Response to interpellation 2023/24:40 on the film archive in Grängesberg
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
1 L considers that the authority needs to assess the need for development and change to achieve preservation, coordination, and efficiency gains 1. 1 L argues that it is important to have a state presence throughout the country and that authorities should conduct efficient operations 1. 2 L admits that there is too much Stockholm-centricity in Swedish politics and that one should see the whole country 2. 3 L considers that Sweden needs to break the norm that everything is concentrated in the capital to ensure the interests of the entire country 3. 3 L argues that the Riksdag should not decide exactly where an authority's employees should sit and that one must trust the authorities' competence 3. 4 S argues that the film archive is unique and that there is plenty of space, competent staff, and low rent in Grängesberg 4. 5 S criticizes that the government took a position in the budget bill before consultations and analyses were carried out 5. 5 S considers that policy must steer so that the state exists in the whole country and that one should stop centralizing 5. 5 S argues that there are insufficient arguments for moving the film archive to the Stockholm area and advocates instead for maintaining and developing the operations in Grängesberg 5.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Utbildningsministern Mats Persson (L)
Madam President! Sofie Eriksson has asked me if I have been involved in the process regarding the decision on a possible closure of the film archive in Grängesberg. Sofie Eriksson has further asked me if I have taken the initiative for a calculation of the costs to expand the operations at some other location. Finally, Sofie Eriksson has asked if I intend to initiate any impact assessment regarding the security issues linked to centralization.
The Royal Library manages large collections of physical and digital material that are to be preserved for the future. The collections are continuously growing in scope, and the agency therefore needs to repeatedly review and assess the need for development and change. Within the framework of this work, the agency has made the overall assessment that there are preservation, coordination, and efficiency gains in moving the operations in Grängesberg together with the operations in Bålsta or Stockholm and has also initiated the process for such a change.
The Government considers it important to have a state presence throughout the country, among other things to contribute to regional development. At the same time, it is important that agencies conduct an efficient operation regardless of where in the country they are located. In the Government Agency Ordinance (2007:515) there are provisions regarding state agencies' responsibility to ensure that operations are conducted efficiently and that the agency manages state funds well.
Furthermore, the ordinance (2017:583) on regional growth work addresses the participation of state agencies in regional growth work, and the ordinance (2019:202) on the localization of state agencies addresses the process for the agencies' localization decisions. From the latter, it appears, among other things, that the agencies shall prepare a consequence analysis before decisions on localization. The consequence analysis shall contain a description of the operational, economic, and personnel consequences of the agency's planned decision, as well as an assessment of the regional consequences within the framework of the agency's areas of responsibility. The analysis shall also state what alternative possibilities exist to develop or rationalize the agency's existing operations in the municipality.
There are provisions regarding the tasks that state agencies under the government have during and in peacetime crisis situations and heightened alert in the ordinance (2022:524) on state agencies' preparedness. All state agencies are, among other things, required to continuously carry out a risk and vulnerability analysis. In addition to this, the Royal Library and a number of cultural agencies shall plan for the removal of archival documents, books, works of art, and natural and cultural history objects according to the ordinance (1993:243) on removal and destruction in the event of war.
The Government naturally considers it important to protect cultural heritage. Against the background of the serious security policy situation in which Sweden finds itself, the Government intends to further strengthen the protection of cultural heritage in the event of crisis or war. In March this year, the National Heritage Board was therefore tasked with investigating the conditions for a new national cultural protection council. The agency's proposal is currently being prepared in the Government Offices.
Sofie Eriksson (S)
Madam President! I want to begin by expressing my deepest sympathy to the relatives who have suffered losses following yesterday's terrorist attack in Brussels. What has happened is inconceivable and horrific.
But I will move on to the topic for this debate. In Grängesberg, there is Dalarna's best swimming spot and Sweden's largest brewery. It was to the mine in Grängesberg that the world's first transmission of three-phase alternating current was carried out. Many companies now want to start new operations with us.
History, present, and future are in Gränges. This is therefore not about feeling sorry for Grängesberg. We live in beautiful nature. We contribute to Sweden's riches. But we also expect that a handshake with the state shall be worth something.
This debate is about the film archive in Grängesberg. It is located on the old mining area, on culturally historical land. The archive is unique in its kind and constitutes an invaluable source of knowledge about the Swedish people's lives and work during the 20th century. The material can be used for, among other things, documentaries or research. The jobs available at the film archive are the only state jobs remaining in Grängesberg, and they came, among other things, as replacement jobs, as a form of compensation when the state closed the mine in Grängesberg.
But now the film archive is to celebrate 20 years by being threatened with closure. On March 2 of this year, a shocking announcement was made to the staff: An investigation had been commissioned at the Royal Library with the stated purpose of carrying out a decommissioning. The investigation continued for about two months and concluded that the sign in Grängesberg should already be taken down by the turn of the year. And now we have been able to read in the budget bill that the government agrees. The arguments concern the desire to coordinate the activities within KB, but also that the premises would not be sufficiently adapted.
Madam Speaker! First of all, if one wants to coordinate activities, do it in Grängesberg, because we have plenty of space! We have new premises, competent staff, a municipality that wants to, and furthermore, the lowest rent.
Secondly, why has contact not been made with the municipality in this matter? We in the municipality have read about the matter in the media and in the budget bill. New premises were recently completed in Grängesberg that are climate-adapted. The residents of the municipality invested almost 10 million kronor in this. The plan was to move material from Bålsta to Grängesberg, but then suddenly it was no longer feasible.
Thirdly, if the problem is that the completely new climate-adapted premises in Grängesberg are insufficient, how does it look at other operational sites – do they have perfect conditions and also space to receive 1,700 shelf meters from Grängesberg? No, they do not. I quote from the investigation that the Royal Library has conducted. It states: At present, there are no available warehouse areas or already furnished areas within the Royal Library's operations that can house the collections from the film archive. There is also no existing warehouse with the correct climate for the film archive's collections.
I now appeal to the minister: Let the film archive remain! We have the will, low rent, competent staff, and plenty of space for more films. Let the archive stay in Grängesberg!
Utbildningsministern Mats Persson (L)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, the questioner, for an excellent interpellation and an excellent question! It is important that the Royal Library does what it is supposed to do in these types of matters, namely consult with the various relevant actors and stakeholders in this. It can involve the region, the municipality, the County Administrative Board and other actors. The agency has also been told to do this. I assume that this is being handled in a good way.
I assume that the Royal Library follows the existing guidelines and that there is a broad dialogue with different actors. Then we will see what that dialogue results in and what the conclusions will be.
I welcome that there is a strong local commitment to these types of issues. It is naturally important that local perspectives are put forward. It is also important that the authority listens to the different local perspectives that exist.
I do not want to anticipate the work that the authority is doing, but we will, of course, follow it closely. I have great respect and great confidence that the authority handles this in a wise and correct manner, but I also assume that one engages in dialogue with different stakeholders who are relevant in this issue.
Sofie Eriksson (S)
Madam Speaker! One wonders where this operation will move to in a couple of months, after the turn of the year. We do not know. Is there room at any of the other operational sites? No. What will it cost to expand and climate-adapt at any of the other locations? We do not know. Why does one then want to close in Grängesberg, which is functioning? Because of that. And it is far to Stockholm.
The Minister mentions a number of regulations in his answer. It states that one should analyze how decisions on relocation can affect society locally and regionally. I wonder: Can Mats Persson confirm whether such an analysis has been carried out or not? As far as I know, it was just recently, only this week, that Ludvika municipality received a summons to a consultation. Still, the government feels so secure with this that they stand behind it. It is indeed in the budget.
I also wonder how one views the fact that trust in the state is being affected. What should other municipalities learn from this situation? They see that Ludvika municipality has invested, but as soon as the premises are finished, the state takes down the sign and withdraws to Stockholm. I think that from the state's side, at least the money should be paid back or other state jobs should be arranged. How else can one trust that a handshake with the state is worth anything at all?
Madam Speaker! I get the feeling that the only thing that is important in this matter is to leave Grängesberg. It doesn't matter that the municipality has invested 10 million kronor. It doesn't matter that there is staff with competence that is difficult to find elsewhere. It doesn't matter that the local population really wants this operation to stay. It doesn't even matter that no money will be saved on the move - one just has to get away from Grängesberg. If I am wrong, I will be happy.
Madam Speaker! The state is not just Stockholm. It matters a great deal whether there is state activity in a location or not. Still, it often sounds as if activity outside Stockholm is some kind of special interest, something the state does just to be a bit kind. And as soon as one is to streamline, one withdraws to the big city. So we can't have that, can we?
The people of Grängesberg are just as much a part of the state as the people of Östermalm are, aren't they? Furthermore, it would be bad from a security perspective to centralize even more archival activity in the Stockholm area. We would surely want to protect our history better than that?
The question is: What will this cost? There is no room in any of the other locations, and furthermore, they do not have sufficiently climate-adapted premises. What will it cost to expand in any other location than Grängesberg? No one can believe that it will be cheaper to expand in Stockholm's inner city?
On this question, I also did not receive any answer from Mats Persson. What is actually the reason that the government wants to remove the only state jobs that remain in Grängesberg? It surely cannot just be about there being a distance to Stockholm and that this alone is decisive?
Utbildningsministern Mats Persson (L)
Madam Speaker! Let me begin by saying that Sofie Eriksson is completely right. It can be heard from my dialect that I agree with you. There is far too much Stockholm-centrism in Swedish politics. I have, as you can hear from my Scanian, a bit of difficulty pronouncing Grängesberg in the beautiful way that you, Sofie Eriksson, do. But you can also hear from my Scanian that it is not so Stockholm-ish or Östermalm-ish. I therefore completely share your view. For too many decisions in Sweden, the starting point is that Stockholm is the norm and that one does not see the strength and the opportunities that exist all around in our elongated country, not just in Grängesberg but actually also in Skåne, where I live.
I believe it is very important that in the coming years we pursue a policy that means we see the whole country and where we do not concentrate activities in Stockholm just because one should do so or because it is the norm. I think that is very important.
At the same time, when conducting an activity, one needs to find the right balance in relation to the local and regional presence. The authority needs to find opportunities to conduct the activity based on what the authority itself considers reasonable. It is also about taking into account what potential benefits there may be in having things in a certain place. And in some cases, even we who do not live in Stockholm must admit that there may be reasons why Stockholmers also need one job or another state position. There may be reasons why some state jobs need to be in Stockholm, even if I, with my Scanian part, share the view that there is too much of a Stockholm perspective in Swedish politics.
That is why I think it is welcome that the Royal Library is now announcing that it will carry out this consultation with various local and regional actors, including the County Administrative Board. I think it is important. In that dialogue, the agency must carefully justify the reasons for the changes it has now sketched out. Then, the agency must weigh the arguments it now has against any counterarguments put forward by local and regional stakeholders. The agency must evaluate this to collectively see what is the best way forward.
But let me be very clear on this point. Sofie Eriksson is completely right. There is too much Stockholm focus in Swedish politics. I apologize that I cannot pronounce Grängesberg as beautifully as the member can, but I do my best with the Scanian I have.
Sofie Eriksson (S)
Madam President! I shall say that I have practiced saying Grängesberg in the right way, because I do not originally come from there. I am working very hard on this. It is very beautiful in Grängesberg - the dialect, the nature, the people and everything.
What is a bit tricky is that the government has, so to speak, taken a position in the budget bill, and that has been done before consultations have taken place and before analyses have been carried out. I think that is a bit strange. But I still hear from the minister that there is an opening. Perhaps some rethinking will occur, and that would be extremely welcome.
On the point that it is a Stockholm fixation: Just recently, the news came that SVT is going to centralize its operations - 20 jobs are disappearing from Falun. Mats Persson cannot be blamed for this, but these are still things that have an impact. The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority is to be moved from Katrineholm to Stockholm. And the new Swedish Payments Authority is to be located in Stockholm. They apparently need some new government jobs there. So that is what is done, even though it would have been a perfect opportunity to get more government jobs somewhere else in the country.
If the policy wants the state to exist throughout the country, the policy must be governed in that way. This interpellation concerns the film archive in Grängesberg. Point by point, I have not received sufficient arguments as to why that activity absolutely must be moved to the Stockholm area.
If you want to coordinate, do it in Grängesberg! We have space and low rent. If you want more climate adaptations, talk to the municipality! If you want to be economical, do not expand in the most expensive places! If you want the state to exist in the whole country, stop centralizing! If you want to increase trust in society, do not break the handshakes that have been made with the municipal residents!
No one would be happier than I if we could put a stop to this unnecessary closure. It is not about party politics on my part. There is time, so I implore once again: Keep and develop the film archive in Grängesberg!
Utbildningsministern Mats Persson (L)
Madam President! Thank you, Sofie Eriksson, for your commitment and for the interpellation that you have submitted!
I think it is very welcome that we in the Riksdag have a broad understanding that Stockholm should not be the norm. Sweden is a long country, from the furthest north to the furthest south, where I myself live. We need to look at the interests of the whole of Sweden, and we need to break the norm that exists regarding that everything should be concentrated in the capital, so to speak.
At the same time, we have authorities that are independent. And I believe we should safeguard the model we have. Exactly in detail where, in this case, 5.5 years of workers should have their workplace somewhere is not something that the Swedish Riksdag should decide on. Otherwise, I believe it could open up for different types of debates where different locations in a region are pitted against each other. Or we would be moving very professional decisions into the Riksdag chamber. I am not sure that is the right way forward.
We must dare to trust our authorities and believe that the best competence is there when it comes to making the balanced assessment regarding on one hand the whole country and on the other hand an authority's need to put together its operations so that they can be conducted in a good way.
I welcome that the authority will now have an in-depth dialogue with various actors. I look forward to following that dialogue. I have full confidence that the authority will handle this in a good way and that the authority can weigh in the local need together with the need to be able to conduct a purposeful and efficient operation.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.