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TODAY IN SWEDEN

Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

Find out what's going on in Sweden today with The Local's short roundup of the news in less than five minutes.

Published: 18 February 2022 08:15 CET
Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Police investigate the crime scene after shots were fired from a moving car at another car in Malmö. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Boost for Magdalena Andersson in opinion poll

An opinion poll carried out by Novus shows Social Democrat prime minister Magdalena Andersson leading among voters, with 53 percent saying they have a high or very high level of confidence in her, SVT reports.

This represents a sizeable boost from the time of the last opinion poll in autumn, where she was already experiencing high levels of confidence at 40 percent.

“Even Moderates and Sweden Democrats have confidence in her,” Torbjörn Sjöström, CEO of Novus told SVT. “Now she’s reached the level previous (Moderate) prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt had ten years ago. No party leader has been anywhere near that level since.”

According to Sjöström, this is an unusually large increase.

The only other party leader whose change in confidence can be statistically confirmed is Christian Democrat Ebba Busch, who saw an increase of four percent, putting her at 28 percent.

Swedish vocabulary: förtroende – confidence, trust

Police chase Audi in Malmö after shots fired from moving car

On Thursday afternoon, police were notified of a shooting in the Bunkeflo area of Malmö, after shots were fired from a moving car at another moving car, newspaper Sydsvenskan reports. A bullet hole was seen in a nearby apartment window.

After a large police operation which took place across multiple areas of Malmö, three people were taken into custody.

“It’s possible this number could rise,” police press spokesperson Rickard Lundqvist told the newspaper.

According to Sydsvenskan, police were chasing a dark Audi a short time after the shooting.

There are no reported injuries.

Swedish vocabulary: en kula – a bullet or ball

Car destroyed in explosion in Södertälje

A car in a car park in Södertälje was destroyed in a detonation just after midnight on Friday morning, police state via their website.

During the night, police carried out house raids and spoke to possible witnesses.

Police have begun an investigation into “destruction causing public endangerment” as well as “serious crime”.

A technical investigation will be carried out during the day.

Swedish vocabulary: allmänfarlig ödeläggelse – destruction causing public endangerment

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TODAY IN SWEDEN

Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Monday

Nato, Nato, and more Nato: Find out what's going on in Sweden with The Local's roundup.

Published: 16 May 2022 08:08 CEST
Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Monday

Sweden’s defence minister: Nato decision to be taken today

Sweden’s government will meet later on Monday to take the historical decision to join Nato, the country’s defence minister Peter Hultqvist, has told state broadcaster SVT. 

“I can’t say exactly when the application will be sent in, but the decision is going to be taken today,” he said. 

Turkey have voiced their opposition to Sweden and Finland joining the alliance.

Hultqvist said that Sweden was sending a group of civil servants to discuss Turkey’s objections to Swedish Nato membership — something Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday would not prevent Sweden joining the alliance. 

“We are going to a send a group of civil servants who are going to carry out a discussion and have a dialogue with Turkey, so then we’ll see how the issue can be solved and what the discussion is actually about. But the signals we’ve had from Nato are that there’s unanimity that both Sweden and Finland should join.” 

Swedish Vocab: avgör – to decide 

Sweden’s ruling Social Democratic Party backs Nato bid

Sweden’s ruling Social Democratic Party on Sunday said it was in favour of joining Nato, reversing its decades-long opposition and paving the way for the country to submit a membership application.

The turnaround comes amid soaring political and public support in Sweden for joining the Western military alliance after Russia’s February 24th invasion of Ukraine.

The issue has divided Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s Social Democrats, with some party members expressing concern that the decision was being rushed through.

The party said on Sunday that if Sweden’s application were approved, it would work to express “unilateral reservations against the deployment of nuclear weapons and permanent bases on Swedish territory.”

Swedish vocab: att vara orolig – to be worried/concerned

Finland confirms it will apply to join Nato as Sweden set to follow

Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö confirmed on Sunday that his country would apply for Nato membership as Sweden’s ruling party was to hold a decisive meeting that could pave the way for a joint application.

The announcement came after Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday they both favoured Nato membership, in a major policy shift prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Today, we, the president and the government’s foreign policy committee, have together decided that Finland … will apply for Nato membership,” Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Sanna Marin in Helsinki on Sunday.

“I have great feelings, of course, this is an historic day. It started in the morning when I visited the memorial service to honour Finland’s fallen heroes”, Niinistö told reporters.

Niinistö said that the decision will secure Finland’s security policy and that it “does not disadvantage anyone”.

Sweden’s foreign minister Ann Linde said the decision would have “great significance” for Sweden.

Swedish vocab: betydelse – significance 

US in support of Sweden and Finland joining Nato

The State Department’s top diplomat for Europe, Karen Donfried, and President Joe Biden have reiterated US support for Sweden and Finland joining Nato, ahead of a meeting between Alliance foreign ministers in Berlin on Saturday.

In a phone call on Friday morning with Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, US President Joe Biden reiterated support for Nato’s open-door policy, the White House said. He had also stressed that Sweden and Finland had the right to decide their own future.

Donfried said on Friday: “The United States would support Finland or Sweden joining Nato should they choose to do so.” A formal membership application by the two countries would be “further evidence of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategic miscalculation,” she said.

Finland and Sweden are “valued Nato partners” and “thriving democracies,” Donfried said. Referring to remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the top diplomat said Turkey’s position must now be clarified. 

Swedish vocab: att stödja – to support 

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