February 14, 2012
Published: 6 May 09 11:51 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/19282/20090506/
Welcome to The Local’s Essential Guide to Voting in the 2009 European Parliamentary Elections.
Yes, another five years have passed and once again it’s time for the citizens of Europe have their say about who will represent their interests in the halls of power in Brussels.
A number of The Local's readers are eligible to vote in Sweden, and hopefully the rest of you will be slightly curious to know what all the fuss is about.
In fact, 2009 statistics from the Swedish Election Authority (Valmyndigheten) show that just over 182,000 citizens of other European Union (EU) countries reside in Sweden – a sizeable voting bloc indeed!
In an effort to guide those looking to have their voices heard amidst the din of the EU institutional machinery – and to simply enlighten those who can’t –The Local has immersed itself into the muddy sea of information about European elections so you don’t have to.
Step by Step guide:
1. The European Parliament in 30 seconds or less
2. European Parliamentary Elections
3. Who can vote in Sweden?
4. How do I vote and how does the election work?
5. Who on earth do I vote for on June 7th?
6. But what do the parties in Sweden actually want to do?
6 a. Riksdag Parties (from left to right)
6 b. Other parties to watch (in no particular order)
External links:
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
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A suburb of Mjällby, southern Sweden, known by locals as ‘Negro Village’ for forty years, will be changing its name after a storm of recent attention. READ (9 COMMENTS) »
A 27-year-old German man has been living at the Gothenburg Landvetter airport for two months having no wish to return to Germany and nowhere to go in Sweden. READ (10 COMMENTS) »
Every second Swede is at risk of developing dementia, according to a new study from Umeå University, which concentrated on the 85+ population in northern Sweden. READ »
After a 28-year-old woman was pulled off her bicycle and raped by an unidentified assailant in Malmö over the weekend, and police are fearing it could be the work of a budding serial rapist. READ (12 COMMENTS) »
Families of children in Sweden suffering from narcolepsy caused by vaccination for the swine flu can expect some form of compensation, Swedish health minister Göran Hägglund said on Sunday in response to new calls for help from parents. READ (1 COMMENT) »
The new leader of the Social Democrats Stefan Löfven has indicated he's ready to negotiate with the government over the future of nuclear power despite a previous party decision to phase out nuclear energy in Sweden. READ (2 COMMENTS) »
One in five Swedes believes that people rise from the grave after they've died, a new survey has shown. READ (14 COMMENTS) »

As diverse as Sweden is, there are a few societal norms that are distinctly Swedish. Understanding a handful of them will hopefully prepare you culturally before you relocate. When you're invited home to a Swede, you better be on time and take your shoes off, writes expat Lola Akinmade-Åkerström. Read more »
Sweden is a country where almost everyone can speak English. So why bother to learn Swedish? Edina Varnagy from Hungary managed with English for a whole year but then found that Swedish could open doors – to a job, a social life and greater understanding. Read more »
"The ice dripped in the winter sun. It was the first day when the light had been intense enough to cause dripping in the sunlight. To hear it was an extraordinary wakeup call. The cycle was happening again as it always does, always will (or so we think). I imagined that on my summer island, the bees..." READ »
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fin
adjective
Fin means anyhting from sweet to proper. When someone says, Du är så fin it's quite a compliment.
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Now i know exactly how to vote for the PirateParty and what dates.
ARRR! Raise the flag! Parrots on shoulders... off we go to the voting booths!
(first time voter here...ever!)