What changes about life in Sweden in May 2022?
May day celebrations, a possible Nato announcement, and Eurovision. This is what May has in store for people living in Sweden.
May Day celebrations
You don't have to wait long before the first big event of May: första maj, or May 1st is, as in many countries, the big celebration for labourers and the working classes in Sweden.
Most large cities will hold a labour day celebration on Sunday May 1st, usually organised by the local branches of the Social Democrats and Left Party.
Like many large events this year, 2022 will be the first celebration in three years, after May 1st parades were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Sunday, Social Democrat prime minister Magdalena Andersson will be taking part in Stockholm's May 1st parade, holding a speech at Norra Latin at 15:20. The Left Party will also be celebrating, with their leader Nooshi Dadgostar holding a speech in Kundsträdgården in Sweden's capital at 15:40.
Don't feel left out if you can't make it to Stockholm, though - here's a list of all the May 1st parades organised across the country by the Left Party this year, and here's a list of parades the Social Democrats will be attending.
Potential Nato membership
If the rumours are true, Sweden and Finland could be gearing up to announce their intention to join Nato in mid-May.
According to Iltalehti and Expressen, two tabloid newspapers from Finland and Sweden respectively, Sweden’s government has asked for Finland to delay their announcement of intention to join so that the two countries can make the announcement simultaneously, in the week commencing May 16th, when Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö is due to make a state visit to Stockholm.
Here's our article on the possible timeline showing the details required for Sweden to join Nato.
Eurovision
Although the Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in Italy this year, that doesn't mean Swedes won't be tuning in. The contest, which starts on May 10th and culminates in the Grand Final on May 14th, is a major event in Sweden's entertainment industry, carrying on from the Mello hype which sweeps across the country every March.
This year, Sweden will be represented by Cornelia Jakobs' Hold Me Closer, who bookmakers are currently expecting to come third in the contest after Ukraine and Italy, although she will have to qualify in one of two semi-finals first.
Sweden is currently set to perform in the second half of the second semi-final on May 12th.
You'll be able to watch the semi-finals and the final live on public broadcaster SVT.
Sweden's government sinks tax on petrol and diesel
The tax rate on petrol and diesel is due to fall from May 1st, reducing the price at the pump by 1.8 kronor per litre.
Half a krona of the price cut was voted through parliament with the support of every party except for the Green Party. The government then in March proposed a further reduction of 1.3 kronor per litre.
The temporary tax cut will expire automatically at the start of September.
New law on returns from digital sales comes into force
On May 1st, Sweden's new law on consumer purchases comes into force, giving those who have sold digital goods more time to demonstrate that there is nothing wrong with the goods.
Those who sell digital goods are also now required to make sure that security updates are made to the software for a certain amount of time.
Postnord will only deliver post every other day
From May 2nd, the postal company Postnord will start to only deliver post in Sweden every other day, in a decision that has brought the company widespread criticism.
The volume of letters, the company argues, has fallen by half since the turn of the Millenium, meaning it no longer makes economic sense to make daily deliveries.
Sweden, the company adds, was the only Nordic country left which still had every day deliveries.
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May Day celebrations
You don't have to wait long before the first big event of May: första maj, or May 1st is, as in many countries, the big celebration for labourers and the working classes in Sweden.
Most large cities will hold a labour day celebration on Sunday May 1st, usually organised by the local branches of the Social Democrats and Left Party.
Like many large events this year, 2022 will be the first celebration in three years, after May 1st parades were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Sunday, Social Democrat prime minister Magdalena Andersson will be taking part in Stockholm's May 1st parade, holding a speech at Norra Latin at 15:20. The Left Party will also be celebrating, with their leader Nooshi Dadgostar holding a speech in Kundsträdgården in Sweden's capital at 15:40.
Don't feel left out if you can't make it to Stockholm, though - here's a list of all the May 1st parades organised across the country by the Left Party this year, and here's a list of parades the Social Democrats will be attending.
Potential Nato membership
If the rumours are true, Sweden and Finland could be gearing up to announce their intention to join Nato in mid-May.
According to Iltalehti and Expressen, two tabloid newspapers from Finland and Sweden respectively, Sweden’s government has asked for Finland to delay their announcement of intention to join so that the two countries can make the announcement simultaneously, in the week commencing May 16th, when Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö is due to make a state visit to Stockholm.
Here's our article on the possible timeline showing the details required for Sweden to join Nato.
Eurovision
Although the Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in Italy this year, that doesn't mean Swedes won't be tuning in. The contest, which starts on May 10th and culminates in the Grand Final on May 14th, is a major event in Sweden's entertainment industry, carrying on from the Mello hype which sweeps across the country every March.
This year, Sweden will be represented by Cornelia Jakobs' Hold Me Closer, who bookmakers are currently expecting to come third in the contest after Ukraine and Italy, although she will have to qualify in one of two semi-finals first.
Sweden is currently set to perform in the second half of the second semi-final on May 12th.
You'll be able to watch the semi-finals and the final live on public broadcaster SVT.
Sweden's government sinks tax on petrol and diesel
The tax rate on petrol and diesel is due to fall from May 1st, reducing the price at the pump by 1.8 kronor per litre.
Half a krona of the price cut was voted through parliament with the support of every party except for the Green Party. The government then in March proposed a further reduction of 1.3 kronor per litre.
The temporary tax cut will expire automatically at the start of September.
New law on returns from digital sales comes into force
On May 1st, Sweden's new law on consumer purchases comes into force, giving those who have sold digital goods more time to demonstrate that there is nothing wrong with the goods.
Those who sell digital goods are also now required to make sure that security updates are made to the software for a certain amount of time.
Postnord will only deliver post every other day
From May 2nd, the postal company Postnord will start to only deliver post in Sweden every other day, in a decision that has brought the company widespread criticism.
The volume of letters, the company argues, has fallen by half since the turn of the Millenium, meaning it no longer makes economic sense to make daily deliveries.
Sweden, the company adds, was the only Nordic country left which still had every day deliveries.
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