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Sweden in Focus
Why Tesla and striking Swedish unions are still deadlocked one year on
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In this week's episode: will immigrants become cultural canon fodder? How Swedish politicians have reacted to Donald Trump’s victory, what's happening with the Tesla strike?
Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local Sweden editor Emma Löfren and Nordic editor Richard Orange.
Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:
Culture- Is the ‘arm’s length’ principle for the arts in Sweden at risk of amputation?
- LISTEN: Sweden's cultural canon plan and what it means for foreigners
- Swedish union boss: 'Culture clash' behind strikes against Tesla
- Swedish union slams Tesla for bringing in foreign strike breakers
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213. Is Sweden the 'crappy sequel' to Danish immigration horror movie?
13:25||Ep. 213Patrick Gallen last week launched a petition urging Sweden’s migration minister to follow the recommendations of a public inquiry and implement transition rules for Swedish citizenship applicants.Many of The Local’s readers have reacted angrily to Migration Minister Johan Forssell’s comments indicating that he instead wants plans for tougher new citizenship rules to be applied retroactively to people who are currently awaiting decisions on their citizenship applications. The Local's Nordic editor Richard Orange spoke to Patrick Gallen to find out more about why he launched the petition and what he hopes to achieve. READ ALSO:This petition wants your help to stop new Swedish citizenship rules applying retroactively Swedish government to make new citizenship rules retroactive KEY POINTS: Sweden's plans for tougher citizenship rules212. Why post-Örebro gun control split the Sweden Democrats
28:20||Ep. 212In this week's episode: Reader reactions to Örebro mass murder, and why a gun law debate sparked fury among Sweden Democrats. For Membership+ subscribers: What would make the government rethink a plan to apply citizenship law changes retroactively to current applicants? And why the King revealed the wrong name for a new Swedish princess.Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Emma Löfgren and James Savage. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:CrimeOPINION: It's down to Sweden's lawmakers to help immigrants feel less vulnerableFULL LIST: What we know of the ten victims of the Örebro campus attackDid the prime minister find his inner statesman?Sweden to allow schoolbag searches after mass shootingPoliticsTop Sweden Democrat steps down after party pushes ahead with AR-15 banSweden to limit access to semi-automatic weapons after mass shootingGet 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+212. Why post-Örebro gun control split the Sweden Democrats
41:17||Ep. 212In this week's episode: Reader reactions to Örebro mass murder, and why a gun law debate sparked fury among Sweden Democrats. For Membership+ subscribers: What would make the government rethink a plan to apply citizenship law changes retroactively to current applicants? And why the King revealed the wrong name for a new Swedish princess.Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:CrimeOPINION: It's down to Sweden's lawmakers to help immigrants feel less vulnerableFULL LIST: What we know of the ten victims of the Örebro campus attackDid the prime minister find his inner statesman?Sweden to allow schoolbag searches after mass shootingPoliticsTop Sweden Democrat steps down after party pushes ahead with AR-15 banSweden to limit access to semi-automatic weapons after mass shootingSwedish citizenshipThis petition wants your help to stop new Swedish citizenship rules applying retroactivelyWhen will Sweden's new stricter citizenship rules affect applications?RoyalKing apologises after announcing wrong name for granddaughter211. 'My goal is to stay in Sweden but the job market is dire'
16:54||Ep. 211Just over a year ago Spotify was one of a string of major tech companies to announce that it was laying off staff, with the Swedish music streaming giant announcing that it was to cut 17% of its workforce. Sophia Omarji, a user researcher from the UK, was among those to lose their job.In this week’s episode The Local's Becky Waterton speaks to Sophia Omarji about how getting laid off turned her life in Sweden upside down and what it’s been like trying to find a new job at a time of high unemployment and tougher rules on immigration.READ ALSO:All the articles in the My Swedish Career series December 2023: Spotify to cut one in six staff to survive 'dramatically slower' growth OPINION: Sweden needs to reconsider 'three-month deadline' for laid-off non-EU workers Facing a layoff in Sweden? Here's what work permit holders need to know210. What we know about Sweden's worst ever mass shooting
25:08||Ep. 210We're releasing the podcast earlier than usual this week to bring you up to date information on this week's horrific shooting in Örebro that left eleven people dead. We also look at why Sweden’s government wants to make the new citizenship rules retroactive and how applicants are reacting.In the longer version for Membership+ subscribers we give you the lowdown on sportlov, the annual Swedish school break that sees families leave the cities en masse for the northern slopes and, finally, we dig into why the government is planning to give foreign experts bigger tax cuts.Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:Crime'Multiple nationalities' among victims in Swedish mass shooting: policeWhat we know so far about the Örebro campus attackPoliticsSwedish government to make new citizenship rules retroactiveUPDATED: Readers' questions answered on Sweden's citizenship reformsGet 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.210. What we know about Sweden's worst ever mass shooting
37:34||Ep. 210We're releasing the podcast earlier than usual this week to bring you up to date information on this week's horrific shooting in Örebro that left eleven people dead. We also look at why Sweden’s government wants to make the new citizenship rules retroactive and how applicants are reacting.In the longer version for Membership+ subscribers we give you the lowdown on sportlov, the annual Swedish school break that sees families leave the cities en masse for the northern slopes and, finally, we dig into why the government is planning to give foreign experts bigger tax cuts.Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:Crime'Multiple nationalities' among victims in Swedish mass shooting: policeWhat we know so far about the Örebro campus attackPoliticsSwedish government to make new citizenship rules retroactiveUPDATED: Readers' questions answered on Sweden's citizenship reformsDiscover SwedenEverything you need to know about skiing on 'sportlov' in SwedenWorking in SwedenSweden to increase 'expert tax' cuts – and make them available to more foreigners209. How to speak even more Scanian like a southern Swede
16:15||Ep. 209At the weekend editor Emma Löfgren gave Paul O'Mahony and Richard Orange a grounding in how to pronounce a few choice Scanian phrases. In this week's Sweden in Focus Extra the panelists are pushed to their linguistic limit with another selection of words you'll only hear in southern parts of Sweden. As Emma explains, people can be pretty blunt in Skåne so try not to take offence if someone calls you an eel head or asks 'e du dum i huvet?'208. How to speak Scanian like a southern Swede
21:30||Ep. 208We start this week with news that broke just before we started recording the episode. The victims of two separate murders in the greater Stockholm region on Wednesday were revealed to be, in the first killing in Husby, an uncle of organised crime chief Rawa Majid and, in Södertälje, Salwan Momika, who was behind a quran-burning spree in 2023. Coming at the end of a record month for explosive attacks, how serious is the current crime wave and what's being done to stop it?We also look at why Sweden’s national security adviser finally resigned and what it means for the government, why a Swedish police tactical unit boarded a ship in the Baltic. And, taking a breaking from the news, we learn how to speak Swedish like a Scanian.Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Emma Löfgren and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:CrimeQuran-burner Salwan Momika shot dead in StockholmSocial Democrats: Turn all of southern Stockholm into one big stop-and-search zoneSwedish police warn parents to keep eyes on kids after wave of violencePoliticsPolitics in Sweden: Why carelessness isn't the only issue with the PM's 'bästis'Military'I think it's the Russians': Swedish defence expert on cable sabotageLanguage17 dialect words you'll need to know to survive in southern Sweden208. How to speak Scanian like a southern Swede
32:49||Ep. 208We start this week with news that broke just before we started recording the episode. The victims of two separate murders in the greater Stockholm region on Wednesday were revealed to be, in the first killing in Husby, an uncle of organised crime chief Rawa Majid and, in Södertälje, Salwan Momika, who was behind a quran-burning spree in 2023. Coming at the end of a record month for explosive attacks, how serious is the current crime wave and what's being done to stop it?We also look at why Sweden’s national security adviser finally resigned and what it means for the government, why a Swedish police tactical unit boarded a ship in the Baltic. And, taking a breaking from the news, we learn how to speak Swedish like a Scanian.For Membership+ subscribers we speak to criminologist Manne Gerell about the unprecedented spate of explosions that’s put organised crime firmly back at the top of the agenda and we discuss what we know about why foreigners are leaving Sweden for Germany in record numbers.Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Emma Löfgren and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:CrimeQuran-burner Salwan Momika shot dead in StockholmSocial Democrats: Turn all of southern Stockholm into one big stop-and-search zoneSwedish police warn parents to keep eyes on kids after wave of violencePoliticsPolitics in Sweden: Why carelessness isn't the only issue with the PM's 'bästis'Military'I think it's the Russians': Swedish defence expert on cable sabotageImmigrationRecord number of foreigners quit Sweden to move to Germany'German salaries are competitive,' says star developer who left Stockholm for BerlinHow does pay for software developers in the Nordic countries compare to Germany?