Referendum on Nato ‘a bad idea’, Andersson says

Sweden’s prime minister Magdalena Andersson came out against holding a referendum on Nato on Thursday afternoon, following calls from the Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar to put the decision to a public vote.

“I think it’s a bad idea, for several reasons. It’s a question which isn’t suitable for a referendum, in my opinion,” she said in a press conference.

She explained her decision by saying that the question involves classified information which can’t be debated openly, as well as information to do with national security.

“There are important questions in such a referendum which can’t be discussed. Important facts which can’t be laid out on the table,” she said.

Andersson also criticised Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson’s requirement that the government should seek parliamentary support for a Nato application.

She underlined that parliamentary parties are discussing security policy in an analysis group, with a report to be presented in two weeks.

“We’re working to find consensus in this situation. I can only regret to say that Ulf Kristersson, again and again, seems to seek conflict on these issues,” she said.

Swedish vocabulary: sekretessbelagd – classified

British citizens in Europe finally get right to vote for life

British citizens living abroad will no longer lose their right to vote in UK elections if they have been abroad for over 15 years, after a long-term government pledge finally became law. Here’s what we know about the new rules.

The UK government’s Elections Bill finally passed through the House of Lords in the British parliament on Wednesday night. Part two of the bill was hugely important for British citizens living abroad because it restored their right to vote in UK General Elections, no matter how long they have lived abroad.

Previously the so-called ’15-year rule’ meant Britons who had been out of the country for more than 15 years lost the right to vote back home. This rule effectively barred tens of thousands of Britons abroad from voting in the 2016 EU referendum, despite the fact the result had a direct impact on their lives.

It is believed the bill now extends voting rights to some 3.5 million British nationals living around the world, over one million of those living in Europe.

The move marks a victory for those Britons who have long campaigned against the 15-year rule, none more so than 100-year-old Harry Schindler, a British citizen living in Italy who began the campaign many years ago.

See the full article on the changes here.

Swedish vocabulary: rösträtt – right to vote

Swedish government announces plans to bring back shortage test for work permits

“We need order in the Swedish labour market,” Anders Ygeman, Sweden’s migration minister, said, announcing plans to bring back a labour shortage test for work permits at a press conference on Thursday. “Sweden should not compete with low wages and bad working conditions”.

The government now wants to introduce so-called arbetsmarknadsprövning, a system scrapped in 2008 where prospective labour migrants wanting to work in Sweden will only have their work permits approved if they are filling a position where there is a national shortage.

The change comes on top of new tighter rules due to come in on June 1st, which will require work permit applicants to have a job contract before a permit can be granted. 

• READ ALSO: How could a new shortage test for work permits impact foreigners in Sweden?

If arbetsmarknadsprövning is brought back, the availability of work permits will be dependent on unions, employers, and other authorities confirming that they lack staff in the profession in question.

The government has not yet submitted a proposal to reintroduce the law, rather they are in the process of initiating an investigation into how possible legislation could be formulated. This investigation is expected to launch by this summer, after which it will run for at least a year, meaning that any change in legislation is unlikely to happen before the latter half of 2023.

Swedish vocabulary: arbetsmarknad – labour market

Swedish central bank raises inflation for first time since 2014

Sweden’s Riksbank has increased its key interest rate to 0.25 percent, marking the first time the rate has been above zero for nearly eight years.

In a press release announcing the move, the bank said that it needed to take action to bring down the current high rate of inflation, which it predicts will average 5.5 percent in 2022, before sinking to 3.3 percent in 2023.

“Inflation has risen to the highest level since the 1990s and is going to stay high for a while. To prevent high inflation taking hold in price and wage developments, the directors have decided to raise interest rates from zero to 0.25 percent,” it said. 

The Riksbank, which is tasked by the government to keep inflation at around two percent, has been caught off-guard by the speed and duration of price rises.

Just a few months ago, in February, it said it expected inflation to be temporary, predicting there was no need to increase rates until 2024.

The last time the key inflation rate was above zero was in the autumn of 2014. 

Swedish vocabulary: styrränta – key inflation rate