Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
PM's aide resigns over eel scandal, Sweden pushes migrant returns at EU meeting, Leopard tanks, and SD denies connection with journalist behind Koran stunt. Here's the latest news.
Swedish PM’s top aide resigns over illegal eel fishing
One of Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's top aides, PM Nilsson, has resigned from his post after it emerged that he had been fined by police for illegally fishing for eels and had twice lied to the authorities about what happened.
Nilsson announced his decision on Facebook, saying that he had already apologised and paid the fines.
“I understand how improper it is to fish for eels without a permit and to not tell things as they were to the authorities, even if I have since then rung the police and admitted that I had caught 15 fish,” he wrote in the post.
Nilsson lied twice to police about eel fishing equipment he was caught with, the second time after he was appointed as state secretary at the end of October.
After the resignation, Kristersson said he was disappointed that Nilsson, who had previously been a columnist for the Dagens Industri newspaper, had had to step down.
“I think of course that it is unfortunate that this situation has come about, but I understand his decision,” he said in a written comment to the TT newswire. “PM Nilsson has been a highly appreciated member of the team and is a highly competent person. We are going to miss him.”
Swedish vocab: olämplig – improper
Swedish EU presidency pushes for greater returns of migrants denied asylum
EU interior ministers on Thursday discussed how to return irregular migrants to their home countries more effectively -- with some arguing for limiting visas to uncooperative nations.
The Swedish EU presidency believes cooperation could be improved with countries outside the EU whose citizens make up significant numbers of irregular migrants.
Malmer Stenergard said it was "crucial" that EU member states use the full weight of their governments -- including leveraging development aid -- to press third countries on the returns issue.
"If countries don't cooperate with Sweden it should be possible for that to bring consequences in how EU visa politics look towards that country," she said.
Swedish vocab: att samarbeta – to cooperate
SD calls minister to social insurance committee
The far-right Sweden Democrats have called Sweden's social insurance minister Anna Tenje to the parliament's social insurance committee over her decision to close down a government inquiry or investigation into whether to end the karensdag system, where people's first day off sick goes unpaid.
"The karensdag ['qualifying day' or 'waiting day'] represents a significant burden for many extremely vulnerable groups in health and elderly care, among other professions, particularly in these times where many Sweden are experiencing great economic uncertainty" Linda Lindberg, the party's social policy spokesperson, said in a press message. "We are therefore critical of the fact that the government has taken this decision."
Swedish vocab: en börde – a burden
Sweden to help Ukraine get Leopard tanks
Sweden will on Friday take part in a meeting of countries which own the German Leopard tanks, to investigate how some of then can be sent to Ukraine.
"We are going to do what we can to enable tanks to be sent to Ukraine," defense minister Pål Jonson told TT newswire. "I am not ruling anything out, whether it will be possible to send tanks or to instead contribute to maintenance, education, and logistics."
The Sweden Democrats have asked the government to do everything possible to send Sweden's Leopards, known as Stridsvagn 122 in Sweden, to Ukraine.
Swedish vocab: att möjliggöra – to enable
SD leader Jimmie Åkesson: 'Frick has no connection to SD'
Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson on Friday denied any relation to Chang Frick, the journalist who it emerged this week funded Rasmus Paludan's burning of a Koran outside the Turkish embassy, and according to Paludan had the idea for the provocative stunt.
"He has no connection to the Sweden Democrats so there is no reason for us to distance ourselves from him," he said.
Frick, who founded and runs the site Nyheter Idag, is also a regular paid contributor to the Sweden Democrat party's TV Channel Riks TV.
Swedish vocab: en koppling – a connection
Comments
See Also
Swedish PM’s top aide resigns over illegal eel fishing
One of Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's top aides, PM Nilsson, has resigned from his post after it emerged that he had been fined by police for illegally fishing for eels and had twice lied to the authorities about what happened.
Nilsson announced his decision on Facebook, saying that he had already apologised and paid the fines.
“I understand how improper it is to fish for eels without a permit and to not tell things as they were to the authorities, even if I have since then rung the police and admitted that I had caught 15 fish,” he wrote in the post.
Nilsson lied twice to police about eel fishing equipment he was caught with, the second time after he was appointed as state secretary at the end of October.
After the resignation, Kristersson said he was disappointed that Nilsson, who had previously been a columnist for the Dagens Industri newspaper, had had to step down.
“I think of course that it is unfortunate that this situation has come about, but I understand his decision,” he said in a written comment to the TT newswire. “PM Nilsson has been a highly appreciated member of the team and is a highly competent person. We are going to miss him.”
Swedish vocab: olämplig – improper
Swedish EU presidency pushes for greater returns of migrants denied asylum
EU interior ministers on Thursday discussed how to return irregular migrants to their home countries more effectively -- with some arguing for limiting visas to uncooperative nations.
The Swedish EU presidency believes cooperation could be improved with countries outside the EU whose citizens make up significant numbers of irregular migrants.
Malmer Stenergard said it was "crucial" that EU member states use the full weight of their governments -- including leveraging development aid -- to press third countries on the returns issue.
"If countries don't cooperate with Sweden it should be possible for that to bring consequences in how EU visa politics look towards that country," she said.
Swedish vocab: att samarbeta – to cooperate
SD calls minister to social insurance committee
The far-right Sweden Democrats have called Sweden's social insurance minister Anna Tenje to the parliament's social insurance committee over her decision to close down a government inquiry or investigation into whether to end the karensdag system, where people's first day off sick goes unpaid.
"The karensdag ['qualifying day' or 'waiting day'] represents a significant burden for many extremely vulnerable groups in health and elderly care, among other professions, particularly in these times where many Sweden are experiencing great economic uncertainty" Linda Lindberg, the party's social policy spokesperson, said in a press message. "We are therefore critical of the fact that the government has taken this decision."
Swedish vocab: en börde – a burden
Sweden to help Ukraine get Leopard tanks
Sweden will on Friday take part in a meeting of countries which own the German Leopard tanks, to investigate how some of then can be sent to Ukraine.
"We are going to do what we can to enable tanks to be sent to Ukraine," defense minister Pål Jonson told TT newswire. "I am not ruling anything out, whether it will be possible to send tanks or to instead contribute to maintenance, education, and logistics."
The Sweden Democrats have asked the government to do everything possible to send Sweden's Leopards, known as Stridsvagn 122 in Sweden, to Ukraine.
Swedish vocab: att möjliggöra – to enable
SD leader Jimmie Åkesson: 'Frick has no connection to SD'
Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson on Friday denied any relation to Chang Frick, the journalist who it emerged this week funded Rasmus Paludan's burning of a Koran outside the Turkish embassy, and according to Paludan had the idea for the provocative stunt.
"He has no connection to the Sweden Democrats so there is no reason for us to distance ourselves from him," he said.
Frick, who founded and runs the site Nyheter Idag, is also a regular paid contributor to the Sweden Democrat party's TV Channel Riks TV.
Swedish vocab: en koppling – a connection
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.