In the latest episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is joined by panelists Richard Orange and Emma Löfgren, while James Savage calls in from Almedalen. 

This week we discuss:

Airline strike

Employers and unions have negotiated a settlement meaning the strike due to start on July 3rd has been called off. Follow the latest updates on our travel news page. 

Deadly rollercoaster accident 

• Gröna Lund: What we know about Sweden's fatal rollercoaster crash

Sex workers told to pay tax 

• 'No room for interpretation': Swedish sex workers told to pay tax

Rental reform 

• EXPLAINED: Sweden's plans to free up private rental market

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In the latest episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is joined by panelists Richard Orange, James Savage, and Becky Waterton.

This week we discuss:

Russia threat

• Russia could pose threat to Sweden 'for decades'

Lack of diversity in business 

• How diverse is company leadership in Sweden?

Economy latest

• Swedish economy expected to pick up again 'late this year'

Summer holidays

• Why do the Swedes take such long summer holidays?
• How to have a cheap holiday in Sweden this summer
• Swedish word of the day: allemansrätten

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In the latest episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is joined by panelists Richard Orange, James Savage, and Becky Waterton.

This week we discuss:

Beyoncé

• Bills, bills bills: Beyoncé blamed for Sweden's inflation disappointment

Midsummer

• The Local's ultimate guide to Midsummer's Eve

Smoke-free Sweden

• How Sweden got close to stubbing out smoking for good

 Nato latest

• Turkish president dampens hopes of Sweden joining Nato in July
• Hungary set to vote on Sweden Nato bid before July summit

Gang crime

• How could Sweden put an end to its deadly wave of gang crime?
• IN STATS: How safe is Sweden in comparison to similar countries?

The interview with the crime reporter Diamant Salihu that we refer to in the episode was published in two parts on February 4th and 7th if you'd like to go back and listen. 

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In the latest episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is joined by panelists Richard Orange, James Savage, and Becky Waterton.

This week we discuss:

Sex lies

• Fact check: Has Sweden really recognised sex as an official sport?

Drought fears

• IN MAPS: What the drought could mean for Sweden this summer
• Fire bans as Sweden braces for another week of tinder-dry weather
• How to stay safe during the heat in Sweden this summer

Day trips

• Discover southern Sweden: Five of the best day trips from Malmö
• Five of the best day trips to do from Stockholm
• Five great day trips to do from Gothenburg

Weak krona

• EXPLAINED: How could Sweden's latest inflation news affect your finances?

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic retires

• 'It's the moment to say goodbye': Zlatan Ibrahimovic retires from football

Multiple identities

• ARCHIVE: Why it's time to celebrate Sweden's diverse identity

Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.

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In the latest episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is joined by panelists Emma Löfgren, James Savage, and Becky Waterton.

This week we discuss:

Sweden’s stalled Nato application 

• Russian ‘spy whale’ turns up in Swedish waters
• US urges Turkey and Hungary to ratify Sweden’s Nato membership
• Nato chief ‘confident’ Sweden will become full member of military alliance

National Day

• The lowdown on Sweden’s National Day
• LISTEN: Last year’s National Day/school graduation podcast

School graduation

• Why are Swedish teens in white hats singing and drinking on trucks?
• Swedish word of the day: utspring

Midwife shortage

• What’s the state of Sweden’s maternity wards this summer?

Permanent residency tests

• What do we know about Sweden’s planned tests for permanent residency?

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In this bonus episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is joined by panelists Emma Löfgren, Richard Orange, and Becky Waterton for the second part of our interview with Anna Gustafsson, healthcare reporter for the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.

Here are a few articles linked to the topics we discuss: 

• How the Swedish healthcare system works
• EXPLAINED: What to do if you face a long wait for healthcare in Sweden
• Situation in Sweden's hospitals 'terrible and completely unacceptable': watchdog 
• How much will I have to pay to go to the dentist in Sweden?

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In the latest episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is joined by panelists Emma Löfgren, Richard Orange, and Becky Waterton, and we also welcome a guest, Anna Gustafsson, a journalist covering healthcare for the Dagens Nyheter newspaper. 

In this week's episode we discuss: 

Swedish lifestyle trends

• Five suggestions for the next hyped Swedish lifestyle trend
• Swedish word of the day: gökotta

Swexit talk 

• INTERVIEW: How best to respond to the Sweden Democrats' Swexit gambit

Healthcare

• How the Swedish healthcare system works

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In this bonus episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is joined by panelists Emma Löfgren, Richard Orange, and Becky Waterton for the second part of our interview with Emma Leijnse, schools reporter for the Sydsvenkan newspaper and the author of several books on the Swedish school system. 

After last week’s episode, Richard had some thoughts about what international studies say about schools:

• OPINION: Why I hope the stats are right about Swedish children’s reading and maths 

Other topics we discuss in this episode include: 

School segregation 

• What’s behind the rising inequality in Sweden’s schools, and can it be fixed?

PIRLS study

• Swedish reading skills fell in 2021 despite decision to keep schools open

PISA study

• What do the Pisa rankings really tell us about Swedish schools?

Boys & girls

• Opinion: Why Sweden should care about boys falling behind in school

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In the latest episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is joined by panelists Emma Löfgren, Richard Orange, and Becky Waterton, and we also welcome a guest to the Malmö studio: Emma Leijnse is a journalist covering schools and education for the Sydsvenskan newspaper and is also the author of three books on the Swedish school system. 

In this week’s episode we discuss: 

Weekend getaway tips 

• Readers reveal: Top tips for things to do in Sweden this summer
• Six great spots in Sweden for a springtime getaway

New work permit units 

• EXPLAINED: Sweden’s plans for a new work permit system for high-skilled labour

Inflation, interest rates and food prices 

• Swedish food prices drop as inflation beats expectations
• EXPLAINED: How could Sweden’s latest inflation news affect your finances?

Sweden's school system 

• Swedish reading skills fell in 2021 despite decision to keep schools open
• Schooling: What you need to know when moving to Sweden with children
• What schools do foreigners in Sweden send their children to and are they happy?

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In the latest episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast, host Paul O’Mahony is joined by panelists James Savage, Richard Orange, and Becky Waterton.

In this week’s episode we discuss: 

Eurovision fever

• ‘Almost goddess status’: Sweden’s Loreen tipped to win Eurovision

Rail strike

• Swedish rail strike postponed but Stockholm trains still affected

Jimmie Åkesson

• Sweden’s government has its ‘here’s Jimmie!’ moment
• Sweden Democrats leader says ‘fundamentalist Muslims’ cannot be Swedes

Scandinavian languages

• Why don’t Scandinavians try harder to understand each other?
• How to turn the one Scandinavian language you are learning into three

Democracy

• Is this government really a threat to democracy?

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