Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Swedish PM's wife travelled with husband on government tab, northern Sweden bucks negative economic trend, and which Swedish flights will be affected by German strike? Here's the latest news.
Swedish PM's wife failed to pay for government trips
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's wife, Birgitta Kristersson Ed, travelled with her husband on the government's tab without making any of the standard deductions for the trip, a new report by public broadcaster SVT's investigative programme Uppdrag granskning reveals.
Kristersson Ed joined her husband on the government aircraft to Washington DC when Kristersson was to meet US President Joe Biden, and on another occasion she accompanied him to Helsinki. Because she did not have an official role on either of those trips, the rules state that the cost of her flights and hotels should have been paid out of Kristersson's prime ministerial salary rather than the government budget.
But the deductions (16,000 kronor) were only made four months later when Uppdrag granskning asked questions about them.
According to the prime minister's office, Kristersson had followed standard procedures when he reported his wife's trips, and the missing payments were a result of a misunderstanding between aides. His office confirmed that they only discovered the error when Uppdrag granskning got in touch, and that they have since been corrected. Kristersson himself declined to comment when approached.
Swedish vocabulary: a deduction – ett avdrag
Northern Sweden bucks negative economic trend
Central and northern Norrland are the only two regions that are expected to report a positive GRP this year – the gross regional product, which is similar to the gross domestic product, but measures the state of the economy on a regional basis rather than nationwide.
That's at least according to banking giant Nordea's latest forecast into the Swedish regional economy.
It expects that GRP will fall in western Sweden, Småland and the islands, Stockholm, and eastern central Sweden in 2024, and remain stagnant in southern Sweden and northern parts of central Sweden.
But things are expected to turn upwards and put all regions in positive figures next year.
Stockholm and southern Sweden are expected to record the highest growth in 2025, with GRPs of 2.5 percent, respectively.
Swedish vocabulary: gross regional product (GRP) – bruttoregionalprodukt (BRP)
Which Swedish flights will be affected by German strike?
Around 30 flights to and from Sweden are expected to be affected by a 24-hour strike among ground staff at German airports.
"According to the information I have at the moment, we're talking about Lufthansa's commercial flights," Peter Wärring, a press spokesperson for Swedish airport operator Swedavia, told the TT newswire on Monday.
Departures and arrivals to both Arlanda and Landvetter will be affected by the strike, which in Germany mainly affects flights to and from the major airports in Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg. Passengers are advised to contact their airline for more information.
The strike is expected to end at 7.10am on Wednesday.
Follow our sister site The Local Germany for any news on Tuesday.
Swedish vocabulary: a strike – en strejk
Polish PM slams 'unacceptable' Hungarian delay on Sweden's Nato bid
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticised Hungary's "unacceptable" delay in ratifying Sweden's Nato accession amid the nearly two-year-old invasion of Ukraine.
Hungary's ratification is the last obstacle to the Nordic country's membership which Stockholm sought in 2022.
"It's unacceptable, not only from my point of view, that one country can block the other one, especially in the context of the war with Russia in Ukraine," Tusk told reporters as he hosted his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson in Warsaw.
Although it supports Stockholm in principle, Budapest prolonged the process by asking Sweden to stop "vilifying" the Hungarian government, which is accused by critics of being authoritarian.
However on Saturday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he and the Swedish premier had "taken important steps in order to rebuild trust". Orban also said the "dispute with Sweden is moving towards a conclusion" and that Hungary was "on course" to ratify the bid.
Swedish vocabulary: unacceptable – oacceptabel
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Swedish PM's wife failed to pay for government trips
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's wife, Birgitta Kristersson Ed, travelled with her husband on the government's tab without making any of the standard deductions for the trip, a new report by public broadcaster SVT's investigative programme Uppdrag granskning reveals.
Kristersson Ed joined her husband on the government aircraft to Washington DC when Kristersson was to meet US President Joe Biden, and on another occasion she accompanied him to Helsinki. Because she did not have an official role on either of those trips, the rules state that the cost of her flights and hotels should have been paid out of Kristersson's prime ministerial salary rather than the government budget.
But the deductions (16,000 kronor) were only made four months later when Uppdrag granskning asked questions about them.
According to the prime minister's office, Kristersson had followed standard procedures when he reported his wife's trips, and the missing payments were a result of a misunderstanding between aides. His office confirmed that they only discovered the error when Uppdrag granskning got in touch, and that they have since been corrected. Kristersson himself declined to comment when approached.
Swedish vocabulary: a deduction – ett avdrag
Northern Sweden bucks negative economic trend
Central and northern Norrland are the only two regions that are expected to report a positive GRP this year – the gross regional product, which is similar to the gross domestic product, but measures the state of the economy on a regional basis rather than nationwide.
That's at least according to banking giant Nordea's latest forecast into the Swedish regional economy.
It expects that GRP will fall in western Sweden, Småland and the islands, Stockholm, and eastern central Sweden in 2024, and remain stagnant in southern Sweden and northern parts of central Sweden.
But things are expected to turn upwards and put all regions in positive figures next year.
Stockholm and southern Sweden are expected to record the highest growth in 2025, with GRPs of 2.5 percent, respectively.
Swedish vocabulary: gross regional product (GRP) – bruttoregionalprodukt (BRP)
Which Swedish flights will be affected by German strike?
Around 30 flights to and from Sweden are expected to be affected by a 24-hour strike among ground staff at German airports.
"According to the information I have at the moment, we're talking about Lufthansa's commercial flights," Peter Wärring, a press spokesperson for Swedish airport operator Swedavia, told the TT newswire on Monday.
Departures and arrivals to both Arlanda and Landvetter will be affected by the strike, which in Germany mainly affects flights to and from the major airports in Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg. Passengers are advised to contact their airline for more information.
The strike is expected to end at 7.10am on Wednesday.
Follow our sister site The Local Germany for any news on Tuesday.
Swedish vocabulary: a strike – en strejk
Polish PM slams 'unacceptable' Hungarian delay on Sweden's Nato bid
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticised Hungary's "unacceptable" delay in ratifying Sweden's Nato accession amid the nearly two-year-old invasion of Ukraine.
Hungary's ratification is the last obstacle to the Nordic country's membership which Stockholm sought in 2022.
"It's unacceptable, not only from my point of view, that one country can block the other one, especially in the context of the war with Russia in Ukraine," Tusk told reporters as he hosted his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson in Warsaw.
Although it supports Stockholm in principle, Budapest prolonged the process by asking Sweden to stop "vilifying" the Hungarian government, which is accused by critics of being authoritarian.
However on Saturday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he and the Swedish premier had "taken important steps in order to rebuild trust". Orban also said the "dispute with Sweden is moving towards a conclusion" and that Hungary was "on course" to ratify the bid.
Swedish vocabulary: unacceptable – oacceptabel
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