Ebba Busch (Christian Democrats) regrets Wednesday's bankruptcy announcement from Northvolt and describes it as a "tough day for everyone".
This is a message that we had hoped would not have to be given. The hope is that they will be able to see to it that the business continues to operate during the bankruptcy proceedings, she says at a press conference.
Not least so that they do not lose personnel or that the facility risks losing value.
Busch says that the government is in close dialogue with the bankruptcy administrator.
I clearly hope that the business will be able to find a new long-term owner.
Surviving the Crisis
Also present at the press conference is Minister for Employment and Integration Mats Persson (The Liberals).
Those affected by this bankruptcy should not be left without help, he says.
But it's not about any special support, the employees will have to turn to the Employment Agency and use the systems and benefits that are available to everyone who is about to lose their job.
The ministers had no information about a potential support package for Skellefteå municipality, but Ebba Busch will travel there to meet with the company, the municipality, and other stakeholders.
Where is the Plan?
The opposition is demanding a clear plan from the government.
"Northvolt has been struggling for a long time. I therefore assume that the government has a plan to ensure that the factory stays in Sweden", writes S leader Magdalena Andersson on X.
The Left Party is also demanding that the government takes action to ensure that battery production can stay in Sweden.
"It has never been an option for us to have the state step in and rescue capital owners who have so grossly mismanaged the business. But with the bankruptcy, the previous owners are out of the picture, and now the state needs to step in and see if it's possible to rescue the business", writes V's economic policy spokesperson Ida Gabrielsson in a comment.
The Social Democrats' spokesperson on labor market issues, Ardalan Shekarabi, says he is shocked by the government's lack of information.
There were six people at the press conference, but nothing new came out.
The Center Party's business policy spokesperson Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist tells Expressen that she will call Ebba Busch to the business committee.
I'm going to call Ebba Busch to understand what effect this has on subcontractors and on very large parts of the ecosystem that Northvolt has worked with, she says to the newspaper.
