Episodes

  • Sweden's Prime Minister rocked by corruption claims

    Sweden's Prime Minister rocked by corruption claims
    Jun 12 2026

    This week we talk about a security scandal surrounding Prime minister Ulf Kristersson.

    And with the men's football World Cup kicking off this week, we assess Sweden's chances.

    We also discuss new restrictions on permanent residency and turbulence on the left side of Swedish politics.

    And we have an interview with Liz Stopka from the American Swedish Institute about the history of Swedish emigration to the United States.

    Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and Emma Löfgren.

    Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:

    Politics
    • Sweden's Left Party removes local candidates who praised terror groups
    Sweden and the US
    • Opinion: Do Sweden's deportations have more parallels to the US than Swedes realise?
    Football
    • How can you watch the 2026 men's football World Cup in Sweden?
    Immigration
    • Swedish parliament approves bill to abolish future permanent residency for refugees
    Work permits
    • When will Sweden next raise the work permit salary threshold?
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    Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+

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    41 mins
  • 'Disappointing and sad': Treasured Swedish museums risk closure over rising rents

    'Disappointing and sad': Treasured Swedish museums risk closure over rising rents
    Jun 9 2026

    Two popular museums in Stockholm are at risk of closure because the government agency that owns the properties is now requiring the museums, which are also run by a government agency, to pay market rents that they can’t afford.

    It’s currently unclear if Medelhavsmuseet and Östasiatiska museet will be able to stay open.

    Known in English as The Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, and the East Asian Antiquities Museum, the two city centre museums are much-loved destinations for Stockholmers and visitors alike.

    To learn more about their importance, The Local’s Mandy Pipher caught up recently with Ninhursag Tadaros, an Assyriologist and curator who has previously worked with the Mesopotamian collection at Medelhavsmuseet.

    READ ALSO:


    • Why two iconic Stockholm museums might have to close
    Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts

    Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.

    Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.

    Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+


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    5 mins
  • Why this year's Swedish National Day will be bittersweet

    Why this year's Swedish National Day will be bittersweet
    Jun 4 2026

    This week we look at the government’s solution to teen deportations, and we discuss the new citizenship law coming into force on Saturday, which also happens to be National Day.

    We also talk about how unnerving it can be for foreigners when a young child switches to Swedish before you even properly understand it.

    And for Membership+ subscribers, we talk about the Swedish community in the US and how they keep their Swedishness alive.

    Host Richard Orange is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and James Savage.

    Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:

    Immigration
    • Sweden's house speaker says no to emergency motion on transitional rules
    • Sweden's government announces proposed solution for teen deportations
    • Is the Swedish Migration Agency working overtime to fast-track citizenship cases?
    Politics
    • Citizenship-scandal Sweden Democrat MP quits over child pornography probe
    Family
    • The hardest part of moving to Sweden? Suddenly not understanding my own child
    Sweden and the US
    • The migration crisis that divided Sweden and made it a better country
    Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts

    Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.

    Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+

    • For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+
    • For new members: Get Membership+

    Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.

    Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    31 mins
  • 'Sweden's next migration minister will have a big cleaning job to do'

    'Sweden's next migration minister will have a big cleaning job to do'
    Jun 1 2026
    A month ago the parties on the left were poised to win a vote on transitional rules for citizenship in the Riskdag after two independents MPs sided with the opposition. But the Sweden Democrats swung the vote in the government’s favour by getting two of their parliamentarians to breach a longstanding pairing agreement that compensates for planned absences.This week we hear from the Green Party’s immigration policy spokesperson Anna Hirvonen, who has sent an emergency motion to the speaker of the Swedish parliament in a last-ditch attempt to force lawmakers to vote again on including transitional rules in Sweden’s new citizenship law for the more than 100,000 people waiting in the queue.In her conversation with The Local’s Nordic editor Richard Orange the increasingly high-profile Hirvonen also talks about the chokehold she believes the far-right Sweden Democrats have on Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s Moderate Party, how the immigration debate is changing after protests over teen deportations, and how she thinks the parties on the left would go about undoing some of the hardline immigration policies brought in by the current government.Swedish terms used in the interview: Utskottsinitiativ - an initiative proposed to a parliamentary committee Ventil - a "safety clause", in this case an immigration law amendment intended to bring an end to teen deportations. Kvittning - The Swedish parliament's long-standing pairing agreement on how to handle votes when members have to be absent for reasons such as illness.Händelsemotion/akutmotion - An emergency motion submitted to the parliamentary speaker, in this case aimed at forcing a revote on the inclusion of transitional rules in Sweden's new citizenship law. Det ska löna sig att arbeta - Working should pay. A Moderate Party slogan about the value of work. Skärpta krav för anhöriginvandring - A legislative proposal on tougher requirements for family reunificationGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    5 mins
  • What happens if Sweden Democrats get top jobs in next government?

    What happens if Sweden Democrats get top jobs in next government?
    May 29 2026

    This week we are delving into the sort of jobs the Sweden Democrats could get if they join the government after the election.

    With new rules for work permits coming in next week, we look at an unexpectedly short list of exempted professions.

    Is Sweden’s new status as a ‘smoke-free country’ really just be due to tobacco taxes and good public health campaigns?

    Why is the government proposing to halve the cost of a monthly card for regional public transport from July 1st until the end of the year?

    And we look at how end-of-term gifts to Swedish teachers have become so extravagant in some cases that a few Swedish councils have now banned the practice altogether.

    Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Richard Orange and Emma Löfgren.

    Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:

    Politics
    • Sweden Democrats aim for half of cabinet seats in a right-wing government
    • Sweden to cut monthly public transport tickets by 50 percent in all regions
    Health
    • 'Incredible' milestone reached as Sweden becomes a smoke-free country
    Immigration
    • 'It's a gut punch': Time running out for 100,000 applicants as Sweden's citizenship deadline nears
    • What Sweden's new higher salary threshold means for work permit applicants
    Schools
    • Swedish municipalities (at least some) ban end-of-term gifts for teachers
    Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts

    Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.

    Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+

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    • For new members: Get Membership+


    Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.

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    44 mins
  • 'Devastated' – Swedish citizenship hopefuls fear for the future as deadline looms

    'Devastated' – Swedish citizenship hopefuls fear for the future as deadline looms
    May 26 2026

    With just two weeks left until Sweden introduces a new citizenship law, how are applicants who are stuck in the queue feeling about their chances of becoming Swedish?

    And what do they have to say about the government’s decision not to introduce transitional rules, meaning that they’ll be judged according to tougher new criteria, including longer residency, as well as language and knowledge requirements?

    Around 100,000 applicants are currently waiting to become naturalised Swedes and The Local Sweden’s editor Emma Löfgren recently caught up with some of them.

    In this week’s episode we hear from four of the people Emma spoke to: Victoria Heisler, Sigrid Holmwood, Volodymr Rubinets, and Ffion McEvoy.

    READ ALSO:

    • All The Local's coverage of new Swedish citizenship rules
    Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts

    Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.

    Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.

    Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+

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    26 mins
  • How relaxed alcohol laws could spice up Sweden's nightlife

    How relaxed alcohol laws could spice up Sweden's nightlife
    May 22 2026
    This week we ask whether moves to stop teen deportations could help those young people who have already left, as well as discussing all the latest on the citizenship voting scandal. We also look at whether proposals to liberalize Systembolaget could actually lead to real change.And why has Sweden’s new order for warships gone to France, not Sweden’s own Saab?For membership+ subscribers we look at whether a new economic partnership between India and Sweden could help Indians wanting to move here.Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Richard Orange and Mandy Pipher. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:Immigration Swedish MPs quash revote on transitional citizenship rulesSwedish opposition welcomes Sweden Democrat MP's apology over citizenship voteSwedish opposition promises citizenship transition rules if it wins electionSweden Democrats join U-turn on letting to-be-deported teenagers stay in SwedenAlcohol'Stockholm is going to be like Paris or Copenhagen'Sweden Democrat leader says Systembolaget should be open on SundaysMilitarySweden to buy four new frigates from France in major defence dealSweden & IndiaSweden and India forge strategic partnership to double economic exchange__This week’s episode is sponsored by SULF, the Swedish Association of University Teachers and Researchers.SULF was instrumental recently in securing residence permit exemptions for academics and is consistently working hard to be as accessible as possible for English speakers in Sweden.So if you are a PhD student or university teacher in Sweden you’ll find SULF a great place to meet like-minded people who are fighting hard for academic freedom and the rights of researchers here. You can find out more on the English-language section of the SULF website. __Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    33 mins
  • 'A mistake to commit to a government with Sweden Democrats'

    'A mistake to commit to a government with Sweden Democrats'
    May 19 2026

    The repercussions of the Sweden Democrats' decision to defy Swedish parliamentary convention to get new citizenship rules passed without transitional rules are continuing to be felt.

    But what are the long-term consequences of the Sweden Democrats' willingness to break the rules governing Swedish politics? And could there be a price for Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's moderate party?

    Moderate veteran Mikael Odenberg, a former defence minister and former group leader for the party in parliament, thinks there could. In this interview with Richard Orange, he explains why.

    READ ALSO:

    • Former defence minister accuses Sweden Democrats of 'sabotaging' citizenship vote
    Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts

    Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.

    Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.

    Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+

    • For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+
    • For new members: Get Membership+

    Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.

    Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.

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    4 mins