
Sweden's new alcohol law: 'Freedom reform' or flop?
This week: How a new law puts a chink in Systembolaget's armour, and why Sweden could ban international adoptions. For Membership+ subscribers: what are the Social Democrats planning for next year's election? And how will Sweden's elderly care system cope as immigrant workers are forced to leave Sweden?
Advertisement
This week we talk about a new alcohol law that came into force this month and what it means for consumers.
And why has a government inquiry proposed banning international adoptions and apologising to adoptees.
For Membership+ subscribers we discuss how Sweden's biggest political party, the Social Democrats, is gearing up for next year's general election.
Finally, with updates expected this month on new salary requirements for work permit holders, we look at how the current limit has already led to staffing shortages in Sweden's elderly care service as immigrant workers are forced to leave the country.
Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange.
Advertisement
Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:
Alcohol
Family
Politics
Work permits
You can listen to the free episode here:
Or follow Sweden in Focus wherever you listen to podcasts.
Advertisement
Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts
Sign 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+
Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.
Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription.
Advertisement
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Local Sweden
9 hours ago
- Local Sweden
Sweden's new alcohol law: 'Freedom reform' or flop?
This week: How a new law puts a chink in Systembolaget's armour, and why Sweden could ban international adoptions. For Membership+ subscribers: what are the Social Democrats planning for next year's election? And how will Sweden's elderly care system cope as immigrant workers are forced to leave Sweden? Advertisement This week we talk about a new alcohol law that came into force this month and what it means for consumers. And why has a government inquiry proposed banning international adoptions and apologising to adoptees. For Membership+ subscribers we discuss how Sweden's biggest political party, the Social Democrats, is gearing up for next year's general election. Finally, with updates expected this month on new salary requirements for work permit holders, we look at how the current limit has already led to staffing shortages in Sweden's elderly care service as immigrant workers are forced to leave the country. Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. Advertisement Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode: Alcohol Family Politics Work permits You can listen to the free episode here: Or follow Sweden in Focus wherever you listen to podcasts. Advertisement Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts Sign 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+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre. Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. Advertisement


Local Sweden
13 hours ago
- Local Sweden
Inside Sweden: Why we're asking members to help The Local
The Local's editor Emma Löfgren rounds up the biggest stories of the week in our Inside Sweden newsletter. Advertisement Hej, You may have noticed a new message to members from our co-founder, publisher and CEO, James Savage, at the bottom of articles this week. He writes: I would like to thank you for supporting The Local as a member. It's been absolutely crucial of late. But here's the thing: right now, we are facing challenges of a kind we have never experienced in our 21-year history. Global tech giants are eating up a bigger and bigger share of advertising budgets, while making us less and less visible on their platforms. That makes operating as a small player in an already challenging sector even more difficult, especially when costs are rising. Our mission has always been to help people living in another country feel at home, to champion your rights, to keep you in the loop. For us to keep doing that, we need your support. If you are able to support us further, please consider making a donation. You can click here and follow the steps to leave a donation amount that suits you. This will help keep us going and allow us to continue doing the journalism that matters to you. Every word of what James wrote is true. We've had one of our most important news cycles in the past few weeks, being the first and almost only media outlet to cover Sweden's citizenship freeze. But journalism costs money, and right now it's hard to break even as a relatively small newsroom in this world of tech giants and far bigger media actors – or even break through the noise of the domestic Swedish-language media. The biggest change in Sweden since the last election has been the government's so-called "migration paradigm shift", which has had a life-changing impact on many foreigners living and working in this country. Advertisement With just over a year to go until the next election – and less than a year until stricter citizenship laws, and possibly stricter work permit conditions, come into force – making sure those affected are actually heard in the public debate is more crucial than ever. I'd like to think we can make an impact together. Thank you for being a member. If you want to help but are not able to make a donation, please tell a friend about us and ask them to become a member. Any help we get can make a huge difference. To us as a media company, as journalists, but also to raising the voices of those who still believe in a hopeful, constructive and international vision for Sweden and the rest of the world. In other news Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who chaired the agency managing adoptions to Sweden some 20 years ago, has said he's not ruling out an apology after an inquiry unveiled widespread abuses spanning several decades. With just over a year to go until Sweden's next election, a key poll suggests that the centre-left Social Democrats may take a decisive leap forward. Sweden's streets are filled with jubilant high school students. Why are they there, and what are they doing? This week's episode of Sweden in Focus Extra for Membership+ subscribers features an interview with Francisca Leonardo, founder of the tour company Xperience Stockholm. I really enjoyed my conversation with her. GAMES: Have you tried The Local's games for Membership+ subscribers yet? We've got a new crossword and word search puzzle out now A new agreement between Sweden and Estonia means that up to 600 criminals convicted in Sweden could serve time in prisons in Estonia, in what Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has described as a "historic" deal. Advertisement Foreign citizens are significantly over-represented in Swedish prisons. Here are some of the rules about how they should be treated. A government-commissioned inquiry this week proposed a series of suggestions that would make it cheaper to travel to Arlanda Airport. And finally, from summer activity tips to rail disruptions, here's everything you need to know about travelling in Sweden this summer. Have a good weekend, Emma Löfgren Editor, The Local Sweden 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.


Local Sweden
2 days ago
- Local Sweden
Who would govern Sweden if an election were held today?
With just over a year to go until Sweden's next election, a key poll suggests that the centre-left Social Democrats may take a decisive leap forward. Advertisement If an election were held today, the Social Democrats would get 36.2 percent of the vote, according to number-crunching state agency Statistics Sweden's survey – a 5.9 point increase on the 2022 election. The ruling Moderates, on the other hand, would only get 18.3 percent, 0.8 percentage points down on the last election, although that decrease is not statistically significant. They would, on the other hand, by a tiny margin, claw back the spot as Sweden's second-largest party from the far-right Sweden Democrats, who would take the worst hit out of all the parties compared to the 2022 election, with a -2.5 point drop in support to 18 percent. 'The Swedish people are clear about wanting to see Magdalena Andersson as prime minister,' the Social Democrat's party secretary, Tobias Baudin, told the TT newswire. But he cautioned that the election, in September 2026, is still over a year off. 'This is a poll, but the decision will be made on election day. We're then going to lead the next government,' he said, saying the party wouldn't be resting on its laurels until then. The Sweden Democrats' deputy party secretary, Fredrik Lindahl, said voters would change their minds once his party's collaboration with the government starts to yield results. 'We think voters will see it and appreciate our alternative,' he told TT. Advertisement Out of the five smaller parties, the left side fared the best in the poll, with the Left Party claiming 7.1 percent of the vote and the Green Party 6.5 percent. The Centre Party – who is currently collaborating mainly with the centre-left – would get 5.5 percent. The two parties that also make up the right-wing government coalition, however, would not manage to get enough votes to make it across the four-percent parliamentary threshold. The Christian Democrats would get 3.4 percent and the Liberals 2.8 percent. This means that even if the Centre Party were to pull its reluctant support of the centre-left, or switch sides altogether, the left bloc would still win more seats than the right bloc. It's worth noting however that some of the smaller parties often poll below the parliamentary threshold in-between elections, but manage to secure enough votes on voting day. Statistics Sweden's party sympathy poll is only carried out once a year and is one of Sweden's biggest political public opinion polls. More than 9,000 voters were questioned between April 29th and May 28th.