KEY POINTS: Everything that changes in Sweden in November 2022
New budget announcement, first Nato talks for Kristersson's government, All Saints Day and autumn holidays. Here's what's happening in Sweden in November.
Sweden's budget announcement
Sweden's new government is due to make its budget announcement on November 8th.
The new budget will be make it clear for the first time how Sweden's new government plans to finance its policy for the next year, and which posts it deems most important, allocating the most money to.
Rumours have it that it will not contain some of the most far-reaching reforms of the Tidö Agreement, the deal between the three right-wing parties in government and the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats.
Those reforms are instead planned in time for next year’s budget, reports Swedish finance newspaper Dagens Industri, giving the parties more time to work out the finer details of the proposals that allowed Moderate party leader – and now Prime Minister – Ulf Kristersson to form his government.
We already know a little bit about what will be proposed in this year’s budget (3,000 pages, according to Expressen). As is usually the case, the parties have been releasing information in dribs and drabs to maximise the time that the Swedish media will spend reporting on their budget.
One of the proposals is a dedicated 6.7 billion kronor (approximately $612 million) to tax cuts on fuel, following up on election promises to lower petrol and diesel prices.
First Nato talks for new government
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is set to visit Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on November 8th in Ankara, the AFP newswire has reported, citing a Turkish official. The Swedish government has yet to confirm the information.
Kristersson and Erdogan spoke on the telephone this week, with Kristersson tweeting that he was "looking forward" to visiting Ankara soon, and that his government was committed to fulfilling the terms of the trilateral memorandum signed between Turkey, Finland and Sweden.
Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is set to visit Erdogan in Ankara on November 4th.
If all goes well, it's not impossible that by the end of the month, Sweden will be a member of Nato.
Civil Contingencies Agency to report on state of bomb shelters
The Civil Contingencies Agency is due to submit the final report on its inventory of Sweden's bomb shelters before November 7th.
Last month, the agency said it had already carried out thousands of spot checks and found that the overwhelming majority of shelters were in a "functional condition".
Sweden's last government ordered the inspection of the 65,000 shelters in May 2021.
Royal visit to Jordan
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia will make a state visit to Jordan between November 15th and November 17th on the invitation of His Majesty King Abdullah II.
The visit will mark the inauguration of the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa in Jordan's capital Amman, as well as the opening of new premises for the Embassy of Sweden.
The visit will focus on cooperation on multilateral and regional issues, environment, climate and sustainable inclusive development, with members of the Swedish Government and representatives of Swedish companies accompanying the royals during their visit.
All Saints Day on November 5th
All Saints Day (Allhelgonadagen) falls on November 5th, and the weekend Allhelgonahelgen will be celebrated across Sweden, with crowds of people visiting cemeteries across Sweden to light candles and take in the sights of thousands upon thousands of candles burning in the darkness.
It can be a beautiful sight. Read about it here.
The autumn Höstlov holiday
The autumn school holiday, Höstlov, starts for schools across Sweden next week, with schools in Stockholm, Malmö and Göteborg all taking the week off between Monday, October 31st and November 4th.
Highlights of the week, include Halloween celebrations, a US tradition which Sweden has wholeheartedly adopted, with kids donning costumes and go trick or treating or simply to partake in activities organised across towns.
If the weather remains pleasant there is chance to explore the great outdoors, and if not, there are events being organised in local libraries and cinema halls for those looking for a cosier atmosphere.
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Sweden's budget announcement
Sweden's new government is due to make its budget announcement on November 8th.
The new budget will be make it clear for the first time how Sweden's new government plans to finance its policy for the next year, and which posts it deems most important, allocating the most money to.
Rumours have it that it will not contain some of the most far-reaching reforms of the Tidö Agreement, the deal between the three right-wing parties in government and the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats.
Those reforms are instead planned in time for next year’s budget, reports Swedish finance newspaper Dagens Industri, giving the parties more time to work out the finer details of the proposals that allowed Moderate party leader – and now Prime Minister – Ulf Kristersson to form his government.
We already know a little bit about what will be proposed in this year’s budget (3,000 pages, according to Expressen). As is usually the case, the parties have been releasing information in dribs and drabs to maximise the time that the Swedish media will spend reporting on their budget.
One of the proposals is a dedicated 6.7 billion kronor (approximately $612 million) to tax cuts on fuel, following up on election promises to lower petrol and diesel prices.
First Nato talks for new government
Kristersson and Erdogan spoke on the telephone this week, with Kristersson tweeting that he was "looking forward" to visiting Ankara soon, and that his government was committed to fulfilling the terms of the trilateral memorandum signed between Turkey, Finland and Sweden.
Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is set to visit Erdogan in Ankara on November 4th.
If all goes well, it's not impossible that by the end of the month, Sweden will be a member of Nato.
Civil Contingencies Agency to report on state of bomb shelters
The Civil Contingencies Agency is due to submit the final report on its inventory of Sweden's bomb shelters before November 7th.
Last month, the agency said it had already carried out thousands of spot checks and found that the overwhelming majority of shelters were in a "functional condition".
Sweden's last government ordered the inspection of the 65,000 shelters in May 2021.
Royal visit to Jordan
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia will make a state visit to Jordan between November 15th and November 17th on the invitation of His Majesty King Abdullah II.
The visit will mark the inauguration of the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa in Jordan's capital Amman, as well as the opening of new premises for the Embassy of Sweden.
The visit will focus on cooperation on multilateral and regional issues, environment, climate and sustainable inclusive development, with members of the Swedish Government and representatives of Swedish companies accompanying the royals during their visit.
All Saints Day on November 5th
All Saints Day (Allhelgonadagen) falls on November 5th, and the weekend Allhelgonahelgen will be celebrated across Sweden, with crowds of people visiting cemeteries across Sweden to light candles and take in the sights of thousands upon thousands of candles burning in the darkness.
It can be a beautiful sight. Read about it here.
The autumn Höstlov holiday
The autumn school holiday, Höstlov, starts for schools across Sweden next week, with schools in Stockholm, Malmö and Göteborg all taking the week off between Monday, October 31st and November 4th.
Highlights of the week, include Halloween celebrations, a US tradition which Sweden has wholeheartedly adopted, with kids donning costumes and go trick or treating or simply to partake in activities organised across towns.
If the weather remains pleasant there is chance to explore the great outdoors, and if not, there are events being organised in local libraries and cinema halls for those looking for a cosier atmosphere.
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