Sweden in Focus

INTERVIEW - Sweden's labour migration clampdown will harm green transition: Green Party leader

In this week's Sweden in Focus Extra: Green Party joint leader Daniel Helldén on criticism of government climate policy, the EU elections, immigration and online attacks from far-right troll accounts. After a turbulent period for the party, the Greens recently put in place a new leadership duo: Daniel Helldén, previously vice mayor of Stockholm, and Amanda Lind, the former culture minister. We chat this week with Daniel Helldén to find out about the party’s direction ahead of the upcoming EU ele...

Sweden Democrat troll factory scandal grows and Taylor Swift hits Stockholm

This week: Fallout from Sweden Democrat troll factory scandal, how Stockholm has prepared for Taylor Swift, excerpts from interview with Green Party leader Daniel Helldén. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's Nordic correspondent, Richard Orange. The episode also features interviews with Dagens Nyheter's reporter Evelyn Jones , Stockholm Business Region's communications director Monica Engqvist and Green Party co-leader Daniel Helldén . Here are links to some of the topics discu...

How will lower interest rates affect your life in Sweden, and how likely is a 4-day week?

In this week's episode: Security fears and parties in Malmö for Eurovision, how lower interest rates affect people in Sweden, and Sweden Democrats get caught running a social media troll factory. -- Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For ...

Why do we get a day off for Ascension and who's the new joint leader of Sweden's Green Party?

In this week's episode: Ascension Day holiday, Nazis storm political meeting in Stockholm, preview of interview with gardening expert John Taylor, and who is the Green Party's new joint leader? -- Sign up now for Membership+ and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership...

How can Sweden attract and retain skilled foreigners?

Sign up now for Membership+ and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+ For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre . Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activa...

How a Swedish nepotism scandal highlights poor recruitment practices

Sign up now for Membership+ and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+ For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre . Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activa...

50 years of Abba, children’s residence permit row, Sweden regressing on rule of law

Sign up now for Membership+ and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+ For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre . Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activa...

Gender law splits government and will there be a Swedish pope?

Sign up now for Membership+ and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+ For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ and how to get access to all episodes in our help centre . __ In this week's episode: Snow chaos on Sweden's roads, April Fools' tradi...

How happy are Swedes?

Sign up now for Membership+ and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+ For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre __ In this week's episode: Easter opening hours, news quiz, World Happiness Report. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined th...

Waffle Day, terror arrests, Christian Democrats and Sweden Democrats in war of words

Sign up now for Membership+ and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+ For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre __ In this week's episode: Waffle Day, foiled plot to attack Sweden's parliament, Busch and Åkesson trade insults. ...

New migration numbers and why a Swedish kids' magazine ignores prudish parents

This week: New migration stats and a uniquely Swedish kids' magazine. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined by The Local's Becky Waterton and Richard Orange, and we also chat to the editor of KP, Lukas Björkman, about the children's magazine's enduringly popularity in a digital age and how to stay relevant by listening to children and ignoring parents. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode: Migration Foreigners in Sweden: How the migration paradigm shift affects our lives What's t...

INTERVIEW: 'Lots of kids growing up in Sweden are not allowed to feel Swedish'

How does someone who grew up in a Stockholm suburb become the leader of a traditionally agrarian party? Why is the party opposed to new work permit rules? And what's it like being Sweden's first culturally Muslim party leader? This and more in our interview with Centre Party leader Muharrem Demirok. In this bonus episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is joined by The Local’s publisher James Savage for a wide-ranging interview with the leader of the Centre Party, Muharrem Dem...

'Better late than sorry' as Sweden joins Nato, and will Norwegians sing for Sweden?

Sign up now for Membership+ and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+ For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre __ In this week's episode: Centre Party leader Muharrem Demirok on how Nato membership will change Sweden. Also, wh...

What do Swedes think of Russia and Ukraine? And bloodied 85-year-old beats ski record

Sign up now for Membership+ and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+ For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre __ In this week's episode: Reactions from Russia as Sweden creeps closer to Nato, Sweden’s support for Ukraine, the...

The dreaded orange envelope, book tips, and how will Nato membership change Sweden?

Sign up now for Membership+ and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+ For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre __ In this week's episode: how Sweden will change when it’s in Nato, why the country has an annual book sale, what ...

What are the best tips for making friends in Sweden?

Sign up now for Membership+ and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+ For new members: Get Membership+ access Read more about Membership+ in our help centre ___ In this bonus episode we speak to Gemma Swift , a marketing professional from the UK who explains how sh...

Skiing tips, politics for immigrants, and plans for stiffer work permit rules

Sign up now for Membership+ and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday. Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+ For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+ For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre __ This week: a Swedish word for February illnesses, hitting the ski slopes, devastating Liseberg blaze, changing o...

What makes dating in Sweden so hard (and how to succeed)?

Why do many foreigners find dating in Sweden so tough, and what's the approach to take? Hear matchmaker Lemarc Thomas give his views on how to crack the Swedish dating scene. In this bonus episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is briefly joined by panelists James Savage and Becky Waterton, before we listen to an interview with professional matchmaker Lemarc Thomas . The Stockholm-based connector tells us what makes dating in Sweden so different from anything he's experienced...

Semla bun frenzy, anti-Semitism in Sweden, and why a Gucci cap could get you frisked

In this week's episode: semla season, better conditions for Ukrainian refugees, why Sweden is closing its NordStream blast probe, freezer malfunction spoils decades of samples at a Swedish university, an alleged Iranian plot to kill Jews in Sweden, anti-Semitism in Sweden, and new details on stop-and-search zones. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's Becky Waterton and James Savage . We also have interview with Aron Verständig, chair of the Official Council of Swedish Jewish Com...

New work permit system, Macron's Sweden visit and who are the Sami?

In this week's episode: tougher rules for Sweden citizenship, French President Emanuel Macron's state visit to Sweden, new work permit system takes effect, and why Sweden needs to do more to promote understanding of indigenous Sami. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined by The Local’s Emma Löfgren and Becky Waterton, and we also have an interview with Charlotta Svonni, who conducts research on indigenous education at Umeå University. Here are links to some of the stories we discuss: Citizenship EXPLAINED...

Top politician wants to ban Islamic symbols, and is Sweden prepared for cyber attacks?

In this week's episode: Ice bathing, Turkey's parliament votes on Sweden's Nato bid, top Sweden Democrat calls for ban on Islamic symbols, Sweden's complicated relationship with wolves, and how a cyber attack hit Swedish authorities and retailers. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local’s Emma Löfgren and James Savage, and we also have an interview with Shahid Raza, who is Director of RISE Cybersecurity Unit, Research Director at Cybercampus Sweden and Professor of Cybersecurity at M...

Centre-right collapse explained, and why do Swedes drink so much coffee?

In this week's episode: why the centre-right has hit a new low in polls, cocaine at the Riskdag, the effects of growing unemployment and falling inflation, why opposition parties failed to depose Sweden's environment minister in a confidence vote, and why public sector workers are fuming over workplace coffee cuts. Here are links to some of the stories we discuss: Politics Cocaine found in toilets of four Swedish parties' parliamentary offices How did Sweden end up with its zero-tolerance attitu...

Why are politicians warning 'there could be war in Sweden'?

This week we discuss: the official end of Christmas, snow-fueled chaos on the E22 motorway, royal abdication speculation, and why politicians and military leaders are warning of the prospect of war in Sweden. Richard Orange stands in as host this week and is joined by regular panelists: Becky Waterton and Emma Löfgren. Here are links to some of the stories we discuss: End of Christmas When does Christmas end in Sweden? Swedish word of the day: julgransplundring Snow chaos Up to 1,000 cars left s...

What's coming up in Sweden in 2024?

This week we take a look at the stories likely to shape Sweden in 2024, from politics and Nato to minority rights, Eurovision, and the economy. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined for the preview of 2024 by all our regular panelists: James Savage, Becky Waterton, Richard Orange and Emma Löfgren. Here are links to some of the stories we discuss: Politics What will happen in Swedish politics in 2024? Nato Turkey links Nato ratification of Sweden to F-16 fighter jet sale Reader predictions 'We're losing t...

What were the stories that defined Sweden in 2023?

This week we look back at the biggest news stories in Sweden in 2023, from quran burnings and a heightened terror threat to Nato wrangling, the King's jubilee, and new income requirements for work permit holders. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined for the review of the year by all our regular panelists: James Savage, Becky Waterton, Richard Orange and Emma Löfgren. Here are links to some of the stories we discuss: Politics The 20 events that formed Sweden's political landscape in 2023 Nato Turkey link...

Christmas travel, new political party rumours, and how can immigrants get jobs in Sweden?

In this week's episode: Christmas travel, birds attack giant straw goat, White Christmas dreams, rumours of a new political party, and what can immigrants do to increase their prospects of landing a job in Sweden? Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's James Savage and Becky Waterton, and we also have an interview with Amanda Herzog, an American marketing expert who runs a company offering courses to international job seekers . Here are links to some of the stories we discuss: Chr...

Cheaper home loans, immigration costs, and plans for a compulsory 'Sweden course'

This week: banks cut rates, the state of Sweden’s democracy, new Pisa rankings, how child refugees have integrated, the ex-Syrian banker behind a successful hummus restaurant, government counts cost of migration, compulsory courses for newcomers, Lucia, Nobel banquet. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined by The Local's James Savage and Emma Löfgren. Here are links to some of the stories we discuss: Economy Which Swedish banks now offer the cheapest mortgage rates? Politics Is Sweden sliding towards auto...

'Networking is the key to everything in Sweden'

How a call to demolish mosques sent shock waves through Swedish politics

This week: Jimmie Åkesson talks about demolishing mosques, the latest on the Tesla strike, Sweden’s Advent celebrations, solutions journalism, and why some criminologists think it’s time for Sweden to ditch zero tolerance on drugs. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's Emma Lögren and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the stories we discuss: Tesla strike Inside Sweden: How will the Tesla strike end? Tesla sues Swedish state agency over number plate blockage Advent Julmys:...

Permanent residency under review and will cost of living in Sweden soon drop?

Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local’s Becky Waterton and Richard Orange , and we also have an interview with Northern Lights tour operator Chad Blakley. ___ Sign up for IoT Talks 2023 . Presented by Tele2 IoT ___ Here are links to some of the stories we discuss: Eurovision How to get tickets for Eurovision in Malmö How much can I charge if I rent out my home on Airbnb in Sweden? Permanent residency EXPLAINED: What do we know about Sweden’s plans to withdraw permanent residency? F...