"I think we are doing this in a very responsible way," says Strömmer, claiming that the entire proposal is realistic, reasonable, legally secure and feasible.
The bill presented by the government on June 30 does not include a date for when the increased penalties will be introduced, for example the abolition of today's so-called quantity discount on prison time for people suspected of multiple thefts or similar crimes.
Now the penalty value for each of the crimes will be added on top of each other. The government requests that the Riksdag leave it to a future government to decide when it will come into force.
By 2030
Our aim is for this to come into effect during the next term of office, says Strömmer.
That would mean no later than 2030.
But it will require hard work, not least when it comes to creating the conditions for the Swedish Prison and Probation Service to be able to solve that task, he says.
The government writes in the bill that the Swedish Prison and Probation Service assesses that it will not have room for all new and longer-serving convicted persons until 2040 at the earliest.
Red-green no
The four red-green parties have made it clear that they will vote no to the bill as a whole. The Law Council and a number of authorities have criticized the proposal for lacking sufficient analysis and preparation. It is the second part of the most extensive overhaul of criminal law in 60 years.
The vote in the Riksdag will depend on a few votes; all members of parliament from the government parties and the SD, including the Liberals, must be present if the government is to get the bill through.
Missing date
The red-greens are primarily against the government's failure to propose a date for when the proposals will come into effect and the government's failure to say anything about how the whole thing will be paid for. They call the government's proposal frivolous - S calls it a scam.
When fully implemented, it is expected to cost up to SEK 45 billion per year.
This is a major investment in the safety of citizens and in the redress of crime victims, claims the Minister of Justice.
When asked what he thinks will happen with the reform in the event of a change of power in the September election, he says:
- Then I think you can look at the stars after a change in the volume discount.
The premise that prison sentences should be avoided as much as possible is removed.
The full range of penalties should be used in more cases.
Today's quantity discount, when a person is convicted of several different or similar crimes, will be abolished.
Certain grounds for mitigating punishment such as age and health, so-called reasons of expediency, are abolished.
The Riksdag will vote on the proposal on August 13.
Source: Government bill
