Sweden in Focus

It's been another turbulent week in Swedish politics. The deadlock remains, although the chances of a centre-right government forming seem to have increased. What do The Local’s readers and listeners make of it all?We also be talking about how keeping the lights on is getting expensive… and why Swedes are drinking blood this week.Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and Richard Orange. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners.Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:Politics'I just want to scream!' How foreigners in Sweden feel about the government drama'Historic decision': Left Party demands Centre Party pick a side in Swedish government talksHow does the Sweden Democrats' decision to back Kristersson as PM change things?MoneyHow to save money on your energy bill in SwedenInterest rates are rising in Sweden – what does that mean for your finances?Swedish traditionsWhy the duck do some Swedes feast on goose blood in November?

This week's Sweden in Focus Extra podcast features an interview with Jackie Rulander, a cross-cultural strategist from Barbados who is based in Jönköping.Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. After more than 15 years in Sweden Jackie Rulander has encountered her fair share of culture clashes. Like most immigrants she's faced plenty of trivial challenges, like arriving a minute late to pick up her laundry and getting locked out of the communal laundry room.But other cultural misunderstandings have cut much deeper, leading to mistrust and reputational damage. Her own experiences led her to explore more deeply the importance of cultural communication in fostering trust between immigrants and Swedes.In an interview with The Local's Emma Löfgren, she explains why she moved to Sweden from Barbados, what she's learned from living in a community with dozens of different nationalities, and the importance of constructive conversations at a time when many immigrants are feeling disillusioned with their adopted country.

Jimmie Åkesson and Richard Jomshof are old university friends and both were part of the "Gang of Four" who remoulded a party with Nazi roots into an electable entity.Part of that remake involved scrapping an ethnocentric views of what it means to be Swedish. But Jomshof scratched an old itch recently by attempting to reestablish a biological link to Swedishness.Sweden Democrat leader Åkesson responded angrily and Jomshof's standing in the party hierarchy is now in question. But what's behind the squabbling? And what does it say about the future of a party still licking its wounds after a disappointing election?Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Emma Löfgren and Emma Löfgren. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners.Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:PoliticsMember Q&A: When will Sweden get a new government?What happens next in the process to form a Swedish government?Sweden DemocratsSweden Democrat leader backs 'open Swedishness' amid high-profile party clashOPINION: One Sweden, one 'folk'?Swedish citizenshipSwedish agency calls for citizenship language tests to be postponed until 2029Thumbnail photo: Ola Ericson/imagebank.sweden.se

This week's Sweden in Focus Extra podcast features an interview with Simon Montgomery, a British-American father facing expulsion from Sweden despite wanting to stay to take care of his one-year-old son. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. In this week's episode of Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local's Mandy Pipher catches up with a dad who has been fighting for the past year to be able to stay in Sweden with his baby son, despite a deportation order from the Swedish Migration Agency.Although he's no longer together with his child's German mother, Simon Montgomery was determined to stay in Sweden to be fully present in his son't upbringing.But he was left speechless by a migration court ruling that visa-free travel meant he could continue parenting from the UK and would not be granted leave to remain in Sweden. Tune in to this week's podcast for the full story.READ ALSO: 'He's the reason I'm here': Dad fights to stay in Sweden with baby son

This week: Why are the Social Democrats acting like bit players? Why have a mother-to-be and an active father been told to leave Sweden? Are immigration laws scaring off foreign workers? And what do you need to know about All Saints' Day in Sweden?There was a time when getting married to a Swede was an easy way to stay in Sweden. But these days it's a bit more complicated than that, host James Savage explains, citing the example of Brenda Ramström who recently had to fly to Brazil or risk a re-entry ban despite being 21 weeks pregnant. We also saw a case this week about a British man who has been denied permission to stay despite being the father of a one-year-old child who lives in Sweden. What's the logic behind these decisions?To answer this and other questions, James is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and Emma Löfgren. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode: PoliticsSwedish parliamentary speaker picks Centre Party leader as next PM candidateNew poll shows Sweden's Moderate Party just behind Social DemocratsSwedish finance minister prepares caretaker budget stripped of campaign promisesImmigration'I want to be with my husband': Pregnant woman forced to leave SwedenSwedish business sector urges next government to overhaul global talent strategySwedish traditionsHalloween vs All Saints' Day: How to celebrate in Sweden

This week's Sweden in Focus Extra podcast features an interview with Matilda Molander, head of the green and liberal Fores think tank.Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. Sweden's Centre Party emerged from the 2026 election as a potential kingmaker and leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist has expressed a preference for the Social Democrats' Magdalena Andersson as Sweden's next prime minister.But the party has also ruled out collaborating in a government that contains the Left Party, a sticking point that has left coalition-building negotiations at an impasse. Matilda Molander from the Fores think tank recently floated the possibility of the Centre Party edging its way back into the right-wing fold it abandoned over concessions to the Sweden Democrats. The Local's Richard Orange caught up with her recently to find out more about the Centre Party's pivotal role and what's likely to happen next in Swedish politics. Tune in to this week's Sweden in Focus Extra for the full analysis. READ ALSO: What would it take for Sweden's Centre Party to back Ulf Kristersson as PM?

This week: Halloween in Sweden, Swedish media coverage of the Tidö government’s migration crackdown, our favourite Swedish children’s books, efforts to form Sweden’s next government, and a language quiz.The last four years have seen sweeping change for immigrants in Sweden.For many of The Local's readers, the lack of transitional rules in the new citizenship law caused untold stress. The same goes for multiple changes to the salary threshold required for a work permit.Teen deportations hit the headlines in Sweden last year. But why did it take so long? And how come Swedish media missed so much of what was impacting the lives of people who chose to make Sweden their home?Host Richard Orange is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and Emma Löfgren. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners.Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:HalloweenOPINION: Why I wish Sweden would just stop with HalloweenImmigrationHow did Swedish media cover the 'migration paradigm shift'?PoliticsRegion Stockholm reaches centrist governing agreement, freezing out the leftWhat does Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist really want?What would it take for Sweden's Centre Party to back Ulf Kristersson as PM?

This week’s Sweden in Focus Extra features an interview with Brenda and Marcus Ramström, a couple in western Sweden who speak to The Local days before she is forced to return to her native Brazil following a Migration Court ruling. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. Brenda Ramström, a former Northvolt worker, is 21 weeks pregnant as she boards a flight on Tuesday for the first leg of a gruelling 23 hour journey to Brazil. She has no clear idea of when she will be allowed to return to Sweden. She and her husband Marcus tell The Local's Emma Löfgren that they were shocked and devastated when they received confirmation in late September that Brenda had four weeks to leave Sweden of her own volition or risk an entry ban. Tune in to this week's Sweden in Focus Extra for the full story. Read also: ‘I want to be with my husband’: Pregnant woman forced to leave Sweden

This week: First month post-election ends with no government, breakthrough on ending teen deportations, a plan to help citizenship applicants hit retroactively by the new law, and a reminder of some of the best things about living in Sweden.More than a month has passed since Sweden’s election, and we still don’t have a government. As we were recording this week's episode, the Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson lost a vote in parliament on installing her as prime minister. So what happens now?Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and Emma Löfgren. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners.Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:PoliticsDoes losing parliament vote mean Andersson can't be Sweden's next PM?Moderates hit five-year high in Swedish post-election poll as Liberals slipImmigrationHow Sweden's 'new majority' can already move on deportations and citizenshipAll Swedish parties back emergency freeze on teen deportationsSwedish MP seeks to apply old rules to all pre-June 6th citizenship applicantsLiving in SwedenRemembering what I love about this countryThumbnail photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT