According to Stefan Löfven (S), the Swedish preparedness has not been sufficient to meet the threat of the corona virus,

- It has not been good enough, and it is evident to everyone in many different aspects. That is why we have adopted a national security strategy, and that includes perspectives that have to do with everything from water supply to cyber security. But also healthcare - are we rigged enough for a crisis? We have started work, and I am also pleased here that there is a broad consensus on the political that we must strengthen our civil defense and total defense, ”the Prime Minister told SVT.

"All parties have a responsibility" for reduced preparedness

Of the governments that have held power since the end of the Cold War, more than half have been led by social democrats - but Stefan Löfven believes that responsibility for the decommissioning of readiness is shared by all parties.

- All parties have a responsibility in that part, because it was something that was phased out gradually after the Cold War, so that's three decades we're talking about. In the meantime, many government constellations have contributed to this. Then I am also happy that we have a broad consensus that we should strengthen our civil defense and increase readiness for many different crises.

Mats Knutson: You have been prime minister since 2014 - you have not yet made any sharp decisions, except for the defense where you added more money. You have not built up emergency stocks with drugs or anything else during these years?

- We saw when we took office that there was nothing on this, that's why the national security strategy was adopted in 2017. So we worked on that to see what perspectives we needed to think about. Everything from water, electricity supply, transport, but also healthcare. Now we have to develop it so that we can increase readiness.

May be relevant to closing restaurants

Stefan Löfven also says that the Swedes have largely followed the advice of the Public Health Authority, but that it may still be relevant to close restaurants that do not follow rules aimed at reducing congestion.

- Most restaurants follow the rules and keep their distance. But there are also those who do not, who do not understand or care about the seriousness, and then we have to put on the hard gloves. If you do not do this, because this is under your own responsibility - and most people do, but if it is not that you do, then you should shut down, I think, says Stefan Löfven.

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Stefan Löven (S): "If you do not do this, then you should close"

He does not, however, want to comment on the criticism from the Christian Democrats' Ebba Busch, who in an interview in DN accused the Social Democrats of having failed the elderly infected at the elderly housing in Stockholm.

- I'm not going to go into a polemic about this now. I am fully focused on making sure to limit the spread of infection, that care has the resources it needs, that we dampen the effects for employees and companies, that is my focus now. Time enough will probably be the discussion of the other as well, says the prime minister.