Sweden in Focus

This week we talk about a security scandal surrounding Prime minister Ulf Kristersson.And with the men's football World Cup kicking off this week, we assess Sweden's chances. We also discuss new restrictions on permanent residency and turbulence on the left side of Swedish politics.And we have an interview with Liz Stopka from the American Swedish Institute about the history of Swedish emigration to the United States.Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and Emma Löfgren. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:PoliticsSweden's Left Party removes local candidates who praised terror groupsSweden and the USOpinion: Do Sweden's deportations have more parallels to the US than Swedes realise?FootballHow can you watch the 2026 men's football World Cup in Sweden?ImmigrationSwedish parliament approves bill to abolish future permanent residency for refugeesWork permitsWhen will Sweden next raise the work permit salary threshold?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. 

This week we talk about a security scandal surrounding Prime minister Ulf Kristersson.And with the men's football World Cup kicking off this week, we assess Sweden's chances. We also discuss new restrictions on permanent residency and turbulence on the left side of Swedish politics.And we have an interview with Liz Stopka from the American Swedish Institute about the history of Swedish emigration to the United States.Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and Emma Löfgren. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:PoliticsSweden's Left Party removes local candidates who praised terror groupsSweden and the USOpinion: Do Sweden's deportations have more parallels to the US than Swedes realise?FootballHow can you watch the 2026 men's football World Cup in Sweden?ImmigrationSwedish parliament approves bill to abolish future permanent residency for refugeesWork permitsWhen will Sweden next raise the work permit salary threshold?

Two popular museums in Stockholm are at risk of closure because the government agency that owns the properties is now requiring the museums, which are also run by a government agency, to pay market rents that they can’t afford.It’s currently unclear if Medelhavsmuseet and Östasiatiska museet will be able to stay open. Known in English as The Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, and the East Asian Antiquities Museum, the two city centre museums are much-loved destinations for Stockholmers and visitors alike. To learn more about their importance, The Local’s Mandy Pipher caught up recently with Ninhursag Tadaros, an Assyriologist and curator who has previously worked with the Mesopotamian collection at Medelhavsmuseet.READ ALSO:Why two iconic Stockholm museums might have to closeGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.Sign up to Membership+ 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.

Two popular museums in Stockholm are at risk of closure because the government agency that owns the properties is now requiring the museums, which are also run by a government agency, to pay market rents that they can’t afford.It’s currently unclear if Medelhavsmuseet and Östasiatiska museet will be able to stay open. Known in English as The Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, and the East Asian Antiquities Museum, the two city centre museums are much-loved destinations for Stockholmers and visitors alike. To learn more about their importance, The Local’s Mandy Pipher caught up recently with Ninhursag Tadaros, an Assyriologist and curator who has previously worked with the Mesopotamian collection at Medelhavsmuseet.READ ALSO:Why two iconic Stockholm museums might have to close

This week we look at the government’s solution to teen deportations, and we discuss the new citizenship law coming into force on Saturday, which also happens to be National Day.We also talk about how unnerving it can be for foreigners when a young child switches to Swedish before you even properly understand it.And for Membership+ subscribers, we talk about the Swedish community in the US and how they keep their Swedishness alive.Host Richard Orange is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and James Savage. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:ImmigrationSweden's house speaker says no to emergency motion on transitional rulesSweden's government announces proposed solution for teen deportationsIs the Swedish Migration Agency working overtime to fast-track citizenship cases?PoliticsCitizenship-scandal Sweden Democrat MP quits over child pornography probeFamilyThe hardest part of moving to Sweden? Suddenly not understanding my own childSweden and the USThe migration crisis that divided Sweden and made it a better countryGet 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.

This week we look at the government’s solution to teen deportations, and we discuss the new citizenship law coming into force on Saturday, which also happens to be National Day.We also talk about how unnerving it can be for foreigners when a young child switches to Swedish before you even properly understand it.And for Membership+ subscribers, we talk about the Swedish community in the US and how they keep their Swedishness alive.Host Richard Orange is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and James Savage. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:ImmigrationSweden's house speaker says no to emergency motion on transitional rulesSweden's government announces proposed solution for teen deportationsIs the Swedish Migration Agency working overtime to fast-track citizenship cases?PoliticsCitizenship-scandal Sweden Democrat MP quits over child pornography probeFamilyThe hardest part of moving to Sweden? Suddenly not understanding my own childSweden and the USThe migration crisis that divided Sweden and made it a better country

A month ago the parties on the left were poised to win a vote on transitional rules for citizenship in the Riskdag after two independents MPs sided with the opposition. But the Sweden Democrats swung the vote in the government’s favour by getting two of their parliamentarians to breach a longstanding pairing agreement that compensates for planned absences.This week we hear from the Green Party’s immigration policy spokesperson Anna Hirvonen, who has sent an emergency motion to the speaker of the Swedish parliament in a last-ditch attempt to force lawmakers to vote again on including transitional rules in Sweden’s new citizenship law for the more than 100,000 people waiting in the queue.In her conversation with The Local’s Nordic editor Richard Orange the increasingly high-profile Hirvonen also talks about the chokehold she believes the far-right Sweden Democrats have on Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s Moderate Party, how the immigration debate is changing after protests over teen deportations, and how she thinks the parties on the left would go about undoing some of the hardline immigration policies brought in by the current government.Swedish terms used in the interview: Utskottsinitiativ - an initiative proposed to a parliamentary committee Ventil - a "safety clause", in this case an immigration law amendment intended to bring an end to teen deportations. Kvittning - The Swedish parliament's long-standing pairing agreement on how to handle votes when members have to be absent for reasons such as illness.Händelsemotion/akutmotion - An emergency motion submitted to the parliamentary speaker, in this case aimed at forcing a revote on the inclusion of transitional rules in Sweden's new citizenship law. Det ska löna sig att arbeta - Working should pay. A Moderate Party slogan about the value of work. Skärpta krav för anhöriginvandring - A legislative proposal on tougher requirements for family reunificationGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.Sign up to Membership+ 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.

A month ago the parties on the left were poised to win a vote on transitional rules for citizenship in the Riskdag after two independents MPs sided with the opposition. But the Sweden Democrats swung the vote in the government’s favour by getting two of their parliamentarians to breach a longstanding pairing agreement that compensates for planned absences.This week we hear from the Green Party’s immigration policy spokesperson Anna Hirvonen, who has sent an emergency motion to the speaker of the Swedish parliament in a last-ditch attempt to force lawmakers to vote again on including transitional rules in Sweden’s new citizenship law for the more than 100,000 people waiting in the queue.In her conversation with The Local’s Nordic editor Richard Orange the increasingly high-profile Hirvonen also talks about the chokehold she believes the far-right Sweden Democrats have on Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s Moderate Party, how the immigration debate is changing after protests over teen deportations, and how she thinks the parties on the left would go about undoing some of the hardline immigration policies brought in by the current government.Swedish terms used in the interview: Utskottsinitiativ - an initiative proposed to a parliamentary committee Ventil - a "safety clause", in this case an immigration law amendment intended to bring an end to teen deportations. Kvittning - The Swedish parliament's long-standing pairing agreement on how to handle votes when members have to be absent for reasons such as illness.Händelsemotion/akutmotion - An emergency motion submitted to the parliamentary speaker, in this case aimed at forcing a revote on the inclusion of transitional rules in Sweden's new citizenship law. Det ska löna sig att arbeta - Working should pay. A Moderate Party slogan about the value of work. Skärpta krav för anhöriginvandring - A legislative proposal on tougher requirements for family reunification

This week we are delving into the sort of jobs the Sweden Democrats could get if they join the government after the election.With new rules for work permits coming in next week, we look at an unexpectedly short list of exempted professions. Is Sweden’s new status as a ‘smoke-free country’ really just be due to tobacco taxes and good public health campaigns?Why is the government proposing to halve the cost of a monthly card for regional public transport from July 1st until the end of the year? And we look at how end-of-term gifts to Swedish teachers have become so extravagant in some cases that a few Swedish councils have now banned the practice altogether.Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Richard Orange and Emma Löfgren. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:PoliticsSweden Democrats aim for half of cabinet seats in a right-wing governmentSweden to cut monthly public transport tickets by 50 percent in all regionsHealth'Incredible' milestone reached as Sweden becomes a smoke-free countryImmigration'It's a gut punch': Time running out for 100,000 applicants as Sweden's citizenship deadline nearsWhat Sweden's new higher salary threshold means for work permit applicantsSchoolsSwedish municipalities (at least some) ban end-of-term gifts for teachersGet 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+