Sweden’s tack to the right on climate change, foreign policy and immigration has left liberals alarmed about the country’s reputation abroad.
The new government, led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, is reliant on the far-right Sweden Democrats for a majority in Parliament.
In its first weeks in office, the government has abolished Sweden’s “feminist foreign policy”, closed the environment ministry and opened the door to hosting nuclear weapons on its territory.
Its early moves have raised concerns that Sweden, which gave the world climate activist Greta Thunberg and the Nobel Peace Prize, will take a hit to its global standing.
One concerned leftist, former foreign minister Margot Wallstrom, said on social media on Wednesday: “Should Sweden really not be able to stand for anything internationally any more?”
On one of the biggest domestic problems, a wave of gang crime in the cities, the government has promised to impose a tough new victims-first policy.
Mr Kristersson, who blames social exclusion in large part on immigration, has vowed to introduce stricter border controls.
'Feminist foreign policy'
In 2014, Sweden put gender equality at the heart of its diplomatic work, in what it called a "feminist foreign policy".
But Mr Kristersson has shifted focus to security threats following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The government will pursue a primarily Swedish and European foreign policy,” he said.
Hanna Walfridsson of Human Rights Watch said it was step in the wrong direction for a country previously known as a champion of women’s rights.
“While it is still too early to say how this rhetorical shift will play out in practice, the rebranding is troubling,” she said.
Nuclear weapons
Sweden and Finland, which are both seeking Nato membership, said they would not insist on keeping the alliance’s nuclear weapons off their territory, at least at this stage.
The Social Democrats, the party that previously led Sweden’s government, said in May that the country would not host such weapons.
It was another striking shift for a country that celebrates its 200 years at peace and is known for championing nuclear disarmament through the Stockholm Initiative.
The initiative, and feminist foreign policy, are “examples of things that have brought together a number of countries, that drive issues important to us and the rest of the world", Ms Wallstrom said.
Beatrice Fihn, a Swedish Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who won for her campaign to abolish nuclear weapons, said the country's reputation had been harmed by the far right’s proximity to power.
Climate change
Sweden’s main climate goals, of reaching net zero emissions by 2045 and upholding the Paris Agreement, remain unchanged.
But activists were unnerved by the abolition of the environment ministry, which was merged into the business and energy brief.
An energy target was reworded from 100 per cent renewable to 100 per cent fossil-free, keeping the door open for nuclear power.
Some power plants, meanwhile, have been exempted from carbon taxes, and fuel duties frozen for three years, to ease energy costs.
Foreign aid
In another shift, Mr Kristersson abolished a target of spending 1 per cent of gross domestic product on foreign aid.
He said aid would remain generous, but that the volume would be “calculated by results”.
Sweden is known as one of the biggest donors to the UN’s refugee agency and other humanitarian groups.
The lobby group Action Aid said it was “clear Sweden’s new government has deprioritised matters that should warrant the highest degree of concern”.
Immigration
Curbing immigration was the key demand of the Sweden Democrats in the run-up to the recent election.
Since taking office, Mr Kristersson has announced a “paradigm shift” to cut what he called unsustainable migration.
Planned measures include stricter conditions for migrants to bring their family members to Sweden, a longer route to citizenship and a move to make deportations easier.
Asylum legislation “will be adapted to ensure that it is not more generous than is required", he said.
Gang crime
Tackling an epidemic of gangland shootings in Swedish cities was another major theme of the election campaign.
On Wednesday, Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer unveiled what he called the biggest offensive against organised crime in Sweden’s history.
Police numbers will be increased and officers given new surveillance powers to take on the underworld.
“For too long, the perpetrator has been the focus of Swedish criminal law. The government wants to change this,” authorities said.
Taking on organised crime is also one of five stated priorities for Sweden’s six-month presidency of the EU, which starts on January 1.
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
ARABIAN GULF LEAGUE FIXTURES
Thursday, September 21
Al Dahfra v Sharjah (kick-off 5.35pm)
Al Wasl v Emirates (8.30pm)
Friday, September 22
Dibba v Al Jazira (5.25pm)
Al Nasr v Al Wahda (8.30pm)
Saturday, September 23
Hatta v Al Ain (5.25pm)
Ajman v Shabab Al Ahli (8.30pm)
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
More on Turkey's Syria offence
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
