Mikael Damberg

On Monday 6 February at 17.00, Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell and Director General for the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) Charlotte Petri Gornitzka will hold a joint press conference on Swedens support to Türkiye and Syria.

Since December 2021, disinformation has been spread concerning Swedish social services taking Muslim children into care without a legal basis. According to the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency, there are no indications that the campaign will cease in the near future. Social services employees are being threatened and, in the worst case scenario, this risks leading to children in Sweden not receiving the social support to which they are entitled. The Government is now taking several measures to counteract the disinformation that is being disseminated.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Stockholm on 3 February for talks with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

Speech delivered by Diana Janse, State Secretary to Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, at the launch of IDEA's report on EU external democracy action in Brussels on 31 January 2023. Check against delivery.

The Government has proposed that participation in – or financing participation in – a terrorist organisation should be a punishable offence. This would further strengthen the criminal law framework to counter the threat posed by terrorism.

There is a need to further explore the connections between economic empowerment and preventing men’s violence against women, including economic violence. The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union will therefore arrange a conference on this theme on 1–2 February. Sweden’s Minister for Gender Equality and Deputy Minister for Employment Paulina Brandberg will open the conference. In addition, European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli and Carlien Scheele, European Institute for Gender Equality Director will participate.

State Secretary for International Development Cooperation Diana Janse will be in Brussels on 31 January to participate in a meeting on the EU’s external democracy action. During the conference, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), will launch a report commissioned by Sweden ahead of its Presidency of the Council of the EU.

On Thursday 2 February, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will receive Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin in Stockholm. It will be Mr Kristersson’s first reception of a visiting head of government since the Government was formed.

On 26 January, the Swedish Government decided to extend the previously-adopted entry restrictions requiring all travellers from China to be able to present a negative test result for ongoing COVID-19 infection upon arrival in Sweden, regardless of their vaccination status.

Today, 26 January, the Government has decided to provide further support to Ukraine. This support aims to improve nuclear safety and electricity supply in Ukraine by funding the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The support amounts to a total of SEK 20 million in 2023.

In Sweden, freedom of expression and demonstration are protected by the Constitution. Freedom of expression is one of the foundations of the Swedish state. Freedom of expression, freedom of information,  freedom to demonstrate and freedom of assembly are therefore central rights in our democracy. The individual’s right to freedom of religion is also strongly protected by the Constitution.

After a meeting of the new National Security Council on 24 January, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström and Minister for Defence Pål Jonson held a press conference on the NATO accession process and Swedish security.

On 26–27 January, Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer and Minister for Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard will lead the first informal ministerial meeting of the Presidency in Sweden. The agenda includes EU migration policy, the fight against organised crime and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The Government has instructed the Swedish Higher Education Authority to conduct case studies on academic freedom. The aim is to provide an in-depth understanding of the work of universities and higher education institutions in promoting and protecting academic freedom and a culture that allows the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge.

The strategy will apply to the period 2022–2026 and provide a total of SEK 4.3 billion for activities implemented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

In the last week of January and the first week of February, Government ministers will present the Swedish Presidency's priorities in their respective areas to the European Parliament’s committees.

Minister for Defence Pål Jonson and Finland’s Minister of Defence Mikko Savola have signed a Finnish-Swedish letter of intent that will enable Finland to provide Ukraine with heavy military weapons at a replacement cost of more than SEK 4.11 billion (EUR 370 million).

The Government today presented a large three-part support package to Ukraine. The package includes a procurement cooperation scheme, instructions to the Swedish Armed Forces to prepare the transfer of the Archer Artillery System, and the largest defence equipment package to date. This includes recoilless rifles with ammunition, anti-tank weapons, assault rifles, mine clearance equipment, Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) with ammunition, and light anti-armour weapon Robot 57 (NLAW), worth SEK 4.3 billion. 

The Government decided today to refer a proposal to the Council on Legislation aimed at giving the Swedish Police Authority more effective tools to prevent terrorist content being spread online. The legislative proposal complements an EU regulation in this area.

This compilation contains a selection of the acts and ordinances – both new and amended – that enter into force in the second half of 2022 or in early 2023.