March 3rd: Parliamentary committee votes on teen deportation freeze
The Swedish parliament's Social Insurance Committee is due to vote on March 3rd on a proposal to freeze deportations of young adults until a long-term solution to the problem of "teen deportations" is in place.
The deportation of young adults after they turn 18 because they no longer count as dependants, has been a major issue in the Swedish media over the past two months.
If the proposal, tabled by the opposition Green Party, with the support of the Social Democrat, Left, and Centre parties, wins the committee's backing, it will be put to a vote in the parliament. It is almost certain to be rejected.
The government is also this month likely to publish a draft bill on stricter rules for family reunification, which it says will contain clauses intended to reduce the number of deportations.
If it does, the Migration Agency has said it may pause decisions until the law is in place.
March 5th: important cake-related date
Fettisdagen or "Shrove Tuesday", came early this year, so many of you will have been guzzling semlor, Sweden's cream-filled, almondy delicacies, since the middle of February.
If you’re still not already sick of whipped cream, though, there's more to come – March 5th is fössta tossdan i mass, or the unofficial day to eat marzipan cake, which is essentially another name for prinsesstårta.
March 6th-7th: Final of Sweden's Melodifestivalen song contest
The final of Melodifestivalen, or Mello, the wildly popular song contest which Sweden uses to select its Eurovision contender, will take place on March 6th and March 7th at the Strawberry Arena in Stockholm.
You can still buy tickets here, but they're currently going for over 1,000 kronor a seat. Favourites include: FELICIA, with “My System”, Korslagda, with “King of Rock ’n’ Roll”, Kristofer Greczula, with “Half of Me”, Smash Into Pieces, with “Hollow”, and AleXa with "Tongue Tied".
FELICIA, or Felicia Eriksson, was formerly Fröken Snusk, the pink balaclava-sporting masked singer who reached number one in Sweden in 2022 with the song "Rid mig som en dalahäst" (Ride me like a Dalarna horse).
March 6th: Tax declarations
If you have a digital postbox (or sign up for one by March 1st), you will receive your declaration digitally between March 2nd and March 6th.
If you don't have a digital postbox, you should receive a paper declaration through your postbox between March 17th and April 18th.
You can accept your declaration from March 17th. March 31st is the deadline for accepting your income declaration digitally in order to receive a tax refund in April.
The deadline for accepting your declaration overall is May 4th, although if you get dispensation you can delay this to June 1st.
March 18th: Parliament votes on 90 percent salary threshold for work permits
On March 18th, parliament is scheduled to vote on the government's proposal to hike the minimum salary for a work permit to 90 percent of Sweden's median wage, and at the same time to bring in a system of exempted professions.
The proposal is set to be debated in parliament on March 16th. As the ruling parties have a majority and the opposition Social Democrats are anyway likely to vote in favour, it is certain to pass.
March 18th: New subsidy for renting or buying electric cars
Low income households living in areas with limited public transport will from March 18th be able to apply for a premium from the Environmental Protection Agency to help them buy or begin leasing an electric car.
The support is intended for lower-income households. Requirements include living in a rural municipality or an area with limited public transport.
March 19th: Riksbank announces interest rate decision
On March 19th, Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, will announce whether it is cutting its policy interest rate or holding it steady at the current 1.75 percent.
Until recently, a cut seemed out of the question, but Per Jansson, the Riksbank's Deputy Governor, in January said in the bank's meeting that he might vote for a cut in March, depending on the strength of the krona and the level of inflation.
March 19th and March 20th: European Summit
On March 19th and March 20th, there will be a meeting of the European Council in Brussels. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz will represent Sweden. At the time of writing there is no agenda for the meeting.
March 20th/21st: Molly Sandén concerts in Gothenburg and Stockholm
Molly Sandén, one of Sweden's biggest live acts, will hold high profile concerts at the Avicii Arena in Stockholm on March 20th and at Scandinavium in Gothenburg on the 21st.
March 25th: Waffle day
It might not rank up there with fettisdagen, but March 25th is våffeldagen, or Waffle Day, apparently because it sounds a bit like Vårfrudagen" (Our Lady Day), a celebration of the day the angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell her she would give birth to Jesus. As if we need an excuse.
March 29th: Clocks go forward
Daylight saving time starts in Sweden on March 29th, so the clocks will go forward at 2am on the 29th, meaning an hour less in bed. Many digital clocks (like the one on your phone) change automatically, but it's a good idea to make sure you're working to the same time as everyone else before your alarm goes off for work on Monday morning.
Throughout March: Pension envelopes sent out
Sweden's annual pension statement, which is usually simply referred to as “the orange envelope” (det orange kuvertet), was sent to pensioners in mid-January, and in February to people who have not yet retired across Sweden.
If you live in Västra Götaland, Värmland, Örebro, Skåne, Blekinge, Halland, and Gotland, however, you will receive in in March.
You don’t need to do anything when you get it; it just contains information. But it is a good idea to keep on top of your future savings, whether you’re in Sweden for the long run or not. This article by The Local explains how to decipher your orange envelope.
Paul O'Mahony
Comments (2)