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Today in Sweden For Members

Today in Sweden: A round-up of the latest news on Monday

Catherine Edwards
Catherine Edwards - [email protected]
Today in Sweden: A round-up of the latest news on Monday
Prins Julian fotograferad av sin far Prins Carl Philip. 28 mars 2021. Prins Julian Herbert Folke, hertig av Halland Foto: Prins Carl Philip / Kungl.Hovstaterna / Handout / kod 10501 **OBLIGATORISK BYLINE: Prins Carl Philip / Kungl.Hovstaterna ** **Endast för redaktionell användning. Bilden kommer från en extern källa och distribueras i sin ursprungliga form som en service till våra abonnenter**

Find out what's going on in Sweden today with The Local's short round-up of the news in less than five minutes.

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Swedish Liberals vote in favour of governing with far-right support in future

At a party council meeting this weekend, Sweden's centre-right Liberal party voted with 59 votes to 31 to back the leadership's proposal to campaign alongside the right-of-centre Moderates in the next election, September 2022, even if it means being part of a potential government that relies on support from the far-right Sweden Democrats.

The result means that the Liberals are open to working with all parties to find consensus on different issues, including the Sweden Democrats.

Although the party voted in favour of budget cooperation "in the first instance" between only the four centre-right parties (the Moderates, Christian Democrats, Liberal Party and Centre Party), it voted down wording that explicitly closed the door to budget cooperation with the Sweden Democrats.

Swedish vocabulary: cooperation – samarbete

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Sweden drastically reduces its vaccine forecast

Sweden previously set itself the target of offering the Covid-19 vaccination to the entire adult population in the first six months of 2021, but has now adjusted down its target quite significantly.

Vaccine coordinator Richard Bergström told SVT Nyheter that based on current forecasts, five million adults would have received both doses of the vaccine by June 30th, and a further 2-2.5 million would have had one dose. This new forecast is based on planned vaccine deliveries to Sweden and assumes they go ahead as scheduled.

So far, slightly more than one million Swedes or 12 percent of the adult population have had their first dose since the programme began just after Christmas.

Swedish vocabulary: target – mål

Sharp rise in seriously ill Covid-19 patients in Stockholm

Stockholm's intensive care units reached full capacity over the weekend following an 80 percent rise in admissions over two weeks, acting healthcare director Johan Bratt said.

This has had immediate consequences, including the Karolinska University Hospital entering so-called 'reinforcement mode' (förstärkningsläge) and postponement of non-urgent planned care until April 12th across the region.

Stockholm region put in place a 'crisis agreement' for intensive care staff in December last year, meaning some workers have been working longer shifts than normally allowed since then, and continue to do so.

Swedish vocabulary: seriously ill – svårt sjuk

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A new Swedish prince

Sweden's Prince Carl Philip -- the king's second oldest child and only son -- and Princess Sofia have announced the birth of their son, Prince Julian Herbert Folke.

In line with a decision from the Swedish king last year, Prince Julian is not part of the Royal House and does not hold the title of Royal Highness, meaning he will not in future benefit from the income paid to members of the Royal House and funded by taxpayers in return for performing official royal duties.

Swedish vocabulary: prince – prins

Clock change and early spring

Clocks went forward on Sunday morning, meaning an hour of extra daylight in the evenings in Sweden.

Meanwhile, meteorological spring (in Sweden the season officially starts after seven consecutive days of above-0C median temperatures) has reached Västerbotten.

Temperatures over 15C are forecast in the southern and eastern parts of the country on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, but a cold front will move in later, with a cool Easter for most of Sweden.

Got photos of what spring looks like in your part of Sweden? Send them to [email protected] with the subject line 'Spring photos' and we will publish a selection in our members' newsletter.

Swedish vocabulary: daylight – dagsljus

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