Response to interpellation 2022/23:28 on member-owned associations

Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! Lars Isacsson has asked me if I and the government will take the initiative to change the 51-percent rule in Sweden and if I and the government will work to ensure that the Swedish Sports Confederation changes its statutes.

The short answers are no and no. Let me, however, elaborate on the text somewhat and begin by clarifying that non-profit associations, which all the country's sports clubs under Riksidrottsförbundet are, have no owners. In a non-profit association, one is a member.

At the national sports meeting in 1999, it was decided that sports activities may be conducted by so-called sports limited companies if the relevant special sports federation's statutes permit it. A sports association can then grant the right to participate in the federation's competitive activities to such a company. The granting sports association must have a voting majority at the company's general meeting. That is how the so-called 51-percent rule is designed.

That we in Sweden have a free and independent sports movement is a starting point in state sports policy and a self-evident fact for the government. That sports are free and independent rests on the freedom of association and on the fact that it is the members who, in a democratic association order, have power over an association's activities and governance. The question of the 51-percent rule is owned by the sports movement, and according to the government, there are no reasons to act or argue for the rule to be changed.

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

Lars Isacsson (S)

Madam Speaker! I thank Minister Jakob Forssmed for the answer. Let me also congratulate him on the important assignment as Minister for Social Affairs and, not least, as the person responsible for sports issues.

Swedish sports are built on associations and their members. Sport is a popular movement in Sweden, and that is how it should be. People come together in associations where they work together democratically. The sports movement is an independent movement with a democratic structure, from the individual member via associations and specific sports federations to the Swedish Sports Confederation.

The Government and the Sweden Democrats want, according to their palace agreement, to initiate a special project to strengthen the competitiveness of Sweden's top leagues in football and ice hockey. In Expressen on November 3, Minister Johan Pehrson stated that the wording could refer to the so-called 51-percent rule, which is enshrined in the Swedish Sports Confederation's statutes and which means that a club's members must hold 51 percent of the votes in a sports limited company and thus have a voting majority. The rule secures ordinary members' influence and reduces the risk of private investors taking control of the association or the club. There is strong support in Sweden's member-led sports associations to retain the rule and thus the control over the associations.

Denmark has had an increasing commercial development of football. Their superleague has had a decrease in audience of 25 percent over ten years, compared to Allsvenskan where the audience has increased by 15 percent during the same period. Allsvenskan and its supporter collectives are top-class in Europe when it comes to atmosphere, lively crowds and tifos. Member influence obviously creates an engagement that it is not worth risking.

I view the fact that politicians in the government and the Sverigedemokraterna seem to be prepared to force the Swedish Sports Confederation to change its statutes as very serious, and many others with me do as well. It also goes directly against the vast majority of supporters and the folk movement concept in the sports movement, hence my interpellation to Minister Jakob Forssmed, who, unlike Minister Johan Pehrson, is responsible for sports issues.

It is with joy and relief that I have taken note of the Minister's answer. I am pleased that this is the government's position on the 51-percent issue. But, Madam Speaker, now that it is clear that it is not the 51-percent rule that is intended in the government's and SD's special project to increase competitiveness in the top leagues in football and ice hockey, some other questions remain for the Minister.

Firstly: When the government and SD produced the Tidö Agreement and listed there what they consider to be the biggest social issues in Sweden, how is it that increased competitiveness in Allsvenskan and SHL were included?

Secondly: What is the big problem with Allsvenskan and SHL, and what is the government's and SD's objective? And perhaps above all: What measures does the government intend to take to increase competitiveness? I assume it is not to introduce VAR.

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

Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Lars Isacsson, for a good account of something that is very beautiful, namely associative democracy and the possibility to organize around common interests and such a joyful activity as sports.

Lars Isacsson gave a productive account of member engagement and what it can mean within sports. But in my view, it is very clear that if the sports movement would like to change things, they have that possibility, but it would naturally affect how the state's relationship to the sports movement looks in different ways. I think, and have been clear, that this is an issue owned one hundred percent by the sports movement. It is the government's view that I am describing here. There are no ambitions to overrule the sports movement when it comes to the rule.

Now to Lars Isacsson's other questions. There were many, and I apologize if I miss any. The government has ambitions in the sports field, not least when it comes to the breadth and all the children who have dropped out of sports clubs during the pandemic. How can we support and help them so that they find a way back? How can we ensure that more people come to enjoy club sports?

We are investing 100 million kronor specifically in club sports in vulnerable areas, to create opportunities for a breadth of sports, where club sports are sometimes weaker and sometimes are present but may need extra support. This is what the government wants to provide.

We are also currently working on a leisure card to earmark funds for children's and young people's leisure activities and opportunities to participate in a sports club, especially when they are found in socioeconomically disadvantaged contexts and perceive that their own training fees or membership fees compete with the family's household economy and that they therefore stop. It is this situation we want to avoid. We want to ensure that more children can join and feel that there is support so that they can move and that they also get access to more present adults in their lives and an active, meaningful leisure time, but also a better foundation for equal health.

The government considers it important to look at the conditions for elite activities. What does it look like for our major sports? Football and hockey have been mentioned, but what we conclude is naturally also relevant for other sports. What does it look like with the conditions for talent development? This is largely owned by the sports movement itself, but there the government can, of course, see if there is anything we can support with that is reasonable to do.

We will need to look at the facility issue in different ways. We know that it is urgent. How can we get training times for both boys and girls? This naturally matters for how we manage the possibility of top leagues and elite activities in Sweden. Is there anything else we can look at? Are there tax rules? Are there other types of regulatory frameworks that we need to review in some way? These are questions that can also come to be highlighted in such a project.

I will gladly return to the Riksdag and the public discussion on this in various ways in the future and look forward to Lars Isacsson's and others' input in such work.

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

Lars Isacsson (S)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! I am, as I said, pleased that we share the view on the 51-percent rule and that that question belongs to the sports movement.

However, I remain skeptical about the wisdom of the government and the Sweden Democrats having as one of their most prioritized issues to improve the quality of the elite in football and hockey. From what I have seen, this comes as a surprise to the federations concerned, and it is still very unclear what the government intends for the project to include.

I am, however, pleased that we seem to have a consensus when it comes to grassroots sports. A strong sports movement is part of the Swedish model and creates a better and safer Sweden. The voluntary forces make invaluable contributions to engaging and activating many children, young people, and older people.

To promote sports, Sweden's municipalities should and can have sports policy programs, create all-activity plans and have leisure banks, sports libraries or similar where sports equipment is lent out free of charge.

Sport is also a matter of urban planning, and I am pleased that the Minister is raising the issue of, for example, facilities. I believe that the government and the municipalities can take a very large responsibility when they plan the community to create spaces for sport and recreation.

When it comes to producing world-class excellence in various sports, I am convinced that the Swedish model, with an emphasis on breadth and inclusion, is the right one. If we ensure that as many as possible have the opportunity to take part in all the great things that sports can offer, the gains of producing world stars will come simultaneously with us all benefiting from increased public health, better integration, and social upbringing.

Madam Speaker! I interpret it as the Minister sharing my view that lowered thresholds to sports and investment in breadth is a prerequisite for increased excellence and thus increased competitiveness.

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

Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! If one looks at the government's and the Sweden Democrats' budget proposals, one sees that there is no doubt that we are investing in breadth. These are investments in sports in vulnerable areas, in leisure cards, and in better access for the elderly to sports so that they can in that way achieve better health, greater quality of life, and more well-being also in the years ahead. Sport is actually something one can engage in throughout life. I think these are good and important investments that the government wants to make.

Let us return to whether there is anything further we can do to strengthen the possibilities regarding the competitiveness of Swedish sports so that we can produce the role models who matter for children and young people to want to continue to invest in their sports.

I share Lars Isacsson's view that without a good breadth, it is very difficult to achieve good elite activity. We have a situation today where too few children move sufficiently. We have poorer fitness but also poorer coordination than we have had previously, and in that, it is important to ensure that physical activity is created among many. There we have much to do.

We are also prepared to review what we can do to strengthen the competitiveness of elite activities today. The Government has, for example, intervened in a case in the EU Court regarding how domestic-trained players should be viewed. Is sport a labor market just like others, or are there specific conditions that should apply to the sports movement and sports clubs? We think so. It is a way to try to safeguard Swedish talent development and our leagues' opportunity to compete with clubs out in Europe.

One can, of course, which the government is also prepared to do, inventory different areas and see what more we can do. It sounds like Lars Isacsson does not have much against this, but it remains to be seen here in this final round of debate.

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

Lars Isacsson (S)

Madam Speaker! The Minister is quite right that Lars Isacsson has nothing against us increasing competitiveness and increasing the breadth. I believe it is precisely increased breadth that it is about.

However, I have some reflections on what the government and SD actually mean by increasing the competitiveness in the top leagues of football and ice hockey. SHL must still be ranked as the best league in Europe. Is it the government's intention that it should surpass the NHL in competitiveness, or what is the problem? Why do you raise this as a problem?

Last week, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association presented the all-time five for the men's Tre Kronor. These were their parent clubs: Järpens IF, Skogsbo SK, Kiruna AIF, Sollentuna HC, Modo and IK Graip. I also want to share with you the parent clubs for the starting eleven in the Swedish women's national football team, opening match of the summer's EC: Grottorps IF, Enskede IK, Vaksala SK, Sölvesborg GOIF, Mjölby AI, Grantofta IF, Sundsvalls DFF, IFK Fjärås, Avesta AIK and Vimmerby IF.

From these clubs come world-class players in ice hockey and football. If we continue to produce more of their caliber, the competitiveness of Allsvenskan and SHL will increase.

Mr. Speaker, these athletes come from different places across the entire country, and almost exclusively from small clubs with grassroots sports. These are clubs where they started with their friends and with volunteer leaders, and then they have been funneled onward to elite clubs. With this, I want to say that the best way to increase the competitiveness of Allsvenskan and SHL is to increase the support for grassroots sports.

I thank you for the opportunity to submit the interpellation and thank you for the answer.

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

Socialministern Jakob Forssmed (KD)

Madam Speaker! I would like to thank Lars Isacsson for the opportunity to once again clarify the government's view on the 51-percent rule. I also want to elaborate somewhat on the government's view on broad sports and elite sports.

I note from the list that Member Isacsson read out that both the Member and the undersigned have reason to enjoy this a little extra when hearing this. It was both Avesta and Sollentuna.

(LARS ISACSSON (S): And Skogsbo!)

Yes, Skogsbo was also on the list! It is of course absolutely wonderful that we have clubs that provide us with this type of entertainment and that there are volunteer leaders all over Sweden who uphold this. Year after year, day in and day out, they devote parts of their free time to nurturing not just players but people. They give of their time and their presence, and actually also a bit of their love, to these boys and girls all over Sweden. It is an immense strength for Sweden, and it is something fantastic and phenomenal.

The government's view is that we shall try to support this as well as we can. We shall provide the conditions for both freedom and independence, but also for there to be reasonable support from the state's side in order to be able to do this in a good way. There, we have no differences of opinion.

Lars Isacsson also mentioned the issue of VAR earlier. One can have many views on that, but I believe it is an issue that one should actually hand over to the sport. It should decide for itself on its rules and in what way they can best be monitored for the benefit of both players and the audience.

I thank you very much for the opportunity to come here and talk about these issues, which are very important for the government both in terms of breadth and in terms of what we can do to strengthen the conditions for elite sports in Sweden.

The interpellations debate was hereby concluded.

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