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WHAT CHANGES IN SWEDEN

What changes in Sweden in August 2022?

Swedes go back to work and school, travel chaos looks set to continue and a possible Covid peak. Here's what changes in Sweden in August 2022.

What changes in Sweden in August 2022?
No crayfish party is complete without crayfish-themed decorations, hats and bibs. Photo: Carolina Romare/imagebank.sweden.se

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

Swedes return to work – and the school year starts

In August, Swedes start heading back to the office after their summer holidays, where the majority of workers take at least a couple of weeks off during July. This means that replies to all those unanswered emails you’ve sent over the last few weeks will start ticking into your inbox as Sweden’s workers return to their desks.

In a similar vein, kids will go back to school in August, although the exact date when schools go back varies depending on where you live in the country.

Travel chaos in Europe

The chaotic travel situation seen during the past few months looks set to continue, with airports throughout Europe likely to remain busy during August. Airlines across the continent have cancelled more than 25,000 flights from their August schedule, and strikes affecting several airlines and airports in other European countries will also affect Swedish travellers planning on taking a late summer holiday.

READ ALSO: Airport chaos in Europe: Airlines cancel 15,000 flights in August

Risk of Covid-19 peak hitting Sweden in August

According to Sweden’s Public Health Agency, the amount of people infected with Covid-19 in the country could peak in mid-August. During the summer, infection rates have increased week-on-week, with more than half of Sweden’s regions reporting an increase in cases.

This is in part due to the high number of Swedes about to return to work following their summer holidays in July.

“It usually takes around two weeks from returning to work for there to be a noticeable increase,” Karin Tegmark Wisell, the Agency’s general director, told TT news wire.

Having said that, Tegmark Wisell believes the risk of having to introduce new restrictions or close schools is low.

“We can’t rule local outbreaks out,” she told TT. “In a situation where teaching can’t be carried out, the school could decide to close independently of Covid-19 legislation.”

 

NEW LAWS AND REGULATIONS

Hike in pay-outs to poorest pensioners 

Pensioners in Sweden will receive an extra 1,000 kronor per month from August, and will also receive an extra housing bonus, under changes driven negotiated by the Left Party in exchange for backing Magdalena Andersson as Prime Minister. 
 
Teachers can ban mobile phones in the classroom 
 
A change in Sweden’s school law means that pupils can only use their mobile phones during lessons if their teacher gives them instructions to do so. Teachers have also been given increased powers to seize pupils’ mobile phones and to bring in mobile phone free school days. 
 

A ban on unregistered pre-paid mobile phones

Pre-paid SIM cards, known in Swedish as kontantkort or cash cards, will require registration with information including the owner’s name and personal identity number (personnummer) from August 1st. 

The new rules could present difficulties for people without a personnummer, such as foreign nationals who have recently moved to Sweden, since a personal identity number is needed to set up a phone contract.

Existing pre-paid sims will continue to work without registration until February next year. 

Tougher penalties for rape and buying sex 

From August 1st, Sweden is bringing in tougher penalties for a range of sexual crimes. The minimum jail sentence for rape and child rape rises from two years to three. Being caught buying sex will always come with a jail sentence, rather than just a fine.

The minimum sentence for child sex abuse rises from the shortest possible prison sentence to six months behind bars, as does the minimum for ‘exploiting children through the purchase of sexual acts’. The minimum sentence for making children pose sexually rises from a fine to imprisonment. 

Lower threshold for deporting criminals 

From August 1st, Sweden’s government is making it easier for criminals who are foreign citizens to be deported from Sweden after serving their sentence. Criminals can now be deported for less serious crimes than previously, and they will need to give a higher level of evidence that they are established in Sweden for this to be a defence. There will also no longer be a ban on deporting criminals who came to Sweden as children. Read the full list of changes here (in Swedish). 

Better rules for international female same-sex parents  

A woman who is or has been married to another woman who has a child in Sweden will now automatically be considered the child’s parent, under a change designed to make Sweden’s parenting laws more equal. The change will mean that international female same-sex couples who come to Sweden will enjoy a similar status as parents under Swedish law as couples consisting of a man and a woman. The new law comes into force on August 1st. 

New EU regulations to protect children caught in cross-border parental disputes

On August 1st, the EU’s new Brussels II regulation, which is designed to protect children caught in cross-border parental disputes, comes into force in Sweden. Among other changes, the new regulation imposes deadlines on courts in all EU countries when handling international child abduction cases. All courts must decide on returning a child to the parent with the right of custody within six weeks, with a further six weeks allowed for appeal. The regulations also require that the opinions of children who can express themselves play a role in proceedings. Read about the rules here

You can see a full list of new laws coming into force on August 1st here.

Municipalities required to offer ‘cohesive adult education’ to adult immigrants 

From August 1st, all municipalities are required to offer a ‘cohesive adult education’ to all adults arriving in Sweden who are covered by the Swedish Public Employment Service’s Establishment Programme.  Under the new rule municipalities must offer an average of 23 hours of education a week over a four-week period, which will include parts of the Swedish For Immigrants (SFI) course, a ‘civic orientation’ course, and other education within the municipal adult education departments. 

 

FESTIVALS

Crayfish parties

Unfortunately there are no public holidays in August, although this doesn’t mean there’s nothing to celebrate. Crayfish season traditionally starts on August 7th in Sweden, so be prepared for crayfish-themed decorations to start popping up in your local supermarket, and find some friends (preferably with access to a summer house) to hold your very own kräftskiva (crayfish party).

As with most Swedish celebrations, expect drinking songs, lots of snaps, crispbread, cheese, and most likely some sort of västerbottenpaj – a quiche featuring Sweden’s favourite cheese, västerbottensost.

Here’s our guide to six essential Swedish drinking songs for crayfish party season.

Stockholm Pride

Pride is also kicking off in Stockholm next month. Celebrations will begin on August 1st and carry on until August 7th. This year’s theme is Dags att bekänna färg (Time to profess colour) and will feature a parade on Saturday August 6th, as well as events, music and parties in Pride Park (Östermalms IP) between Wednesday August 3rd and Saturday August 6th.

Here’s a link to the programme (in Swedish).

Malmöfestivalen

For those based in the south of the country, Malmöfestivalen will be taking place from August 12th-19th. The festival will include music, activities for children, dance and art, as well as food stalls.

Way Out West

Not to leave Gothenburg off the list, Way Out West music festival will also be taking place in August, between the 11th and 19th. Unlike Pride and Malmöfestivalen, this festival isn’t free, but at the time of writing there are still tickets available.

Artists performing at the festival this year include Tame Impala, Chance the Rapper, Jamie XX, First Aid Kit and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.

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WHAT CHANGES IN SWEDEN

What changes in Sweden in June 2024?

June is a jam-packed month this year, with a new interest rate announcement, a new work permit salary threshold and two public holidays on the cards. Here's what to expect.

What changes in Sweden in June 2024?

June 1st: New law on travel ban for vulnerable children comes into force

A new law comes into force on June 1st, which will issue children under 18 with a ban on leaving the country if it is suspected that the purpose of their trip is for them to undergo genital mutilation or forced marriage.

The law will also make it possible to issue a travel ban for children who are deemed to be at risk of damage to their health or development if they leave the country.

This could be so-called uppfostringsresor, where children are sent back to their homeland against their will in order to re-learn particular values or traditions by family members who believe they have become “too Swedish”, or as a response to children acting out in school.

It also includes parents taking their children out of Sweden to undergo conversion therapy, or children who want to leave Sweden of their own accord to join terror organisations.

June 4th: Healthcare strike

The Swedish Association of Health Professionals is threatening to scale up an overtime ban to an all-out strike at some of Sweden’s biggest hospitals from June 4th.

A blockade on overtime and new hires has been in place for 63,000 members of the union in all Swedish regions since April 25th, which was extended to 5,000 municipal employees in 29 municipalities from May 20th. Healthcare is run regionally in Sweden, but municipalities organise welfare services such as elderly care and school nurses.

The new walkout will cover some 2,000 nurses, midwives, biomedical analysts and radiology nurses in five regions: Stockholm, Västra Götaland, Skåne, Östergötland and Västerbotten.

On May 28th, the union threatened to double the strike, extending it to another 1,900 union members and two new regions, Västmanland and Värmland, from 11th June.

A possible agreement could be reached before June 4th, but if not, here’s how it could affect you.

June 6th: National Day

Another important date in the Swedish calendar this month is Sweden’s National Day on June 6th. It has been a public holiday since 2005, replacing Whit Monday, but was first celebrated in 1916 in honour of the election of King Gustav Vasa on June 6th, 1523. 

Gustav Vasa’s election also marks the end of the Danish-ruled Kalmar Union, so is arguably a marking of Swedish independence, although it occurred so long ago that few Swedes associate National Day with this aspect of Swedish history.

Many Swedes will have booked June 7th off in order to have a four-day weekend, so don’t be surprised if your workplace is emptier than usual the day after National Day.

You may also be able to buy a nationaldagsbakelse or National Day pastry in many bakeries on June 6th, a small almond cake topped with strawberries and a Swedish flag.

June 9th: European Parliament elections

This year’s elections for the European Parliament will be held on June 9th across Europe, but in Sweden advance voting actually opened on May 22nd, with 21 seats up for grabs. 

Sweden elects its MEPs through direct proportional representation, so that parties gain the number of MEPs equivalent to their share of the overall vote. But exactly who gets to be an MEP is decided in advance by the parties who publish their candidate lists in priority order.

Here’s our guide to the Swedish parties currently represented in the European Parliament and the individuals heading the lists for each party.

If you want to know how the election actually works and who’s eligible to vote, read this article.

June 14th and 27th: New inflation figures and interest rate announcement

Sweden’s Riksbank central bank will make a new announcement on Sweden’s key interest rate on June 27th. They’re expected to keep it constant at 3.75 percent, but there is a small chance that this could change if inflation figures for May (released June 14th) are much lower than expected.

Having said that, Riksbank governor Erik Thedéen has made it very clear that the bank is not planning on lowering interest rates, stating earlier in May that there would need to be “very large changes” to even begin to discuss lowering interest rates in June – and unexpectedly low inflation figures for May would not be enough on their own.

“Figures alone aren’t going to decide it, but rather the context surrounding them,” he told journalists after a speech held at the National Economic Association on May 20th.

“The question is not on the table. Our main expectation is two cuts in the latter half of the year,” he added, while saying that nothing is completely ruled out.

“But there’s a very high threshold for us to even consider it.” 

Mid-June: School holidays and graduation

Summer holidays start in most of Sweden’s schools around the middle of the month. You can also expect Sweden to be a bit louder in June, especially if you live in an urban area near a gymnasium school.

Students finishing upper high school (gymnasium) will springa ut starting in early June, a tradition where newly-graduated students run out of school after getting their final exam results to cheers from friends and family, after which they will drive around in a car or on the back of a van with friends and party for the rest of the evening.

June 18th: New median salary figures released

Statistics Sweden will release its salary figures for 2023 on June 18th. This may not sound like a big deal, but these are the figures which affect the salary threshold for work permit applicants in Sweden.

The most recent figures from June last year put the median salary at 34,200 kronor, meaning that work permit holders applying for a new permit or an extension need to earn 80 percent of this – 27,360 kronor – to qualify for a permit.

From June 18th, the median salary figure will (most likely) rise, meaning that the threshold for a new work permit will also rise. This will only apply to applications submitted from that date – the threshold is determined by the most recent salary figures at the time of application, not at the time a decision is made.

June 22nd: Midsummer’s Eve

Rounding off June, we have Midsummer’s Eve, which falls on June 22nd this year.

The majority of workers – at least those who work normal working hours throughout the week – will have the day off on Midsummer’s Eve, despite the fact that it is not officially a röd dag or public holiday.

The reason it’s celebrated on a Friday rather than on the actual summer solstice, which this year is on June 20st, is due to a 1953 reform to make it fit in better with the working week – and presumably to give workers the Saturday off to recover from the festivities.

It is, however, listed as a holiday day equivalent to a Sunday in Sweden’s Annual Leave Act, so if you don’t usually work on Sundays you should have the day off.

If you do have to work on Midsummer’s Eve, you may be offered OB-tillägg (pay for working inconvenient hours), overtime pay, or a day off in lieu at a later date.

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