Hej,
Is it mean to report on a person's phobia, even if they're a politician?
That's what some have argued following Expressen's revelation that Equality Minister Paulina Brandberg suffers from an unusual phobia: bananas.
Apparently it's not just that she doesn't like the taste: she loathes them to the point that aides have to make sure in advance that any room she enters is banana-free, according to Expressen, who based their article on emails sent by her staff to various senior figures, including the speaker of parliament.
One person who attended a UN conference in New York said she had arrived to the same meeting as Brandberg only to find signs of crossed-over bananas, and her assistant had to go back down 46 floors to throw away her banana.
This story quickly went viral, and has spread to news outlets such as Politico, The BBC and The Times of India. But has it gone too far? That's what Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson argued when she called Expressen's article "a low point", arguing that politicians also struggle with fears and anxieties.
Brandberg told Expressen she was getting professional help to deal with her phobia, and I feel bad for her. In the name of full disclosure: I am absolutely terrified of wasps and certainly wouldn't like my weird getaway dance every time a bee lands near me to be plastered all over the internet, globally.
It doesn't help Brandberg that bananas are inherently funny, but having a phobia isn't funny to the person who's affected. Some of the social media comments I've seen definitely feel more like bullying than anything else.
But when a government minister isn't only scared of a common fruit, but it has reached the point where civil servants and public figures have to adapt to her to ensure their premises are banana-free, it's surely worth reporting.
I can't help feeling that her team has played this wrong. They've been weirdly cagey about it, first calling it an allergy, then a general dislike of bananas, then eventually a phobia, but mainly trying to talk about it as little as possible. If she had come out there to own the story and admit "look, I just really can't stand them", I suspect she would have won much more sympathy.
That might still happen. She already got unexpected support from an MP of the rival Social Democrat party, who revealed on X that she suffers from the same condition. "We've had many tough debates on working conditions, but on this issue we stand united against a common enemy," wrote Teresa Carvalho.
I remember that in a former workplace, the topic of phobias once came up and we all shared our own secret fears. I wasn't the only one to dislike wasps. One person mentioned ghosts. But I felt much closer to all of them after that conversation, despite it not really being that deep or connected to work.
Imperfections, after all, make us human. That goes for politicians too.
In other news
Another story that went viral this week after The Local was first to cover it, was a Swedish health supplement company getting slapped on the wrist by the country's advertising ombudsman for using the extremely offensive c-word in English on a billboard at one of the busiest stations on the Stockholm Metro.
Are you organising a Christmas market, a book club for English speakers, a New Year's pub quiz or anything else in Sweden in December? Submit it to The Local's What's On guide and we'll share the best events with fellow readers.
According to Swedish meteorologists, you should keep a close eye on the weather forecast in the week ahead, when snow may fall even in southern parts of the country. Weather warnings may be in store for us.
The Swedish krona has weakened further against the dollar, to the lowest rate this year – and you shouldn't expect it to rise in value any time soon.
We got a reader question about how to write a will in Sweden. Writing a will makes sense for most people, but for foreigners, it may be especially important, so here's The Local's guide to what you need to know.
Another question we looked into this week is how to save for your children. Becky spoke to an expert to find out which type of account to use and which name to list it under, which can save your child a lot of money in the long term.
The serial rapist known as Nytorgsmannen, or The Nytorg Man – Sweden's worst serial rapist, who was released from jail in March – was this week arrested on suspicion of carrying out another attack.
Sweden's parliament is due this month to vote through the EU's new Blue Card rules, meaning from January 1st highly skilled professionals will be better able to use the card as a convenient way of building a career in Sweden.
And finally, I enjoyed reading this article by Becky on how a year on her allotment taught her to appreciate the Swedish seasons.
Have a great weekend,
Emma
Inside Sweden is our weekly newsletter for members which gives you news, analysis and, sometimes, takes you behind the scenes at The Local. It's published each Saturday and with Membership+ you can also receive it directly to your inbox.
Comments (1)