Sweden in Focus

The Local
  • 4.6 (37)
  • News Commentary
  • Weekly

Sweden in Focus is The Local’s weekly podcast where we discuss the big news and talking points in Sweden as well as explore and explain the issues that impact life in the country. We also answer your essential questions and look ahead at what’s coming up. In each episode presenter James Savage chats about the most important news and must-know information with The Local Sweden’s Emma Löfgren, Richard Orange and Mandy Pipher. They are frequently joined by other expert commentators. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 22h ago

    Why don't pregnancy or parenthood matter for Sweden's Migration Agency?

    This week: Why are the Social Democrats acting like bit players? Why have a mother-to-be and an active father been told to leave Sweden? Are immigration laws scaring off foreign workers? And what do you need to know about All Saints' Day in Sweden? There was a time when getting married to a Swede was an easy way to stay in Sweden. But these days it's a bit more complicated than that, host James Savage explains, citing the example of Brenda Ramström who recently had to fly to Brazil or risk a re-entry ban despite being 21 weeks pregnant. We also saw a case this week about a British man who has been denied permission to stay despite being the father of a one-year-old child who lives in Sweden. What's the logic behind these decisions? To answer this and other questions, James is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and Emma Löfgren. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode: PoliticsSwedish parliamentary speaker picks Centre Party leader as next PM candidateNew poll shows Sweden's Moderate Party just behind Social DemocratsSwedish finance minister prepares caretaker budget stripped of campaign promisesImmigration'I want to be with my husband': Pregnant woman forced to leave SwedenSwedish business sector urges next government to overhaul global talent strategySwedish traditionsHalloween vs All Saints' Day: How to celebrate in Sweden Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. 4d ago

    What would make the Centre Party rejoin the right in Sweden?

    This week's Sweden in Focus Extra podcast features an interview with Matilda Molander, head of the green and liberal Fores think tank. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. Sweden's Centre Party emerged from the 2026 election as a potential kingmaker and leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist has expressed a preference for the Social Democrats' Magdalena Andersson as Sweden's next prime minister. But the party has also ruled out collaborating in a government that contains the Left Party, a sticking point that has left coalition-building negotiations at an impasse. Matilda Molander from the Fores think tank recently floated the possibility of the Centre Party edging its way back into the right-wing fold it abandoned over concessions to the Sweden Democrats. The Local's Richard Orange caught up with her recently to find out more about the Centre Party's pivotal role and what's likely to happen next in Swedish politics. Tune in to this week's Sweden in Focus Extra for the full analysis. READ ALSO: What would it take for Sweden's Centre Party to back Ulf Kristersson as PM? Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Oct 23

    Why did Swedish media miss so much of the immigration clampdown?

    This week: Halloween in Sweden, Swedish media coverage of the Tidö government’s migration crackdown, our favourite Swedish children’s books, efforts to form Sweden’s next government, and a language quiz. The last four years have seen sweeping change for immigrants in Sweden. For many of The Local's readers, the lack of transitional rules in the new citizenship law caused untold stress. The same goes for multiple changes to the salary threshold required for a work permit. Teen deportations hit the headlines in Sweden last year. But why did it take so long? And how come Swedish media missed so much of what was impacting the lives of people who chose to make Sweden their home? Host Richard Orange is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and Emma Löfgren. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode: HalloweenOPINION: Why I wish Sweden would just stop with HalloweenImmigrationHow did Swedish media cover the 'migration paradigm shift'?PoliticsRegion Stockholm reaches centrist governing agreement, freezing out the leftWhat does Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist really want?What would it take for Sweden's Centre Party to back Ulf Kristersson as PM? Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Oct 20

    Ex-Northvolt worker ordered to leave Sweden while 21 weeks pregnant

    This week’s Sweden in Focus Extra features an interview with Brenda and Marcus Ramström, a couple in western Sweden who speak to The Local days before she is forced to return to her native Brazil following a Migration Court ruling. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. Brenda Ramström, a former Northvolt worker, is 21 weeks pregnant as she boards a flight on Tuesday for the first leg of a gruelling 23 hour journey to Brazil. She has no clear idea of when she will be allowed to return to Sweden. She and her husband Marcus tell The Local's Emma Löfgren that they were shocked and devastated when they received confirmation in late September that Brenda had four weeks to leave Sweden of her own volition or risk an entry ban. Tune in to this week's Sweden in Focus Extra for the full story. Read also: ‘I want to be with my husband’: Pregnant woman forced to leave Sweden Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Oct 16

    What next for Sweden as Magdalena Andersson loses first PM vote?

    This week: First month post-election ends with no government, breakthrough on ending teen deportations, a plan to help citizenship applicants hit retroactively by the new law, and a reminder of some of the best things about living in Sweden. More than a month has passed since Sweden’s election, and we still don’t have a government. As we were recording this week's episode, the Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson lost a vote in parliament on installing her as prime minister. So what happens now? Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and Emma Löfgren. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode: PoliticsDoes losing parliament vote mean Andersson can't be Sweden's next PM?Moderates hit five-year high in Swedish post-election poll as Liberals slipImmigrationHow Sweden's 'new majority' can already move on deportations and citizenshipAll Swedish parties back emergency freeze on teen deportationsSwedish MP seeks to apply old rules to all pre-June 6th citizenship applicantsLiving in SwedenRemembering what I love about this countryThumbnail photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Oct 13

    'Life's uncertain for immigrants in Sweden but it's important not to despair'

    This week’s Sweden in Focus Extra features an interview with AI consultant Anna Bärlund, who won an appeal last week against her Swedish citizenship rejection. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. On June 6th, Sweden rolled out major new citizenship reforms that included increasing the length of time that the partners of Swedish citizens have to live in Sweden before they become eligible for citizenship from three years to seven years. What's more, the government didn't include transitional rules for those already in the queue despite the protestations of legal experts. Consequently, many people who met the requirements when they applied are now being rejected. Until now Sweden's courts have sided with the Migration Agency, so when The Local's Emma Löfgren learned that Anna Bärlund had won her appeal, she was curious to find out more. READ ALSO: AI consultant wins appeal under Sweden’s new citizenship rules Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Oct 8

    What do foreigners in Sweden miss from home?

    This week: Tortuous efforts to form a government, plans to stop teen deportations, how new rules on family reunification could make life harder for university researchers, and what do The Local’s readers miss most when living in Sweden? The four parties that claimed victory in the election are still a long way from forming a government, but there has been movement this week as they agreed to meet in person. The parties will meet on Friday at a luxury hotel on the island of Lidingö, near Stockholm. But the plan is not to negotiate; instead they will be given a series of briefings on the problems facing Sweden. The initiative came from the Centre Party, which has taken a lot of the blame for the lack of progress due to its insistence that the Left Party be denied ministerial posts in any coalition. But will it break the deadlock? Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Mandy Pipher and Richard Orange. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode: PoliticsFour-party meeting set to test Sweden's government potentialMagdalena Andersson once again given job of building new Swedish governmentImmigrationWhat's in Sweden's new law on family reunification?Q&A: How will Sweden's new family immigration law affect researchers?Q&A: Who is affected by Sweden's new law on family immigration?Teen deportations Sweden's centre-left parties agree on halting teen deportationsSweden's migration minister pledges long-term solution to teen deportationsLiving in Sweden'Flavourful food and friendliness': What foreigners in Sweden miss from 'home' Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Oct 6

    'Deportations made foreign writers ask: Do I belong in Sweden?'

    Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. Gift Blessing is only 24 years old, but has already achieved an enormous amount. He is a rapper, an author, a newspaper columnist, and a poet. He came to Sweden as a quota refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo as a young child. He broke through to public consciousness in 2021 with a bravura rap performance in Sweden's Got Talent (Talang). Last month he was made Sweden's official reading ambassador with a mission to get young people reading. And this week he is releasing an anthology of writing in English from writers from all around the world, but who are based in Stockholm. This week's Sweden in Focus Extra features Gift Blessing in conversation with The Local's James Savage. READ ALSO: In Sweden, there are only good, bad, ugly and evil immigrants – a recent long read for The Local by Faisal Khan, one of the contributors to the new anthology, 'Upon All the Living'.Thumbnail photo by Maja Brand. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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4.6
out of 5
37 Ratings

About

Sweden in Focus is The Local’s weekly podcast where we discuss the big news and talking points in Sweden as well as explore and explain the issues that impact life in the country. We also answer your essential questions and look ahead at what’s coming up. In each episode presenter James Savage chats about the most important news and must-know information with The Local Sweden’s Emma Löfgren, Richard Orange and Mandy Pipher. They are frequently joined by other expert commentators. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    The Local
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    312
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Local Europe AB
  • Show Website
    Sweden in Focus

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