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 After a Three Kings Day parade in Seville featured Andalusia's regional president in blackface playing King Balthazar, the debate over the outdated and racist practice has again been reignited in Spain. https://www.thelocal.com/20240105/blackface-lives-on-during-epiphany-in-spain-despite-growing-outrage Fri, 05 Jan 2024 14:01:00 +0100 blackface-lives-on-during-epiphany-in-spain-despite-growing-outrage Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has offered his back to Migration Minister Johan Forssell, who has faced scrutiny over his 16-year-old son's reported links to white supremacist groups. https://www.thelocal.com/20250710/swedish-pm-backs-migration-ministers-decision-to-stay-on-despite-sons-far-right-links Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:06:26 +0200 swedish-pm-backs-migration-ministers-decision-to-stay-on-despite-sons-far-right-links Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell has been called to appear in front of a parliament committee to answer questions about his close relative’s links to white power extremism. https://www.thelocal.com/20250709/swedish-migration-minister-called-to-testify-to-parliament-about-relatives-white-supremacism-links Wed, 09 Jul 2025 15:31:50 +0200 swedish-migration-minister-called-to-testify-to-parliament-about-relatives-white-supremacism-links The Local and several other Swedish news sites have made the decision to name Migration Minister Johan Forssell as the government minister whose close relative has been linked to white supremacist groups. The Local Sweden's editor explains the decision. https://www.thelocal.com/20250709/why-are-swedish-media-suddenly-naming-forssell-as-minister-in-white-supremacism-scandal Wed, 09 Jul 2025 18:38:24 +0200 why-are-swedish-media-suddenly-naming-forssell-as-minister-in-white-supremacism-scandal Parts of the Tidö Agreement, the policy document agreed between the three government parties and the far-right Sweden Democrats, have led the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) to raise concerns over integration and discrimination in Sweden. https://www.thelocal.com/20250617/european-anti-racism-council-raises-concerns-over-swedish-government-policy Tue, 17 Jun 2025 17:34:03 +0200 european-anti-racism-council-raises-concerns-over-swedish-government-policy Social services in north-eastern Gothenburg were criticised for structural racism after using monkeys instead of humans in counselling material for children and young people in the area. https://www.thelocal.com/20250616/gothenburg-council-withdraws-monkey-images-in-counselling-after-racism-accusations Mon, 16 Jun 2025 13:48:02 +0200 gothenburg-council-withdraws-monkey-images-in-counselling-after-racism-accusations This slang word has been named Germany's 'non-word' or 'ugliest word' of the year for 2024, with judges slamming the phrase as thoughtless and discriminatory. https://www.thelocal.com/20250113/biodeutsch-why-this-is-germanys-ugliest-word-of-the-year Mon, 13 Jan 2025 16:43:37 +0100 biodeutsch-why-this-is-germanys-ugliest-word-of-the-year In events reminiscent of the recent anti-immigration riots in the UK, the murder of an 11-year-old boy in a small Spanish town unleashed a frenzy of fake news on social media about the perpetrator's nationality and race. https://www.thelocal.com/20240820/analysis-boys-murder-exposes-risk-of-fake-news-frenzy-about-migrants-in-spain Tue, 20 Aug 2024 18:07:31 +0200 analysis-boys-murder-exposes-risk-of-fake-news-frenzy-about-migrants-in-spain Swedish police are investigating hate crimes after a dead boar was dumped outside a mosque in Sweden. https://www.thelocal.com/20240529/swedish-police-investigate-after-dead-boar-thrown-at-mosque Wed, 29 May 2024 15:52:44 +0200 swedish-police-investigate-after-dead-boar-thrown-at-mosque Countries that don’t compile stats on ethnicity aren’t doing enough to combat racism, according to the UN and EU. So why are officials in Sweden showing no signs of following their recommendations? https://www.thelocal.com/20240529/should-sweden-collect-stats-on-ethnicity-to-combat-racism Wed, 29 May 2024 11:52:24 +0200 should-sweden-collect-stats-on-ethnicity-to-combat-racism Sweden’s political leaders are putting the population’s well-being at risk by moving the country in a more authoritarian direction, according to a recent report. https://www.thelocal.com/20240429/very-little-debate-on-consequences-of-swedens-crime-and-migration-clampdown Mon, 29 Apr 2024 10:56:00 +0200 very-little-debate-on-consequences-of-swedens-crime-and-migration-clampdown The Swedish state should issue a public apology to the country's Tornedalian minority, urges a truth commission set up to investigate historic wrongdoings. https://www.thelocal.com/20231115/sweden-should-apologise-to-tornedalian-minority-truth-commission-releases-report Wed, 15 Nov 2023 15:14:29 +0100 sweden-should-apologise-to-tornedalian-minority-truth-commission-releases-report Swedish broadcaster SVT recently aired the first episode of its high-profile new series on Swedish history and racists aren't happy about it, The Local's Paul O'Mahony discovers. https://www.thelocal.com/20231110/why-are-racists-in-sweden-angry-at-history Fri, 10 Nov 2023 11:54:25 +0100 why-are-racists-in-sweden-angry-at-history Life in rural Sweden may have its drawbacks, but the countryside is more welcoming towards immigrants than many people think, writes Ariz Kader in this opinion piece. https://www.thelocal.com/20210730/the-countryside-has-the-best-possibilities-for-creating-a-new-life-in-sweden Fri, 30 Jul 2021 13:55:10 +0200 the-countryside-has-the-best-possibilities-for-creating-a-new-life-in-sweden