Strategy for companies in cultural and creative industries

Johnny Svedin (SD)

Mr. Speaker! We in the Sweden Democrats consider that the government's proposal Strategy for companies in cultural and creative industries is in line with what we ourselves consider to be important.

We know that creativity and innovation are crucial for Sweden's future. We are therefore pleased that the government has developed a strategy that addresses many of the needs and challenges that these companies face. Therefore, I begin by moving for approval of the government's proposal in its entirety.

The government's proposal aims to strengthen Sweden's position as a leading country within the cultural and creative industries. We are convinced that it is the right way to go to promote growth, innovation, and a vibrant cultural life in our country.

The strategy includes important measures such as targeted advice, improved funding, reduced regulatory costs, and a strong focus on skills development and lifelong learning. We see this as a good basis for developing an active business environment within the area.

We Sweden Democrats have highlighted the need to modernize copyright to adapt it to the digital society. We view it positively that the government shares our view on the importance of creating a balanced copyright that both protects creators' rights and enables free and open information sharing.

We particularly want to emphasize our support for reviewing protection periods and enabling the free dissemination of public art, which is of great importance for making culture accessible to everyone.

It is also appreciated that the government emphasizes the need to strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights and to create better conditions for companies to manage these assets. This is in line with our position that intellectual property rights are a key to innovation and economic growth.

We also view the measures to promote innovation within cultural and creative industries positively, where the government has shown an understanding of the unique challenges that these companies face.

The strategy includes measures to promote entrepreneurship throughout the country, including the countryside. This is something we Sverigedemokrater emphasize in our policy, as we see that regional companies have great potential to contribute to economic growth and the creation of attractive living environments.

We also want the support to these companies to be adapted to their specific needs, which the government now seems to be on its way to doing.

Mr. Speaker! Another important part of the strategy is to increase exports and strengthen Sweden's international competitiveness.

It is positive that the government wants to promote cultural and creative industries as a new base industry, and that there is a focus on increasing knowledge on how to do business internationally.

This is completely in line with our position that cultural and creative industries have the potential to strengthen Sweden's brand globally and contribute to a positive image of Sweden.

We Sweden Democrats have long worked to combat piracy and illegal streaming, which constitute a threat to creators' earnings and rights.

Therefore, we welcome the government's work to strengthen the protection of rights holders and to develop business models that offer legal and attractive alternatives for consumers.

By creating a fair market for copyright-protected material, we also strengthen the respect for intellectual property rights in society.

In summary, I want to emphasize that the Sweden Democrats view the government's strategy for companies within cultural and creative industries positively.

Several of the proposals presented in the strategy are in line with our own motions, and we believe that they will contribute to strengthening cultural and creative industries in Sweden.

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

Daniel Vencu Velasquez Castro (S)

Mr. Speaker! The cultural and creative industries constitute an important and unique part of the Swedish business sector. It is through these companies that the Swedish identity is developed when the cultural industries are allowed to develop what is each generation's cultural identity.

We heard the Minister for Culture speak about these industries as one of Sweden's basic industries and basic sectors and that we need to safeguard them and invest so as not to fall behind. I agree with that.

It is not only important for spreading Swedish music, film, design and other things to the rest of the world, but also for strengthening our competitiveness and ensuring that the creative and cultural industries also contribute to increased growth and more jobs.

Today we see that there are many challenges for the creative and cultural industries, which requires us to take a holistic approach to the situation. Because, after all, the cultural and creative industries turn over around 400 billion kronor and employ 190,000 people. These companies have great potential to grow if they are given the right conditions to do so.

Many of these companies are participating and contributing to a strengthened image of Sweden, which is important for attracting people to our beautiful country but also for Swedish goods and services to stand strong in competitive markets around the world. We know that many of these companies have problems exporting their goods and services, and therefore we Social Democrats believe that it is important that they receive the right support in their work.

Mr. Speaker! We have previously emphasized the importance of regional export offices as part of the foreign trade strategy, and we regret that the government has not heeded this. For the creative and cultural industries in smaller counties, these export centers can be crucial for them to receive the right advice and support to later be able to export their goods or services. We Social Democrats have higher ambitions for Sweden's exports than the government does and have therefore invested in the export-promoting measures, which would also be to the benefit of the cultural and creative industries.

Mr. Speaker! The Government is also not allocating sufficient resources to market Sweden abroad. It has been shown that Sweden invests the least amount of money in the Nordic countries on attracting tourists. Furthermore, the Government has abolished the tourism promotion goal.

The Social Democrats believe that the tourism industry as well as the cultural and creative industries need to receive special focus in the government's work to promote tourism and ensure that more jobs in the creative and cultural industries are created. We need a unified picture of the tourism industry's conditions in order to be able to invest in those parts that would strengthen the image of Sweden and Sweden as a tourist destination. The tourism industry and the cultural and creative industries are crucial to doing just this.

We believe that Visit Sweden needs to be prioritized in the tourism promotion efforts required to attract visitors to Sweden but also to promote domestic tourism.

A reform that enabled more people to take part in our common cultural heritage and that attracted people to our country and Stockholm was free admission to our state museums. In that way, we could showcase Swedish art and tell the story of Sweden.

The cultural and creative industries must be able to stand strong, but for that, the government needs to invest in the tourism industry. One needs to invest in the image of Sweden and ensure that, together with the business community, it is strengthened, and it is regrettable that the government is not doing enough on that front.

Mr. Speaker! The creative and cultural industries are innovation-driven industries. We see how, in country after country, large sums of money are invested to strengthen the country's own innovative power. But in that situation, this government chooses to do exactly the opposite. They are lowering the appropriations for innovation, and now we see how company after company goes under because the government is not doing enough. It is obvious that the state and the business sector need to make joint investments in Sweden's innovative power. Therefore, we Social Democrats have proposed increased appropriations to Vinnova and our innovation systems.

With that said, Mr. Speaker, there are challenges when it comes to more creative and cultural industries seeking and receiving funds for their innovations in the same way as other businesses. Therefore, Vinnova needs to work more broadly and review its application of the EU's state aid rules to ensure that even the innovations occurring in the cultural and creative industries receive the right support and conditions to develop so that the industries can later see their goods and services commercialized.

Mr. Speaker! Increasing knowledge about copyright is one of the six priority areas in the strategy. That is good. But in reality, the government is cutting support to small and medium-sized enterprises when it comes to the management of intangible assets. We Social Democrats have on several occasions proposed an innovation strategy that focuses on what Sweden is good at, not least the management of our intangible assets.

Strong action is needed against copyright infringements, but the government's strategy does not specify which measures need to be taken to tackle the problem. Many business owners and cultural creators have limited knowledge of intellectual property issues despite being dependent on these laws and regulations in their operations. We therefore want to see knowledge-raising initiatives by including intellectual property in more courses within higher education.

Mr. Speaker! It is sad to see the government's cuts and the lack of support for the municipal cultural schools. I can stand here and preach about the cultural school as a vital institution that has produced several giants who once made Swedish pop music the third most exported in the world, but the cultural school means so much more than that.

It is in the culture school that children develop an interest in music, theater, art, and more. It is there that new generations get to step into culture's metaphysical world and be part of the creation of the future's cultural heritage. It is there that one learns to cooperate before a play or a performance, and it is there that practical democracy takes place. Of course, this also happens in our study associations, Mr. Speaker, which also receive a cold shower from the government with massive cuts.

When important cultural social institutions such as the culture school and study associations are affected by cuts, it will in the long run hamper Sweden's ability to compete with its cultural and creative industries. It will have far-reaching consequences for both competitiveness and our democracy.

In conclusion: I believe the government's strategy is well-intentioned but insufficient. If the creative and cultural industries are to constitute the base industry that the government speaks of, one needs to invest in this industry. Instead, we see cuts in area after area, and this will lead to poorer conditions for these industries to grow. In the long run, it threatens Swedish competitiveness and Swedish jobs.

I naturally stand behind all the Social Democrats' reservations, but for the sake of time, I move for approval of only reservation 4.

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

Mats Green (M)

Mr. Speaker! I vote in favor of the committee's proposal for a decision.

Within the cultural and creative industries, works are created that reflect our past, shape our present, and imagine the future. The culture that is created here for people together, bridges across generations and contributes with both peace of mind and experiences.

Mr. Speaker! Sweden is a cultural melting pot where tradition and innovation meet, and this important exchange is crucial for a future-proof and secure society that holds together. Therefore, it is necessary that our cultural policy promotes an environment where culture can flourish naturally, supported by creative freedom rather than state intervention and a distribution of state funds. I also note that those who want to distribute these funds do not have them.

Our cultural sector is not only a source of creativity; it is also an economic powerhouse. With 190,000 active individuals within the sector, it contributes significantly to Sweden's economy. But its perhaps greatest value lies in how it brings people together, creates shared narratives, and strengthens our social fabric. By promoting a self-sustaining cultural sector where market forces are given more room to operate, we can ensure that culture is both economically sustainable, future-proofed, and, above all, culturally vital.

I would like to take the opportunity to draw attention to a cultural expression that is severely undervalued in the public debate, namely the Swedish video game industry. It is an industry that is flourishing, not only here at home but also on the global market. The Swedish video game industry, including all subsidiaries created, generates a total turnover of 86.5 billion kronor, and this is therefore an industry that has emerged entirely without direct government subsidies. It is living proof that culture and innovation can thrive and develop under free, market-based conditions.

Mr. Speaker! Since the beginning of the 2000s, Sweden has built up a long track record of successful games and companies, for example Minecraft from Mojang, Battlefield from DICE, and numerous games from Paradox, and the wonderful thing is that the industry continues to deliver. Earlier this year, the game studio Arrowhead released the game Helldivers 2, which has already sold over 12 million copies and has been praised all around the world.

The game was developed by a company founded by a group of students at Luleå University of Technology, which has now grown to over 100 employees. The successes have come from hard work, innovation, risk-taking, and free creativity – not from state grants. We should be inspired by the video game industry and apply its lessons to other cultural fields.

An attempt has been made with a strategy for the cultural industries. However, it only lasted for two years, between 2010 and 2012. After that, not much has happened. Now we are tackling this for real and presenting a strategy that is to extend ten years forward. The vision for 2033 is that Sweden shall have strengthened its position within the cultural and creative industries. Exports from the industry shall have increased, and there shall be a diversity of cultural experiences throughout the country. I want to highlight a few things that we shall focus on to fulfill this vision.

To get us there, we need to start by getting a grip on the situation. The statistics for the sector are poor, and therefore we are introducing a strategic goal for reliable statistics at the national level so that one knows what one is discussing and what one is acting upon.

Then we shall focus on one of the most important issues for this sector, namely intellectual property rights. Within the cultural industries, a large part of the value naturally lies in the ideas themselves, and we therefore need to work on helping companies and entrepreneurs to understand the importance of copyright, but also to strengthen the public actors' work with the same.

Mr. Speaker! We Moderates constantly talk about simplifying regulations, and it is just as important within this sector as in all others. There are around 130,000 companies within the sector, and it must be simple for them to do the right thing, regardless of whether one works with video games, architecture, or fashion. Just as in all other sectors, the ambition here must be lower taxes and less hassle, Mr. Speaker.

The Swedish music miracle, which was mentioned earlier, was an early mover and put Sweden on the cultural map. We can now also add the Swedish world-leading gaming miracle. I hope that we will not stop there. I am convinced that the capacity demonstrated in these areas can be spread to other parts of the cultural industries. Through a coherent strategy where we promote this broad industry, we can see new Swedish creations on the world market that strengthen Sweden as a brand.

Culture is fantastic, Mr. Speaker. It creates community between people, it gives meaning to everyday life, and it also strengthens our economy. The Moderates are now leading the change for a richer, more diversified, and independent culture sector.

(Applause)

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

Lorena Delgado Varas (V)

Mr. Speaker! Without culture, what would life be? Culture is what unites the social fabric. Through culture, we can understand the world around us. Culture gives us respite from it and can formulate both reality and dreams.

Regardless of your interpretation of culture, it is immensely important for all of us.

It has, however, never been easy to act and operate within the different cultural areas. Workers and entrepreneurs within the different areas have always had difficulty making ends meet financially if we look at the big picture. Most often, it is larger or transnational companies that make the profits on popular jobs.

This is not a new problem, but it has accelerated with the increased digitalization which makes it very easy to spread, for example, music, film and images. It is also nothing new that large companies become rich on individual authors' works. Therefore, it is important that politics is involved and defines the frameworks in order to in this way protect the smaller actors but also so that we get the diversity that is so important for developing culture and the creative sector.

As recently as yesterday, I listened to a presentation from AI Sweden, where they spoke about AI's broad areas of development, how fast it is moving, and how it enables entirely new possibilities. AI can be an incredible tool. It can systematize work that would take years to do, and it can identify patterns that are not always so obvious.

This is quite fascinating but also raises a lot of concern. Generative artificial intelligence has the ability to create written text, audio, images, or videos through collected data. It can, for example, write a debate article in a certain journalist's style. It can create images, write books, create music, and so on. All of this also cannot be distinguished from human-created works or efforts.

This creates conditions for some new markets, for example AI music and AI artists, but it can also be devastating for the cultural creators whose works form the basis of what AI generates.

As a country, we have unfortunately been quite late in adopting AI at all levels. We have a knowledge acquisition to do, and we need to provide AI with frameworks that ensure we can continue to have a living creative and cultural industry. We must ensure that copyright holders receive reasonable compensation for their works, and companies must compensate the copyright that the works are based on.

An updated and well-founded copyright is the basis for our cultural industries. These industries are not only important for the entrepreneurs behind them, but they are an incredibly important sector for our country. And even though AI can open new markets and contribute to improvements, AI can also make the cultural industries' contributions invisible and devalue them.

In the sea that is generated, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, for copyright holders to identify and claim their rights. It is good that the Ministry of Culture now has an AI unit, but it would be good to supplement this by actually investigating the copyright rights, otherwise we risk losing parts of the creative and cultural industry.

In addition to this, we from Vänsterpartiet note that the strategy lacks funding. This is unfortunate, especially since the government has previously cut funding for culture at various levels and has not properly supported the business sector. It does not create space to be able to consolidate and develop the strategy.

I vote in favor of reservation 5.

(Applause)

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

Lili André (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by expressing my support for the proposal in the report and by rejecting all motions.

Sweden is a knowledge-intensive country and has a good starting position, not least within the cultural and creative industries. They consist of both individuals as well as companies and institutions and non-profit activities, which many times can be business-driven. The business idea or the raw material is culture-creating or has other creative processes where creative professional knowledge and cultural competence are used to work with original ideas, content, goods or services in analog or digital formats within one or more cultural and creative industries.

For several years, we in Sweden have been successful within the mentioned industries with international successes and strong brands within, for example, music, storytelling, design and fashion. Swedish companies have also stood behind groundbreaking developments within film and video games.

Despite the fact that Sweden is a small country, we can proudly highlight our capacity within the cultural and creative industries, where the industries' primary resource is individuals with creative professional knowledge and cultural competence.

Today we are to make a decision on a unified national strategy with the aim of promoting long-term and sustainable development of the cultural and creative industries throughout the country during the coming ten-year period. It is a long-awaited strategy, Mr. Speaker, as the last unified initiative at the national level was an action plan that applied to the period 2010-2012.

This is a long-awaited strategy also from the regional and municipal level. Municipalities and regions are making significant efforts. They are therefore important actors in the strategy, as they have good knowledge of the local conditions and the local companies and civil society. In the strategy, we also highlight the Sami Parliament, which is a bearer of a historical industry. All these local and regional actors work closely with the industries and have valuable knowledge of the conditions for the cultural and creative industries.

With this strategy, the government takes a greater grip on these important industries, which are a basic industry and an important part of growing cities. For the development of the site, the local and the state commitment is significant, Mr. Speaker.

Important in the planning, so that these very activities shall remain on the site, is to create opportunities, for example by ensuring that there is access to premises. The Government has therefore already mapped out the availability of music venues throughout the country. Cultural environments need to be made accessible for residents, companies, and visitors.

Mr. Speaker! The cultural and creative industries are a growing part of the economy. Therefore, we shall take the right measures to unlock the potential that exists. Something that is repeatedly highlighted is the previous government's lack of statistics and absence of common definitions. This means that the total value generated by the companies and industries has not been made visible and, consequently, has not been valued.

In 2017, the cultural and creative industries generated 400 billion kronor and employed approximately 190,000 people in the country. Companies within these industries export twice as much as the average of Swedish companies do.

The image of Sweden abroad is important. And the cultural and creative industries are part of and contribute to it. The industries also have a driving role in the business sector's digital transformation and are characterized by a large proportion of highly educated labor. They also attract foreign expertise.

Mr. Speaker! I therefore want to highlight the value of Sweden's exports within cultural and creative industries. They are increasing and contribute over 20 billion to Sweden's estimated goods exports and over 3 percent to GDP. The Swedish companies in the video game industry turned over 32.5 billion kronor and 86.5 billion kronor when the foreign subsidiaries are included. That makes Sweden one of three countries in the world with such a large turnover in the industry.

Generally, there is a knowledge gap regarding the companies' needs and potential. Now, the export promotion shall meet the development needs of this industry. The guidelines are now in place for Sweden's export and investment council, Business Sweden. That is good.

What more can we do from the political horizon? It is an important task for the public sector to continuously follow the developments in order to continually create good conditions for the market actors. Public actors need to keep themselves up to date on how new technology works, what business models it gives rise to, and what values are created in the companies in these industries. Through digitalization and AI, the need for increased knowledge and knowledge dissemination regarding copyright is also reinforced among both the public and the affected private actors.

Mr. Speaker! Sweden is a knowledge-intensive country and has a good starting position to become even more successful within these industries. With this unified strategy, the conditions are strengthened. It is a tool to unify and anchor the work, and the public activities contribute to strengthening and complementing each other's work based on the needs of companies and actors in these industries.

Finally: It is explicitly stated in the strategy that it is of importance to have an ongoing dialogue with the industries as well as evaluation. That way, we do not lose focus in the strategy.

Mr. Speaker! With that, I once again move for the approval of the proposal in the report.

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

Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C)

Mr. Speaker! In 2009, Storsjöyran in Östersund booked a rather unknown American artist for one of the smaller stages at the festival. At that time, it was guys with guitars who drew the large crowds. But someone in Yrangänget still wanted an alternative, preferably a woman. They took a deep breath and paid 700,000 for this gig.

When Lady Gaga came to Östersund, it had long been realized how big she was, and she had to move to the largest stage.

It is difficult to truly understand how commercial and many non-profit forces work together to make the cultural and creative industries function all around Sweden. But they do, and they are immeasurably important.

Events in culture and sports jointly contribute to a turnover of over 53 billion kronor and employ more than 100,000 people. The value added of this, and thus the contribution to GDP, amounts to almost 25 billion. And that is only a small part of the creative and cultural industries.

Creativity and culture are fundamental pillars for our democracy, our well-being, and our economic growth. Cultural and creative industries contribute directly to GDP through the production of goods and services, employment, and tourism. Export of creative goods and services, such as games, films, and music, provide significant contributions to the economy.

These industries also indirectly promote innovation and technological development, which in turn increases productivity and economic growth.

Cultural and creative industries contribute to the development of both cities and regions. They increase property values and attract investments. Furthermore, they promote education and skills development. All of this supports long-term economic growth.

It is good that the government has developed a strategy. But more is required. Several have already spoken about, for example, gaming, which is an established culture in many people's consciousness. Gaming should be a natural part of the cultural and creative industries.

It Takes Two is played by 16 million people. Actually, it is twice as many who play it, because you have to be two to play it. Thus, over 32 million people play a game about what to do when you are going to divorce. It has been created by the successful Swedish director Josef Fares.

But games are not just entertainment and amusement. Just as several have pointed out, it is also a successful and strong business activity that during 20-25 years has been important for Swedish exports.

Mr. Speaker! The Centre Party pursues a policy that promotes all types of companies, but we always keep in mind facilitating things for the very smallest so that they can grow. I would like to summarize our extensive motion into six concrete proposals.

First, it is about better rules for copyright. Frameworks and legislation must be adapted to meet both the challenges and opportunities with AI. We need to clarify rules for copyright for AI-generated works so that everyone gets fair conditions.

The second thing is that we must ensure that there are lower costs for hiring and provide companies in these industries with better advice. This can be done by lowering employer contributions in a way that hits the very smallest companies. These are, after all, labor-intensive companies, and the advisory authorities that meet cultural and creative industries must receive a clearer mandate to support that type of entrepreneur. When they are met, they repeatedly say that no one really understands them. In the same way that one understands how the steel industry and other very clear, old industries in Sweden work, one must understand how different types of operations within these industries can receive better advice.

The third is to remove the sick pay cost. Small business owners should not have to pay for their employees' sick leave. Cultural and creative industries are, of course, hit very hard by this. One must find a replacement for the person who is supposed to be on stage – or cancel. At the same time, one must pay what it costs for a person to have become ill, even though they might have injured themselves in their spare time. Therefore, the sick pay cost hits cultural and creative industries incredibly hard.

The fourth thing we want to do is to highlight the role of culture throughout the entire country. Cultural and creative industries exist across the whole country, not just in large cities. In smaller towns, study associations are incredibly important carriers of these industries. The government should protect these actors and include them in the strategy. Unfortunately, the support for adult education has actually been slaughtered.

For the fifth, we want to highlight the gaming industry. It needs to be recognized as part of culture and receive the same role as other creative industries. Formally including games in the concept of culture would mean that more actors and individuals would have the opportunity to participate in, create, and disseminate gaming culture. The Cultural Council, which distributes state grants to culture and decides what is culture and what is not, should include both digital and analog gaming in its goals.

Creating a gaming strategy and a gaming institute is our sixth proposal. We need a national strategy for the gaming industry and a national gaming institute. It would give the industry even more legitimacy and open doors for research funds and other resources that are self-evident for other industries. The gaming industry is a strong force where Sweden is a world leader, and it must therefore be recognized in all areas.

The government's proposed strategy is a good step forward. The Centre Party wants, with these proposals, to go further to make Sweden's cultural and creative industries both a cultural and a business policy matter.

I move for approval of reservation 13 under point 7.

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

Louise Eklund (L)

Mr. Speaker! Cultural and creative industries generate several billion and are a large part of the Swedish export industry. Despite this, there is still a perception that culture is not a part of Swedish business. From that perspective, the proposal we are now debating is somewhat of a paradigm shift. The Government says here that the cultural and creative industries are a new type of basic industry in Sweden, and thus the question, from a political perspective, is not only relevant for the Cultural Committee but also for us in the Business Committee. I find that very pleasing.

I perceive that Sweden has a good starting position regarding these industries. Not everything can be Spotify or Ikea, but the fact that we have Spotify and Ikea is significant. What I hope for with this strategy is that we begin to systematize the work of selling Sweden and Swedish companies within these industries in a much more structured way than we have done previously. It is both about helping companies out onto the international stage and about how Swedish authorities and organizations should promote the conditions for Swedish cultural and creative companies and industries, generally.

Mr. Speaker! One of many advantages of being a resident of Malmö is that we live in a capital region. Copenhagen and Danish cultural life are very accessible for those of us who live on the western side of Skåne. It is just as easy to get to Copenhagen as it is to go to Helsingborg or Lund. That makes it easy to make comparisons.

I perceive that Denmark has worked in a somewhat different way than Sweden when it comes to culture and creative industries. This applies to everything from how the Danish side has managed furniture classics and made them export successes to how they have positioned themselves as a design destination with arrangements such as 3 Days of Design, which kicks off today.

Danish design and architecture and Danish cultural institutions are an entirely natural part of Danish business. It has had synergy effects for how we work on the Swedish side of the strait. In Malmö, for example, there is Form/Design Center which works a bit more Danishly in that it has been an explicit bridge between the business sector and culture in Skåne.

I believe that by glancing at how Denmark has valued and worked with the cultural and creative industries, we can gain a lot of knowledge now that we are starting to talk about them from a business perspective in Sweden as well. This applies in particular to how they have commercialized their design and cultural heritage.

Mr. Speaker! That the industry has enormous potential has been highlighted by several colleagues here. This is positive and shows how prominent the Swedish gaming industry has become. As Mats Green, among others, said, games such as Minecraft have achieved enormous success abroad and become global sales successes and thereby contributed to Swedish growth. It is not insignificant that the industry has grown without state subsidies.

In my hometown Malmö, the gaming industry has led to the influx of young, creative people with unique specialized expertise. This has had very positive synergy effects for other industries in the region.

Unfortunately, the gaming industry is still an exception among the cultural and creative industries. Companies operating within these often face an uphill battle when it comes to trying to get the rest of the world to understand the business potential in their products. This means that many do not understand what monetary value there is in the industry.

It also becomes a rather cluttered area when we do not link different companies and industries. It makes it difficult to get an overview, and it also makes it difficult for us in politics to link different measures, for example within education and export.

This communication and strategy is a first step towards changing this and developing the potential within the cultural and creative industries. I believe it will be extremely important that we manage this well moving forward. There is an enormous potential within the companies, institutions, and industries.

Mr. Speaker! I vote in favor of the proposals in the committee report.

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

Elin Söderberg (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I move for approval of reservation number 3.

I am pleased that we are debating the cultural and creative industries here today. Those industries and cultural life contribute very strongly to society, societal development, our quality of life, the preservation and continued development of democracy, creativity among the population, innovation, the image of Sweden, and Swedish exports.

Swedish songwriters write for both major American artists and K-pop idols. We have artists who are world-famous. We have actors who started here in Sweden and are now in Hollywood's major films. Swedish films receive international awards, and video games from Sweden are played all over the world. Sweden is at the forefront.

When Miljöpartiet was in government, we took the initiative for the investigation that forms the basis for the strategy that the government has now presented. For us, this is a very high-priority area where we want to see a strong increase in ambition. We perceive the strategy that the government presents in its communication as insufficient. We would like the government to return with a new strategy where we get an increase in ambition and increased concretization.

We in Miljöpartiet want to see a higher level of ambition when it comes to supporting the cultural and creative industries. We want to see reforms and funding that ensure the cultural and creative industries receive a strong continued development. We want to investigate the establishment of an institute for cultural and creative industries to promote games, music, film, and other cultural and creative industries.

Mr. Speaker! In our follow-up motion, we also address the need to continue working on copyright in the light of AI. The Government should immediately appoint an inquiry to secure the rights of copyright holders and practicing artists.

Miljöpartiet also wants to improve the social safety nets. The investigation contains much to read about how we today have tough conditions for combinators, for gig workers, and for persons with sole proprietorships who work in the cultural and creative industries and have other jobs on the side. The social safety nets must be robust and based on what the working life conditions look like for people today. The social safety nets are to an entirely too great extent designed based on an idea that everyone should work nine to five, but that is not how reality looks today, especially not within the cultural industries.

As I mentioned, culture and the cultural and creative industries are an important part of our social development, democracy, creativity, and quality of life. It is therefore also absolutely necessary that we ensure these industries are given good conditions throughout the country. We need to strengthen the cooperation between civil society and public activities to ensure equal opportunities across the country when it comes to attending culture school, starting one's business within cultural and creative industries, developing, and growing.

The Green Party sees the large gaming scene that we have in Sweden and wants a national strategy for gaming to be presented. Sweden is in the top ten today. It is very wonderful to see this strong development. But Sweden risks falling behind. Many countries are taking large steps forward today to support their gaming industries. Sweden needs to step up the work here.

We in Miljöpartiet also want to highlight the conditions for Sami businesses. These should be managed much better and taken into account in the government's strategy. There, we want to see an increase in ambition.

Mr. Speaker! In summary: The cultural and creative industries are a part of our civilization's development. It has to do with quality of life, social development, creativity, innovations, democracy, competitiveness, and the image of Sweden. We in Miljöpartiet commissioned this investigation and would have liked to see a much sharper strategy from the government regarding both ambition level and concreteness. It is to a very large extent difficult to see what the government intends to do to achieve the goals in the strategy. We therefore move for approval of reservation 3.

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Vasiliki Tsouplaki (V)

Mr. Speaker! As my party colleague Lorena Delgado Varas pointed out earlier in the debate, the Left Party is positive that the government has developed a strategy, but we have some conditions for the upcoming work.

I usually work in the Culture Committee and am participating in today's debate to emphasize the fact that a strategy for the creative and cultural industries must not be seen primarily as a matter of corporate consulting and export support, even though those issues are important. For us in Vänsterpartiet, it is important that such a strategy truly takes a broad grip over the entire cultural policy and strengthens, for example, the education sector and the social safety nets.

An overall criticism from us is that there are so few concrete proposals and that the government's starting point is that no new resources should be needed to finance the strategy. We think that is very unfortunate. Action plans will need to be developed, and of course, an expanded budget may then be needed at responsible agencies in order to carry out active development work. We also see that several parts of the cultural infrastructure today are underfunded and face new demands for savings within both civil society and the public sector at municipal, regional, and national levels.

Mr. Speaker! A central issue for it to be possible to make a living within these industries is that we have a functioning regulatory framework for copyright. The letter indicates crackdowns against illegal downloading but nothing about the shortcomings in today's legislation regarding intellectual property rights. If there is no strong protection and a political understanding of cultural workers' situation, fewer people will be able to make a living from their creations. The EU directive that was supposed to create a framework for this, the DSM Directive, which we debated last year, has so far not led to strengthened rights in practice and therefore not to increased revenues either.

The government must follow this issue very closely and be prepared to take new initiatives regarding it. The investigation that was conducted in Sweden on the non-waivable right to remuneration has met massive criticism from the artistic industry organizations, and we see a need for a rethink there. Countries such as Spain and Holland have established legislation that one can be inspired by.

Mr. Speaker! During the pandemic, it became very clear that those who ran individual businesses stood outside of many systems. Limited companies and partnerships quickly received state support. When we and other parties raised the issue in the Committee on Finance, support was also granted to individual entrepreneurs, but the turnover limit was set so high that many unfortunately still did not qualify. It showed an ignorance of how low the revenues are for many within the creative and cultural industries. We have previously heard many success stories here in the debate, but it is also important to highlight that many are struggling very hard financially. Many need to combine their entrepreneurship with temporary employment, project funds, or grants. These so-called "combiners" often fall between the cracks in both social security systems and business support.

In the strategy, the gig economy is presented as a positive development that offers flexibility and is intended to create growth. But having to jump between different temporary assignments is absolutely nothing new. Within the cultural and creative industries, there have long been, for example, freelance musicians, actors, and journalists. What has happened in recent decades is that the permanent positions have become fewer and that more and more within the public institutions have transitioned to expecting cultural workers to have their own companies and invoice instead of being employed. The state support structures for freelancers have in some cases also become weaker.

It has shown, Mr. Speaker, that the insecurity and the difficulty of making a living within these industries seem particularly deterrent for those who come from the working class and those who have lived in Sweden for a shorter time. They may not have the contacts that one needs to have within the cultural sector to get in, nor do they have a financial capital to fall back on. It is important for us in Vänsterpartiet to as soon as possible establish a security system that can strengthen rights, so that more from different parts of our society dare to invest in a professional life within these industries.

Mr. Speaker! This is a large and complex ecosystem. All links in the chain need to function well. In such a strategy, the question of education and skills development carries very heavy weight. Vänsterpartiet has previously motioned that we need to strengthen the entire education sector to be able to attract more from different backgrounds to the cultural sector. The cultural school, for example, is an important complement to primary school and needs to be strengthened in many parts of the country. It is important to remove the fees to lower the thresholds and give all children the same opportunity to develop their creative abilities. The government is currently working on a leisure card, and we believe that it can be a good way forward. But there is a shortage of cultural school educators, a key competence to be able to shorten the queues and let more children develop.

We also regret that the government is cutting into the activities of the study associations. The Swedish music export would not look as it does today without the study associations' rehearsal rooms and support for music enthusiasts of all ages.

We also want to point out that there is a gap in the reporting of the educational provision for adults in the strategy. A large part of the vocational and higher education preparatory programs within the cultural sector do not belong to the category of vocational higher education programs, as it stands, but are a separate category under the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education. They have their own regulatory framework which, among other things, allows for high tuition fees. It would be interesting, we think, with a review of the regulatory framework to investigate whether the fees constitute a barrier for those who wish to pursue further education.

We also miss the center-based training in the strategy. They are very important. They are found all over the country. They provide jobs and contribute to skills development for freelancers.

But I will also bring up something that is good in the strategy. It is very good that the design of the environment and space for culture are given significant room. We share the government's concern regarding the processes we can see in many large cities where cultural activities that create value in a neighborhood no longer have space when the attractiveness of the neighborhood increases and the rents and property prices follow suit. Then one can no longer fit. It is important that this gentrification process is put under scrutiny. We look forward to the report that is to come regarding the availability of premises later this year. We see that even the small companies can have great needs for premises for their creation and their business idea.

A concern that I would like to take up concerns the work currently underway to review the agency structure in the cultural area. It is important that the strategy does not lose momentum due to large reorganizations.

I also want to highlight that we appreciate the part of the strategy concerning support for the free arts and freedom of expression globally. I would, however, like to point out in that context that a large cultural exchange takes place, and a positive image of Sweden is conveyed, via the broad civil society within the aid work. I therefore urge the government to also continue to support that activity via various agencies in the future.

Mr. Speaker! Time is running out. I would like to conclude by highlighting the fantastic cultural offerings created every day within our cultural and creative industries. The thousands of people who give us a more beautiful, interesting, and fun everyday life, contribute to profound conversations, create arenas for meetings and increased understanding between people, challenge our patterns of thought, and contribute to sustainable growth deserve increased security during illness and parental leave. They deserve improved support for business development and good conditions for skills development.

From Vänsterpartiet, we will follow the development of this strategy closely and hope that after the 2026 election we will have the opportunity to be involved in steering the efforts to increase the possibilities of reaching the goals.

(Applause)

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

Kristina Axén Olin (M)

Mr. Speaker! Today is a day of joy for culture and all the companies operating in the cultural and creative industries.

Many times there is a misconception - it is discussed a lot in this chamber - that culture is equal to public funding and that culture implies state, municipal or regional funding. But that is not the case. There is, of course, culture that will always need public funding, but the vast majority is a growth industry that contributes to the image of Sweden, ensures that other companies get increased exports and ensures that we get more tourists to Sweden.

Companies in the cultural and creative industries contribute to our growth. Mats Green spoke earlier about the video game companies. Just the ten most profitable video game companies paid 2.6 billion in corporate tax last year. It is corporate tax that contributes to our welfare and helps to finance other activities in Sweden.

Another example I would like to highlight is the company that received the government's export price two weeks ago, Svenskt Tenn. Svenskt Tenn has now been active in Sweden for 100 years. There, the foundation has funded research in Sweden for several hundred million kronor. The funds have gone to environmental research, medical research, and cultural research, and they have contributed to Sweden's prosperity in other ways.

But we also have small companies in the cultural and creative industry. As an example, I can highlight Norrbottens Destilleri, which started not so many years ago. A few enthusiasts in a place called Töre, with barely 1,000 inhabitants, started a distillery. Now they have achieved real success and sell gin flavored with typical Norrbotten flavors, a gin that is classified as one of the absolute best and is sold in Japan, Chile, and Germany and in other places, and therefore contributes both to increasing tourism in Norrbotten and to creating jobs in a smaller town.

As said, Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be here today to discuss the cultural and creative industry as a base industry that deserves our attention, our gratitude, and our pride. I see the strategy that we are making decisions on here today as a starting point for a process. We will need to revise and supplement the strategy, and we will evaluate it. But I look forward to a discussion where culture is not just equal to public funding but something that also contributes to the welfare of all of Sweden.

(Applause)

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(Decisions were made under § 16.)

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