The Social Democrats are now warning that the summer holidays risk being marked by growing gaps and exclusion.
The party wants to invest SEK 700 million in summer holiday activities with lunch throughout the country.
– We cannot let the summer become a recruitment party for the criminal gangs, says party leader Magdalena Andersson to TV4 Nyheterna.
Before the summer, the Social Democrats want SEK 700 million to go to Sweden’s municipalities so that more activities can be organized for children during the summer holidays. The party worries, among other things, that growing divides and exclusion will mark the promise.
The requirement for the activities is that lunch must be included.
– We want to see zero tolerance towards hungry children in Sweden. This is the situation when hard-working parents cannot afford to put nutritious food on the table. It is not worthy of Sweden, says party leader Magdalena Andersson to TV4 Nyheterna.
The support must go to the whole country, but be particularly directed at municipalities with major socio-economic challenges. Soccer training, dance classes, reading time and forest adventures are some of the party’s suggestions for activities.
Want to stop recruitment into gangs
The Social Democrats are also concerned that young people risk being drawn into criminal gangs and organized crime.
– I am very concerned. We cannot let the children pay the price for the economic crisis and let the summer become a recruitment party for the criminal gangs, says Magdalena Andersson.
The party leader says that there are good opportunities to get the proposal through and calls the government’s basis “unstable”.
– It is fundamentally about the fact that we in the Social Democrats think it is unreasonable that children should have to go hungry during the summer holidays, she says.