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

Green Party reports Sweden's business minister over Kallak/Gallók mine 

Sweden's green party has reported the country's business minister, Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson. after reports in the Dagens Nyheter newspaper of conflicts of interests running up to the decision.

One of the key state secretaries in his department had been part of the team at the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU), which classed the ore body as "of national interest" ten years ago. 

According to the newspaper, top officials at SGU have campaigned for the mine on social media, and SGU officials have been taken on trips to the Alps by the consortium trying to build the mine. 

"What has come forward is extremely serious," the Green Party's spokesperson, Märta Stenevi, told the newspaper. 

Swedish vocab: jäv - conflicts of interest

"We are serious about the EU defence clause": German chancellor

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has given reassurances that Germany has a "duty to help" other EU member states in the event of an attack from outside, as Swedish prime minister Magdalena Andersson visited him for a state visit in Berlin. 

"We obviously have a duty to help our Nato partner -- there is a mutual defence clause which is very clear -- but also all the other partners in the EU," he said at a press conference after the meeting. We are in a union, not just economically, but even culturally, politically and morally." 

Sweden's prime minister has earlier pointed to article 42.7 in the EU's constitution, which states that member states have a duty to come to the aid of other member states in the event of an armed attack, as an important security guarantee.

But there are questions over whether the EU, which lacks Nato's centralised decision-making and security apparatus, can provide similar safeguards to those that would be provided by Nato membership. 

At the meeting, the two leaders discussed the Ukraine situation and the need for Europe to free itself on dependence on Russian energy. 

Swedish vocab: att stötta - to support 

Civil Contingencies Agency to reactivate 'civil conscription' 

Sweden's Civil Contingencies Agency has called on the government to reactivate Sweden's civilplikten, or "civil conscription", which allows Swedish citizens between 16 and 65 years old to be given "war placements" in critical services such as the rescue services, healthcare, and childcare, Sweden's state broadcaster SR has reported .

"We believe that it's possible to take such a decision rapidly so that we have enough people ready if the absolute worst were to happen," Camilla Asp, the agency's operations director, said. 

Civil conscription has been dormant since 2010. Sweden's justice minister, Morgan Johansson, said the government would consider the issue once the agency had fully made its request. 

Swedish vocab: ett plikt - a duty  

Ericsson CEO expected to be sacked at AGM today

Börje Ekholm, chief executive of the Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson, is expected to be ousted at the company's annual shareholder meeting at 3pm on Tuesday, following claims that the company paid money to Islamic State group in order to continue operating in Iraq. 

The AGM is being held digitally, however, meaning journalists will have access to neither Ekholm not to the company's chairman Ronnie Leten at the meeting. 

Ekholm confirmed last month that payments had been made in order to transport material through areas controlled by terrorist groups, including those controlled by Islamic State, but he said Ericsson could not confirm whether the money went to Islamic State itself. 

Swedish vocab: en bolagsstämma - a company AGM