Hej,

We’ve received a lot of useful responses to our reader survey about what topics you would like The Local to cover – and how we’re being useful to you.

I’d love to get a few more responses though, so if you haven’t yet filled it out and have a moment to share your thoughts and feedback, here’s a link.

Thanks to those of you who have already responded to the survey. I’ll be back in touch with you to let you know how we’re hoping to act on your ideas.

I write this newsletter soaked in sweat after a heatwave swept in across Sweden. On the bright side my zucchini plants are coming along nicely. The previous owner of my house installed a rainwater barrel in the garden, so I can water the vegetable patch without worrying about using too much water.

I live in a part of Sweden that struggles with both over-tourism and water shortages in summer, similarly to the island of Gotland, where the mayor is now talking about wanting to slap a tax on tourists who visit the island.

The problem for Gotland is that its economy does rely a lot on tourism, but many of the houses on the island are owned by mainlanders, who come for several months and use the island’s services (including things like water and healthcare) but their tax money ends up with their home municipality.

We’ve learned from several other places in the world that it can lead to friction between all-year-round locals, second-home owners and tourists. It’s easy to blame the tourists, but I’m not sure that’s always entirely fair either.

What do you think is the solution for dealing with over-tourism?

Another thing we’re asking for your opinion on this week is how your native country handles heatwaves and if there are any techniques Scandinavia – a region that isn’t equipped for rising temperatures – could learn from?

When we published an article explaining why Sweden thinks of 25C temperatures as a heatwave, I expected readers from far warmer climes than that to laugh at us. But actually, it was the opposite. While some said that the Swedish summer was a welcome relief, other described it as an oven.

“I come from southern part of India from Karnataka state. My hometown Udupi which is coastal and has a long coastline goes up to 38-39 during peak summers. The heat in Sweden at 24-25C feels the same as our summer of 38-39C,” said one reader from India, who commented under the article.

“I come from South Africa and how different the same temperatures in Sweden and SA are – 25C in SA is very pleasant but here I feel like I’m boiling! 30C there is hot but OMG here I wouldn’t go outside, unless is was to jump into a pool, because it feels like I’m being ironed alive by the sun!” said another.

But of course, är det inte ösa-pösa så är det hörpa-snörpa, as my father used to say, an untranslatable dialectal expression most Swedes won’t even know. It means roughly “if it’s not one extreme it’s the other extreme”, so the weather is now changing from sunshine to torrential rain. Nice summer while it lasted.

In other news

A new study from a Stockholm-based research company listed Gothenburg as the most attractive Swedish city for young talent to live and work in.

Another survey ranked Umeå as the best municipality in Sweden.

The Swedish government this week ordered an ongoing inquiry to look into making plans for stricter citizenship rules apply to more people than before.

Swedish waiting times for work permits have gone down drastically since a new processing system was implemented, according to the Migration Agency.

The migration minister brushed off criticism from business leaders that a raised work permit salary threshold would make it harder to find staff.

But the Migration Agency meanwhile rejected the government’s call for it to be responsible for drawing up a list of in-demand skills and professions exempted from the coming median-salary requirement for a work permit.

Even without future changes taken into account, Sweden’s work permit salary threshold has gone up by 120 percent in less than a year. We want to know how it’s impacted non-EU foreigners to date – please help us tell your story.

Sweden’s central bank is leaving the key interest rate unchanged for now, but might lower it three times this year, rather than two as previously predicted.

New Swedish laws often come into force at six month intervals in January or July, so there are more changes than usual this month in our regular “what changes in Sweden” roundup of the key points to pay attention to.

A Swedish municipality is looking to tempt more people to move to the area by offering heavily discounted plots of land for 1 krona per square metre. The Local spoke to the mayor behind the scheme (which is open to foreigners).

If you don’t want to buy plots of land and happen to have 40 million kronor, you could also buy Sweden’s most bizarre tourist attraction which is up for sale.

Is your team still in the Euro 2024? Here’s how to watch it in Sweden.

Have a good weekend! 

Best wishes,

Emma

Inside Sweden is our weekly newsletter for members which gives you news, analysis and, sometimes, takes you behind the scenes at The Local. It’s published each Saturday and with Membership+ you can also receive it directly to your inbox.