More support for Magdalena Andersson as Social Democrat leader

The Stockholm party district of the Social Democrats has nominated Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson as the next party leader following a unanimous vote.

“We are very happy that tonight we made a unanimous decision to nominate Magdalena Andersson as party chairman. She is the right person, is a skilled debater and has a level of skill that no one can question,” Stockholm district chairperson Åsa Westlund told TT. They followed the districts of Skåne, Värmland, Halland, Skaraborg and Fyrbodal, as well as the party’s youth wing, in nominating Andersson.

Interior Minister Mikael Damberg has also backed his colleague. He could have been considered as a potential rival, but confirmed he did not want the job and said Andersson had an ability to “unite the party”.

Swedish vocabulary: debater – debattör

Covid booster shots underway in Gothenburg

After getting the go-ahead from the Swedish Public Health Agency on September 1st, the Västra Götaland region has begun offering third doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to people with severely lowered immune systems, according to P4 Göteborg. People with certain autoimmune diseases and transplant recipients are first in line after it was shown that a large proportion of this group lack antibodies even after double doses.

Everyone who is eligible for a third dose in the region will receive a letter from their doctor.

Swedish vocabulary: transplant – transplantation

Another city adopts Malmö’s gun crime strategy

Örebro plans to try out the ‘Sluta Skjut’ (Ceasefire) programme, Sveriges Radio reports, an anti-gang violence strategy first developed in the US, after promising results  in Malmö which first launched it in 2018. Since then, Gothenburg has also adopted the programme.

The method involves ‘call-ins’ where known or suspected gang members attend meetings with police, social workers, civil society, the family of gun-crime victims, and others. They are then offered help leaving gang life and warned that if they continue to engage in gun crime, they risk being the subject of intense focus of the police and other authorities.

Swedish vocabulary: victim – offer