How hatred and threats are undermining Swedish democracy
In this week's episode we talk about last weekend’s rowdy party leader debate and what it tells us about next year’s election.We also dig into some insights from readers of The Local on what prompted people to pack their bags and move to Sweden.For Membership+ subscribers, we discuss accusations that politicians are using xenophobic language to describe pro-Palestinian protestors.And finally we hear whether readers of The Local agree with the old cliché of Sweden being one of the most sexually liberated countries in the world.Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and James Savage.Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:Politics Sweden needs more of the Nooshi and Ebba showWhy is it important that the Centre Party leader has stepped down?ARCHIVE: ‘The Sweden Democrats no longer need to worry about how they appear’Reader insights'Born for Sweden': The Local's readers explain what made them move hereSurveyTELL US: How sexually liberated are Swedish people really? Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
18 Okt 14min
'We're not in a labour market in Sweden, we're in network-related recruitment'
Sweden is one of the worst countries in Europe when it comes to providing job opportunities for educated foreigners, according to an investigation last year by Lighthouse Reports and media outlets including the Financial Times. The study found for example that Sweden had the second-worst employment gap for college-educated migrants and that 68 percent of immigrants educated abroad were overqualified for their job.In this clip from Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local’s contributor Amélie Reichmuth speaks about this issue of "brain waste" in Sweden with Laurence Romani, who is a professor and Director of the Center for Responsible Leadership at the Stockholm School of Economics. Tackling Sweden’s ‘brain waste’: How employers can unlock migrant talentREAD ALSO:How many immigrants are overqualified for their jobs in Sweden?Want to build your Swedish network? Here's where to startHow to play office politics in Sweden... and surviveGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
15 Okt 4min
What's too expensive in Sweden (and what do you miss when you're not here)?
In this week's episode we talk about the politics behind Sweden's planned new salary threshold for work permit holders.We also look at what readers of The Local always make sure to do when they’re back visiting the countries they moved from.For Membership+ subscribers we discuss the Swedish government’s controversial plan to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13.Finally, we’ve been trying to get answers on who will potentially be affected by a proposal to withdraw permanent residency from some immigrants and we bring you the latest on what we know.Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Richard Orange and James Savage.The episode also features interviews with Ibra Idrees, a Malmö-based restaurateur whose parents face deportation over a work permit issue, and Ludvig Aspling, the Sweden Democrats' spokesperson on immigration and one of the driving forces behind a plan to revoke permanent residency from as many as 120,000 immigrants. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:Work permitsSweden to hike threshold for work permit to 33,390 kronor a monthWhat do we know about plans to further raise the work permit salary threshold?Reader insights'Everything except Wasabröd': What's cheaper or better in your home country than Sweden?Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
11 Okt 17min
Volvo engineer leaves Sweden for Brazil after 'mean decision' to deport teenage son
In this clip from the latest episode of Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local's Nordic editor Richard Orange interviews José Naves Moura Neto, a Brazilian software engineer.Neto, who was working at Volvo, moved back to Brazil last month after his 19-year-old son was ordered to leave Sweden just weeks after graduating from high school.'We are devastated': Volvo engineer’s family forced out of Sweden by teen deportation lawREAD ALSO:Sweden proposes tighter rules on self-sufficiency for family reunificationWhy Sweden's family reunion proposals will cause more teen deportationsEXPLAINED: How to avoid Sweden's teen deportation trapGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
8 Okt 4min
Bilingual schools under fire from Sweden's education minister
In this week's episode we talk about bilingual English-Swedish schools in Sweden and why they’re under fire from the authorities. We also discuss the pros and cons of rail travel in Sweden after the launch this week of a multi-billion kronor plan to improve Sweden’s railway network.For Membership+ subscribers we examine the government’s controversial plan to revoke permanent residency from more than 100,000 people.Finally we find out how people in Sweden spend their time online after the publication this week of the annual Svenskarna och internet report.Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and James Savage. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:SchoolsSweden's Liberal leader calls for crackdown on English language schoolsTravelWhat's in Sweden's 1,200 billion kronor plan to fix the country's railways?Sweden's SJ train company releases Christmas ticketsGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4 Okt 19min
Sweden’s teen deportation problem ‘extremely easy’ to fix
In this week’s episode The Local's Nordic editor Richard Orange interviews the Gothenburg-based immigration lawyer Tomas Fridh. Many of The Local’s readers have been directly affected by a law that has led to the young adult children of permanent residency applicants being forced to leave Sweden unless they’re able to fully provide for themselves.When the government recently proposed new family reunification rules they indicated that this would effectively put an end to teen deportations.While he believes the problem is easy to solve, Tomas Fridh fears that the new proposals will actually make the situation worse.Why Sweden's family reunion proposals will cause more teen deportationsListen to the interview to find out more about why he’s sceptical of the government’s new plan and to hear what he thinks more broadly about Sweden's increasingly strict immigration policies as someone who’s dealing with their consequences on a daily basis.READ ALSO:Sweden proposes tighter rules on self-sufficiency for family reunification'We are devastated': Volvo engineer’s family forced out of Sweden by teen deportation lawEXPLAINED: How to avoid Sweden's teen deportation trapGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 Okt 6min
What's in the Swedish right's radical new plan (apart from disenfranchising immigrants)?
In this week's episode we talk about whether immigrants will soon have to sign a contract promising to follow Swedish norms, and what's in the Swedish right's radical new plan for the next four years if it wins the 2026 election?We also examine reactions to a bumper budget and its impact on voters.For Membership+ subscribers we have updates on the issue of the Migration Agency not accepting some passports as a valid form of ID.Finally, we look at what readers of The Local have been telling us about things that make life in Sweden convenient.Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:ImmigrationModerates call for 'Sweden contract' for newly-arrived immigrantsTen things our version of a 'Sweden contract' would have to includePoliticsHow Sweden’s 2026 budget could affect your financesCan Swedish government's budget splurge win it the 2026 election?Swedish ruling parties mull stripping non-citizens of local voteGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
27 Sep 24min
'A big impact': How important is your name when seeking a job in Sweden?
In this clip from Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local's Nordic editor Richard Orange chats with Moa Bursell, a sociologist from Mälardalen University who specialises in ethnic discrimination on the labour market.Richard caught up with the researcher recently for an article about why some immigrants change their names to sound more Swedish. The immigrants who make their names more Swedish by adding -ssonThey also talk about how big a role ethnicity plays in the chances of getting called for a job interview, and whether Sweden is getting more or less open to people with foreign names.READ ALSO:ARCHIVE: Swedish study confirms foreign name CV bias'Reassess your cultural background': Key tips for foreign job hunters in SwedenGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
24 Sep 5min
