Party leader debate in the Swedish Parliament on Wednesday 12 January 2022.Party leader Ebba Busch's opening speech can be read below.

Madam President, Every New Year is a promise of change. A reminder that what is now is not a given. That the power is with each of us to contribute to renewal and the future. I am also hopeful about sweden's future. Not because Sweden is heading in the right direction today – but because it is not predetermined that we must travel in this direction. We can choose to take a different path – and there is a great desire for change in our society. This year will also be the year when we have a new government. The year that gives – a new start for Sweden.***Because that is ultimately what we need now – a new start and a new government. There is sometimes talk that politics should dream bigger. After seven years with this government, however, it is a big dream to believe in a future where what we have taken for granted is secure again. Where cheap and emission-free electricity is always available when we need it – regardless of the weather and season. Where the price at the pump does not cut large holes in the wallets of families with children, rural residents and others who need the car. Where you don't have to worry about higher food prices and higher rents waiting around the corner – in the wake of a policy that has made all inputs more expensive. A Sweden you can trust. The police and ambulance are there if you need it. That you know that there is a safe place at BB when the next generation is to be born. A country where you don't have to queue for care or a nursing home when you get old. A country where every human being has the freedom to realize their own dreams – precisely because they can trust the state to do what only the state can do. A Sweden that works.***And if you want to see a Sweden characterized by both Freedom and Security – then there is only one election this autumn. Because let's evaluate the two options the Swedish people have to choose from. On one side is a close-knit government alternative, of which the Christian Democrats and the Moderates are at the core. A government option that has proven that we can maneuver in difficult parliamentary landscapes. And who have a co-run political agenda – for a new start for Sweden.On the other side there is a red-green mess that does not rule our country – but buzzed at the helm. They can't explain which parties are actually going to work together or how they can agree on a budget. Yes – in practice, we are faced with a situation where there is only one functional government alternative. A government alternative that can cooperate and get both a bill and a budget through the Riksdag. Citizens do not – like previous elections – have to choose between a bourgeois government or a red-green government. In practice, the Swedish people have to choose between four more years of red-green government chaos – or a new start for Sweden. Do you have a heart for Sweden – do you have to vote blue in the autumn elections.***And what have you really got with these seven years under red-green rule? What have they delivered? The health care queues have gone up. The number of beds – has gone down.****Long-term unemployment – has gone up. Our ranking in the EU unemployment rate – has gone down.***This has been seven difficult years for the people of reality. But it doesn't have to be another four difficult years. The choice is between red-green mess or new start for Sweden.Together we can choose the future – and build a Sweden you can trust.