https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Sweden in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed To the strictest Lutherans, they're dismissed as 'djävulens kalsonger', the Devil's underwear. But even the most secular Swedes seem strangely averse to curtains. Richard Orange investigates this puzzling Swedish phenomenon. https://www.thelocal.se/20201125/the-devils-underwear-whats-behind-swedes-aversion-to-curtains Wed, 25 Nov 2020 09:15:19 +0100 the-devils-underwear-whats-behind-swedes-aversion-to-curtains Learn Swedish. Get a personnummer. Go cashless. Moving to a new country means going through a series of 'firsts'. The Local's reader Alexander de Nerée writes about some of the challenges, quirks and adventures he has faced since moving to Sweden. https://www.thelocal.se/20210407/buying-my-first-apartment-in-sweden-how-we-won-the-bidding-war Wed, 07 Apr 2021 12:20:16 +0200 buying-my-first-apartment-in-sweden-how-we-won-the-bidding-war More than one million Europeans have obtained the new EU Covid health certificate being rolled out in each country to unlock travel within the bloc, the European Commission said on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.se/20210608/a-million-europeans-obtain-eu-covid-health-pass-ahead-of-vote Tue, 08 Jun 2021 15:47:46 +0200 a-million-europeans-obtain-eu-covid-health-pass-ahead-of-vote Despite ongoing travel restrictions, extra costs and uncertainty over new Covid variants, international residents living across Europe vow to travel abroad this summer. For most it is the need to see family that motivates them. https://www.thelocal.se/20210603/im-going-crazy-why-international-residents-in-europe-will-travel-this-summer-despite-covid Thu, 03 Jun 2021 15:50:07 +0200 im-going-crazy-why-international-residents-in-europe-will-travel-this-summer-despite-covid Everyone in Sweden has a right to receive the Covid-19 vaccine when their age or risk group is eligible, but after several of The Local's readers reported facing obstacles when lacking a Swedish identity number, we raised the issue with Swedish authorities. https://www.thelocal.se/20210521/reader-question-what-do-i-do-if-im-told-i-cant-book-a-vaccine-without-a-personnummer Fri, 21 May 2021 14:03:08 +0200 reader-question-what-do-i-do-if-im-told-i-cant-book-a-vaccine-without-a-personnummer On June 1st, Sweden rolled out the first step of its five-step plan to lift the country’s coronavirus restrictions and recommendations. Here’s what changes this month. https://www.thelocal.se/20210601/what-coronavirus-restrictions-are-changing-in-sweden-june-1st Tue, 01 Jun 2021 11:11:02 +0200 what-coronavirus-restrictions-are-changing-in-sweden-june-1st Sweden on Friday extended the entry ban for non-EU travellers through the summer, but lifted a requirement to show a negative Covid test for visitors from the Nordics. https://www.thelocal.se/20210528/sweden-lifts-travel-restrictions-for-nordic-arrivals-but-extends-them-for-others Fri, 28 May 2021 16:59:19 +0200 sweden-lifts-travel-restrictions-for-nordic-arrivals-but-extends-them-for-others Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven on Thursday announced a five-step plan for easing coronavirus restrictions and finally remove them entirely. https://www.thelocal.se/20210527/sweden-expected-to-start-lifting-coronavirus-restrictions Thu, 27 May 2021 16:19:23 +0200 sweden-expected-to-start-lifting-coronavirus-restrictions Sweden is the only country in Europe where the number of deadly shootings has increased substantially since the start of the century, a new report by the country's National Council on Crime Prevention (Brå) shows. https://www.thelocal.se/20210526/sweden-is-the-only-european-country-where-fatal-shootings-are-on-the-rise Wed, 26 May 2021 15:24:09 +0200 sweden-is-the-only-european-country-where-fatal-shootings-are-on-the-rise Few things agitate the anti-immigration right like the idea that Swedish customs, values and traditions are being undermined (or even replaced) due to the arrival of immigrants from “Other” parts of the world, writes Christian Christensen. https://www.thelocal.se/20210520/opinion-backlash-over-eid-well-wishes-shows-the-rise-of-culture-wars-in-sweden Thu, 20 May 2021 17:32:22 +0200 opinion-backlash-over-eid-well-wishes-shows-the-rise-of-culture-wars-in-sweden Over the 14 months since the Covid-19 crisis began to affect daily life in Sweden, both the pandemic and the national response have revealed some important things about Sweden and the Swedes, writes The Local contributor Chiara Milford. https://www.thelocal.se/20210518/10-things-the-covid-19-crisis-has-taught-us-about-sweden Tue, 18 May 2021 18:30:12 +0200 10-things-the-covid-19-crisis-has-taught-us-about-sweden What's the worst social offence you could commit in Sweden? How do Swedish people react when they run into each other on the street? These are some of the cultural quirks TikTok marketer Liam Kalevi delves into in a series of viral videos. https://www.thelocal.se/20210514/comedy-liam-kalevi-tiktok-swedish-culture-impressions Fri, 14 May 2021 11:57:52 +0200 comedy-liam-kalevi-tiktok-swedish-culture-impressions Swedish agencies and associations, including trade unions and the Migration Agency, have weighed in on government proposals to overhaul the work permit system. https://www.thelocal.se/20210505/swedish-government-work-permit-proposals-employers-unions Wed, 05 May 2021 17:43:52 +0200 swedish-government-work-permit-proposals-employers-unions The so-called cordon sanitaire that long barred the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats from real political influence is now well and truly gone. The Local spoke to the party's leader Jimmie Åkesson about how he thinks he can now change Swedish politics and policies around migration. https://www.thelocal.se/20210513/jimmie-akesson-interview-if-you-dont-want-to-be-part-of-sweden-then-you-cannot-live-here Thu, 13 May 2021 10:10:44 +0200 jimmie-akesson-interview-if-you-dont-want-to-be-part-of-sweden-then-you-cannot-live-here The Swedish armed forces have been ramping up their military exercises in recent years to face a "deteriorated" security situation. But residents in the west coast archipelago say the growing presence of troops in the islands makes their home feel almost like a "war zone". https://www.thelocal.se/20210511/how-swedens-new-military-strategy-affects-life-in-the-gothenburg-archipelago Tue, 11 May 2021 12:01:52 +0200 how-swedens-new-military-strategy-affects-life-in-the-gothenburg-archipelago Learn Swedish. Get a personnummer. Go cashless. Moving to a new country means going through a series of 'firsts'. The Local's reader Alexander de Nerée writes about some of the challenges, quirks and adventures he has faced since moving to Sweden. https://www.thelocal.se/20210510/my-first-visit-to-the-swedish-tax-office-whats-the-fuss-about-personnummer Mon, 10 May 2021 11:26:31 +0200 my-first-visit-to-the-swedish-tax-office-whats-the-fuss-about-personnummer Sweden-founded furniture giant Ikea aims to be climate positive by 2030. In ten years, all products must be made from renewable or recycled materials and designed to be reused, resold or recycled. A store in Eskilstuna is trying to find out what works – and what doesn't. https://www.thelocal.se/20210504/this-is-the-only-way-forward-step-inside-swedens-first-second-hand-ikea-store Tue, 04 May 2021 11:39:23 +0200 this-is-the-only-way-forward-step-inside-swedens-first-second-hand-ikea-store Starting this autumn, Ryanair will fly from Stockholm’s main airport to 21 European destinations. https://www.thelocal.se/20210506/ryanair-to-start-flying-from-arlanda-this-autumn Thu, 06 May 2021 14:56:51 +0200 ryanair-to-start-flying-from-arlanda-this-autumn Translator and small business owner Miles Avison tells The Local how he fell through the gaps of Covid-19 government support, being asked to return the money he was paid. https://www.thelocal.se/20210505/foreign-entrepreneur-translator-falls-through-gaps-covid-business-support Wed, 05 May 2021 09:36:49 +0200 foreign-entrepreneur-translator-falls-through-gaps-covid-business-support A couple of law changes and other things that are worth being aware of – here's what changes in Sweden this month. https://www.thelocal.se/20210427/new-laws-what-changes-about-life-in-sweden-in-may-2021 Tue, 27 Apr 2021 19:38:30 +0200 new-laws-what-changes-about-life-in-sweden-in-may-2021