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Local Sweden
6 days ago
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Why the 'Sverigehus' is a warning for the Sweden Democrats' future
The red and white 'Sverigehus', the Sweden Democrats' attempt to bring back an idealised type of Swedish architecture, looks like it has been co-opted by the exact same people behind the modernist concrete sprawl the party was rejecting. Advertisement It looked like it had been lifted from Astrid Lindgren's idealised village Bullerbyn: a Swedish villa painted in traditional falu rödfärg, with a white painted frame and ornate carpentry, snickarglädje, under the eaves. When the Sweden Democrats in 2022 launched Sverigehuset, "the Sweden house", their vision of a standardised design for a "traditional Swedish wooden house", which would be pre-approved for building permission across the country, it generated both ridicule and approval. The party which has so successfully campaigned on everything it thought had gone wrong with Sweden, was finally expressing what it wanted instead. For critics it was pure kitsch, a pastiche of an imagined Sweden that never was. But for others, it was, well, at least better than the soulless, unimaginative boxes otherwise being churned out. On Monday, the proposal became reality. The government and the Sweden Democrats would, they proclaimed in a press release, "turn people's housing dreams into reality" by "realising the idea of the Sverigehus". The only issue is that what was proposed did not actually do that. Indeed, it seemed less about a return to traditional vernacular architecture than about allowing house-builders to bypass municipal building departments and churn out mass-produced cookie-cutter houses unchecked. The Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning has been given an order to develop "type approval" for series-produced small houses, which will be pre-approved across Sweden so that house builders no longer have to apply again and again to have the design approved by each municipality. Advertisement The board is supposed to develop guidelines for these type-approved houses, but will not actually design them, although it will be asked to ensure that "at least one of the type-approved house models is formed in a traditional Swedish building style". There should, however be "several different type-approved small house models", and and others could very well be the kind of concrete boxes the Sweden Democrats so despise. At the press conference, Mikael Eskilandersson, the Sweden Democrats' civic policy spokesperson, somewhat weakly tried to argue that the orders to the housing board were, in fact, a step on the way to realising his party's 2022 proposal. "We see that our proposal is becoming reality. We have included that fact that even the cultural part of what the building looks like is at least going to be considered," he said. "This is to a large extent a direct result of our proposal. It was 95 square metres on the ground floor, if I recall correctly, for that house. 150 square metres in total. And that is what we have continued to push for in this proposal." He said that he was still confident that the Sverigehuset would end up being built. "A red cabin with white beams is perceived as safe and pleasant. If it was a square box made of concrete instead, it probably wouldn't be as easy to gain acceptance from the public,' he said. Advertisement A sign that all was not well was the seal of approval given by Gert Wingårdh, the architect whose projects have won the Kasper Kalkon prize for the ugliest new building no fewer than six times. "I find it difficult to see anything negative about a red-painted wooden house of 150 square meters, mass-produced by our small-house industry at a good price. Most families with children want to live like that," he told DN. The problem is the reality may not be that. Andreas Carlson, Sweden's housing minister, from the Christian Democrats, said the predominant aim was to lower the cost of owning a stand-alone house. "It should become possible to mass-produce houses that can be erected in different parts of the country without being obstructed by municipal rules and assessments," he said. "We will gladly call it Sverigehuset. That's not the most important thing for us. The most important thing is that more people should be able to get a foot in the door to owning their own home, which for many today is an almost unattainable dream." It's hard not to see the fate of the Sverigehus as a warning for what might end up happening to the party as it cooperates ever more closely with the economically liberal right. Might there be other culturally conservative causes from the party in the future that will also end up being twisted out of all recognition to fit the Moderate Party's vision of a low-regulation, low tax economy? Advertisement What else has happened in Swedish politics? Former Green Party leader tries to set record straight The former Green Party spokesperson Märta Stenevi, who resigned from the party in February 2024, has hit back with a memoir of her difficult period at the helm which some have interpreted as an act of revenge against her former colleagues. Her resignation followed months of internal strife, which began when anonymous sources in her party accused her in the media of "toxic management from above" and a "hard leadership style", after which the Saco and Unionen unions began an investigation into workplace abuse. In her book, "Breathe, survive", Stenevi claims she was never informed about which employees felt abused, and was never confronted with the issues face-to-face, making it impossible for her to respond. She also criticises the dysfunctional way the party is structured, with one male and one female spokesperson instead of a clear leader. The Battle of Brussels: Teodorescu Måwe vs Left Party staffer A physical altercation in the European Parliament between Swedish MEP Alice Teodorescu Måwe (Christian Democrats) and a staffer from the Left Party has sparked political fallout. The Left accuses Teodorescu Måwe of assault, citing visible injuries; she claims she was attacked after confronting the staffer for filming her without consent, allegedly over her views on Israel and Hamas. The EU Parliament's spokesperson says surveillance footage supports Teodorescu Måwe's account. Both sides have filed police reports. KD leader Ebba Busch condemns the incident as 'hate-fuelled political activism' and blames the Left for failing to control internal radicalism. Advertisement Swedish politics toughens stance on Israel Israel's new attack on Gaza appears to be rapidly losing it even its staunchest supporters in Swedish politics. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Monday said that Sweden would summon Israel's ambassador, to protest its refusal to allow critical humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel's ambassador Ziv Nevo Kulman will be called to meet Cabinet Secretary Dag Hartelius, the top official at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Kristersson said pressure on Israel must increase, floating the idea of EU sanctions. The call from Kristersson came after Mikael Odenberg, Sweden's former Moderate Party defence minister, and a former chair of the Swedish parliament's Swedish-Israeli friendship association, accused Israel of war crimes and ethnic cleansing in a heartfelt post on Facebook. "Ethnic cleansing and war by starving out the civilian population is not what I expected from the Israel I have admired for so long," he wrote. "It is not compatible with international law. It is a war crime. Bibi Netanyahu may be elected but he is also corrupt and he has been a destructive force for the peace process for 20 years. His actions now deserve to be tried before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague." Social Democrats fined 3 million kronor for lottery scandal The Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) fined the Social Democrats 3 million kronor for violating gambling laws at their Kombispel lottery operations. The Social Democrats, their youth wing SSU, and women's wing S-kvinnor also received official warnings. The authority found that Kombispel failed to operate with adequate consumer protection and engaged in excessive marketing. Specifically, they relied on aggressive telemarketing tactics, including sending invoices without prior consent and repeatedly contacting people who had declined offers. This follows a Dagens Nyheter exposé revealing that sales personnel targeted pensioners, many of whom didn't understand that they were subscribing to a monthly lottery. Spelinspektionen called the violations 'neither minor nor excusable.'
Korea Herald
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Interview: Wheelchair-using author pioneers disability representation in children's literature
Astrid Lindgren nominee Ko Jung-wook dreams of world where people with and without disabilities live together in harmony Last fall was a surreal time for children's book author Ko Jung-wook. Amid the whirlwind of his writing and lecture schedule, his nomination for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in October gave him a rare opportunity to reflect on his long and prolific career — a journey spanning over three decades and resulting in over 350 published books. "I can certainly say I've written a lot, truly a lot," Ko said in an interview with The Korea Herald in March. "Looking back, I realize I've poured everything I had into my writing. There's no regret. I've spent nearly 35 years writing, and in that time, I've experienced immense joy and happiness. I'm filled with gratitude." His latest book, "The Ghost at Lost & Found," marks his 379th publication, and there are more to come this year. "Fall is always the busiest time for me, especially with lectures, and to have the nomination come in the midst of all that was overwhelming." With the announcement of the winner just days away, set for Tuesday, Ko hopes that, should he win, it will bring younger readers into bookstores. "If I were to win, I'd be thrilled, of course. I believe it could help bring readers — young readers — into bookstores, just like how Han Kang's Nobel Prize win sparked a reading boom.' 379th books and still counting "If you say it, it becomes real. That's the power of words," Ko said with a laugh, reflecting on how he had spent decades speaking about his dream of winning the Nobel Prize as a disabled author. (The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is often dubbed the Nobel Prize of children's literature.) The 64-year-old author also shared another long-held ambition: to write 500 books — a goal that helps explain the remarkable volume of his publications. "When I speak to children, I encourage them to dream big, work hard and find their path (because) although it's important to set a concrete goal, many don't have one," Ko explained. It was through these conversations with children that Ko began to set an example himself. "I told them that my goal isn't just to publish 'a lot' of books; my dream is to publish 500 books by the time I die. I repeated it often, and now, it's a dream I believe I can truly achieve.' What started as a casual statement soon became a deeply ingrained aspiration. And his impressive number of publications stand as a testament to a life lived with relentless determination. "People like me, who had polio, don't have a long life expectancy because of post-polio syndrome. So I've always thought that while I'm alive, I should live like a blazing flame, giving my absolute best." Trailblazer in Korean disability representation Due to contracting polio at the age of one, Ko lost strength in his legs and relied on crutches throughout his childhood and adolescence. Now, he gets around in a wheelchair. As a child, he was a voracious reader. Unable to run and play outside, he found adventure in books. Initially, his dream was to become a doctor, but he later discovered that medical schools at the time refused to admit students with disabilities who couldn't stand for lab work. He then turned to Korean literature, earning a Ph.D. and hoping to pursue an academic career. But Ko met yet another painful setback — no university in Korea was willing to hire a professor with a disability. 'Literature was my last bastion,' Ko recalled. He first wrote short stories but later shifted to children's books — a transition sparked by a question from his son: "Don't you write books for children?" Ko set out to write about disabilities, a subject he knew intimately, and from the outset, he was clear about his purpose: 'I wanted to use literature to raise awareness and improve the understanding of disability.' His first children's book, "My Very Special Brother" (1999), tells the story of a young boy struggling to accept his older brother, Jong-sik, who has cerebral palsy. It was one of Korea's first children's books to center on disability. The book became the bestselling children's book of the year. His next book, "The Boy Who Carried the Bookbag" (2002), inspired by Ko's school memories, follows a boy who uses crutches. The book became another bestseller, was included in the fourth-grade elementary school curriculum, and went on to sell over 1.2 million copies. Many of his books consistently center on children with disabilities, including "The Pianist with Four Fingers" about a girl with a congenital physical disability who plays the piano, and "Tansil the Guide Dog" about the lives of guide dogs working alongside visually impaired individuals. "The reason I write stories with disabled children as protagonists isn't just because I'm disabled myself. It's because I want to create a world where all people with and without disabilities live together in harmony," Ko wrote in the author's note of the reprinted edition of "My Very Special Brother." Advocate for reading and storytelling On the nomination website, Ko is described not only as an author but also as a promoter of reading and storytelling. This dual role is rooted in his long-standing commitment to reading education, which he carries out through lectures at schools across Korea. He has set records, delivering 300 lectures in a year, with a peak of 45 lectures in a single month. It was this desire to improve societal attitudes toward disabilities that led Ko to write children's books. As his literary career took shape, his lectures followed suit. Ko said the goal is to give children a "rare" opportunity to hear firsthand accounts of people with disabilities. "They say people with disabilities make up 10-15 percent of the global population. But you don't see them walking around, do you? Because they stay at home — they can't get out," Ko pointed out. "But when you don't know, you don't understand, and that's how prejudice begins." Ko, a board member of the Korean branch of the International Board on Books for Young People, served as a judge for IBBY's Korean collection of Books for Young People with Disabilities. He noted that 87 children's books on disabilities were published in South Korea in 2024, specifically curated for the initiative. "That's the number of submitted books, so there are likely even more out there," he said. "These days, disability-related themes are no longer rare — they even appear in shows like 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo.'" "Writing good children's books is about changing the future," Ko said. "Children have pure souls; their minds are like blank canvases. The stories they read at a young age stay with them for life. I believe it's important that they read a diverse range of stories — stories about disabilities and ones with positive messages." hwangdh@
