Response to interpellations 2024/25:392, 458 and 477 on food prices

Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! In light of the high inflation of recent years, which has led to increased food prices, Sanne Lennström has asked me what measures I intend to take to ensure that food prices are pushed down so that everyone can afford food. Mikael Damberg has asked me why I do not stand behind any of the Social Democrats' proposals to push down food prices. Jytte Guteland has asked me what I am doing to counteract the food giants continuing to raise prices and pressure already pressured Swedes.

When the government took office, inflation was around 10 percent. Rising food prices have hit many families hard, especially those who already have small margins. The government's most important economic priority upon taking office was therefore to combat inflation. At the same time, we supported households with, among other things, reduced taxes on labor and fuels and an increased housing allowance.

It is positive that we have brought down inflation. But that does not mean that food prices are falling back; they remain high. Many families still find it difficult to make ends meet. Therefore, in this year's budget, we have further lowered the tax for everyone who works, with a focus on low- and middle-income earners. For those who have it toughest, we are extending the temporary supplementary grant in the housing allowance for families with children and increasing the sickness benefit in special cases.

The government has also tasked the Competition Authority with analyzing the competition within the food chain and how prices have increased in relation to costs, which was shown in June 2024. The government has increased the Competition Authority's appropriation and is also strengthening Swedish agriculture. Strengthened competition and lower costs for farmers can lead to lower food prices.

The biggest difference, however, is that families get more in their wallets. A family with a police officer and a nurse has 9,000 kronor more in their wallet this year thanks to our budget. That makes a big difference when the grocery bags need to be paid for.

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

Sanne Lennström (S)

Madam Speaker! Inflation may have fallen, even though it is on its way up again, and the ministers in this chamber have many times used formulations such as that Sweden is heading towards brighter times or that we see many improvements in the coming years. It is possible that the feeling has been so in Rosenbad, but it is far from the feeling around the Swedish kitchen tables of families with children and especially not among single-person households.

I have had a number of debates on this theme with Minister Anna Tenje, and there is one thing that worries me. It is not uncommon for us as parties here in the chamber to have different ideas about goals and means, but in this case, we are not even in agreement about the reality when it comes to the finances of families with children.

When I asked Minister Anna Tenje whether families with children were having a hard time, yes or no, I received no answer. It was omitted and replaced by statistics and historical descriptions. Today, I hope for a more positive answer from the Minister for Finance.

Today's debate is very important. Inflation has indeed backed off somewhat, but that has really not been the case for food prices and rents. A full 25 percent of food prices have increased in three years, and it is cheap everyday goods that have increased most in price. This is noticeable for many, but especially for the country's families with children.

The Consumer Agency says that the average family spends 11,600 kronor on food every month. The government's supporting politicians can talk as much as they want about looking for sale prices, being unfaithful to your grocery store, working, moving, getting promoted, and all other so-called tips that I have heard in this chamber, but let me be clear: People are already doing that.

Of course, it is fundamental that we combat unemployment, which is high, but do not say in this debate that it is the work line that applies. It is a mockery to tell a hard-working nursing assistant who has two or three children that she should be promoted and work more.

The government must face reality, and that is that families with children are still on their knees because of the cost crisis. Juice, dairy products, vegetables, diapers, and coffee are some of the products that have increased particularly much in price. These are precisely the types of goods that families with children need.

Madam Speaker! In an article in Aftonbladet on January 20, one could read about a 39-year-old mother of three who is forced to skip meals to make the finances work. She cannot afford winter boots for her children herself. This mother has a job but is single, so the finances are meager to say the least. And she is ashamed. If pizza is to be ordered, she tells other adults that they are not that hungry in her family and that all four can share a pizza.

Another mother who has been written about is named Sandra. She is a nursing assistant. She takes extra shifts with an OB-supplement, but it still doesn't add up. Sometimes she is forced to drink tea instead of eating dinner so that her children can eat dinner.

At the same time, we have a government that is investing in tax cuts for those who earn the most. This is Sweden 2025. Makalösa Föräldrar recently released a report showing that their members – single parents – generally lack 3,029 kronor every month.

Makalösa Föräldrar is calling for political changes for a bearable everyday life. It is pointed out that the government, most recently in the budget through a reduced supplement to the housing allowance, gave less in the wallet for single parents. There will be less money while expenses increase, and the government also does not want to increase the child allowance despite the fact that we have proposed it in various forms several times.

The equation does not add up, and it is the single parents who suffer. It creates stress and pressure and risks leading to more sick leaves, which is really not desirable. What does the Minister want to say to Caroline, Sandra and everyone else? It creates stress and pressure and risks leading to more sick leaves, which is really not desirable.

What does the Minister want to say to Caroline, Sandra and all other parents who are struggling to feed their families?

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

Mikael Damberg (S)

Madam Speaker! A few weeks ago, the latest inflation figure was released. It was stated in black and white: In February, food prices increased by an additional 3.9 percent.

It is not the first time we hear that food prices continue to increase. An ordinary family can today pay 30,000 kronor more for their food per year compared to how it was before the cost crisis. The prices on everyday groceries continue to go up. A pack of coffee will soon cost 100 kronor. Many people are forced to opt out of breakfast juice, cheese, or meat in the grocery bag.

I believe that many feel that enough is enough. We cannot have it this way. This week, thousands of Swedes across the country are protesting against the increased food prices. They are tired of the constant price increases, and they ask the completely reasonable question: Why is the government not doing anything? You know what – I am wondering about that too.

We Social Democrats have presented a complete package of measures to increase competition and press down prices. We have presented proposals to increase competition in the food market and press down prices for ordinary people, among other things by making it easier for local grocery stores to establish themselves. We want better price comparisons in stores. We want to increase competition in the wholesale sector. We want clearer labeling against shrinkflation. We want to establish a food price commission that reviews the food giants' price increases and acts to protect Swedish consumers.

I note that the Minister for Finance did not answer my question in her response, so I want to conclude by repeating it: Why does the Minister for Finance not stand behind any of our proposals to press down food prices, and does she have any of her own proposals to put forward?

(Applause)

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Jytte Guteland (S)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Finance, for participating here in the chamber!

Food prices have, as other interpellants have also pointed out, risen in recent years. It is now a matter of 25 percent. Pressured Swedes have been forced to note that this year also started with price increases. The price feast continues for Axfood, Coop and Ica, who dominate the market and completely seem to ignore the suffering it creates when prices just continue to increase.

According to SCB, nearly half a million Swedes live in material and social poverty. A large proportion of the Swedish people were registered with the Enforcement Authority at the turn of the year. At the turn of the year, this concerned 417,248 people, an increase of 6 percent compared to the previous year. The suffering that the Swedish people endure under this government seems to never end.

Already last year, the organizations Rädda Barnen, Röda Korset, Majblomman and Hyresgästföreningen testified that inflation, rent increases, raised interest rates and high and rising food prices have led to the fact that families with children have very great difficulty affording even the basics. My co-interpellants have raised the same issue.

Single parents have particular difficulty making ends meet financially. The organization Makalösa Föräldrar, which was mentioned here by the previous interpellator, testifies that the majority of Swedish parents are very concerned. Eight out of ten parents are worried about their finances. Makalösa Föräldrars secretary general Christina Olsson says that as things stand right now, it essentially requires two salaries. We are, therefore, in some kind of American economy where one can no longer manage on one salary.

A large group of parents is doing everything to reduce costs and has already done everything. They are on their knees. Yet, it sometimes sounds from Rosenbad and the ministry buildings around it as if one should just exert a little more effort and scrape together leftovers and what has been saved in the barns. But these are people – and I can say that it is a large part of the Swedish people – who are already buying secondhand for their children. They have cut back on all leisure activities, and they are already making lentil soup for themselves and falukorv for the children – or, as some parents testify to Makalösa Föräldrar, they only eat breakfast themselves to afford food for the children all day.

Madam Speaker! Unemployment is increasing. Swedes are ending up with the Enforcement Authority more than ever before. Aid organizations testify that more and more Swedes are seeking help for expenses that they managed previously, for example, food purchases. Yet we hardly hear a word from the government.

We Social Democrats have, through our fiscal policy spokesperson, presented a number of proposals. We want to strengthen competition in the food market. It should be easier for local grocery stores to establish themselves and compete to bring down prices. We want better price comparisons in stores. We want clearer labeling regarding shrinkflation. Most importantly, we want to strengthen the situation for the country's families with children by increasing child benefits. When will the government listen to the Social Democrats?

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Isabell Mixter (V)

Madam Speaker! Food prices are so high that people cannot afford to buy food. Then the government takes the opportunity to shock-increase the price of medicine. It is with unique precision and timing that the government chooses to move forward with higher prices on medicine. At the same time, the government has chosen to give itself large tax cuts.

It is obvious that people have now had enough. We see that during this week, large and extensive boycotts are taking place against the food giants. People feel that it is needed – that something needs to happen to turn this development around.

The government needs to act so that people can afford to put food on the table. It is essential that people should be able to afford to eat their fill.

The Competition Authority notes that food prices have not increased as much since the 1950s. The Government and the Sweden Democrats have previously spoken about the situation improving for the Swedish economy and that inflation is on its way back down. At the same time, we could see in February that the inflation increase on food prices was the largest in a year.

The government and Elisabeth Svantesson are now once again going to have coffee with the food giants. We can only hope and wish that it is more than just coffee and buns that will be the result of the coffee break this time, because something needs to happen now. The government needs to take responsibility so that people can afford to live.

Åkesson has said in debates and statements that one should shop with those who have better prices. The problem is that it does not work because the market does not work. The Swedish Competition Authority has also stated this – there is an oligopoly-like situation in the food market, where cartels are formed regarding pricing.

The government leans back and lets this robbery continue. They are quick to lower taxes and raise the high-cost protection on medicine, but they lean back when the food giants continue to raise their prices.

What is needed right now is total transparency in pricing and fines in the event of unreasonably high pricing. Regarding this matter with the food giants, I would like to make a joint submission to the government: that it must now notify the food giants that if they continue to raise prices unreasonably much, the excess profits shall be taxed.

The costs for this must be distributed between the customers and the market. Right now, all cost increases are placed directly on the consumers while those who own the market continue to take exactly the same high profits – even higher than before. It is completely unreasonable.

It also risks putting the entire Swedish economy in an extremely serious situation if we continue to let the inflation on food prices rise.

My question to Elisabeth Svantesson is: What is the government doing about this?

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Malte Tängmark Roos (MP)

Madam Speaker! It is very good that we have this debate today, because the problem with rising food prices is something that both engages and affects all Swedes, but most of all those Swedes who have the very lowest incomes.

Over the last three or four years, food prices have risen by approximately 25–30 percent, while wages have on average only risen by about 10 percent. It has simply become harder for the Swedish people to afford food on the table. In addition to these Tidö prices on food, we have seen very large rent increases in recent months.

In that situation, one could have hoped for a government that shows the ability to act to strengthen the finances of vulnerable households. Unfortunately, the case is practically the opposite.

Instead, the government presented yesterday a worsened high-cost protection for pharmaceuticals, which means that it will become much more expensive to be ill. The government has previously announced that it will this summer abolish the temporary housing allowance for families with children. And this week, the government's investigation on a benefit ceiling was presented, which would mean that Sweden's most vulnerable families with children would lose thousands of kronor in income every month.

I do not think the concept of a double squeeze is enough to describe the situation. I believe we are facing a triple- or quadruple squeeze against Sweden's families with children and low-income earners.

The government needs to take this situation much more seriously. A meeting with the food giants is good, but it is not enough to create healthier food prices in the long term.

There are already presented investigation proposals on how the Swedish Competition Authority's possibilities to act against unfair competition and monopoly situations can be strengthened. The Government must move forward and sharpen those tools in order to thereby be able to bring down food prices.

Miljöpartiet wants to appoint a food price commission to look at how prices throughout the entire supply chain can be lowered.

We want to strengthen Swedish farmers in order to safeguard Swedish food production and make ourselves less vulnerable to price increases resulting from an unstable world.

Targeted initiatives are also needed to strengthen the purchasing power of low-income earners and families with children. An increased and indexed child allowance, a permanent version of the temporary housing allowance for families with children, and an increased national standard for social assistance are proposals that would truly reach the households that need the support the most and ensure that they have the opportunity to put food on the table.

In a few weeks, the government will present its spring budget. It is an excellent opportunity to support the households that truly need it. I wonder therefore: Will the government implement any new measures to press down food prices and strengthen the purchasing power of vulnerable households?

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Edward Riedl (M)

Madam Speaker! Let me begin by saying that I think it is good that we have this discussion in the chamber of the Riksdag. We are shedding light on an issue that affects very many people across our country. There are many families in the Swedish middle class, where two people have an income, who are having it quite tough. Even though they may have their own villa, a fairly good education and relatively high salaries, those families also have to prioritize. They are having it quite tough. If one is single and has a lower salary, it is clear that life is incredibly challenging.

It is therefore good that we have this debate, but let us look back at where we came from. When one of the interpellants, Member of Parliament Mikael Damberg, handed over as Minister for Finance, the rate of price increases, that is, inflation, was 10 percentage points. It was this that was handed over to the current Minister for Finance to manage. Not everything was the Social Democrats' fault, let me be clear about this, but one carries a great deal of responsibility on one's shoulders.

The first and most central priority for this government has been to fight inflation. The Riksbank has done its part, the government has done its part, and the Swedish trade union movement has taken a very large responsibility – larger in Sweden than in other countries. Together, everyone has succeeded in pressing down Swedish inflation to very low levels. But it is clear that prices remain – and they remain high – even though the rate of price increases has stopped. It is important to remember. Prices are troublesome for very many people.

We see that it is easing for some. The lower interest rates are making an impact in some areas, but at the same time, some rent increases occur because there is a lag. On the other hand, one did not have rent increases when villa owners and housing cooperative owners were hit with tripled interest rates. It is clear that many have had it tough in the wake of this.

Let me now come to the discussion about food prices, which I think is good that we have, Madam Speaker. Some things that make food prices lower can Swedish politicians actually influence. Some things Swedish politicians cannot influence at all. That there are poor harvests in other parts of the world is relatively difficult for anyone in this chamber to do very much about in the short term, but it obviously affects Swedish consumers very much. We can, however, influence quite a lot of what affects Swedish food prices. The diesel price is one of the most important components for Swedish food production. If one knows anything about Swedish agriculture, one knows that it is the case. It is one of the major expenses.

All the Social Democrats, Left Party members, and Green Party members who have been up here left behind, in principle, the world's highest fuel prices. When these parties were in power, diesel was incredibly expensive. It affected food costs. They dismantled fully functioning nuclear power, which made electricity expensive. In debate programs and when we have met food producers, it has been shown that these components had a very large impact. It was one of the things that, together with other things, caused the price development to stall.

I see that the speaking time is going very quickly, Madam Speaker, so I will come back up to continue. Let me be clear, however: In some parts, it is possible to influence when it comes to costs for Swedish agriculture. In other parts, we are affected by the outside world.

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Lena Johansson (S)

Madam Speaker! Actually, I would like to reply immediately, but I intend to stick to what I had intended to say.

Sweden is a country where we have for a long time been able to feel security in everyday life. That is not how it feels anymore, if I may say so. The security that there should be food on the table and that we should have a roof over our heads and a safe society to live in has been chipped away at the edges.

I met grandmother Majvor. She has a low pension, but she looks after her grandchildren after school a couple of times a week. She usually treats them to a sandwich and a glass of milk. It is nothing special, but it has become tougher even for her. This sandwich is made on store-bought bread in the form of a loaf. It has a little cheese, Bregott, and a cucumber slice on it, and a glass of milk to go with it. In 2021, the sandwich cost – regardless of the diesel price – 6.20 kronor with milk included. Today it costs 10 kronor. It is unreasonable.

We are not talking about fillet steak and langoustines here, but basmati. We are talking about a completely ordinary sandwich. It is something that children get in school and for breakfast, and that pensioners eat with their coffee if they can afford it. Single parents try to make the snack work. These are not just figures, but this is reality for many people. It is reality for families with children, low-income earners, and pensioners, and for people who do their best every day in Sweden but still cannot make the grocery budget work because of the cost on the receipt.

Madam Speaker! This is a development we cannot accept. Several have testified to this and how it affects them, and we see people daily on our social media protesting. The market does not function when households have to bear the entire cost themselves and the food giants still make billion-dollar profits. The price of a grocery bag for ordinary people swells, but the content shrinks.

We Social Democrats believe that the state should not only take its responsibility. The state should act. If even a sandwich is no longer a given, it is truly time.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! A fine sign of spring is when children begin to sell the Mayflower. It is done to collect funds for families who are having a hard time and are economically vulnerable. But what once upon a time was intended to add a golden edge to life does not always do that, but it now often goes to basic needs such as shoes and food. I want to give all credit to the Mayflower, which does a fantastic job, but children in Sweden should not have to go hungry. Children should not have to have cold feet.

When I got this job, inflation was high. For me, the most important thing was to ensure that the rate of price increases did not continue. People who work, toil, and earn money – and those with low incomes who perhaps work part-time – would actually also benefit from us pressing down inflation. We supported them so that they could get through the difficult situation that very many were in and that many still are in. For even though the high inflation is dampened, the price levels are high. Those who have had different forms of subsidies or compensations have received a compensation for that, while those who work have not received it in the same way.

Madam Speaker! I want to highlight two things from this important interpellation debate. One concerns food prices and competition, and the other concerns what we are doing for households. First, it concerns the households. To support households in a difficult situation, we have for two years in a row lowered the tax for ordinary wage earners. We are lowering the tax on pensions, we have several times lowered the tax on fuels, and we have changed the reduction obligation.

On October 1, 2022, the price was approximately 27.50 kronor – that depends on where one refuels – and on March 1 this year, the diesel was at 17.15. That is a 10 kronor lower price for ordinary people who need their car. This was not the Social Democrats' favorite proposal, and it was not to lower the tax for ordinary people either. It is not in the genes of a Social Democrat, unfortunately.

The second part, which is what this is actually about, is the food prices. They rose quite sharply. Food prices were the driving factor. They were the single largest factor for inflation until March 2023, when I met the three large actors individually. From April onwards, food prices were not the driving factor for inflation in the same way as before, but the whole thing began to be dampened.

Now we see, however, that prices are starting to rise again. Therefore, this discussion is important and good – we are putting pressure together. Some parts are the same, while other parts are not the same at all. What we see now is partly due to global factors that we did not see two years ago, for example, different harvests of coffee beans and cocoa.

There is also another part, which is important internally in Sweden, namely competition. We know that the competition is too poor and that there is much to be done. An important thing for all parties is to ensure that low-price chains get to establish themselves all around Sweden and that we do not have politicians from left to right who say no when they want to establish themselves. It affects the grocery bags and the opportunities for people to make a choice. If you live in Stockholm or in Örebro, as I do, it is of course easier. If you live in a smaller municipality, it is not as obvious.

It is a matter of both strengthening households, through what I have now mentioned, and ensuring that competition increases. I will return to this and to the meeting I intend to have on Thursday with Livsmedelsföretagen.

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Sanne Lennström (S)

Madam Speaker! I think it is remarkable that Member Riedl chose to blame Mikael Damberg and the previous government. Now it is 2025. We are talking about the fact that many real people of flesh and blood are having difficulty putting food on the table. Get into the game, the government! Stop having coffee breaks and start acting!

Ordinary households are in the toughest position in over 30 years. Inflation is rising, and food prices continue to soar. The government is doing too little. This government is lowering taxes for high-income earners by thousands of kronor per month. Jimmie Åkesson urges ordinary people to buy cheaper food. It is time to see reality, to see these people, and to do something.

Svenskt Näringsliv and, in this debate, Edward Riedl argue that the problem lies in the climate crisis, war, inflation, and so on. To those who believe that this is the whole truth, I have a reading tip, namely the Swedish Competition Authority's review of the food industry 2023–2024, which the Minister mentioned. The report states the following: In several respects, there is a lack of competition in the food chain. For consumers, this means that they pay more for many food items than they would need to. This is bad news for our already hard-pressed households, not least for families with children.

Svantesson and Åkesson can say that consumers should take their responsibility, but what does the government intend to do? Where is the government's responsibility in this?

We Social Democrats are not without answers. We have repeatedly presented proposals for various types of measures, including a food price commission to get to the bottom of why prices are so high and a warning triangle against shrinkflation, that is, when a product decreases in content but the price remains the same or even increases. We have also proposed an increase in the child allowance and to keep the supplement in the housing allowance at a higher level than the government has. All of this would have helped families with children and consumers today, but the government has said no.

The increase in food prices does not only lead to shrinking bank accounts but also drives inflation. Food prices have increased since the turn of the year. If the government now says no to all the proposals for measures that we Social Democrats present, exactly what does Minister Svantesson intend to do to ensure that Sweden's consumers can eat their fill and do not need to replace dinner with tea?

(Applause)

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Mikael Damberg (S)

Madam Speaker! We are having an important debate right now. It is about the everyday life and the reality for very many different families all over Sweden who see that it is difficult to make the finances work.

When I heard the interpellation answer, I first thought that something must be wrong. The Minister for Finance said that it is positive that we have brought down inflation, but that this does not mean that food prices are falling – they remain high. Did she simply forget to mention that food prices are rising again?

Then, Madam Speaker, I heard Edward Riedl say that prices continue to be high. They are rising, then. Can we agree that food prices are rising again after already having been high?

This will likely become a discussion on distribution policy. We can have that debate.

We have proposed a fair tax cut, which reaches more groups than the one the government has proposed. We have proposed that Sweden should increase the child allowance and the student grant by 200 kronor a month and do something that all other Nordic countries have done in this cost crisis, namely to support families with children through the crisis. We have proposed that the poorest pensioners should receive 200 kronor more in housing allowance because they have very small margins.

We have also said no to the government's deterioration for the single parents that is being talked about so much in this chamber. It could be as much as 770 kronor less per month for these single parents, often mothers, who are going to try to put good food on the table for their children.

I would gladly have a distributive policy discussion with the government about how one can time a deterioration of the high-cost protection for medicines while simultaneously being able to afford to lower the tax by over 3,000 kronor a month for people with high incomes. It says something about the priorities in this economic situation.

This interpellation is, however, actually about something that we should be able to agree on: to do more to press down food prices in our country.

I stated in my previous post that we have presented a complete package of measures in various areas to increase competition, make it easier to start shops, have better price information in shops, and ensure that there are warning triangles when there is shrinkflation on goods. The reason for the latter is that one should not buy a package of coffee that is 450 grams instead of, as before, 500 grams and feel cheated because one does not know how much coffee one is actually paying for. We want to see more competition at the wholesale level to make it possible for small shops to purchase from more wholesalers.

Two years ago, the Social Democrats proposed a food price commission. Imagine if, for two years, we had had a food price commission that had worked on investigating how the food giants use their power and pricing, and how new initiatives could be introduced to increase competition in this market!

Unfortunately, the government has only taken an initiative. They are calling, once again, a meeting with the food giants. It is well and good that one sits down with the food giants; there is nothing wrong with that. But one also has the political power to present proposals, take measures, and drive issues to increase competition and press the prices.

I want to say this to the government: Take some of our proposals! We are happy to help. Come up with other proposals that increase competition in the food market! We are open to constructive cooperation to increase competition.

The government's own agency has actually stated that some of the price increases are driven by poor competition. Then we should be able to agree in the Swedish Riksdag that we shall do more to rectify this. Unfortunately, it has mostly become "fika" meetings. No new proposals have been submitted.

(Applause)

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Jytte Guteland (S)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for Finance for the answer to the interpellations, but I still think that my colleagues' testimonies about what we can see in Swedish society today is what resonates most in this debate. Single mothers drink tea to not feel hungry and search feverishly for discounts. They eat different food than the children or do not eat at all during the whole day. They try to avoid asking grandparents or parents for extra support to manage the month. They look for different types of offers to be able to give some gift at Christmas or on a birthday.

It is this that is being grasped during the debate we are having now – not Edward Riedl, who takes up whose fault he considers it to be. What is it? What is this talk? We stand here and talk about measures that are required here and now so that parents can manage to put food on the table for their children – in Sweden in 2025. This is what the debate is about. It is not about something that happened five or six years ago on the margins could explain the development.

What we want are measures here and now to help parents manage their everyday lives so that they do not have to humiliate themselves and run to the children's grandparents every other minute. This is what it is about. It is also about children not having to be hungry or always be worried during their upbringing that mom cannot afford.

We have come forward with a series of proposals. We want to increase the child allowance and have a food price commission that can look at what else can be done. We have also looked at how one could achieve better competition, also in smaller towns, where it is currently mostly an oligopoly.

We have absolutely not pushed for the deteriorations the government is making, which hit so hard and cruelly in terms of distribution policy. They are worsening the high-cost protection for medicines, just to add a little extra burden on those who are in the worst economic situation. We oppose this type of proposal in the current situation and instead want to improve distribution policy so that families with the lowest incomes receive help.

The government is cutting the housing supplement for the families who have it toughest, you say it worsens the high-cost protection for medicines, you are not addressing the food prices and you say no to increasing the child allowance. This is the policy Sweden is getting.

I would very much like to hear the self-reflection from the Minister for Finance at a time when we almost every day hear families in the news testify about how tough it is to even ensure that the children get to eat their fill.

(Applause)

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Isabell Mixter (V)

Madam Speaker! It has become 30,000 kronor more expensive for a family with children to shop for food since Ebba Busch waved that falukorv during the 2022 election campaign. At that time, she spoke about Magdapriser, but I believe that the Swedish people today say that they have had enough of Uffepriser.

Edward Riedl spoke about how the rate of price increases has slowed down but that prices remain at a high level. It feels like we are living in different realities, because the Competition Authority and SCB state in their statistics that food inflation rose sharply in February. I would therefore like to hear from the government representatives whether they consider that food inflation is going up or standing still. It would be interesting to hear if we share the same perception of reality.

Other countries in Europe have succeeded in acting against high food prices and food inflation. Sweden, however, is uniquely bad at this, and it is the Swedish households that pay the price.

Svantesson was arguing that food prices are rising in the supply chain, but the truth is that Ica made a record profit of 25.9 billion during 2024. The farmers are indeed under pressure. Right now, it is only the households and the farmers who have to bear the costs while the food giants continue to laugh all the way to the bank.

I understand that the government representatives are not so worried for their own sake, as they have received enormous tax cuts. But what is the government doing to bring down prices?

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Malte Tängmark Roos (MP)

Madam Speaker! I thank Minister Svantesson for the answer.

The Minister argues that the government supports households with tax cuts on work and fuels. But a reduced petrol tax does not help the mother who cycles or takes the bus to work every day. A job tax deduction does not help the over half a million Swedes who are unemployed or the young people who are studying. For those who work and have the very lowest incomes, the tax cuts only mean small change every month, while high-income earners like the Minister and I receive thousands. It is not we who are struggling, but targeted measures are needed for families with children and low-income earners, not least increased child allowance and housing allowance.

Political action is needed to lower food prices. Greater competition is needed throughout the entire food chain and measures to support Swedish farmers. Where are these measures from the government? I have not seen them.

Furthermore: If one considers that climate change has a major impact on food prices, the government should not take measures that increase emissions and exacerbate droughts and food crises in other parts of the world, but instead act to lower Sweden's and Europe's emissions so that we do not end up in such a situation further ahead. But unfortunately, today's government does not act that way.

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Edward Riedl (M)

Madam Speaker! Member Damberg and others wonder what is happening with inflation. For those of us who listened to the Riksbank, it was clear that there are two things that cause us to see a small shift from 2.2 to 2.9 percent in CPIF. One is the basket effect, that is, when one technically replaces items in the basket – to speak plainly. The other is that food prices are shooting up a bit, and the reason for that is largely poor harvests in other parts of the world. The problem is the same, and that was my point, Madam Speaker. We share the problem picture; it is not the case that anyone on either side of the block boundary thinks that people are not having a hard time.

Among many Social Democrats, there however seems to be an allergy to taking own responsibility for the problems they have caused, ranging from sabotaging the electricity system to introducing the world's highest fuel prices. All of this affects food prices. I understand that the Social Democrats do not want to talk about things they themselves have been involved in. It is however worth mentioning this, because by having corrected a good deal of it, we have brought down inflation and food prices. It is not uninteresting to talk about, even though I understand that the Social Democrats, who caused it, do not want to talk about these measures.

It is good that even the Green Party and the Left Party are participating in the debate, because if their proposals had passed in the chamber, Sweden would have continued to have high inflation. They wanted, in fact, to borrow hundreds of billions unfinanced to fuel inflation. That, Madam Speaker, would have been very bad for those who buy food in Swedish stores.

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Lena Johansson (S)

Madam Speaker! It is worrying how silent the government is when it comes to concrete measures. But we cannot just stand by and watch as prices strain people's food budgets, which shrink month by month. We know that the producers are struggling, that the retail trade is concentrated, and that the market mechanisms are not functioning well enough right now.

The Social Democrats have, as they say, a battery of proposals, and Member Damberg extends a hand. But what is the government's plan if one does not want to take this extended hand? What does one intend to do, not in the long term, for we do not have time for that, but here and now to press down food prices, strengthen our producers, and safeguard household finances? This is not okay. This is obra, as we say in Västmanland, really obra.

I suppose I have to ask the question again: What does one intend to do not only in the long term but also in the short term?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! I would like to thank the interpellants for a good and important discussion.

There are many with tight margins who are struggling right now all over the country. I mentioned in my previous post what we are doing to strengthen households. We are lowering the tax, for example.

Last year we froze the breakpoint and ensured that everyone received a tax cut. We continued with that again this year. We are lowering the tax on savings and on pension. We are lowering the tax on fuels, and we are changing the fuel price. We are pushing down inflation with the help of a reduction obligation.

The second part is also very important, as Mikael Damberg pointed out. It is about competition in the market and about food prices. It is completely obvious that the competition is too poor. The Competition Authority wrote a report last year. It was brutally clear: The competition in this sector is too small. There is great reason to work on that.

This week, Minister Busch received another investigation concerning precisely the competition in several parts of Sweden and what tools the Competition Authority might additionally need to have to ensure that competition is improved.

Another thing I want to mention is Swedish agriculture. We have now, in several budgets, also lowered the price of diesel for farmers. That obviously makes a difference when it comes to plowing the field. It means lower costs for the farmers. If we also get better competition, it can keep the upward price pressure down.

Madam Speaker! On Thursday, Minister Peter Kullgren and I will meet different parts of the food chain, both the food giants and other parts, for a conversation. We will both listen and ask the question of why what is happening now is happening. Do they see the causes of the increased prices? The question is whether there is more we can do together in politics to ensure better conditions and lower prices on food.

Madam Speaker! I usually take responsibility for what I am responsible for. I will not blame anyone here. But if I have not read completely incorrectly when I have read the Social Democrats' budget, it is not as many of the members who have now been up in the debate have said. You have said that you do not have a saving when it comes to the high-cost protection. Someone is welcome to answer if they wish. One can shout loudly, but then perhaps one should have a different policy oneself. I only like it when one stands by what one does. But I may be wrong. One of you is welcome to correct me if I am wrong.

There is something that really grates on me. I am used to the fact that it is not always the truth that comes out in this chamber. It grates on me that the person who has lived in the Stockholm municipality for two years in a row has had increased municipal tax and, for one year, also had increased regional tax. In the worst cost crisis – when Social Democrats stand here on the edge and almost scream, but not quite – one is therefore raising the tax in Stockholm for ordinary people who are struggling. It makes a difference in the wallet, and I think that is remarkable. It would be one thing if one got more for the money, but that is not what one gets either. One gets quite a lot more debt and longer care queues. I think we can still be a bit sensible in the debate.

I see that we represent different parties and that we make different priorities. But the goal that no children should go hungry in Stockholm, in Örebro or anywhere else in Sweden, we share. We have slightly different tools and slightly different means.

There is more to be done regarding both households and competition. I have nothing against discussing proposals on this – on the contrary. I think a lot about how we can improve precisely the competition among the food giants, and I will surely have reason to return to it.

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Sanne Lennström (S)

Madam Speaker! I may have pollen allergy, but I do not have responsibility allergy, which may have been implied from the speaker's chair.

I repeat again: It is the year 2025. From the rostrum today, we have given many good reasons why families with children and many other consumers need help. It is the government's responsibility to review the means to reach there. The stock market investigation, as the Minister mentions, is one such way, that is to say, to review more ways and act.

I have been asked to raise a story in today's debate from a mother who wrote to me on Instagram. She wrote that she has expensive rent and lives on sickness benefit because she has breast cancer. She struggles to be able to buy food and pay bills. Buying healthy food for her children is a major challenge. Finding a reasonable home is impossible.

She was one of those who fared worse, she writes, when you in the government decided to scale back the supplement to the housing allowance. Now she is also hit hard by the increasing food prices. What does Minister Svantesson want to say to her? When will it get better for her and all other single mothers?

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Mikael Damberg (S)

Madam Speaker! It is clear that the government representatives mostly want to talk about everything other than just food prices and competition. It is about who is responsible for the rising inflation in the entire Western world, the war in Ukraine, the energy prices that skyrocketed, and all of this. All of that we can talk about some other time.

I thought there was a constructive basis here, where I believed we could reach an agreement. The government's own agency has concluded that competition is too poor in the Swedish grocery market and that this leads to higher prices. Then we should be able to agree on discussing proposals that lead to more competition and greater price pressure.

We have presented a complete package of measures. The government is welcome to take some of those proposals and move forward with them. I would have expected the government, before such a debate, to have some new announcements to give and some initiative that they had intended to take.

The only thing that has come out of the debate is that the Finance Minister is going to meet the food giants this week. That is very good. But the point must be that one has a government that takes measures and has some kind of capacity for action that changes the situation.

In conclusion, we cannot escape the fact that it becomes difficult when the government tries to describe discussions on distribution policy in a situation where they are significantly worsening things for single mothers and where prices in Sweden are high. Sweden is the only country in the Nordic region that has not increased the child allowance during this cost crisis. Nothing is being done for the worst-off pensioners, who are currently pinching every penny to make their household finances work. All of this must be understood when one sees that food prices are skyrocketing again and hitting ordinary people. To act and show decisiveness is a responsibility that a government has.

(Applause)

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Jytte Guteland (S)

Madam Speaker! Thank you to the Minister for Finance for the debate on the important issue here today.

In Aftonbladet this week, it was mentioned in one of the columns about the three large companies that own most of the grocery stores in Sweden – Axfood, Ica and Coop – and how their gross profit has increased.

Axfoods' gross profit increased from 7.9 billion to 12.2 billion between the years 2019 and 2024, to mention one example. During the first two months of this year, instead, the average prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages have risen by 2.6 percent. Since 2022, they have increased by 28 percent.

I think it would make a Finance Minister furious. It should mean enormous activity at the Ministry of Finance when one understands how the Swedish people suffer under the food prices we have today.

To make matters worse, the Swedish people are also suffering from large cost increases in other areas. It is the increased rents and interest rates that have also hit a large part of the population. It is the situation with increased membership fees for almost everything that the children can, or can no longer, attend. It is about the fees being raised for all sports activities and other types of leisure activities. It is obviously also about the general inflation, which means that even clothes have become more expensive.

The Swedish people are suffering under the cost increases. If one does not see it or hear it among acquaintances or out in society and in the debate, one can look at statistics from Kronofogden. They show that just over 447,000 Swedes had debts to Kronofogden at the turn of the year.

It is enormously tough to be Swedish right now. We want answers from the Minister for Finance. What is she doing about the matter?

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Madam Speaker! Thanks to the interveners for the discussion!

Many of us feel genuinely a lot for those who have it the toughest. We have them before our eyes when we go to work; I have it when I go to my job. It is important to support those who have it toughest. Therefore, it has been important to lower taxes. It has been important when we have both increased and extended the housing allowance. It is also important now to see what we can do about food prices.

It is about competition, which must improve, for example by being able to establish a low-price chain or a store at all in more municipalities so that people have more to choose from. In March 2023, I met the food giants, and it is also the case that from April that year, the impact of food on inflation decreased. It began to be dampened.

On Thursday I will meet them again. You are requesting documents, and part of that is precisely to have conversations both with the food industry and with the food giants. We are going to have conversations. There are certain things that one cannot influence, which you in here also know. This concerns, for example, coffee prices, i.e., the price of coffee beans. But there are other things that one certainly can influence; I am completely convinced of that.

We will have that discussion, and we will return with how we will ensure that Sweden gets through the recession and get the economy to turn around. We will also return with how we ensure that people get strengthened purchasing power and that competition in this industry is strengthened.

The interpellations debate was hereby concluded.

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