Amanda Lind

Sweden has been entrusted with holding the Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) – an intergovernmental organisation to promote Holocaust education, research and remembrance – from 1 March 2022 until 28 February 2023. The decision was taken at the IHRA’s digital plenary meeting in Leipzig on 3 December 2020.

To address the crowding that has been seen in nightclubs, the Government has decided that public dance events for more than 50 people will once again be prohibited. The Government has also adopted a new exemption from the ordinance, allowing public gatherings and public events with a maximum of 300 seated attendees, rather than the 500 previously discussed. The changes come into effect on 1 November.

The Government proposes the following investments in culture in the additional amending budget, the autumn amending budget and the Budget Bill for 2021. The Government’s proposals are based on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

During the spring, the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberals presented several crisis packages to support culture in response to the new coronavirus. The proposals included SEK 500 million for event organisers and independent artists to mitigate the economic impact of the crisis.

The Government, the Centre Party and the Liberals are proposing an investment of SEK 150 million to strengthen cultural life and the cultural infrastructure across Sweden in 2020. The funding will be allocated via the Swedish Cultural Cooperation Model - a model for cooperation and funding of culture between the Government, regions and municipalities.

The Government has taken a decision on how the SEK 500 million crisis package to culture is to be allocated and on the terms of the support, including by adopting a new ordinance on state aid for cultural events that have been cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19.

The Government, the Centre Party and the Liberals are proposing an investment of SEK 100 million in civil society to strengthen associations and organisations working to support the most vulnerable in society during the coronavirus crisis. It is proposed that SEK 50 million be assigned to help people in particularly vulnerable situations, while the remaining SEK 50 million is to combat isolation among elderly people.

The Government, the Centre Party and the Liberals are proposing support of SEK 319 million in 2020 for several state-funded cultural institutions, including the Vasa Museum, Skansen open-air museum, the Royal Dramatic Theatre, the Royal Swedish Opera, Riksteatern and Ájtte for lost revenue due to the new coronavirus.

To ensure the public’s access to information and mitigate the negative economic impact on news media as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government, in cooperation with the Centre Party and the Liberal Party, will provide an additional SEK 500 million in support to general news media in 2020.

Stockholm, Sweden 2020-04-22. Check against delivery.