Sweden backs Mark Rutte as next Nato chief

Sweden’s government has backed Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to be the next head of the Nato Security Alliance, with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson describing his counterpart as an “intelligent leader with deep experience”. 

“In a time marked by insecurity and a worsened situation when it comes to security policy, a strong Nato is required, which through deterrance and defence contributes to allied security and to the promotion of peace and freedom,” Kristersson said in a commentary. 

Stoltenberg’s current term as Secretary General runs out on October 1st. A decision on his successor requires a consensus. So far Hungary and Turkey have expressed scepticism over Rutte’s candidacy, with Hungary threatening to veto his appointment. 

Rutte is backed by the USA, the UK and Germany, among other countries. 

Swedish vocabulary: avskräckning – deterrence 

Norway to deport Quran burner who caused uproar back to Sweden

An Iraqi refugee in Sweden who stoked international outrage by repeatedly desecrating the Quran last year has been arrested in Norway and now faces deportation back to Sweden, according to court documents viewed by AFP on Thursday.

Salwan Momika, a Christian Iraqi who burned Qurans at a slew of protests in Sweden over the summer, told AFP last week that he had left Sweden for Norway, where he planned to seek asylum.

According to a ruling by the Oslo District Court, Momika was arrested on March 28th — a day after he arrived.

After a hearing on March 30th, the court decided to detain Momika for four weeks, awaiting a likely request from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) to Sweden that he is returned, in accordance with EU legislation.

In the court’s ruling it said “a deportation will take place as soon as the formal and practical arrangements are in place.”

Swedish vocabulary: gripen – arrested/seized

Goverment to provide 1 billion kronor for repair of E6 

Sweden’s government is to give an additional billion kronor to the Swedish Transport Administration to help it cover the costs of repairs to the E6 motorway outside Stenungsund, which was swept away by a landslide in September last year. 

The road, which links Gothenburg with Oslo, is expected to reopen in the final few months of this year, and by New Year at the very latest. 

Two people were recently arrested on suspicion of causing the landslide, which has been linked to a building site near the motorway. According to media reports, large quantities of road filling material were dumped at the site on land that was not stable enough to hold the weight. 

Swedish vocabulary: schaktmassor – filling materials 

International flights from Sweden near pre-pandemic levels

The number of people flying from Stockholm Arlanda airport rose three percent in March compared to the same month last year, with 1.7 million passengers, around 83 percent of the number who flew in the same month in 2019, the year before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Overall, the number of people flying internationally from one of the airports owned and run by Swedavia rose by 5 percent to 1.8 million travellers, at the same time as internal flights dropped by 11 percent to 685,000 passengers. 

Swedish vocabulary: en ökning – an increase

Extinction Rebellion activist given job as ‘gas coordinator’ at the Swedish Energy Agency

A person linked to the climate activist group Extinction Rebellion has been employed as gas coordinator at the Swedish Energy Agency, a job that is classed as a security risk by Sweden’s Säpo security police, the Fokus magazine has reported. 

Despite the person’s engagement in Extinction Rebellion being clearly visible on her Facebook page, she still got the job. The group’s members are known for glueing themselves to motorways, bridges and airports to promote their anti fossil-fuels message. 

“If the gas coordinator associates with people who are interested in sabotaging infrastructure, this is an enormous risk for the security of the country and even for other countries,” former gas coordinator Gustav Boëthius told Fokus. 

Swedish vocabulary: att limma fast sig själva – to glue oneself (to something)