimes are committed. At the same time, confidentiality barriers between police, school, and social services have been torn down so that the country's municipalities can join forces around the children. My strong urge today to the country's wise municipal councilors is to take advantage of this opportunity to break evil circles early.
Money and status are an important driver behind organized crime. The government is therefore stepping up the fight against the criminal economy. The new forfeiture law has already led to exclusive watches, bags, and cars worth 86 million kronor being seized. Taking the money is important, but the symbolic value of taking the items is even greater.
Försäkringskassan and seven other agencies have been tasked with reviewing all decisions that can be linked to the 62,000 people in Sweden who have gang connections. An extended business prohibition will be directed at persons in organized crime. The Government also intends to consider separate legislation against gang criminals.
To clear out unserious actors, permit testing is introduced for more activities, such as dental care and health centers. The right to perform background checks is expanded, as is the possibility to debar state employees. There will be tougher consequences in cases of grant fraud. Sanction fees and a grant ban are introduced in the social insurance.
But not all serious crime is organized crime. Men's violence against women must be combated with full force. The restraining order has already been significantly expanded, and the person who has been convicted of a serious crime in a close relationship or for honor-based oppression shall, in order to protect the crime victim, as a rule be issued a restraining order after the sentence has been served.
The government is now moving forward to also combat psychological and economic violence. Peace for women shall be a matter of course in one of the world's most equal countries.
Mr. Speaker! For decades, Sweden pursued an ill-considered and unsustainable migration policy, in combination with a failed integration policy. The consequence is now a large-scale exclusion that has created a breeding ground for gang crime, extremism, honor culture, and welfare dependency. Therefore, it has been a completely decisive task for this government to tighten asylum-related immigration to Sweden. The pace of reform is high and the results are clear. Since 2022, asylum applications to Sweden have decreased by almost 60 percent, despite a continued high pressure of applications to Europe.
At the same time, returns to countries of origin have increased by over 60 percent. More people are now leaving Sweden following a deportation decision. This is the result of a consistent and persistent policy to create order and clarity in the migration system with special reception centers, return centers, as well as expanded and more secure detention.
Sweden was for a long time a cautionary example in the EU. That is no longer the case. The government continues to adapt the Swedish asylum rules to the minimum level of EU law before the Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force in the summer of 2026. The government also intends to tighten the maintenance requirement for family immigration.
The shadow society must be combated, among other things through increased information obligations, and the right to EBO – own housing for asylum seekers – is abolished. The focus in Swedish migration policy is now shifting from asylum migration to high-skilled labor migration. The processing time for that group has decreased from an average of over 100 days to under 20 days.
But Sweden must become even better at attracting international talent to strengthen our competitiveness. The Government will therefore present proposals that make it easier to change jobs, while fraud with work permits is combated. The Government is also working to facilitate for researchers and doctoral students to stay in Sweden.
The signal from Sweden to the rest of the world shall be clear: If you are a highly qualified talent in your field and want to build your future here together with us – welcome to Sweden!
Mr. Speaker! It is obvious that many who have come to Sweden have also integrated well into Swedish society and make important contributions every day. We in the government see you, we appreciate you, and we want you and your children to succeed in Sweden.
It is just as obvious that the previously high asylum reception, in combination with a requirement-free integration policy, has made those types of success stories more difficult. Everyone knows that far too many get stuck in generation-long exclusion. We are reversing this, and we have significantly reduced the asylum reception so that we get the chance to tackle the next major task: to succeed with integration.
This government believes in social mobility, not in social inheritance.
That is why we are addressing, point by point, the old and unconditional integration policy where even murderers could be granted Swedish citizenship.
Sweden's 180 areas of exclusion must be lifted, and we must ensure that the children who are now growing up in language poverty get a real chance to succeed in the Swedish school system. Successful integration requires both requirements and opportunities, and the key to Swedish society is the Swedish language.
A majority of the students who study Swedish as a second language are now born in Sweden. It is not reasonable. It underscores the need for intensive training in Swedish, language school in early grade levels, and compulsory language school for all children who do not learn good Swedish at home. With a common language, we can build a common society.
The requirements to become a Swedish citizen will be significantly tightened. One must have knowledge of the Swedish language and of Swedish society. We are introducing requirements for being able to support oneself, for decency, and for having lived here for a longer period to become a Swedish citizen. The person who becomes a citizen shall fully integrate into the community.
At the same time, deportations of foreign citizens who have committed crimes in Sweden are to increase significantly. That reform is expected to sextuple the number of deportations due to crime specifically. Foreign citizens who in other ways do not meet the requirements for an honest way of life shall be able to have their residence permits revoked.
To set requirements is to care. It creates clarity about what is expected of those who come to our country. One learns the Swedish language, one supports oneself, and one becomes a part of the Swedish community of values.
There shall be zero tolerance for honor-based oppression, as equality is a fundamental Swedish value.
From December 1, innocence checks will be criminalized. The government presents proposals for harsher penalties for honor-related crimes and a ban on the admission of multiple drugs.
A ban is introduced against cousin marriage, which is a core part of clan and honor culture. Let us be sincere in this chamber: It was a betrayal – and a manifestation of political cowardice – that Sweden did not do more earlier to stop the systematic oppression of girls and women.
Voluntary return should be strongly encouraged and increased. For those who feel they have not become a part of Swedish society or who for other reasons wish to return to their home country, there will be an opportunity from the turn of the year to apply for a significantly increased return grant.
Mr. Speaker! The Swedish welfare model is completely unique. It both rejoices with all those who succeed and offers a second chance to those who do not succeed, but it presupposes that we all strive to the best of our ability. That is what the good social contract looks like between the citizens and the public – rights and obligations.
Defending the welfare model is important for the government. When inflation threatened to lead to large layoffs in healthcare, our four parties pushed for the extra resources that were required. But just as important is to protect welfare against fraud, crime, and over-exploitation and to stand up for the work principle, which creates tax revenues and prosperity.
Swedish healthcare is world-class, but for over a decade, patients have been forced to wait illegally long for care. The government has acted to increase healthcare capacity and shorten the queues, including through a billion-kronor investment to increase the number of operations for cataracts, anterior cruciate ligament tears, and hip joints. Work to establish a national healthcare brokerage is ongoing and has already led to patients in a pilot project receiving care faster.
Sweden shall continue to be a pioneer within cancer care. Everyone shall have the right to the best possible cancer care, regardless of where in the country one lives. The goal to eradicate cervical cancer by 2027 remains firm.
Now, the largest dental care reform in 20 years is being implemented. From the turn of the year, the high-cost protection for dental care will be strengthened for those who are 67 years or older to more closely resemble what exists in the rest of the healthcare.
Older people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. The government is making broad investments to raise the status, increase competence, and improve the working environment within elderly care. Our elderly must be able to understand what the staff says. The government therefore wants to introduce a language requirement from July 1, 2026. The special initiative to counteract loneliness among the elderly last year ensured that 70,000 elderly people in special housing or with home care participated in dancing and various courses.
The children are literally Sweden's future. That is why the warning signals are so alarming that so many children are feeling so poorly. The proportion receiving an ADHD diagnosis has increased sharply. Screens occupy more and more hours of the children's waking time, which comes at the expense of sleep and social interaction, school results, and physical activities. It does not have to be that way. The government has taken up the fight against screens both in preschool and in school, where the thoughtless digitalization is being rolled back. Mobiles will be banned during the entire school day starting from July 1, 2026.
When the screens are put away, football boots and dance shoes can be taken out instead. The Public Health Agency has been tasked with developing proposals for a year of movement in 2026. Already this autumn, the leisure card will be introduced, which gives all children between 8 and 16 years old better access to leisure activities regardless of the family's income.
A society without the children's lively laughter becomes a poorer society. We must take the historically low birth rates seriously. Today's figure of 1.43 children per woman is the lowest figure ever recorded. The government has appointed an inquiry that maps out the causes and examines how more who want children should also be able to and want to take the step to form a family.
What happens in the classrooms today determines what Sweden will look like tomorrow. School should not only prepare children for life but is also the most important investment we make in Sweden's future competitiveness. Therefore, the government is implementing the largest reform package in the school sector in 30 years. School shall return to the basics. It shall be responsible for education of the highest quality, not be a trend-sensitive experimental workshop.
After the turn of the year, a large number of bills are placed on the Riksdag's table. Teachers shall be allowed to be teachers, and the school's knowledge mission shall be in focus. The free school system is completely renovated, with increased transparency and stricter rules to keep unserious actors away from the school world. Safety and study environments are restored. It is high time to treat the school as the fundamental social institution it is, and it is time to treat the teaching profession with the respect the profession deserves. Sweden shall have a school of absolute world-class.
Mr. Speaker! The government inherited an inflation of over 10 percent. The skyrocketing cost increases hit families, companies, and welfare hard. The government is therefore focusing on combating inflation. But the economic downturn has become more prolonged than expected. At the beginning of the year, the world economy entered a new, historically uncertain phase characterized by tariff threats, trade wars, and unpredictability. This has led to both households and companies postponing both consumption and investments. For a small country that is a major trading nation, this is dangerous. It underscores the importance of the EU concluding new free trade agreements with more countries. But it also shows how important it is to have a responsible economic policy at home to secure Sweden's prosperity in an increasingly tougher global situation.
The government's economic policy has three stated goals: to strengthen household finances after the years of inflation, to re-establish the work principle so that more people are involved and contributing, and to accelerate growth so that the common cake also grows. We have lowered taxes for pensioners, motorists, and ISK savers, and for those who pay the very highest Swedish marginal taxes, and lowered taxes for low- and middle-income earners. With our budgets, a completely ordinary family with a police officer and a nurse will have received over 43,000 kronor in reduced income tax during this parliamentary term.
This year's budget provides more money in the wallet for hard-working people who build the Swedish economy stronger. Next year, the same family with two children and a regular villa will have 1,800 kronor more in their wallet every month as a result of the reforms in the autumn budget. Those who work and toil should feel that it pays off to work and that their contributions to Sweden count. Those who have been hit by high prices shall have a lighter burden. I want more people to be able to feel economic security and faith in the future.
It is work that lies behind Swedish prosperity, and therefore the work line must be re-established. This autumn, the largest change to the unemployment insurance in 40 years will be implemented. The government will carry out a major benefit reform so that more people who can work move from benefits to work. During the spring, three bills will be presented: an activity requirement for those living on social assistance, a benefit ceiling so that work pays off better than benefits, and a model for gradual qualification into the Swedish welfare state. Both the major benefit reform and the significantly increased return migration benefit will, individually and in combination, be able to lead to a reduced Swedish exclusion in the long run. But increased requirements are not enough. Many who are unemployed lack relevant education, especially for the occupations for which there is currently high demand. Therefore, the government is investing heavily in vocational training and in increasing the number of participants in labor market training.
Sweden is often praised internationally for our capacity for innovation, our competitiveness, and our innovative capital markets, but that is no reason to rest on our laurels. On the contrary, large future investments are required to secure even tomorrow's growth. The Government is therefore making massive investments in infrastructure to refurbish our roads and railways. We are making the largest investment ever in research and innovation with a focus on groundbreaking technology, excellence, and practice-oriented research. In a time of global uncertainty, Sweden shall be a knowledge society with research that is at the forefront. This applies to...
I tried to be quick there, Mr. Speaker! This applies not least within AI. Several world-leading AI companies have chosen to place their new investments in Sweden, and one of the EU's AI factories is now being established in Linköping. The Government would like to see one of the EU's five planned gigafactories for AI also land in Sweden. During the spring, an AI strategy will be developed to ensure that Sweden quickly takes advantage of the great opportunities that the AI revolution entails.
It should be easy to start, run and develop companies in Sweden. The Government is pursuing an offensive simplification agenda to reduce the regulatory burden and the administrative costs for Swedish companies.
Housing construction has also long been hindered by an unreasonable regulatory burden. The Government has developed a broad reform agenda to make it simpler and cheaper to build. This covers everything from enabling type-approved small houses, what we call Sverigehuset, to massive simplification of rules and building permits and a reformed coastal protection.
Furthermore, the government intends to raise the mortgage ceiling and abolish the tightened amortization requirement. The dream of owning a house or a condominium shall become a reality for more people.
Sweden needs to become a freer and simpler country to live in, both in the city and in the countryside. Following the success of the farm sales, the government is now proceeding with quickly preparing the abolition of the ancient food requirement, as well as the requirement that there must be indoor seating in order to serve a glass of wine outdoors.
Sweden is a wealthy country even in terms of natural resources, water, forest and land. The government is developing a new mineral strategy to promote the Swedish mineral industry in a time of growing geopolitical tensions surrounding just strategic resources.
The conditions for agriculture are improved through regulatory simplifications at the national level and at the EU level. The Government is restructuring forest policy and strengthening property rights to take advantage of the forest's enormous potential regarding economy, climate, and environment.
For Sweden, the EU, and the world to manage the green transition, the energy issue is completely central. For Sweden's part, it is also about securing Sweden's future as an advanced industrial nation. More than a decade after the fatal decisions that closed four reactors in Ringhals and Oskarshamn, the government has laid the foundation for a new nuclear power program in Sweden. Now, concrete steps are being taken to enable a historic expansion of nuclear power on the Värö peninsula in Halland.
New, fossil-free baseload is the key to a stable electricity system as electricity production is expanded. The government welcomes all fossil-free types of energy, however. A wind power package with strengthened incentives for municipalities and compensation for neighbors will be presented.
Mr. Speaker! It is important and urgent to reduce climate emissions in the world. Sweden is a pioneering country that early on began to phase out oil dependency through hydropower and nuclear power as well as through the replacement of oil boilers with heat pumps.
Since 1990, Sweden has reduced territorial emissions by a third while our GDP has almost doubled. But more needs to be done – nationally, in Europe and globally. The Government is actively working to accelerate the electrification of industry and the vehicle fleet.
We in Sweden were early in welcoming the EU's new goal of a 90 percent reduction by 2040. It is through the EU that Swedish climate policy is conducted most effectively, and it is through the EU that we can influence the rest of the world.
Environmental pollutants are stored in humans starting from the fetal stage. We in Sweden have taken a leadership role within the EU in the fight against environmental pollutants and are pushing for higher ambitions when the EU's chemical legislation Reach is opened for revision this winter. The government is also developing a national plan to prevent the forever chemicals PFAS from spreading in our waters and in our nature.
Our seas must become healthier. We are working to stop eutrophication, recreate strong fish stocks and protect more important marine areas. In the coming days, Sweden's 31st national park – the first marine national park in the Baltic Sea – Nämdöskärgården will be inaugurated. We will reduce toxic emissions through a ban on so-called ship scrubbers.
The fish stocks in the Baltic Sea must be given a chance to recover. We in Sweden continue to push for as low fishing quotas as possible within the EU. At the same time, we have independently made a decision on a ban on bottom trawling in marine protected areas inside the trawling limit. On a trial basis, we have also moved the trawling limit further out to protect the herring when it spawns. Moving forward, it will become a permanent regulation.
Mr. Speaker! We live in serious times. The rules-based world order created after the Second World War is in turmoil. The free world is being pressured by authoritarian forces, while the ideals that have long united the democracies in the world are no longer self-evident.
For Sweden, this poses new and high demands. We are heavily upgrading the total defense, and we ensure enduring resilience. We continue to support Ukraine. We nurture and strengthen Sweden's alliances with like-minded countries.
It is good that Sweden has been able to unite in such broad political agreement on these existential issues. We are completely in agreement on the support for Ukraine and completely in agreement on heavily strengthening the Swedish defense. We are almost completely in agreement on the new security policy and the NATO membership – six of the Riksdag's eight parties are in agreement. All of this gives us international strength.
European cooperation and its community of values are more important than ever for Sweden's security, competitiveness, climate work, and global influence. The government's four priorities for EU policy are fixed. They concern the war, crime, competitiveness, and the climate.
Point by point, we see how the government is gaining traction for these priorities. This applies in particular to the issue of Europe's declining competitiveness.
For more than three and a half years, Ukraine has heroically fought for its freedom, its survival, and its sovereignty. No foreign policy objective is more important for Sweden than to support Ukraine and secure a peace on Ukraine's terms.
We know neither when nor how the war will end, but we know that the way the war ends will be decisive for our own security for at least one generation ahead.
Sweden is one of the world's largest donors to Ukraine. Since the full-scale invasion, Sweden has sent aid and 19 military support packages with a total value of 96.5 billion kronor.
Sweden takes a leading role in the design of the sanctions against Russia. This concerns sanctions against the shadow fleet as well as sanctions for a lowered oil price cap and for a total import ban on all Russian liquefied natural gas.
The government is pushing for Ukraine's future as a member of the EU. Sweden will support Ukraine for as long as is required, for Ukraine's cause is also our own.
Mr. Speaker! The Middle East conflicts continue to lead to severe suffering. Sweden stands up for Israel's right to defend itself against the existential threats directed at the country, which Hamas's bestial terror attack was a shocking reminder of.
At the same time, Israel must follow the laws of war and minimize civilian suffering in Gaza. A humanitarian catastrophe prevails there now, which affects, among other things, very many innocent children.
Together with other EU countries, the government demands that sufficient amounts of food and medicine be allowed into Gaza and that the expansion and settlement violence in the West Bank cease immediately. Hamas must simultaneously release the hostages and completely hand over control of Gaza. Only then can the foundation for a long-term two-state solution be laid.
Sweden has a tradition of strong international engagement, and we take our share of the responsibility to contribute to a better world. However, we have full responsibility for what happens here in Sweden. We cannot have all the world's conflicts on our streets and squares. One may think what one wants about the conflicts in the Middle East – this is a free country – but one must not spread hatred, threats, and antisemitism in Sweden.
Sweden's aid shall continue to be ambitious, but the money must never end up in black holes or in the wrong pockets. With the government's reforms, we are addressing well-documented problems to create more effective aid with clear expectations for the recipient countries to also implement their own political reforms. In the long run, poverty can only be combated with democracy, trade, and growth.
On March 7, 2024, a new era for Swedish security policy began when Sweden joined Nato. Our country became safer, and Nato became stronger. Sweden has already made significant contributions within Nato. This ranges from the mechanized battalion in Latvia and the Swedish Gripen contribution to Nato's air surveillance in Poland to the fact that Sweden has received the framework responsibility for Nato in Finland.
Sweden is carrying out the most powerful reinforcement of the defense since the days of the Cold War to reach NATO's new goal of 3.5 percent of GDP plus an additional 1.5 percent for broader defense and security investments.
We are also making a major expansion of civil defense. The country's 64,000 shelters shall be modernized. More people will be covered by the civil obligation, and the supply preparedness shall be strengthened.
This broad upgrading of the Swedish total defense will be noticed far beyond the barracks in the form of thousands of new jobs, not least in the successful Swedish defense industry and also within research and innovation, space initiatives and upgraded physical infrastructure. Ultimately, we are all part of the defense of Sweden. It is when each one does their part that it truly becomes ours. Together we are strong in Sweden.
Mr. Speaker! Sweden is an open and tolerant society. We want to be a country where we care less about where you come from, what skin color you have, who you love and which god you perhaps worship – and where we care more about who you are and where you are headed.
The government stands up for the rights of LGBTQ persons regardless of who wants to violate or restrict them.
This year we celebrate 250 years of established Jewish life in Sweden. The Jewish minority and Jewish culture constitute an irreplaceable part of our Swedish society, and the government is doing its utmost to increase safety and strengthen the conditions for Jewish life in our country. The antisemitism that has now once again shown its face in Sweden is a shame for our country. It must be condemned and fought against wherever it comes from – by everyone, without excuses and exceptions.
Freedom of speech constitutes the heartbeat of liberal democracy – free journalism, a vibrant cultural life and a vital public debate are all invaluable elements in a pluralistic, democratic society. The Government stands guard over a strong and independent public service. Freedom of culture needs to be strengthened by increasing the cultural sector's opportunities for more sources of revenue than only the public sector.
Freedom of speech must be defended even outside Sweden's borders. The work continues unabated to achieve the release of Dawit Isaak and Gui Minhai.
Civil society has a strong and unique role in Sweden. Today, I want to extend a warm thank you to all of you who, through voluntary efforts, hold our society together – those who, in every sense of the word, train girls and boys in football, those who struggle with Swedish nouns at a language café, or those who conduct searches for a missing fellow human being. You prove that society is greater than the state.
Recently, a cultural canon was presented, which has unearthed the gold from the common Swedish cultural treasure. The government's ambition is for it to become a living canon that we can gather around in our country. In times of division and polarization, it is more important than ever to look at everything that unites us and to marvel at everything that has made Sweden such a fantastic country to live in.
Mr. Speaker! I understand if many Swedes feel discouraged when the global situation is shakier than it has been in a long time, when children stuffed with tramadol carry out murder missions for pay, and when the grocery bag has become so economically heavy to carry that the little extra no longer fits.
But let us not forget that Sweden is a country with enormous potential and a country that has overcome great difficulties in the past. Recently, Sweden was named the most innovative country in the entire EU. We have among the most qualified workforce in the entire EU, leading companies and very strong public finances and Europe's cleanest electricity. And we are ranked as one of the world's leading democracies.
Nothing of this has come for free. It is the result of hard work, where everyone's efforts over a long period are counted – not least in the generations before us. Together we can now create one of the world's best societies to live in.
Let us build upon these unique strengths. The government has begun a journey of change from a Sweden that was becoming more dangerous and poorer to a Sweden that is becoming safer and more successful. That task, Mr. Speaker, spans far more than this first mandate period. We enter the election year ready to continue that journey so that the fight against organized crime can be completed and no mother shall be afraid to let the children out on the playground, so that we can restore the sense of community in Sweden and gather around the values that have built our country strong, so that we can afford to invest in the future and lay new rails, build new nuclear power and see today's Swedish startup companies become tomorrow's Swedish global export successes and so that more can realize their dreams and add a little gold trim to everyday life.
Everything is possible if we decide it! A better tomorrow awaits.
Thank you for that, and thank you for your patience.
Mr. Speaker! I wish to report the following change in the composition of the government. Acko Ankarberg Johansson has been dismissed as Minister in the government. The Minister for Health and Social Affairs and Minister in the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs is Elisabet Lann.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.