Sweden in Focus

Stinky fish, Swedish Olympians, and why Migration Agency says 35,000 kronor is too low a salary for a CEO. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's Emma Löfgren and James Savage. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:OlympicsWATCH: The moment US-born Swede Armand Duplantis cemented his place in Olympic historySwedish traditions VIDEO ARCHIVE: The Local's journalists taste fermented herring for the first time (Facebook Live) Why Swedish fermented herring is more fun than crayfish Work permits IN STATS: Number of work permits issued in Sweden halves in 2024 Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign 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 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 activate your subscription. 

Stinky fish, Swedish Olympians, and why Migration Agency says 35,000 kronor is too low a salary for a CEO.Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's Emma Löfgren and James Savage. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:OlympicsWATCH: The moment US-born Swede Armand Duplantis cemented his place in Olympic historySwedish traditions VIDEO ARCHIVE: The Local's journalists taste fermented herring for the first time (Facebook Live) Why Swedish fermented herring is more fun than crayfish Work permits IN STATS: Number of work permits issued in Sweden halves in 2024 GothenburgFive reasons Sweden should move its capital to Gothenburg Parental leaveSweden’s 480 days of parental leave: What you need to know 

In this week's Sweden in Focus Extra we get our teeth into one of Sweden's enduring summer traditions. Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by The Local's deputy editor Becky Waterton. What are the most important things to know about Swedish crayfish parties? Where does the tradition come from? And what are the pointy hats and bibs all about? Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers. Follow the links at the bottom of this page to get full access. READ ALSO: What's a Swedish crayfish party? How to prepare crayfish for your own Swedish kräftskiva How to survive a Swedish crayfish party and keep your dignity intact (sort of)  

In this week's Sweden in Focus we speak to the head of Sweden's main games industry organization about how higher salary requirements for work permit holders risk throttling growth. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by Per Strömbäck, the head of Dataspelsbranschen, or the Swedish Games, an organisation that represents companies in Sweden’s innovative and highly successful video game sector.The organisation was one of many to voice concerns last year when the government announced its plans to raise salary requirements for foreign work permit holders, a move the Swedish Games Industry feared would hamper growth in a sector that depends heavily on attracting workers from outside Sweden. READ ALSO: How to switch to a career in Sweden's booming gaming industryANALYSIS: How Sweden conquered the gaming worldARCHIVE: Is Sweden's gaming industry running out of workers?Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign 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 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 activate your subscription. 

In this week's Sweden in Focus Extra we take a deeper look at Sweden's sometimes fractious relationship with the minority Sami population.Host Paul O’Mahony chats to Charlotta Svonni, a researcher at Umeå University specialising in indigenous education.They chat about Swedish-Sami relations and a difficult history that has seen Sami people discriminated against, exotified and segregated in so-called nomad schools.READ ALSO:INTERVIEW: ‘Sweden viewed the Sami as a lower form of culture’ Who are the Sámi, Sweden’s indigenous people? OPINION: ‘Why is what happened to the Sami in Sweden not common knowledge?’ 

In this week's episode of Sweden in Focus we speak to the head of a Swedish organisation for startups and scaleups about the impact on growth of higher salary requirements for foreign work permit holders. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by Stina Lantz, the head of the industry association Swedish Incubators and Science Parks.She explains why her organisation has expressed concern about the impact on innovation of Sweden’s increasingly restrictive immigration policies. As head of an organisation representing companies where foreign workers are over-represented, she also gives her view on one of the biggest news stories for immigrants in Sweden in recent times: the decision by the government to increase the salary requirement for foreign work permit holders. Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign 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 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 activate your subscription. 

In this week's episode of Sweden in Focus Extra we look at the food and drink-related words pålägg and påtår. Swedish word of the day: påläggSwedish word of the day: påtår

In this week's Sweden in Focus we speak to an immigration expert about the pros and cons of moving to Sweden for work. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by Lena Rekdal, founder of the immigration and relocation company Nimmersion. They discuss what immigrants find most appealing about Sweden, how companies and their international employees are reacting to Sweden’s increasingly strict immigration policies, the critical things to know when moving here, and how she would design the migration system if she were prime minister of Sweden. READ ALSO: What's the current status of Sweden's planned migration laws?Swedish work permits granted to top international talent drop 20 percentGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign 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 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 activate your subscription. 

In this week's Sweden in Focus Extra we look at an adjective with attitude and verb to describe confident men who are often wrong. Swedish word of the day: kaxigSwedish word of the day: killgissa