Sweden.

Social media ‘soft girls’ depend on men for money – but Sweden once used state ‘influencers’ to urge women to get jobs

Social media ‘soft girls’ depend on men for money – but Sweden once used state ‘influencers’ to urge women to get jobs: stokkete/Shutterstock The idea of becoming a “soft girl” – a woman who embrace values that are seen as soft, such as beauty and family life, at the expense of a career – is …

Putin’s designs on a Baltic island are leading Sweden to prepare for war

Putin’s designs on a Baltic island are leading Sweden to prepare for war: Gotland has been a popular holiday destination for decades, but recently Swedish commander-in-chief, Mikael Bydén, claimed that Russian president Vladmir Putin “has his eyes” on the island. Concern was further ramped up, showing Gotland was just one part of Russia’s ambitions in …

Professionals in Sweden are pushing back hard against a rightwing plan to make them snitch on undocumented migrants

Professionals in Sweden are pushing back hard against a rightwing plan to make them snitch on undocumented migrants: Workers in the welfare sector are currently giving Sweden’s government a significant headache in a dispute about upholding professional ethics. They are opposing a planned law that would require them to “snitch” on undocumented migrants. And since …

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden: 50 years of banal royalism

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden: 50 years of banal royalism: The death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 and the subsequent coronation of King Charles III eight months later, were international media events of historic proportions. People around the world observed, in close detail, how the UK’s royal institution consolidates its authority by …

Understanding why burning the Qur’an isn’t illegal in Sweden means looking at the country’s long-held commitment to freedom of expression

Understanding why burning the Qur’an isn’t illegal in Sweden means looking at the country’s long-held commitment to freedom of expression: To people outside Sweden it may seem surprising that police have, on several recent occasions, granted people express permission to burn copies of the Qur’an in public. The incidents have caused upset and triggered a …

Sweden is joining Nato: what that means for the alliance and the war in Ukraine

Sweden is joining Nato: what that means for the alliance and the war in Ukraine: In a surprise move, Turkey has ended its veto on Sweden joining Nato, thereby removing all the barriers to its membership of the military alliance. Hungary quickly followed suit and, as a result of the two countries’ support, a consensus …

Stockholm+50: Sweden hosts major UN environment conference, yet is losing its own green credentials

Stockholm+50: Sweden hosts major UN environment conference, yet is losing its own green credentials: S-F / shutterstock You can almost feel the expectations in the air of the city of Stockholm, Sweden. The United Nations has organised a meeting of governments and the international sustainability community on June 2 and 3 to commemorate 50 years …

Sweden: a history of neutrality ends after 200 years

Sweden: a history of neutrality ends after 200 years: Sweden’s application to join Nato in May marks a major shift away from its longstanding position as a neutral state, stretching back to 1812. Yet following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the decision now appears to command wide political support across the Swedish government, parliament and population. …