Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
SD Islam critic gets chairmanship, Nord Steam leak stops, Erdogan threats, and a rainy September: find out what's going on in Sweden with The Local's roundup.
Sweden Democrat Islam critic to chair parliament's justice committee
Richard Jomshof, a Sweden Democrat politician known for his statements critical of Islam, has been chosen by the party to chair the Swedish Parliament's Committee on Justice, giving him influence over the procedure through which new laws on crime and punishment are decided in the parliament.
"This is important for us. This is a milestone in the party's history," Jomshof, one of the original 'gang of four' who modernised the party, told Swedish state broadcaster SR. "My hope is that we will quite quickly get a good cooperation going which will show voters that we are ready to make fundamental changes."
Aron Emilsson will become chair of the Committee on Foreign Policy, while Tobias Andersson will become Chair of the Committee on Industry and Trade.
Jomshof is most controversial due to his assertion that Islam is "a despicable ideology and religion".
As soon as he was appointed, he reasserted his position, writing in a tweet, "Islam is worse than Christendom, on all levels".
Swedish vocab: på samtliga plan – on all levels
Nord Stream 2 pipeline has stopped leaking gas under Baltic Sea: spokesman
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is no longer leaking under the Baltic Sea because an equilibrium has been reached between the gas and water pressure, a spokesman told AFP.
“The water pressure has more or less closed the pipeline so that the gas which is inside can’t go out,” Nord Stream 2 spokesman Ulrich Lissek said.
“The conclusion is that there is still gas in the pipeline,” he added.
Asked how much gas was believed to be in the pipeline, Lissek said: “That is the one-million-dollar question.”
The Danish Energy Agency also said that the latest statement indicated that "the blow-out of gas from the last two leaks has now been completed".
Information on the status of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline leak, which was significantly larger, was not immediately available.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which connect Russia to Germany, have been at the centre of geopolitical tensions as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Swedish vocab: en utblåsning – a blow-out
Turkish president repeats Nato threat
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is continuing to threaten to block Nato membership for Sweden and Finland.
"Until the promises given to our country are met, we will stick to our principled position," he said in a speech to parliament. "We will keep a careful watch on whether Sweden and Finland stick to their promises or not."
It is Turkey's parliament, he said, which would decide on the issue.
On Friday, Sweden's National Inspectorate of Strategic Products, which decides on which countries Sweden can sell arms to, withdrew its ban on weapons sales to Turkey.
Swedish vocab: principfasta – principled
Swedish towns see rainest days since records began
The towns of Öningaryd in southern Småland and Eringsboda in Blekinge this month recorded their rainiest 24-hour periods since records began, being soaked by 96.7mm and 77.9mm respectively.
The rainiest place this month was Härnösand on Sweden's northeast coast, which recorded its tenth most rainy month since records began in the 1800s.
Most of central Sweden was dryer than usual, particularly the north of Götaland and and parts of Svealand.
Swedish vocab: nederbörd – downpours
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Sweden Democrat Islam critic to chair parliament's justice committee
Richard Jomshof, a Sweden Democrat politician known for his statements critical of Islam, has been chosen by the party to chair the Swedish Parliament's Committee on Justice, giving him influence over the procedure through which new laws on crime and punishment are decided in the parliament.
"This is important for us. This is a milestone in the party's history," Jomshof, one of the original 'gang of four' who modernised the party, told Swedish state broadcaster SR. "My hope is that we will quite quickly get a good cooperation going which will show voters that we are ready to make fundamental changes."
Aron Emilsson will become chair of the Committee on Foreign Policy, while Tobias Andersson will become Chair of the Committee on Industry and Trade.
Jomshof is most controversial due to his assertion that Islam is "a despicable ideology and religion".
As soon as he was appointed, he reasserted his position, writing in a tweet, "Islam is worse than Christendom, on all levels".
Swedish vocab: på samtliga plan – on all levels
Nord Stream 2 pipeline has stopped leaking gas under Baltic Sea: spokesman
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is no longer leaking under the Baltic Sea because an equilibrium has been reached between the gas and water pressure, a spokesman told AFP.
“The water pressure has more or less closed the pipeline so that the gas which is inside can’t go out,” Nord Stream 2 spokesman Ulrich Lissek said.
“The conclusion is that there is still gas in the pipeline,” he added.
Asked how much gas was believed to be in the pipeline, Lissek said: “That is the one-million-dollar question.”
The Danish Energy Agency also said that the latest statement indicated that "the blow-out of gas from the last two leaks has now been completed".
Information on the status of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline leak, which was significantly larger, was not immediately available.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which connect Russia to Germany, have been at the centre of geopolitical tensions as Russia cut gas supplies to Europe in suspected retaliation against Western sanctions following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Swedish vocab: en utblåsning – a blow-out
Turkish president repeats Nato threat
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is continuing to threaten to block Nato membership for Sweden and Finland.
"Until the promises given to our country are met, we will stick to our principled position," he said in a speech to parliament. "We will keep a careful watch on whether Sweden and Finland stick to their promises or not."
It is Turkey's parliament, he said, which would decide on the issue.
On Friday, Sweden's National Inspectorate of Strategic Products, which decides on which countries Sweden can sell arms to, withdrew its ban on weapons sales to Turkey.
Swedish vocab: principfasta – principled
Swedish towns see rainest days since records began
The towns of Öningaryd in southern Småland and Eringsboda in Blekinge this month recorded their rainiest 24-hour periods since records began, being soaked by 96.7mm and 77.9mm respectively.
The rainiest place this month was Härnösand on Sweden's northeast coast, which recorded its tenth most rainy month since records began in the 1800s.
Most of central Sweden was dryer than usual, particularly the north of Götaland and and parts of Svealand.
Swedish vocab: nederbörd – downpours
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