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INSIDE SWEDEN

Inside Sweden: What does it mean to ‘fit in’ in a new country?

The Local's editor Emma Löfgren writes about the biggest stories of the week in our Inside Sweden newsletter.

Inside Sweden: What does it mean to 'fit in' in a new country?
Do you have to wave flags to feel Swedish? Photo: Astrakan/Scandinav/imagebank.sweden.se

Hej,

The most interesting article I read this week was weirdly enough one I wrote myself, but it was based almost entirely on our readers’ comments, so I think I’m still allowed to say it without sounding randomly self-obsessed! 

Many thanks to everyone who responded to our survey about whether or not you had tried to make yourself more Swedish to fit in here in Sweden.

We received a wide range of comments, and it’s clear that people interpret the concept of “fitting in” and “becoming more Swedish” in very different ways.

I realised that I instinctively react negatively to the words “fit in”. I interpret it as involuntary assimilation, as something that’s forced upon us by social pressure and doesn’t accept us for who we are, and I thought everyone else did too.

But I was wrong. Of course some people did make that point too, that they felt they could no longer be their full selves, and that living in a reserved and quiet country like Sweden had dulled their own shine. But far from everyone agreed.

The majority of people said that they had changed in order to better fit in, and out of those, a lot of people thought of it as something positive – an additive experience rather than subtractive, a chance to discover or add new sides to your personality or reinvent yourself, an opportunity for personal growth.

I’ve written before about how “integration” can be both a word used to keep newcomers in their place, and also to describe a comfortable sense of feeling at home. I guess “fitting in” has that same double meaning – it can include or exclude depending on your social circle, context and perspective.

Perhaps this comment from one reader taps into the contradiction: 

Of course, adapting always makes people’s lives more bearable. I do enjoy aspects of Swedish society and culture and some of them I’ve taken to heart – leaving your shoes at the door makes so much sense! 

But changing to fit in really speaks about the eternal contradiction in Swedish society. One that boasts its open-mindedness while at the same time making it difficult for you to find a job or get a promotion simply because your name is not Anders or Anna. 

One that prides itself on its citizens’ command of English throughout all levels of society, while at the same time seeking to establish tougher language requirements for all newcomers to the country. 

A country of equality, where the far-right continues to gain numbers with its discourse of divisiveness and third-class placement of immigrants of all types.

Anyway, I learned a lot from reading all your comments, so thank you.

In other news

The Stockholm bar scene isn’t just made up of expensive wine and fancy cocktails. There are also numerous pubs that may not make a ‘best pubs in the capital’ list, but are as budget friendly as they are laidback.

It’s time to file your Swedish taxes and brush up on everything else that may affect your life in Sweden. Here’s our guide to what changes in March.

Why was a chemical warfare agent mainly used in the First World War detected at the Swedish security service’s headquarters this week? The short answer to the question is that we don’t know, but here’s a rundown of what little we do know so far about the incident, which sent eight people to hospital.

Pollen season is on its way to Sweden, as allergy sufferers no doubt have noticed. To make your life easier, The Local has some handy tips.

Even foreigners who have lived a long time in Sweden often find themselves struggling for the right words when they need to fix their car, as Richard Orange recently did. So he wrote down at least 40 essential words to know.

Submitted in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Sweden’s Nato membership bid has now cleared its final hurdle after Hungary voted to ratify it. But what does Nato membership actually mean for Sweden?

Football may not immediately be something you associate with Sweden – but the country has a thriving football culture. Becky Waterton wrote about why foreigners should go to at least one Swedish football match.

Have a lovely weekend,

Emma Löfgren

Editor, The Local Sweden

Inside Sweden is our weekly newsletter for members that gives you news, analysis and, sometimes, takes you behind the scenes at The Local. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to your newsletter preferences.

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For members

INSIDE SWEDEN

Inside Sweden: What does Sweden Democrats’ election flop mean for foreigners?

The Local's editor Emma Löfgren rounds up the biggest stories of the week in our Inside Sweden newsletter.

Inside Sweden: What does Sweden Democrats' election flop mean for foreigners?

Hej,

The far-right Sweden Democrats have had a week of reckoning after they lost votes in the EU election – the first time in the party’s history that it’s performed worse in a national or EU election than previous elections. Thus far it had always been on an upward trajectory, a trend that is now broken.

In some districts it saw voters’ support reduced by up to a third, and in Sölvesborg (the popular party leader Jimmie Åkesson’s home town) where support also fell, there was talk of organising crisis meetings.

Let’s not exaggerate what this means. The Sweden Democrats get to keep their three seats in the European Parliament, and voting patterns for the EU election are usually different from the national elections (the Greens performed almost three times better than in the last national election less than two years ago).

A major poll this week suggested that the Sweden Democrats would win 19.5 percent of the vote if an election were held today – one percentage point lower than its 2022 election result, but better than its 13 percent in the EU election.

It is still a member of Sweden’s ruling Tidö coalition and it’s hardly the only party in favour of stricter migration: the right-wing Moderates and Christian Democrats, and the centre-left Social Democrats have all had a hand in the tightening of rules that have impacted foreigners in Sweden in recent years.

But its poor performance does tell us something, which may have at least a small chance at influencing the Swedish political debate in the years ahead.

It suggests that the Sweden Democrats are less able than many thought at mobilising its potential voters. Its voters are generally sceptical of the EU and less keen to vote in the EU election, not even for the Sweden Democrats.

It suggests that Åkesson overplayed his hand when he wrote an opinion piece in the run-up to the election seeking to legitimise the concept of folkutbyte, a clear reference to the Great Replacement Theory that underpinned the deadly terror attack mounted by the Norwegian extremist Anders Breivik.

It suggests that the party played it wrong when it launched a verbal attack on TV4, refusing to apologise after the broadcaster revealed that the party operated a so-called troll factory. Perhaps the public thought showing just a little bit of contrition would have been a more appropriate reaction.

It suggests that peace, democracy, the climate and European cohesion – none of which are Sweden Democrat core issues – are important to voters.

And it rocks the boat for a party that perhaps for the first time failed at what it claims to do better than anyone else: gauging the mood of the nation.

What topics would you like The Local to cover?

It’s a challenging time for the media industry with volatile tech algorithms and advertising markets hitting even the biggest of newsrooms. That’s why I wrote a couple of weeks ago that it’s such a relief that our focus and number one resource here at The Local isn’t the tech giants, but our readers.

I’d like to take a moment to ensure that we’re continuing to meet your needs. Please fill out this survey to suggest stories we should cover in the year ahead.

In other news

The number of Swedish work permits rejected because the applicant’s salary is too low has increased by almost 2,000 percent since the country tightened the rules last year, according to new figures supplied to The Local.

There are plenty of things Sweden could do to help foreigners integrate, said The Local’s readers when we asked for their suggestions as to how the country could become more inclusive.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and India are the top investment destinations for Swedish companies, meaning that businesses are planning on increasing their investments in these markets over the next 12 months.

English speakers who don’t speak Swedish can currently only donate blood in Stockholm, but The Local has been told of plans to roll out the service to Gothenburg and Uppsala in the year ahead.

The year-on-year inflation rate fell to 3.7 percent in May, according to new figures from Statistics Sweden. This was less than expected.

Hundreds of British citizens are still battling rejected applications to stay in Sweden, nearly two and a half years after the deadline to apply for post-Brexit residency status. The Local spoke to four of them.

Sweden’s Migration Agency has sent an analysis to the EU Commission, in which it concludes that its near blanket refusal of late applications for post-Brexit residency has been ‘at the right level’ and is of ‘a high legal quality’.

The number of beaches in Sweden which are checked and graded is growing every year, making it easy to make sure that where you are swimming is clean and safe. These are the cleanest beaches in Sweden this summer.

From TV schedules to bars and cafes, here are your options for watching all matches of the Euro 2024 football tournament in Sweden.

Thanks for reading and have a good weekend!

Best wishes,

Emma

Inside Sweden is our weekly newsletter for members which gives you news, analysis and, sometimes, takes you behind the scenes at The Local. It’s published each Saturday and with Membership+ you can also receive it directly to your inbox.

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