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SWEDEN IN FOCUS

LISTEN: How can Sweden put a stop to fatal gang shootings? Part 1

In this week's podcast: how to get Sweden's new energy subsidy, looming school holidays, no more anonymous SIMs, Melodifestivalen kicks off, a new era for the Centre Party, why an eel-fishing scandal felled the prime minister’s closest aide, an interview with Bangladesh’s ambassador to Sweden, and why fatal shootings reached record levels in Sweden last year.

Sweden in Focus
Sweden in Focus. A podcast by The Local. Image: The Local

In the latest episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is joined by panelists James Savage, Richard Orange and Becky Waterton, as well as special guest Diamant Salihu, a crime reporter for public broadcaster SVT and the author of the award winning Tills Alla Dör, or Until Everyone’s Dead.

But first we look at what’s coming up in February. Visit the link below to get all the key info you need on: accessing Sweden’s new energy subsidy, registering a pre-paid SIM card, the likelihood of new interest rate hikes, and dates for sportlov – the mid-term school holiday. 

Next, we chat to Eurovision expert Ben Robertson about what makes Melodifestivalen so compelling and who’s likely to win this year’s national song contest.

This week Annie Lööf formally handed over the reins of the Centre Party to Muharrem Demirok. What does he need to do to attract voters to the only centre-right party that refused to collaborate with the far-right Sweden Democrats? 

We also chat about why the prime minster’s closest aide resigned over an eel-fishing scandal. 

In the latest of our interviews with ambassadors, we catch up with Mehdi Hasan, Bangladesh’s ambassador to Sweden, to find out about relations between the countries, how many Bangladeshis there are in Sweden, and his personal reflections on his time in Sweden. We’ll have an article featuring more from the interview in the coming days. 

Finally, we ask Diamant Salihu to explain the roots of Sweden’s deadly gang conflicts and why they have spread around the country. We had a really good chat with Diamant and will release a bonus episode during the week featuring more of his insights. 

You can follow Sweden in Focus and listen to the episode on our podcast page. Or you can find it here:

Alternatively, you can search for Sweden in Focus wherever you listen to podcasts. 

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SWEDEN IN FOCUS

How is Easter celebrated in Sweden?

In this week's Sweden in Focus Extra, Jonas Engman from the Nordic Museum gives us the lowdown on Swedish Easter traditions.

How is Easter celebrated in Sweden?

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Host Paul O’Mahony is joined by Jonas Engman from the Nordic Museum who tells us all about Easter in Sweden, from why children dress up as witches to why homes are decorated with twigs and feathers. 

READ ALSO:

Witches and herring: Seven traditions that reveal it’s Easter in Sweden

QUIZ: How much do you know about Swedish Easter traditions?

Seven must-have dishes for a very Swedish Easter celebration

 
 
 
 
 
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