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Almedalen special: Swedish red tape vexes Ukrainians

Almedalen special: Swedish red tape vexes Ukrainians

Local Sweden21 hours ago

This week: Can northern Sweden's green transition survive the fall of Northvolt, migration bureaucracy causes headache for Ukrainian refugees, and the former US ambassador talks about how his country's relationship with Europe has changed – and what remains the same.
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In this week's episode we find out all that's happening at this year's Almedalen, Sweden's annual festival of politics on the island of Gotland.
The Local's James Savage rounds up the sights and sounds from this year's event as he speaks to Helena Renström at Skellefteå municipality about Northvolt and the future of the northern Sweden green transition, and former US ambassador Eric Ramanathan.
Khrystyna Hevchuk, chair of Refugee Hope, an organisation that helps Ukrainian refugees in Sweden, also explains how migration bureaucracy is making life hard for them.
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Almedalen special: Swedish red tape vexes Ukrainians
Almedalen special: Swedish red tape vexes Ukrainians

Local Sweden

time21 hours ago

  • Local Sweden

Almedalen special: Swedish red tape vexes Ukrainians

This week: Can northern Sweden's green transition survive the fall of Northvolt, migration bureaucracy causes headache for Ukrainian refugees, and the former US ambassador talks about how his country's relationship with Europe has changed – and what remains the same. Advertisement In this week's episode we find out all that's happening at this year's Almedalen, Sweden's annual festival of politics on the island of Gotland. The Local's James Savage rounds up the sights and sounds from this year's event as he speaks to Helena Renström at Skellefteå municipality about Northvolt and the future of the northern Sweden green transition, and former US ambassador Eric Ramanathan. Khrystyna Hevchuk, chair of Refugee Hope, an organisation that helps Ukrainian refugees in Sweden, also explains how migration bureaucracy is making life hard for them. You can listen to the episode here: Or follow Sweden in Focus wherever you listen to podcasts. Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers. Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre. Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription on a podcast platform. If you prefer to listen on the site, you can find all episodes at the bottom of our podcast page.

Sweden Democrat leader 'apologises deeply' for party's history
Sweden Democrat leader 'apologises deeply' for party's history

Local Sweden

time4 days ago

  • Local Sweden

Sweden Democrat leader 'apologises deeply' for party's history

Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson told the crowd during his speech at the Almedalen political festival that he 'apologises deeply' for his party's history, after the release of an 800-page document looking into its far-right origins. Advertisement The document, written by historian Tony Gustafsson, covers the period between the party's founding in 1988 to its entry into parliament in 2010, including its origins in nationalist movements inhabited by right-wing extremists, fascists and Nazis. Åkesson told SVT that it included "a lot of bad things" and that it was "not fun to read". "But it's nothing new that some of the founders of our party, almost over 40 years ago, had connections to more extreme movements," he told the public broadcaster, while adding that there were names included in the report that even he hadn't heard before. He also addressed the white book in his speech on Tuesday evening. "It makes me feel uncomfortable that there was actually a time when Jews in Sweden had completely rational reasons to view the Sweden Democrats of the time with concern and fear," Åkesson said, adding that the white book made it clear that there was "overt antisemitism among individual Sweden Democrats". "I deeply regret, and apologise, that my party at the time could be perceived as threatening and frightening for Jews in Sweden," he added. Advertisement Åkesson said that the party has now drawn clear boundaries against antisemitism. "The Sweden Democrats of today, especially me, have to handle what we have inherited," he said. "Take responsibility for it, if you will. And I think we have done that, handled it and taken responsibility for it. We've drawn clear boundaries and we've kept it clean." He added that he believes antisemitism in Sweden now comes from the left wing. "In the wake of the conflict in the Middle East, open antisemitism is now growing in Sweden," he said. Researcher Morgan Finnsiö from anti-racist magazine Expo argued in Dagens Nyheter (DN) that the Sweden Democrats still have issues with antisemitism in the current party. "There are many Jews in Sweden who still see their links to right-wing extremism as something frightening," he said. "In essentially every election the Sweden Democrats have stood in since their foundation, candidates have been revealed who still have links to the Swedish white power movement." Advertisement Finnsiö added that the party was mentioned in Swedish security police Säpo's reports of Swedish right-wing extremism well into the 90s ‒ years after Jimmie Åkesson joined the party. "This is something that was a part of the party's history, in its ideology and in the social environment the party recruited its members and representatives from," he told DN. "If it was just single individuals then it wouldn't have been included in Säpo's reports of crimes threatening Swedish domestic security." He also pushed back on Åkesson's claims that antisemitism is primarily a problem within the Swedish left. "We have a terror-classed Nazi group in Sweden, Nordiska motståndsrörelsen [the Nordic resistance movement], which continues to push antisemitism within the Swedish far right to a very high degree," he said. "Trying to pretend that the problem of antisemitism only exists in one corner of Swedish politics is almost absurd." Gothenburg University researcher Christer Mattsson, who has read the entire 800-page report, told SVT that it was "a genuine academic document", adding that there was information in the report that he wasn't sure would be included. Mattsson works for the university's Segerstedt Institute, which engages in preventative work against antisemitism and racist organisations, among other things. He explained that it wasn't just about the founding of the party, but also the fact that national socialism, antisemitism and race ideology all remained part of the party for several years, influencing its people, activities and institutions. "There were sediments of racial ideology, nazism and antisemitism in the early party, which were expressed by different people and affected the party's internal and external activities. It was, in other words, possible to express extreme views despite the fact that these were not anchored in the party's official stance," he told SVT. The first part of the white book was presented in 2022.

Politics in Sweden: Who is the new leader of the struggling Liberals?
Politics in Sweden: Who is the new leader of the struggling Liberals?

Local Sweden

time4 days ago

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Politics in Sweden: Who is the new leader of the struggling Liberals?

Simona Mohamsson vowed to bring 'tough love' to immigration and integration politics in her first speech as party leader. Will one of her first moves be to change the Liberals' stance on the far-right Sweden Democrats, asks The Local Sweden's Editor Emma Löfgren. Advertisement We did mention Simona Mohamsson in our analysis a month ago as a possible candidate for the position as leader, but she was hardly one of the favourites. Her appointment came as many of the top names, however, said they were not interested in the role, including Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari. Mohamsson, who spent most of her childhood and teenage years in south-western Sweden, has had a meteoric career within the Liberal Party, only entering national politics as recently as April, when she took over as party secretary – one of the most senior roles within a party. Before that the 30-year-old had been active in youth and local politics, serving as deputy chair of the party's LUF youth wing and city councillor in charge of social services in Hisingen, a suburb of Gothenburg, Sweden's second largest city. She was born in Hamburg, Germany, and moved to Överlida, a village of around 500 people in the countryside south-east of Gothenburg, when she was eight years old. Her father is an Israeli Arab born in Haifa and her mother is from a mountain village in Lebanon, close to the Israeli border. The family changed their name from Mohammed to the more Swedish-sounding Mohamsson shortly after arrival in Sweden. Advertisement She was formally elected as the new leader of the Liberals on June 24th, and thrown into the deep end only hours later when she gave a speech on the main stage of Sweden's annual, high-profile Almedalen political week on the island of Gotland. Mohamsson dedicated a significant amount of her speech to one of the Liberals' main issues: schools, saying she had arrived in Sweden to a 'flumskola' (a Swedish slang word that refers to the school system as 'frivolous') run by the centre-left Social Democrats, a stark difference to the German school system she had started out in. 'That is my promise to those of you listening. The school as an institution of knowledge must be restored. Folkpartiet classic,' she told the audience at Almedalen Week. In the end, which she didn't mention, she actually spent most of her Swedish school years under a national government led by the centre-right Alliance (including the Liberals, known at the time as Folkpartiet) for eight years and a centre-right majority city council. Advertisement She also praised the Tidö coalition – the government made up of the Moderates, Christian Democrats and Liberals, supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats – for its approach to crime and punishment, urging 'hard measures for soft values'. 'We should not have a Sweden where police officers are shot. Where children are killing other children. With streets of sorrow or neighbours in fear,' she said. She said integration policies should place tougher demands on people, but also offer opportunities, such as Swedish for Immigrants classes coupled with language requirements for citizenship, or vocational training but also a cap on benefits. 'That's Liberal politics for more Mohamssons. Where second-generation immigrants become first-generation Swedes. With support from society, but also the clear expectations of society. Tough love, for a Sweden that sticks together,' she said. Advertisement Mohamsson avoided addressing criticism of her party's collaboration with the Sweden Democrats in her speech, saying she could 'work together with all parties', before launching a blistering attack on the centre-left opposition, which she argued shared neither a joint vision for Sweden nor insights into the problems the country faces. 'It's not an option you want to collaborate with if you want to push Sweden in a better and safer direction,' she said. At a press conference after the speech, she said the Liberals would make a clear statement about future government coalitions after the summer holidays. The party has previously refused to be part of a government that includes the Sweden Democrats, or support such a government. But according to unconfirmed reports by public broadcaster SVT, the party management will attempt to change its stance. Based on current polling figures, the best hope for a right-wing government after the 2026 election is if the Sweden Democrats are allowed to formally join the government. That's if the Liberals even make it into parliament, which is not a safe bet. In the latest major poll by number-crunchers Statistics Sweden, they were polling at 2.8 percent, far below the 4 percent required to get any seats in parliament. Will Mohamsson's "tough love" be able to turn things around for the Liberals? It remains to be seen. Politics in Sweden is The Local's weekly analysis, guide or look ahead to what's coming up in Swedish politics. Update your newsletter settings to receive it directly to your inbox.

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