Jeanette Gustafsdotter

The Government has adopted five action programmes against various forms of racism during 2022–2024. The action programmes outline concrete measures aimed at combating afrophobia, antisemitism, antigypsyism, islamophobia and racism against the Sami people. These action programmes will follow up on one of Sweden’s commitments from the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism.

Stockholm, 21 June 2022. Check against delivery.

On 20–23 June, around 300 experts, researchers, diplomats and politicians from around the world are gathering in Stockholm to collaborate on Holocaust research and education. As President of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), Sweden is hosting the international Plenary Session with a focus on following through on the promises of the 2021 Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism.

On Thursday 17 March, the Government decided to allocate SEK 30 million for civil society’s efforts related to reception of refugees in Sweden.

The Govern­ment has presented a bill to the Riksdag contain­ing pro­posals for equitable and inclusive rules con­cerning parent­hood in inter­national situations.

Sweden condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unprovoked, illegal and unjustifiable aggression against Ukraine. Russia’s actions are an attack on the European security order, and European countries now stand in solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Extensive sanctions have been imposed in a short period of time against Russia and the Russian central government. The Government is now continuing to push for sanctions against Russia, support to Ukraine and strengthening Sweden.

The Swedish Presidency of the IHRA – Together for Impact – begins on 1 March 2022 and will continue until the end of February 2023. Sweden will be holding the Presidency twenty plus years after former Prime Minister Göran Persson initiated the organisation and one year after the Malmö Forum, Remember – ReAct. Sweden assumes the Presidency at a time when the IHRA is more needed than ever given that anti-democratic forces are gaining ground and spreading antisemitism, antigypsyism, disinformation and distortion, not least on social media platforms.

On 18 January, the Government will submit an initial additional amending budget for 2022 to the Riksdag. The budget includes, among other things, increased crisis support to culture and sport. In addition to the proposals presented earlier, an additional SEK 100 million is now being allocated to culture and sport.

Cultural activities and actors throughout the country have been severely affected by the pandemic. The Government is now setting up a new consultation forum for the cultural sector and is investing more than SEK 1 billion in culture through the distribution of previously announced support and proposals in the additional amending budget.

The Government is proposing enhanced support to civil society in an additional amending budget to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. The proposal involves temporary support of SEK 50 million to civil society child and youth organisations. In addition, special investments of SEK 80 million are proposed for civil society organisations working with particularly vulnerable groups. According to the Riksdag’s preliminary schedule, the budget will be adopted on 24 February.

Sweden has joined the global Media Freedom Coalition (MFC). Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde will represent Sweden at the MFC’s Third Global Conference for Media Freedom, which will take place in Tallinn on 9–10 February.

On 7 February, the Government decided on the distribution of the SEK 1 billion in crisis support allocated to culture, as previously announced in the additional amending budget. The crisis support concerns independent cultural life, individual cultural creators, film, regional culture, certain publicly supported cultural institutions and public venues.

Stockholm, 8 February 2022. Check against delivery.

Today in the Riksdag, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced the ministers who will serve in the Government. The change of government takes place at a Council of State at the Royal Palace presided over by His Majesty the King. The Council of State begins at 13.00.