Congratulations Sweden - we have a Minister for Digitalization!

This morning, Prime Minister Löfven presented his cabinet reshuffle. Most interesting for us was the appointment of Peter Eriksson, MEP and former spokesperson for the Green Party, as the new Minister for Housing and Digitalization, and the addition of responsibility for e-government to the portfolio of Minister for Civil Affairs Ardalan Shekarabi.

On the plus side:

• When Prime Minister Stefan Löfven presented the new minister during the press conference, he gave the issue some weight by saying "Digitization creates great opportunities for Sweden's development, not least for rural areas and the green and creative industries".
• That Sweden now has a Minister for Digitization instead of a Minister for IT - something that we from the industry have expressed a need for a long time.

On the minus side:

• Once again, responsibility for digitization policy has been divided - now among even more ministers and even more ministries. This is unfortunate, as what is needed is clearer coordination and a clearer mandate in this, for Sweden's future, so important and crucial issue of how we can best take advantage of the opportunities of digitization to solve the societal challenges we face.
• The fact that we will not have a pure digitalization minister this time either, as Peter Eriksson will also be responsible for housing issues, is a challenge to say the least. With all due respect to Eriksson, being given responsibility for both of these major and future-defining policy areas cannot possibly give either of them the priority they both deserve. As we, together with a number of representatives from the industry, recently stated in a debate article in SvD: "An important part of this is that Sweden gets a pure IT minister with a clear mandate and associated responsibility to conduct a broad but at the same time coherent Swedish IT policy. In addition, the equally urgent housing and construction issues get a minister who can devote his full attention to them."

Question mark:

• What is behind the title "Minister for Digitalization"? IT infrastructure issues may seem obvious, but then what? The digitization of the business sector seems to be an area that Minister of Economic Affairs Mikael Damberg, at least to some extent, has taken on. But what about all the other policy areas, which are also affected (or should be affected) by the effects and opportunities of digitization?
• The transfer of e-government issues to Shekarabi can certainly lead to both a slightly higher priority and an acceleration of the pace of digitalization in the public sector. But what about what lies outside e-government and digital infrastructure issues? I am thinking of health care, social care, schools, the environment, culture, etc. etc.

Today's government reshuffle provided some answers, but Löfven still owes us the answer when it comes to coordination and responsibility for making things happen in the field of digitization. Who in the government has the mandate to push for Sweden to become the best in the world at using the opportunities of digitization? That is, to ensure quality and efficiency in health and social care, to raise results in schools, for increased sustainability, for better urban planning and smarter transport systems - for all sectors of society?

We welcome you, Peter Eriksson, and now hope that you, as Minister for Digitalization - despite the fragmented responsibility - can take a comprehensive approach and coordinate all these areas. Sweden needs this.