Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Hungary ratifies Sweden's Nato bid, high-profile gang murder trial gets under way, ten injured in Gothenburg tram crash, and new rules will soon make life easier for electric car owners. Here's the latest news.
Hungary votes through Sweden's Nato bid
Hungary's parliament on Monday afternoon voted through Sweden's Nato application, clearing the final hurdle before the Nordic country can join the military alliance.
With 188 votes in favour and six against, Hungary became the final country to approve Sweden's Nato application.
"A historic day," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X. "The parliaments of all Nato countries have now voted in favour of Sweden's Nato membership. We stand ready to shoulder our part of the responsibility for Nato's security."
The vote came after almost two years of delays that upset Western efforts to show resolve in the face of Russia's war on Ukraine.
Now that the parliament has approved Sweden's membership, the final decision needs to be made by Hungary’s interim president, currently László Kövér, who has five days to sign the approval and then send it to the US state department in Washington.
Sweden will then be invited to accede to the Washington Treaty and officially become a Nato member.
In the case of Finland, for example, Turkey gave the green light on March 30th, 2023, and Finland became a Nato member on April 4th.
Swedish vocabulary: to vote in favour – att rösta för
Ten injured in Gothenburg tram crash
Ten people were injured in an accident involving two of Gothenburg's iconic trams on Monday evening.
At least five of them had to be taken to hospital, reports regional newspaper Göteborgs-Posten.
It's unclear exactly how the accident happened, but according to public transport operator Västtrafik's sources, one of the trams was standing still when the other one hit it from behind.
Traffic was expected to be affected until Tuesday morning.
Swedish vocabulary: a tram – en spårvagn
New rules to make life easier for electric car owners
It will soon get easier for electric car owners to charge their vehicles in Sweden.
All newly built public charging station will from April 13th be obliged to offer regular credit or debit cards as a payment option, without having to pre-register, download an app or pay in advance. The new rules are part of EU regulations on infrastructure for alternative fuels.
From January 1st, 2027, the new requirement will be extended to apply to all existing public charging stations.
Swedish vocabulary: to charge – att ladda
Two men accused of murder in high-profile gang trial
Two men accused of murdering a gang leader's mother went on trial in Sweden on Monday.
The woman was gunned down in her home in Uppsala on September 6th last year, and her murder sparked a deadly wave of gang shootings and explosions, with even innocent relatives or bystanders with no links to the conflict among the victims.
She was the mother of Foxtrot leader Rawa Majid's former right-hand man, who had formed a rival gang.
A 20-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy appeared at the high-security trial in Attunda District Court.
According to the prosecutor, forensic evidence suggests that the 20-year-old held the gun, but he argues that both should be found guilty. Both of the men admit "to some extent", said the prosecutor, to being at the scene at the time, but blame the shooting on each other.
The trial continues.
Swedish vocabulary: a trial – en rättegång
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Hungary votes through Sweden's Nato bid
Hungary's parliament on Monday afternoon voted through Sweden's Nato application, clearing the final hurdle before the Nordic country can join the military alliance.
With 188 votes in favour and six against, Hungary became the final country to approve Sweden's Nato application.
"A historic day," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X. "The parliaments of all Nato countries have now voted in favour of Sweden's Nato membership. We stand ready to shoulder our part of the responsibility for Nato's security."
The vote came after almost two years of delays that upset Western efforts to show resolve in the face of Russia's war on Ukraine.
Now that the parliament has approved Sweden's membership, the final decision needs to be made by Hungary’s interim president, currently László Kövér, who has five days to sign the approval and then send it to the US state department in Washington.
Sweden will then be invited to accede to the Washington Treaty and officially become a Nato member.
In the case of Finland, for example, Turkey gave the green light on March 30th, 2023, and Finland became a Nato member on April 4th.
Swedish vocabulary: to vote in favour – att rösta för
Ten injured in Gothenburg tram crash
Ten people were injured in an accident involving two of Gothenburg's iconic trams on Monday evening.
At least five of them had to be taken to hospital, reports regional newspaper Göteborgs-Posten.
It's unclear exactly how the accident happened, but according to public transport operator Västtrafik's sources, one of the trams was standing still when the other one hit it from behind.
Traffic was expected to be affected until Tuesday morning.
Swedish vocabulary: a tram – en spårvagn
New rules to make life easier for electric car owners
It will soon get easier for electric car owners to charge their vehicles in Sweden.
All newly built public charging station will from April 13th be obliged to offer regular credit or debit cards as a payment option, without having to pre-register, download an app or pay in advance. The new rules are part of EU regulations on infrastructure for alternative fuels.
From January 1st, 2027, the new requirement will be extended to apply to all existing public charging stations.
Swedish vocabulary: to charge – att ladda
Two men accused of murder in high-profile gang trial
Two men accused of murdering a gang leader's mother went on trial in Sweden on Monday.
The woman was gunned down in her home in Uppsala on September 6th last year, and her murder sparked a deadly wave of gang shootings and explosions, with even innocent relatives or bystanders with no links to the conflict among the victims.
She was the mother of Foxtrot leader Rawa Majid's former right-hand man, who had formed a rival gang.
A 20-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy appeared at the high-security trial in Attunda District Court.
According to the prosecutor, forensic evidence suggests that the 20-year-old held the gun, but he argues that both should be found guilty. Both of the men admit "to some extent", said the prosecutor, to being at the scene at the time, but blame the shooting on each other.
The trial continues.
Swedish vocabulary: a trial – en rättegång
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