https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed When I moved to Umeå with my Swedish husband, our two-year-old understood Swedish but spoke only in English. After a month of preschool in Sweden, that flipped – long before I could follow along, writes The Local's Mandy Pipher. https://www.thelocal.com/20260529/the-hardest-part-of-moving-to-sweden-suddenly-not-understanding-my-own-child Fri, 29 May 2026 09:52:09 +0200 the-hardest-part-of-moving-to-sweden-suddenly-not-understanding-my-own-child Swedish voters will go to the polls on September 13th to cast their vote in three elections: national, regional and local. But who's eligible to vote? https://www.thelocal.com/20260608/who-can-vote-in-the-2026-swedish-election Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:49:44 +0200 who-can-vote-in-the-2026-swedish-election Workers in Sweden enjoy relatively generous rights, especially when it comes to holiday. In fact, you actually get paid a bonus for not being at work. https://www.thelocal.com/20200122/why-do-you-get-paid-more-when-you-take-time-off-in-sweden Wed, 22 Jan 2020 12:20:44 +0100 why-do-you-get-paid-more-when-you-take-time-off-in-sweden There are almost 30,000 islands and islets in the Stockholm archipelago and each one is different from the next. Here are ten worth visiting, whether you're looking for a party night, a relaxing weekend, seafood, or family fun. https://www.thelocal.com/20230720/ten-islands-to-visit-in-the-stockholm-archipelago-and-how-to-get-there Thu, 20 Jul 2023 11:30:17 +0200 ten-islands-to-visit-in-the-stockholm-archipelago-and-how-to-get-there Jordan Bardella has stumbled upon reality - writes John Lichfield. A dangerous thing for a populist politician. https://www.thelocal.com/20260610/opinion-the-french-pension-crisis-could-be-a-landmine-for-jordan-bardella Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:24:38 +0200 opinion-the-french-pension-crisis-could-be-a-landmine-for-jordan-bardella Russia could make military 'advances' against NATO countries relatively soon if the Kremlin found the timing favourable, Sweden's parliamentary defence committee warned Friday. https://www.thelocal.com/20260612/sweden-says-russia-may-test-nato-cohesion Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:02:20 +0200 sweden-says-russia-may-test-nato-cohesion Coming from North American work culture, where you're often expected to pretend to love your job, it can be a bit of a shock to find that, in Sweden, a common conversation in the workplace is how eager you are to get away from it for a whole month, writes The Local's Mandy Pipher. https://www.thelocal.com/20260612/snart-ar-det-semester-how-to-talk-about-summer-holidays-like-a-swede Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:56:35 +0200 snart-ar-det-semester-how-to-talk-about-summer-holidays-like-a-swede Sweden's public health agency announced it was recommending that parents not give children their own smartphones before the age of 13, citing several risks associated with their use. https://www.thelocal.com/20260612/swedish-public-health-agency-recommends-no-smartphones-for-children-under-13 Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:46:01 +0200 swedish-public-health-agency-recommends-no-smartphones-for-children-under-13 With the rising cost of petrol and flight tickets, many people in Germany are opting to travel by train for a summer 'staycation'. Here are five destinations you should visit. https://www.thelocal.com/20260527/five-summer-holiday-destinations-in-germany-you-can-reach-by-train Wed, 27 May 2026 16:34:23 +0200 five-summer-holiday-destinations-in-germany-you-can-reach-by-train The Swedish economy grew by 0.5 percent in April compared to the previous month, according to the monthly GDP indicator from Statistics Sweden. https://www.thelocal.com/20260610/swedish-economy-beats-expectations-with-0-5-percent-growth-in-april Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:43:48 +0200 swedish-economy-beats-expectations-with-0-5-percent-growth-in-april Swedes' support for adopting the euro is falling, according to the latest survey by Statistics Sweden. https://www.thelocal.com/20260610/swedish-support-for-adopting-the-euro-drops-as-krona-rebounds Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:08:13 +0200 swedish-support-for-adopting-the-euro-drops-as-krona-rebounds The Swedish parliament voted through a bill to abolish permanent residency for many future applicants – but some groups, including work permit holders, will still be able to receive permanent residency. https://www.thelocal.com/20260609/swedish-parliament-to-vote-on-bill-to-abolish-future-permanent-residency-for-refugees Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:02:26 +0200 swedish-parliament-to-vote-on-bill-to-abolish-future-permanent-residency-for-refugees The incomes of men and women are not expected to level out in Sweden until 2063, but some regions may have to wait longer – 131 years in the most extreme case. https://www.thelocal.com/20260608/women-in-sweden-face-a-37-year-wait-for-equal-income-as-progress-stalls Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:32:58 +0200 women-in-sweden-face-a-37-year-wait-for-equal-income-as-progress-stalls The Champions League win of Paris Saint-Germain football club was followed by widespread rioting with almost 900 people arrested and three deaths. John Lichfield looks at how a French football victory leads to these kind of scenes. https://www.thelocal.com/20260603/opinion-why-french-football-victories-lead-to-riots Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:10:16 +0200 opinion-why-french-football-victories-lead-to-riots From football-mad Germany getting ready for the World Cup to traditional Fronleichnam processions and exploring why foreign residents want to leave, here's what we are talking about this week at The Local. https://www.thelocal.com/20260606/inside-germany-getting-ready-for-the-world-cup-and-the-foreigners-choosing-to-leave Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:45:13 +0200 inside-germany-getting-ready-for-the-world-cup-and-the-foreigners-choosing-to-leave With the rising cost of gas and flight tickets, many people in Austria are opting to travel by train for a summer 'staycation'. Here are five destinations you should visit. https://www.thelocal.com/20260604/six-summer-holiday-destinations-you-can-reach-by-train-in-austria Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:50:35 +0200 six-summer-holiday-destinations-you-can-reach-by-train-in-austria The number of accidents involving electric scooters increased sharply last year, according to recent statistics from the Swedish Transport Agency. It is often young people involved in the accidents, and their injuries are often serious. https://www.thelocal.com/20260604/sweden-sees-big-increase-in-serious-electric-scooter-accidents Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:40:01 +0200 sweden-sees-big-increase-in-serious-electric-scooter-accidents Indian nationals no longer need a visa to transfer at German airports, following a change to Germany's transit rules that took effect on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.com/20260603/germany-scraps-airport-transit-visas-for-indian-travellers Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:13:16 +0200 germany-scraps-airport-transit-visas-for-indian-travellers The Public Health Agency of Sweden has released the results of a survey which shows that around half of Swedes are satisfied with their sex lives, although there were variations based on age and gender. https://www.thelocal.com/20260603/half-of-swedes-are-satisfied-with-their-sex-lives-health-body-says Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:40:48 +0200 half-of-swedes-are-satisfied-with-their-sex-lives-health-body-says Sweden's government tasked the public health agency last autumn to compile research on how parental screen use affects children. Now the results are in and the recommendations are clear: parents should stay off their phones around their kids. https://www.thelocal.com/20260602/public-health-agency-of-sweden-tells-parents-to-put-away-their-phones Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:27:59 +0200 public-health-agency-of-sweden-tells-parents-to-put-away-their-phones