Alliance in Almedalen: Sweden needs a broad and open to future discussions. Government therefore appointed in the autumn a Futures Commission under the State Minister. Each government has a responsibility to rehabilitate their country - not just for today or the next few years ahead - but for what awaits in the long run. When other countries are forced to deal with economic crises, we can look ahead to 2020 and 2050. The Government will therefore in the autumn to set up a future Commission with the Alliance party leader and independent experts. The work will be led by the prime minister and ending no later than 1 March 2013. Demographics, integration, democracy, equality, social exclusion, climate and environment are key areas for work, writes Fredrik Reinfeldt, Jan Björklund, Maud Olofsson, and Göran Hägglund.
.Sweden is a country that is constantly evolving. Every day we face new challenges to meet and new opportunities to seize. Some challenges require a national response, other global. Some can we influence, other challenges arise in the encounter with the world around us.
Each government has a responsibility towards its citizens to arm his country, not just for today or the next few years ahead, but also for those waiting in the long run. When visiting other parts of our world, not least here in Europe, have to deal with both economic and political crises, we can instead look forward. Then not only the coming years but also to the future, for 2020 and 2050. It is a strength of evidence for Sweden.
The future is shaped by our ideas and the decisions we make now. For that those decisions will be the best for Sweden, the citizens of today and future generations requires a broad and open to future discussions. Even today there is a continuous policy of development with important discussions about the future of our four games. Is needed while a future discussion also in the context of the Alliance and our work as government.
Now we take another step to lift Sweden's future issues. The government will in the autumn to set up a Futures Commission. The Commission shall consist of the Alliance's four party leaders and independent representatives and experts with the knowledge that represents the future of various dimensions.
Futures Commission will be chaired by the Prime Minister and given the task of describing the key societal challenges that Sweden needs to focus on the 2020th By 1 March 2013, the final report will be presented. The results will form a basis for addressing the challenges and map out the path we want Sweden to take in the long run.
Even today we are conducting an intensive reform effort to strengthen the value of work and employment. The Swedish tax burden has dropped significantly, especially for low and middle income earners. Labour market policies have been switched to focus on the activity and conversion. It is easier and cheaper to start and run businesses. Reforms in health insurance, with better support and more ways to return, means that Sweden in the short time left bottom position as the West's most sick country. More people have the opportunity to work to support himself.
The Globalisation Council during the last Parliament opened a debate about Sweden's ability to compete in a global world with international competition. It helped to raise several important issues and highlight areas where Sweden needed reforms for the future.
Education, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship were some important parts in which several proposals now on the verge of becoming reality. Among other things, the government has begun work on a national innovation strategy. We will continue to provide the best possible foundation for work and business so that jobs can become more and more come to the part. We want a cohesive Sweden, where more people have become part of the work community and fewer people are mired in alienation. To create the development potential Sweden needs for the future.
The government's reform efforts and responsible economic policy makes a good opportunity now exists for a comprehensive future discussions. In Sweden we have a great trust between people that creates both security and opportunity for development. Sweden has a well-developed welfare equalize life chances and enable individuals to develop, but also a social climate that creates room for growth and dynamics. While no shortage of challenges. We therefore already highlight a number of areas central to the future Commission's work.
• It is about our demographics, we are living longer and the demands it places on Sweden. Already in 2021 our population is expected to pass 10-million mark. It is mainly the elderly who are more. We have before us a Sweden where one in five Swedish will be over 65 years. It will place enormous demands on our welfare system and our society, how we look at work in different stages of life and what we mean by aging. How we meet this challenge?
• Although integration, democracy and participation are important issues for the future. Sweden is a country where democracy is deeply rooted. While there are many issues related to democracy and participation, where the picture is not so rosy. It's about the young Sweden, where the feeling is of standing on the side. If those in society who feel they have no opportunity to influence their own lives and who may live in an exclusion that has emerged due to social problems or segregation. We have in Sweden has long been also a problem for newcomers to fit in the labor market. To give one more opportunity to be involved in the Swedish social structure is therefore an important future challenge.
• Sweden has a great strength in being an equal society. A good child care and preschool has enabled men and women to participate in the labor market on more equal terms. It not only creates greater personal freedom, but also higher growth and development. Despite the fact that we as a country well advanced in terms of gender equality is also well visible as invisible discrimination, low representation and changing conditions for women and men to participate fully in society. What does it take further steps towards a more gender-equal Sweden?
• The issue of cohesion is about fairness and values of identity and people's opportunities to communities. Despite his wealth, Sweden has citizens who live in very poor conditions. We have long seen a social exclusion emerge where those who are born in a home with small margins and weak roots in society, in turn, could have a child under the same conditions. Among children and young people are those who struggle with mental illness and rootlessness. Addition, we have regional differences that affect people's ability to live and work in Sweden. How we meet this?
• Last but not least, caught many future challenges in matters of our environment, our climate and our quality of life. How can we ensure the sustainability of Sweden, we want to see? Even today, we as a country, a pioneer in this field, while there is more work to do. This is not least on our ability to deal with issues like climate change and resource use. We also need to better develop how we evaluate the work of sustainable development.
In all of this and much more fit the challenges of the future that Sweden has to face. Now that we are filling a future commission is with the goal of deeper open to discussions about future challenges. Our starting point is that a good country to be better. The favorable market now being developed will allow us to grasp the issues of longer-term nature. We want Sweden to face the future with a broad and open public discussion.
