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 The votes are still being counted after a tense election campaign. We asked The Local's readers how they feel about the results so far. https://www.thelocal.com/20260915/its-tighter-than-i-thought-how-do-foreigners-in-sweden-feel-about-the-election Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:50:26 +0200 its-tighter-than-i-thought-how-do-foreigners-in-sweden-feel-about-the-election Many of The Local’s readers in Germany say the AfD's historic result in Saxony-Anhalt has left them worried about discrimination, their future in the country and what comes next in national politics. Others take a very different view. https://www.thelocal.com/20260908/i-feel-unsafe-readers-react-to-the-afds-breakthrough-in-saxony-anhalt Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:15:33 +0200 i-feel-unsafe-readers-react-to-the-afds-breakthrough-in-saxony-anhalt Warren O'Neill from Ireland is one of thousands of foreign-born voters ready to cast their ballot for the first time in Sweden's national election. He tells The Local about the issues that matter to him, and what he wants native Swedish voters to know about immigrant life. https://www.thelocal.com/20260908/voting-in-sweden-maybe-the-opinion-corridor-makes-it-harder-for-people-to-have-debates Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:10:05 +0200 voting-in-sweden-maybe-the-opinion-corridor-makes-it-harder-for-people-to-have-debates Difficult immigration departments, tricky paperwork and language barriers: getting a residence permit in Austria is a feat for many foreigners. We've compiled readers' advice on how to navigate the system. https://www.thelocal.com/20260112/learn-german-the-best-advice-to-get-a-residence-permit-in-austria Mon, 12 Jan 2026 13:41:11 +0100 learn-german-the-best-advice-to-get-a-residence-permit-in-austria Prices have been rising in already expensive Norway, meaning the quality of life versus cost of living argument is becoming more relevant than ever. Is the price of life in Norway worth it for everything the country has to offer? Here's what our readers told us. https://www.thelocal.com/20260804/your-views-is-the-quality-of-life-in-norway-really-worth-the-high-cost-of-living Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:22:50 +0200 your-views-is-the-quality-of-life-in-norway-really-worth-the-high-cost-of-living Indian engineer Niranjan Nithyanandam tells The Local how he and another passenger brought a careening bus to a halt, despite not even having a driving licence. https://www.thelocal.com/20260818/crazy-and-surreal-passengers-help-avert-disaster-after-swedish-bus-driver-faints Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:33:18 +0200 crazy-and-surreal-passengers-help-avert-disaster-after-swedish-bus-driver-faints With less than one month to go until the general election in Sweden, we are again asking you to tell us how The Local can serve you best. https://www.thelocal.com/20260326/how-would-you-like-the-local-to-cover-the-swedish-election Thu, 26 Mar 2026 07:10:47 +0100 how-would-you-like-the-local-to-cover-the-swedish-election Sweden's first civics test for citizenship was held last Saturday and largely went smoothly, although several examinees complained to The Local that some questions required knowledge and language that was not part of the preparation material. https://www.thelocal.com/20260817/i-got-confused-by-the-language-citizenship-applicants-rate-swedens-first-civics-test Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:29:42 +0200 i-got-confused-by-the-language-citizenship-applicants-rate-swedens-first-civics-test Germany is set to allow bakeries and public libraries to extend their Sunday opening hours from next year. Now, many business leaders want to see the rules lifted for the entire retail sector. Here's what readers of The Local think. https://www.thelocal.com/20260723/your-views-is-germanys-sunday-shopping-ban-an-outdated-tradition-or-a-chance-for-calm Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:50:43 +0200 your-views-is-germanys-sunday-shopping-ban-an-outdated-tradition-or-a-chance-for-calm It's now 10 years since the UK voted to leave the EU, an event that had seismic consequences for many British people - we want to hear how it has affected lives in France. https://www.thelocal.com/20260622/tell-us-10-years-on-how-has-brexit-affected-your-life-in-france Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:11:25 +0200 tell-us-10-years-on-how-has-brexit-affected-your-life-in-france With just days left before Sweden carries out the most radical citizenship reforms in years, an administrative backlog means 100,000 long-term residents are losing the race against time. The Local speaks with some of the applicants who are watching their future plans slip away as the government continues to rewrite immigration rules. https://www.thelocal.com/20260529/its-a-gut-punch-time-running-out-for-100000-applicants-as-swedens-citizenship-deadline-nears Fri, 29 May 2026 06:32:53 +0200 its-a-gut-punch-time-running-out-for-100000-applicants-as-swedens-citizenship-deadline-nears Feeling betrayed, disappointed but not surprised, and concerned that the rule of law is deteriorating in Sweden: here's how The Local's readers responded after a dramatic citizenship vote in the Swedish parliament. https://www.thelocal.com/20260430/i-feel-scammed-foreigners-in-sweden-react-to-controversial-citizenship-vote Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:29:16 +0200 i-feel-scammed-foreigners-in-sweden-react-to-controversial-citizenship-vote Anna Metreveli, a Russian PhD student in sociolinguistics, had her application to switch to a new residence permit rejected on the grounds that she did not leave Sweden to reapply, which has left her education and her son's right to specialised education and healthcare in the country up in the air. https://www.thelocal.com/20260420/phd-student-refused-swedish-permit-and-told-to-apply-from-abroad-despite-sons-disability Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:28:36 +0200 phd-student-refused-swedish-permit-and-told-to-apply-from-abroad-despite-sons-disability As the EU's Entry and Exit system (EES) comes into force, Italy’s international residents say they've found themselves waiting much longer at the border than tourists - despite being exempt. https://www.thelocal.com/20260416/ive-had-three-different-answers-ees-causes-delays-and-confusion-for-italys-residents Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:20:42 +0200 ive-had-three-different-answers-ees-causes-delays-and-confusion-for-italys-residents The Local Sweden's editorial team held a live Q&A with members about Sweden's proposed changes to permanent residency status. We've pulled out some of the key questions and our team's responses. https://www.thelocal.com/20260410/your-questions-answered-on-swedens-proposed-permanent-residency-changes Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:03:33 +0200 your-questions-answered-on-swedens-proposed-permanent-residency-changes Chandra and Vibha are one of many highly educated – and high-earning – working families reevaluating their commitment to Sweden in light of the government's plan to apply big citizenship rule changes even to those who applied years ago. https://www.thelocal.com/20260402/we-can-go-elsewhere-skilled-workers-question-future-in-sweden-over-citizenship-reforms Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:27:43 +0200 we-can-go-elsewhere-skilled-workers-question-future-in-sweden-over-citizenship-reforms Abhijith Nag Balasubramanya's circular-system hydroponics startup was already providing locally-grown produce to a major grocery store in Skellefteå, northern Sweden, when his business visa was denied by the Swedish Migration Agency. He has now left Sweden. https://www.thelocal.com/20260312/i-chose-my-mental-health-indian-entrepreneur-leaves-sweden-after-deportation-order Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:33:54 +0100 i-chose-my-mental-health-indian-entrepreneur-leaves-sweden-after-deportation-order Austria is embracing the digital world but many foreign residents still report having difficulties setting up or renewing their Austria ID. Here's what readers had to say. https://www.thelocal.com/20260220/worst-thing-ive-ever-used-foreign-residents-struggle-with-setting-up-id-austria Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:47:11 +0100 worst-thing-ive-ever-used-foreign-residents-struggle-with-setting-up-id-austria At the start of 2026 France unveiled a new price structure for its national museums - including the Louvre and Versailles - that charges higher prices to non-EU visitors. Readers of The Local share their thoughts on this new law. https://www.thelocal.com/20260119/its-discrimination-reactions-to-frances-museum-price-hike-for-non-eu-members Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:03:14 +0100 its-discrimination-reactions-to-frances-museum-price-hike-for-non-eu-members France has unrolled a new policy which involves charging higher prices to non-EU citizens to visit tourist attractions such as the Louvre and Versailles - and we want to hear your views on that. https://www.thelocal.com/20260113/share-your-view-what-do-you-think-of-frances-higher-museum-prices-for-non-eu-visitors Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:04:45 +0100 share-your-view-what-do-you-think-of-frances-higher-museum-prices-for-non-eu-visitors