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WHAT CHANGES IN SWEDEN

EXPLAINED: What changes in Sweden in December 2022?

Sweden's budget goes to vote in parliament, electricity bill subsidy payment, planning for Sweden’s EU Council Presidency, Nobel Prize Day, Saint Lucia's Day, and the oncoming of Christmas. Here's what's coming in Sweden this December.

Published: 29 November 2022 18:19 CET
EXPLAINED: What changes in Sweden in December 2022?
Guests at the Nobel Banquet at Stockholm City Hall in 2019. Photo: Jessica Gow/TT

Parliament to vote on budget

On the 13th of December, Sweden’s parliament is due to vote on the government’s budget for 2023.

For the former Social Democrat government, every budget involved juggling the competing demands of the economically liberal Centre and Liberal Parties and the former communist Left Party. Twice the party had to rule on the budget drawn up by the right-wing opposition. 

But Sweden’s new government has a three-seat majority backed by parties, who, for now at least, are in agreement, so the budget should pass without too much difficulty. 

Having said that, this is an economically conservative budget that has managed to disappoint almost everyone but the inflation hawks in Sweden’s central bank. 

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Preparations for Swedish Presidency of the European Union

Sweden’s Presidency of the Council of the EU formally begins on January 1st, so December will see heightened press coverage of what Sweden’s government hopes to achieve and what demands will be put upon it. 

A big priority will be successfully concluding negotiations for the “Fit for 55” package, which aims to push EU member states to all play their part in the EU reaching its goal of reducing emissions by 55 percent by 2030. 

Lars Danielsson, the ambassador leading Sweden’s permanent representation to the EU, wrote in a press release in November that as well as climate, Sweden’s other priorities are energy, migration and security. 

Here are the country’s political priorities for the presidency (in no particular order). 

  • Providing security for EU citizens and strengthening the EU’s role in the world
  • Stopping organised crime
  • Speeding up the climate transition
  • Strengthening the EU’s competitiveness for the jobs of the future
  • Safeguarding the EU’s fundamental values

Nobel prizes 

The award-giving ceremony for Sweden’s six Nobel prizes, and the following celebratory banquet, takes place on December 10th. This is the first time the glitzy event in Stockholm City Hall has been held since the Covid-19 pandemic, so it’s likely to get significant coverage in the Swedish press.

The French writer Annie Ernaux, who has won the Nobel Prize in Literature, will hold a press conference in Stockholm on December 6th and then give a lecture on December 7th. 

Sweden’s version of the Oscars

The nominations for the Guldbagge awards, Sweden’s version of the Oscar film awards, are announced on December 15th, although to find out the winner you will have to wait for the award ceremony on January 23rd. 

Will Sweden end its obligatory ID controls on ferries? 

On December 31st, the obligatory controls on ferries Sweden brought in to keep tabs on the level of migration from Ukraine is due to expire, but Sweden’s government on November 22nd published a bill which would extend it to June 2023. 

St Lucy’s Day/St Lucia 

The festival of St Lucia, which marks the start of Sweden’s long Christmas period, is on December 13th. Those with children will not be able to miss their kindergarten, school, or choir Lucia concerts. Others can enjoy one of the many concerts and Lucia processions put on at churches and in parks around the country. 

Christmas holidays 

Sweden’s schools generally break up only a few days before Christmas Eve, with schools in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö all breaking up on December 22nd, giving families just enough time to travel to see grandparents, cousins and the like before the big celebrations, which are held on December 24th in Sweden. 

Polar night descends on far north of Sweden

Just before lunch on November 30th, the sun sets on Treriksröset, with it not coming up above the horizon again until January 12th. The polar night will extend south throughout early December, reaching Kiruna on December 11th.

The boundary for polar night is just above the northern Arctic Circle at 67 degrees north.

Days begin to get longer again

An especially important date for those living in the Arctic Circle is the 21st of December, the shortest day of the year.

After this date, days begin to lengthen, with more sunlight per day (for those areas of the country with sunlight at this time of year.

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WHAT CHANGES IN SWEDEN

Tax deadline and Eurovision tension: What changes in Sweden in May?

Swedish passports are more expensive, but on the other hand the economy could be on the road to recovery depending on what happens on a few crucial dates in May. The Local rounds up the main points you need to know.

Published: 29 April 2024 11:59 CEST
Updated: 1 May 2024 08:02 CEST
Tax deadline and Eurovision tension: What changes in Sweden in May?

Don’t miss: Sweden’s tax deadline

Tax returns were sent out weeks ago, so you may already have declared your taxes. But if you haven’t, May 2nd is the final deadline. 

If you’re unable to file your tax return on time, then you need to apply for a two-week extension by the May 2nd deadline. If the Tax Agency approves your extension, you’ll have until May 16th to submit it. You can apply for this extension online using your digital ID, or call the agency.

If you’ve already submitted your taxes, but you realise you need to make changes, you can do so online until December 18th. In fact, you can make changes to tax returns from up to six years back, but in that case you need to do so by sending a letter to the Tax Agency.

Before you click submit, make sure you’ve not missed out on these essential deductions.

Time to slash the interest rate?

Sweden’s central bank, the Riksbank, will announce its next decision on the country’s so-called policy rate on May 8th. 

This is a crucial announcement as the policy rate is the bank’s main monetary policy tool. It decides which rates the banks of Sweden can deposit in and borrow money from the Riksbank, which in turn affects the banks’ own interest rates on savings, loans and mortgages. 

Sweden’s policy rate is relatively high at the moment, 4.0 percent (the highest since 2008), because of the Riksbank trying to bring down inflation. If bank interest rates are high, it’s expensive to borrow money, which means people spend less and as a result inflation drops.

But now that inflation is on its way down, Riksbank chiefs themselves have said that they think it’s likely that they will cut the policy rate in either May or June, and several economists predict that the cut is going to come sooner rather than later, which would mean in May.

Once the cut comes, you should be able to see a knock-on effect on, for example, the cost of your mortgage, so lenders and home-owners will be keeping a close eye on what happens on May 8th.

Swedish passports get 25 percent more expensive

The cost of getting a Swedish passport was to be hiked by 25 percent on May 1st, from 400 to 500 kronor.

The higher fee applies to all appointments on or after May 1st, even if you booked them before that date.

According to a government press release, the higher fee is necessary to “maintain the level of service” and ensure that the police authority’s revenue from the fees covers the cost, as passport operations are funded by fees.

Controversial Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Malmö

The Eurovision Song Contest – Europe’s by far biggest music competition – is heading to Malmö Arena in southern Sweden in May, with the first semi-final kicking off on May 7th, followed by the second semi-final on May 9th and culminating in the final on May 11th. 

It’s a highly-anticipated event, albeit this year with a mix of joy and trepidation. 

The row over whether Israel should be allowed to participate after its brutal retaliatory attack on Hamas and Gaza has led to protests (at least half a dozen applications have been filed for demonstration permits) and artists pulling out of performing at Eurovision side events.

Swedish broadcaster TV4 reports that ten percent of volunteers have already pulled out, and Moriskan, an event venue that was set to organise Euro Fan Café for Eurovision fans, has also cancelled its participation, despite being in the middle of Eurovision Village. “Our assessment is that we could risk our future if we go through with the event,” its CEO Ozan Sunar told the Sydsvenskan newspaper.

Malmö is home to more than 360,000 people and 186 nationalities, and a large part of the city’s population is of Palestinian origin.

Add to that the fact that security was already likely to be tight at the event, after Sweden last year raised its terror alert to four on a five-point scale.

More than 100,000 people are expected to visit Malmö during Eurovision week, and police reinforcements are being brought in from Denmark and Norway.

Swedish economy set for Swift revival?

We hesitate to write this, but Eurovision may in fact not be Sweden’s most significant music event of the year, or even in the month of May. 

In mid-May, Taylor Swift is coming to Stockholm. The megastar is set to play three gigs at Friends Arena, on May 17th-19th, the only stop she’ll make in Scandinavia as part of The Eras Tour. And we’re not just keeping an eye on this as Swifties, but because of the economy.

“Swiftonomics” has already become a global concept, as cities where she plays tend to see a brief bump in revenue as fans descend on the city, buying hotel tickets and eating in restaurants. She’s expected to have a 417,900,000 kronor impact on the Swedish capital, according to the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. A similar phenomenon was seen last year, when Beyonce launched her global tour in Stockholm.

Whether this is good or bad depends on your viewpoint. On the one hand, it kicks the economy into action, which could bring a much-wanted GDP boost. On the other hand, it may drive up the inflation rate at a point when Sweden and the Riksbank are hoping for the opposite. 

That said, it has been questioned how much of an effect single events like these actually has on inflation.

Regardless, expect it to be a talking point in the coming month. And if you’re planning a trip to Stockholm for reasons other than Taylor Swift, you may want to consider scheduling your visit for dates other than May 17th-19th to avoid the hordes of fans and marked up hotel prices.

Holidays and other dates

May 1st, a day for celebrating workers’ movements, has been a public holiday in Sweden since 1939. Expect to see rallies organised by left or centre-left parties and organisations, but otherwise not much happens on May 1st in Sweden other than most people having the day off. 

Ascension Day, which this year falls on May 9th, is also a public holiday in Sweden. Known as Kristi himmelfärdsdag in Swedish (or colloquially Kristi flygare – “flying Christ”), it marks the day when Christians believe Jesus ascended into heaven. But as Sweden is a relatively secular country, unless you don’t go to church you’re unlikely to notice anything remarkable – again, other than getting a day off.

Mother’s Day in Sweden falls on the last Sunday of May, this year May 26th. It is not a public holiday.

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