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Local Sweden
5 days ago
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Inside Sweden: Minister's family member's white supremacist links expose double standards
The Local Sweden's editor Emma Löfgren rounds up the biggest stories of the week in our Inside Sweden newsletter. Advertisement Hej, This week, anti-racist magazine Expo broke the shocking story that a Swedish government minister has a family member who is allegedly active in, and trying to recruit people to, extreme right and white supremacist movements. It's a story that comes with several ethical conundrums. On the one hand, if a minister in any government has that close links to someone said to be involved in organisations that promote violent neo-Nazi ideals, it's clearly a potential security risk and a reason to resign on the spot. This is the government that's pushed through some of the harshest immigration reforms in years. Surely it's relevant if a minister risks being influenced – even hypothetically – by white power groups, or if, say, a foreign power wanted to use the information against the minister to harm Sweden? After days of silence, the minister eventually sent an anonymous comment to the TT news agency late on Friday, via the prime minister's press secretary, requesting to stay anonymous due to the young age of their family member. "Last week I found out that a close relative in their early teens has been hanging out in completely the wrong circles. I detest all kinds of political extremism and strongly distance myself from it," said the minister. Advertisement "I have had long and frank conversations with the minor who is both remorseful and sad. All association with these circles is a closed chapter." They added that they had acted according to the standard security procedures and been working closely with the security police ever since they found out. It's important to say that we don't know what's going on behind the scenes. We don't choose our relatives. Perhaps the minister as they say knew just as little about it as the rest of us – perhaps they are, right now, as torn apart by it as anyone would be. Arguably, a minister should be judged on what they do on the job – is it really anyone's business who happens to be part of their family? Advertisement The family member in question is also underage. That's a strong reason why the mainstream media haven't been naming the minister – it's not to protect the minister, it's to protect the family member, who is not a public figure and hasn't been convicted of any crimes. Swedish media tend to be more restrictive than in many other countries when it comes to naming people, especially when publishing damaging information about them. This is perhaps also the reason why the story made surprisingly few waves in the Swedish media. Although most mainstream newspapers covered Expo's report, and in some cases got their own comments, it's been tricky to cover it in any real depth without revealing identifying information. But there are good reasons why this is an important story, and it must be possible to talk about while showing compassion and understanding of the fact that the minister may very well be facing a difficult time in their private life right now – and that young people can sometimes end up on the wrong track. Advertisement But, here's another but. Imagine that a politician could be linked to radical islamism through a family member. There would be an outcry. The current government would be the first in line to call for their resignation. And it has spoken on several occasions about, for example, parents in largely immigrant suburbs being responsible for keeping their children away from gangs. So are we responsible for our family members or not? Last year, the government pushed through a law change which means that if a tenant's child commits a crime that has a negative effect on their neighbours' living situation, it should be possible to evict the entire family. The government's far-right Sweden Democrats allies want to make it possible to revoke an entire family's residence permits if one of their members is involved in serious crime (again, just to be clear, no information has emerged that suggests the minister's family member is suspected of any crimes – but some of the groups they've been associated with promote a violent ideology). Advertisement And time and again, immigrants are told by ministers that they are responsible for raising their children, making sure they integrate and learn Swedish, setting clear boundaries to stop them getting involved in unacceptable activities, and so on. When many of them are surely fighting just as hard as anyone would, including ministers, to prevent their family members from straying off-track, and are as torn apart about it as anyone would be that they failed. The government's silence on the minister's indirect links to white supremacism via a family member is not a good look, and it must surely be unprecedented for a Swedish minister to make a statement that's not only anonymous in the published article (let's assume there have been plenty of ministers behind anonymous leaks over the years) but in which the government even refuses to disclose their identity to the news outlet the statement is given to – which in addition makes it impossible for the journalist to ask follow-up questions. Perhaps it is a closed chapter, as the minister says. But plenty of questions remain unanswered – and perhaps even more importantly, let it be a lesson that it's time to show other families compassion in return? In other news Sweden launched in-person ID checks for citizenship this spring, with all applicants having to attend before they can become Swedish citizens. The Local spoke to a reader about their appointment to find out what to expect. Just over 2,000 letters have so far been sent out to citizenship applicants, inviting them to book the mandatory ID check at the Migration Agency. Mahmut, originally from Turkey, came to Sweden as an asylum seeker back in 2017 due to political unrest in his home country. Now, he is in citizenship limbo and believes Swedish security police have branded him a security threat, without telling him why. Becky Waterton's interview is this week's must-read. Want to take a dip in a Swedish lake, but you never learned to swim? We've republished our guide to where you can get lessons as an adult. GAMES: Have you tried The Local's games for Membership+ subscribers yet? We've got a new crossword and word search puzzle out now The Swedish government has launched an inquiry over concerns about the country's low birth rate, with the aim of proposing concrete measures to improve it. As part of the 25th anniversary of the Öresund bridge connecting Copenhagen and Malmö, the prime ministers of both countries pledged to make it easier to live and work across the Swedish-Danish border. Becky has a few ideas. The Swedish government has pledged to attract international talent, while radically limiting asylum and low-skilled immigration. So why do work permit holders so often get the short end of the stick? A government-appointed inquiry has concluded that there is no need for a national begging ban, despite demands from the Moderates and Sweden Democrats to introduce one. July brings with it cheaper flights, summer holidays and pay rises ‒ for government ministers at least. Here are the new laws and events happening in Sweden this month. Hope you have a lovely weekend, Emma Löfgren Editor, The Local Sweden Inside Sweden is our weekly newsletter for members which gives you news, analysis and, sometimes, takes you behind the scenes at The Local. It's published each Saturday and with Membership+ you can also receive it directly to your inbox.
Local Sweden
20-06-2025
- Local Sweden
Why the Bridge Run between Sweden and Denmark meant so much to me
The Local Sweden's deputy editor Becky Waterton spent her Sunday running over the bridge between Sweden and Denmark in a half marathon to celebrate the bridge's 25th anniversary. She explains what the bridge means to her and to people in the Öresund region. Advertisement This weekend, I completed the Broloppet half marathon over the Öresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark. The organisers of the run made a big deal of the bridge (and the run) symbolising the connection between Denmark and Sweden. At first, that sounds quite cheesy, but life here in Malmö where I live would certainly be different if it didn't exist. It means that you can live in Malmö and commute to work in central Copenhagen in less than an hour, opening up Copenhagen to Swedes looking for new work or study opportunities. Swedes can head over to Louisiana or Tivoli for a day trip, and Danes can nip to Malmö or Lund to see the sights and make the most of the low Swedish krona for some cheap shopping. I hadn't even run 5km before I bought my ticket in February last year, but I just knew when I saw the run being advertised that I had to do it. This may sound odd, but the Öresund Bridge means a lot to me. I've lived and worked in both cities, speak both languages, and aside from the fact that I cross the bridge whenever I visit friends in Denmark or travel via Copenhagen Airport, it's played a central role in many important moments in my life. Advertisement I met my Swedish husband when I was living in Copenhagen and he was living in Malmö. I crossed the bridge when I caught the train to Malmö for our first date. I crossed it when we left Malmö for our wedding in Frederiksberg town hall, and I crossed it while in labour with our daughter, who was born in Denmark. I even crossed it mid-pandemic, when my parents were able to visit Copenhagen but not Malmö, so that my family could meet my daughter for the first time. On Sunday, I crossed it on foot with my dad (who, unlike me, is an avid runner) by my side. That was the culmination of over a year of training, much of which was done along the seafront in Ribersborg looking out at the bridge. Now when I look out at the bridge, I along with 40,000 other runners can say 'I ran over that'. The Öresund Bridge run also means a lot to people in southern Sweden and, I assume, Denmark too. Three generations of my daughter's family have done it now, including my father-in-law who skated over on roller blades (!) 25 years ago. I know that we have some readers who were there on Sunday with their own connections to the bridge, whether that's in their own lives or through their family history. Admittedly, the connection between Sweden and Denmark isn't always smooth. What was supposed to be temporary border checks at Hyllie are nearing their tenth anniversary this year, and non-EU citizens can't live in one country and work in the other without a work permit. It's also extremely expensive to cross it (at least for those of us who are paid in Swedish kronor), and the trains are often delayed or cancelled. Advertisement The bridge run itself didn't go completely smoothly either, to be fair. Long toilet queues before the run meant that many people didn't have time to go before they were due to start, and chaos with buses and bag pick-up afterwards meant that those heading back to Denmark had to wait in the finish area for hours. Many runners even had to queue in the last 200 metres before they could cross the finish line, which must have been frustrating to say the least after pushing yourself for 21 kilometres. For the most part though, I'd say that the bridge has clearly benefited both countries greatly, and has brought them closer together in the 25 years since it was built. I don't particularly fancy doing it again anytime soon, but who knows ‒ maybe I'll feel differently if another run is planned for the bridge's 50th anniversary in 2050. By then, there could even be a metro line stretching between both cities, bringing us even closer over national and geographical borders. I certainly feel closer to the other runners who spent a couple of hours (in my case, almost three) running under and over the Öresund from Denmark to Sweden on Sunday. Even considering the organisational chaos and the frankly terrible conditions, I doubt there are many people who regret they did it.
Local Germany
12-03-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
Will German consumers join the growing boycott of US-made goods?
Among European countries, the US boycott gained widespread support first in Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Denmark. The Local Sweden reported last week that a Facebook group promoting the boycott of US goods gained around 40,000 members within a few days. Members of the group shared tips on alternatives to popular US products and services – including digital services. But similar groups have popped up in other countries including Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Finland, France, and Germany. German media has begun to take note of the conversations online as well. ZDF Heute reported this week that a sub-Reddit called ' Buy From EU ' has well over 100,000 members with thousands more joining every day. Why are Europeans calling for a boycott of US goods? The origin of the boycott against the US is primarily traced back to Canada. Canadian leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, called on consumers to buy more Canadian products and avoid US imports in response to tariffs levied by Trump on Canadian products. Some Canadian consumers had already been posting videos on social media about avoiding US-made products weeks earlier, following Trump's comments about making Canada into another US state. In Europe, the main motivating factor behind the boycotts seems to be Trump's foreign policy and relations with Europe. His abrupt turn on Ukraine and threats to withdraw large numbers of troops and defence resources from Europe have seriously damaged US relations with its long-held European allies. On top of that, his tariffs on European imports have triggered retaliation, with the EU announcing its own tariffs on American products such as bourbon whiskey, jeans, motorcycles, boats and peanut butter – due to start from April. As the second leading exporter in the world (behind China), it's no small feat to avoid US products and services. Some posts on the 'Buy from EU' thread make light of the issue, such as suggesting people simply eat Döner kebabs instead of McDonald's. Döner's are tasty, local and not expensive by u/BenderDeLorean in BuyFromEU But there are also helpful tips and resources to be found. For instance, a group of volunteers affiliated with the group created this online tool, which allows you to search for products you need and find options made by Europe-based companies. If you search for 'Nike' you'll find Germany-based Adidas and Puma as well as France-based Decathalon and Poland-based 4F, for example. You can also select from a list of major US companies to find alternatives, and limit searches specifically to Germany-made products. If you're select Netflix, and limit options to Germany-based companies, you'll find the streaming site Joyn. What do Germans think? In r/de, which is the primary German-language Reddit community about Germany, a user introduced the US boycott idea and asked, 'Can that work?' The most popular comment says that it won't make the US government 'start acting sensibly again' but adds that it can 'make Europe more independent and less susceptible to blackmail.' Another comment adds that the impact may be small - but there could still be a positive effect. 'It can make a small mark, but above all supports small local businesses,' the user wrote.
