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This week's Sweden in Focus Extra podcast features an interview with Jackie Rulander, a cross-cultural strategist from Barbados who is based in Jönköping. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. After more than 15 years in Sweden Jackie Rulander has encountered her fair share of culture clashes. Like most immigrants she's faced plenty of trivial challenges, like arriving a minute late to pick up her laundry and getting locked out of the communal laundry room. But other cultural misunderstandings have cut much deeper, leading to mistrust and reputational damage. Her own experiences led her to explore more deeply the importance of cultural communication in fostering trust between immigrants and Swedes. In an interview with The Local's Emma Löfgren, she explains why she moved to Sweden from Barbados, what she's learned from living in a community with dozens of different nationalities, and the importance of constructive conversations at a time when many immigrants are feeling disillusioned with their adopted country. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmie Åkesson and Richard Jomshof are old university friends and both were part of the "Gang of Four" who remoulded a party with Nazi roots into an electable entity. Part of that remake involved scrapping an ethnocentric views of what it means to be Swedish. But Jomshof scratched an old itch recently by attempting to reestablish a biological link to Swedishness. Sweden Democrat leader Åkesson responded angrily and Jomshof's standing in the party hierarchy is now in question. But what's behind the squabbling? And what does it say about the future of a party still licking its wounds after a disappointing election? Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Emma Löfgren 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: PoliticsMember Q&A: When will Sweden get a new government?What happens next in the process to form a Swedish government?Sweden DemocratsSweden Democrat leader backs 'open Swedishness' amid high-profile party clashOPINION: One Sweden, one 'folk'?Swedish citizenshipSwedish agency calls for citizenship language tests to be postponed until 2029 Thumbnail photo: Ola Ericson/imagebank.sweden.se Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's Sweden in Focus Extra podcast features an interview with Simon Montgomery, a British-American father facing expulsion from Sweden despite wanting to stay to take care of his one-year-old son. Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. In this week's episode of Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local's Mandy Pipher catches up with a dad who has been fighting for the past year to be able to stay in Sweden with his baby son, despite a deportation order from the Swedish Migration Agency. Although he's no longer together with his child's German mother, Simon Montgomery was determined to stay in Sweden to be fully present in his son't upbringing. But he was left speechless by a migration court ruling that visa-free travel meant he could continue parenting from the UK and would not be granted leave to remain in Sweden. Tune in to this week's podcast for the full story. READ ALSO: 'He's the reason I'm here': Dad fights to stay in Sweden with baby son Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Magdalena Andersson was acclaimed as the winner of Sweden’s election. Four parties – adding up to a majority – said they wanted her to be prime minister, and she was charged by the speaker with forming a government. Yet on Monday she threw in the towel. The immediate pretext was the decision by the Left Party to support the re-election of speaker Andreas Norlén, a Moderate, over the Social Democrats’ own candidate. But it followed two weeks in which Andersson had failed to get the Centre Party, Left Party and Greens to so much as take a cup of coffee with each other. Now it’s up to the speaker to find someone else willing to have a go. Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Emma Löfgren 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: PoliticsSocial Democrat Magdalena Andersson abandons attempt to form a governmentStrategy or spite? Why is Magda giving up on forming Sweden's next government?EXPLAINED: What needs to happen for Sweden to get a new prime minister?From the obvious to the unthinkable: Nine options for Sweden's governmentBrexit'But what are the rules?': My interview with the Swedish Migration Agency's legal chiefThumbnail photo: Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar and Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist take part in a party leader discussion hosted by RFSL during Stockholm Pride. Photo: Stefan Jerrevång/TT Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not yet a member of The Local? Join now with this special offer for podcast listeners. Sweden's government tightened rules for citizenship earlier this year without transitional rules for people who had already applied. The new rules require eight years of residency instead of five for most applicants, and would-be citizens must now pass language and civics tests. The Migration Court in Malmö looked very closely recently at a case in which an applicant appealed for their right to be awarded citizenship according to the old rules. But the court ruled against the citizenship applicant in a blow to people who had waited in the queue and were hoping to become Swedish citizens under the rules that were in place at the time of application. Some hope was restored however when the judge told The Local's Richard Orange that an appeal to a higher court could succeed. In this week's episode you can hear an excerpt from the interview with Judge Löndahl we well as a studio discussion about the case and what happens next. Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Emma Löfgren and Richard Orange. READ ALSO: Chief judge expects Swedish citizenship case to head to highest migration courtINTERVIEW: 'The last word has not yet been said on Swedish citizenship' Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's podcast: Electoral fraud allegations, complex coalition building, Candy Crush maker faces strike action, and how do Swedes say 'Digestive biscuit'? Negotiations between the centre-left parties are ongoing after they won a wafer thin majority in last week’s election. But now a voter fraud scandal involving the Left Party threatens to derail the whole process. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the election of a Left Party Member of Parliament in the Dalarna region. What do know about the allegations so far? And could the scandal lead to a revote? Host James Savage is joined this week by panelists Emma Löfgren 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: Electoral fraud scandalSwedish Left Party leader finally speaks on election fraud allegationsSwedish Election Authority criticises ballot paper systemNewly elected MP steps aside amid Swedish electoral fraud probePoliticsEXPLAINED: What needs to happen for Sweden to get a new prime minister?Behind closed doors, Sweden's Left and Centre parties are still miles apartWorking in SwedenUPDATE: Strike threat lifted as Candy Crush maker signs collective agreementMore unions join pending strike at Swedish Candy Crush makerQ&A: Why Swedish unions are launching a strike at the games maker KingZara Larsson clip credit: Heart Radio Thumbnail photo: Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar. Magnus Hjalmarson Neideman/SVD/TT Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local's Mandy Pipher tells us about the bureaucratic nightmare surrounding her recent trip to Canada.  Living in Sweden on a residence permit can be a risky business, not least given that almost everyone who does so has strong connections to another country and needs to travel frequently. But if your residency card is in the process of being renewed while you're travelling, you risk being shut out of Sweden on your return. In this episode, host James Savage talks to podcast regular Mandy Pipher about her struggles ahead of a recent trip home to Canada. READ ALSO: OPINION: Yes, Swedish immigrants vote in their own interests – just like other voters Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.