Inside Sweden: Should we prepare for war? Defence warnings in context
The Local's editor Emma Löfgren writes about the biggest stories of the week in our Inside Sweden newsletter.
Hej,
Even just anecdotally, I know several people who went out and bought an emergency radio as the first thing they did after hearing senior ministers and military officials warn of the prospect of war in Sweden this week.
Shops in Sweden back up those anecdotes.
Clas Ohlsson, a famous homeware chain, told Swedish news agency TT that sales of emergency radios, water cans and camp kitchens went up several hundred percent compared to the days before the much-publicised statements.
Sweden's Civil Contingencies Agency warned people to "prep but not hoard", perhaps reminded of the early days of the Covid pandemic when shelves of toilet paper and pasta ran dry in many supermarkets across the country.
Bris, an organisation which operates a helpline for children among other things, said that they had received an increasing number of concerned phone calls from children, asking what to do and how worried they should be about war.
So how worried should we be?
We put that question to an analyst at Sweden's Defence University and I admit I was quietly hoping for a more reassuring answer than the one he gave us.
It's worth noting though, that the ministers and military – their strong words notwithstanding – did not appear to warn of an imminent or certain threat of war. Their point, rather, seemed to be that Sweden's over 200 years of peace have lulled the country into a false sense of security, believing that war is impossible, when it could happen here just like it could anywhere.
It's also worth noting that their comments all came during "Folk och Försvar" – an annual conference on defence in Sweden. Naturally, that topic was then high up on the agenda this week (the Supreme Commander was there to talk about military defence, not puppies and bee-keeping). So that partly explains why it seemed like "everyone" suddenly couldn't stop talking about war.
On a very basic level, "being prepared" should for ordinary people without any military training be interpreted as being able to look after yourself for a period of time without needing immediate help from society. That means having food and water in your home, and making sure you have access to heating and communications even in the event of, for example, a power blackout.
This makes sense even if another 200 years of peace turn out to be what's in store for Sweden, and doesn't just apply to armed conflict. People who had brought warm clothes and a snack were probably better off during the E22 snow gridlock last week than those who hadn't prepared before heading out.
It's a bit like preparing for the risk of fire. You probably have a fire alarm in your home, maybe even an extinguisher, and you know the right emergency number to call or which escape route to use if there is a fire – you do this because you know there's always a theoretical risk, but you also know that it might never happen, and you certainly don't spend all your time worrying about it.
We talk about this in more depth – as well as the other big headlines of the week – on the latest episode of The Local's Sweden in Focus podcast.
In other news
You often hear about banks refusing to set up accounts for people who don't yet have a Swedish personal number, but which are the good ones? We're asking readers what bank offers the best options for foreign residents.
"It will get worse before it gets better." That sums up what most readers told us when we asked for their predictions for 2024. Do you agree with them?
One of the things readers said they actually did look forward to in 2024 was lower costs and interest rates, and there may be good news on that front.
A better economy is not the only thing to look forward to in 2024.
The European Men's Handball Championships are under way, which none of my colleagues are anywhere near as excited about as I am. Here's how to watch it in Sweden, and if you're not yet a handball fan, maybe this is your moment.
In case you missed it last week, I loved seeing the pictures our readers shared of the snow in Sweden. Thank you to everyone who shared your stories!
Have a great weekend,
Emma Löfgren
Editor, The Local Sweden
Inside Sweden is our weekly newsletter for members that gives you news, analysis and, sometimes, takes you behind the scenes at The Local. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to your newsletter preferences.
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Hej,
Even just anecdotally, I know several people who went out and bought an emergency radio as the first thing they did after hearing senior ministers and military officials warn of the prospect of war in Sweden this week.
Shops in Sweden back up those anecdotes.
Clas Ohlsson, a famous homeware chain, told Swedish news agency TT that sales of emergency radios, water cans and camp kitchens went up several hundred percent compared to the days before the much-publicised statements.
Sweden's Civil Contingencies Agency warned people to "prep but not hoard", perhaps reminded of the early days of the Covid pandemic when shelves of toilet paper and pasta ran dry in many supermarkets across the country.
Bris, an organisation which operates a helpline for children among other things, said that they had received an increasing number of concerned phone calls from children, asking what to do and how worried they should be about war.
So how worried should we be?
We put that question to an analyst at Sweden's Defence University and I admit I was quietly hoping for a more reassuring answer than the one he gave us.
It's worth noting though, that the ministers and military – their strong words notwithstanding – did not appear to warn of an imminent or certain threat of war. Their point, rather, seemed to be that Sweden's over 200 years of peace have lulled the country into a false sense of security, believing that war is impossible, when it could happen here just like it could anywhere.
It's also worth noting that their comments all came during "Folk och Försvar" – an annual conference on defence in Sweden. Naturally, that topic was then high up on the agenda this week (the Supreme Commander was there to talk about military defence, not puppies and bee-keeping). So that partly explains why it seemed like "everyone" suddenly couldn't stop talking about war.
On a very basic level, "being prepared" should for ordinary people without any military training be interpreted as being able to look after yourself for a period of time without needing immediate help from society. That means having food and water in your home, and making sure you have access to heating and communications even in the event of, for example, a power blackout.
This makes sense even if another 200 years of peace turn out to be what's in store for Sweden, and doesn't just apply to armed conflict. People who had brought warm clothes and a snack were probably better off during the E22 snow gridlock last week than those who hadn't prepared before heading out.
It's a bit like preparing for the risk of fire. You probably have a fire alarm in your home, maybe even an extinguisher, and you know the right emergency number to call or which escape route to use if there is a fire – you do this because you know there's always a theoretical risk, but you also know that it might never happen, and you certainly don't spend all your time worrying about it.
We talk about this in more depth – as well as the other big headlines of the week – on the latest episode of The Local's Sweden in Focus podcast.
In other news
You often hear about banks refusing to set up accounts for people who don't yet have a Swedish personal number, but which are the good ones? We're asking readers what bank offers the best options for foreign residents.
"It will get worse before it gets better." That sums up what most readers told us when we asked for their predictions for 2024. Do you agree with them?
One of the things readers said they actually did look forward to in 2024 was lower costs and interest rates, and there may be good news on that front.
A better economy is not the only thing to look forward to in 2024.
The European Men's Handball Championships are under way, which none of my colleagues are anywhere near as excited about as I am. Here's how to watch it in Sweden, and if you're not yet a handball fan, maybe this is your moment.
In case you missed it last week, I loved seeing the pictures our readers shared of the snow in Sweden. Thank you to everyone who shared your stories!
Have a great weekend,
Emma Löfgren
Editor, The Local Sweden
Inside Sweden is our weekly newsletter for members that gives you news, analysis and, sometimes, takes you behind the scenes at The Local. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to your newsletter preferences.
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