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15 stories from Sweden you might have missed

The Local Sweden
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15 stories from Sweden you might have missed
Download The Local's app to read our latest stories. Photo: Maskot/Folio/imagebank.sweden.se"

Throughout 2019, The Local has reported on the news you need from Sweden, as well as guides and explainers helping you to navigate life here. Here's a look back at a few of the stories you may have missed, which are worth a read in the new year.

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Fighting our readers' corner and making your voices heard

The introduction of Membership in 2017 means that now more than ever, we work for our readers. This means speaking to you about the issues that affect your lives in Sweden, and amplifying your views and voices where we can. 

Ten things Sweden should do to make life better for international talent

Back in spring, we spoke to our readers about practical measures Swedish institutions and companies could take to make the country a better place for international workers. From streamlining the work permit system to supporting workers with housing, you had plenty of suggestions. Click here to keep reading

How international residents feel about Swedish tests for immigrants

Included in a government deal in January was a proposal to introduce language tests for would-be citizens, and in October the government launched an inquiry into this. Here's what our international readers had to say – the responses were fairly evenly split for and against the proposal. Click here to keep reading.

Foreign talents reveal: How we fought Sweden's work permit bureaucracy

Over the past few years, thousands of skilled international workers have been ordered to leave Sweden, many because of minor mistakes in their paperwork. So what happened next? The Local caught up with three non-EU workers to hear how they dealt with the upheaval and fought Swedish bureaucracy. Click here to keep reading.


Photo: Ulf Lundin/imagebank.sweden.se

Helping you navigate Swedish life

We've produced dozens of guides to some of the intricacies of living in Sweden as a non-native, from demystifying the school system to understanding the rental market. Here are three that were especially popular with readers. 

What you need to know about second-hand rentals in Sweden

More and more people who live in second-hand rentals in Sweden are claiming they have been illegally overcharged by landlords, and foreign residents are particularly reliant on these sublets due to long queues for first-hand rentals in the major cities. We looked into how prices are changing, and the rules and tips renters should be aware of to avoid being ripped off. Click here to keep reading

How to save money despite living in Sweden

Sweden is many things, but budget-friendly is not the first that springs to mind. But knowing some money-saving tricks can go a long way in stretching your budget, which is why we produced an in-depth guide for our Members with tips for saving on bills, travel, and even fika. Click here to keep reading

The secret trick to making new friends in Sweden

The Local contributor Tomas Spragg Nilsson chronicled his journey to 'becoming Swedish' on The Local in 2019. One of the top questions he faced about the project was whether it's tough for outsiders to befriend Swedes, and in this article – one of our best read of the year – he explored his experience of making friends in famously reserved Sweden. Click here to keep reading


Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT

Explaining the Swedish political system

Sweden started the year with a government deal that rewrote the political constellation. These are some of the articles that give a closer look at what the changes mean.

What does Sweden's government deal mean for internationals?

When four of Sweden's parties have announced a 16-page, 73-point government deal back in January, we put together a guide to the issues likeliest to have a big impact on the lives of foreigners in Sweden. Click here to keep reading.

Politics Q&A: What happens now and how did Sweden get here?

The country found itself in an unprecedented political situation at the start of the year. If you're still not sure exactly why that happened or what it means for the future, this article should have the answer. Click here to keep reading

What Sweden's new budget means for you

The government deal also meant that for the first time, the centre-left coalition had to work out a budget with the help of the centre-liberals. We read the budget proposal to look at the key points for international residents in Sweden. Click here to keep reading


The speaker of the Swedish parliament Andreas Norlén, left, and Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. Photo: Lars Pehrson/SvD/TT

Digging into the quirks of Sweden

Eight essential Swenglish words you'll end up using

Swenglish is the term for English spoken with a heavy Swedish influence, and while it usually refers to Swedes speaking their second language, native and non-native English speakers who live in the country might also find that their language becomes Swedified over time. Click here to keep reading.

'Singing brings people together and can change the world'

In our My Swedish Career series, The Local speaks to internationals pursuing inspiring careers in Sweden. In our most popular article of the series last year, we spoke to Brit Kimberley Akester about her 18 years in Stockholm and a job that's seen her teaching singing to children and adults, and performing for audiences that have included the British queen. Click here to keep reading.

How to have an argument without offending a Swede

The Swedes have a reputation for being averse to conflict, so how do you handle it when you need to express disagreement? The Local's Richard Orange shared his six best tips for handling discussions with the Swedes. Click here to keep reading.


Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT

Explaining the news of the day

How does Sweden's criminal justice system work?

Sweden's legal system has also been in the news throughout the year, with ongoing debate over gang crime as well as the high-profile ASAP Rocky assault trial, but how exactly does it work? Click here to keep reading.

What do we know about violent crime in Sweden?

Sadly, 2019 has seen a wave of violent gang-related crime in Sweden's cities, including shootings and a large number of explosives incidents. Overall, the crime and homicide rates appear to be in decline, but there are also worrying trends towards increased violence, so we looked into what we do and don't know about the phenomenon. Click here to keep reading.

Sweden's Justice and Migration Minister answers readers' questions about Brexit

One of the main stories of the year on an EU level has of course been Brexit, and it's an issue that affects our British readers. So when Sweden announced special residence permits for the event of a no-deal Brexit, we spoke to the justice and migration minister and put readers' Brexit questions directly to him. Click here to keep reading.

Just a final note to say thank you for reading The Local. We've got plenty of stories left to write and publish this year, so we hope you will stay with us as 2019 turns into 2020 and beyond. Please get in touch if you have any thoughts or questions. 

God jul,

Emma and Catherine

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