The Liberals want to cut state subsidies to ethnic organizations as a way to improve integration.
– We want to invest broadly in integration, where business is at the center and not ethnicity, says party leader Johan Pehrson to TT.
The issue will be pursued by the Liberals in the autumn’s budget negotiations with the other Tidö parties.
The idea of a new grant line is to make it more difficult for associations that fuel ethnic conflicts or engage in propaganda. Johan Pehrson highlights, among other things, Dagens Nyheter’s revelation that the Russian Federation spread Putin propaganda while receiving state subsidies.
With “interest and activity”, rather than ethnic background, at the center, integration must be strengthened at the same time.
– Sweden is a country built on popular movements in the broadest sense. We must now bring this into today’s Sweden so that more people are involved as scouts, in sports and in culture. Then you have to gather strength there. That’s how you push integration, that people from different backgrounds, different ethnicities, do things together, regardless of whether you’re doing arts and crafts or playing basketball, says Pehrson.
– But it should not be based on whether you have a Russian or other background.
“The money is flowing away”
Pehrson points to an audit by the National Audit Office which shows that weak government control of the grants opens the door to fraud and abuse.
– The money flows away to things that, in the worst case, not only oppose integration, but work on behalf of a foreign power. That is what we want to achieve, says Pehrson.
TT: Should it generally be more difficult for associations with an ethnic orientation to receive grants?
– Yes, the idea is to get more funding for playing basketball and doing culture. If I get to decide, it means that the money will be transferred to the broad integration activities.
“Meaningful free time”
Pehrson emphasizes that it is important that the control of who receives state grants works well, but points out that he “ideally does not want to see so much grant” at all to ethnic associations.
– I want to move the ethnic associations’ money to other associations. Associations are good and contribute powerfully to integration, hope for the future and meaningful free time.
Possibly, Pehrson can think of exceptions for national minorities.
– But generally speaking, this is the direction we want to go.