In an interview with TV4, the supreme commander of the Swedish armed forces Micael Bydén warns of a possible threat of war and urges citizens to “mentally prepare” for war. Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M) agrees and calls for “total resilience”.
– It is not all doom and gloom, but we must understand how serious the situation really is and make mental preparations down to the individual level, says Bydén, comparing it to the situation in Ukraine.
He urges people to think about what they would do if a similar situation arose in Sweden, and not just rely on hope or someone else to do the job.
– The more people who have thought, considered and prepared, the stronger our society will be.
Civil defense minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M) shares the same message as the supreme commander, expressing and emphasizing the urgency of strengthening Sweden’s resilience. Bohlin is concerned about the slow pace of upgrading civil defense and urges everyone, from managers to private citizens, to act quickly.
– No one has a mandate to sit back and wait for others. Failure to act is not an acceptable modus operandi, Bohlin says, emphasizing that “good enough tomorrow is better than perfect in five years. Drawing parallels with the situation in Ukraine, Bohlin calls for “total resilience”.
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) is now tasked with helping vital and organizations vital to the war effort build their war-ready organizations. The government is also asking for an analysis of how to improve the security of medical supplies.
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With less than a year until the election and polling around two percent voter support, the Liberal Party in Stockholm is proposing that the city paint more crosswalks in rainbow colors to show support for the LGBTQ movement.
Taxpayers are expected to cover the total cost of approximately €200,000.
Currently, there is only one rainbow-colored crosswalk in the Swedish capital, located outside Stockholm City Hall. According to the Liberals’ budget proposal, this number should be significantly increased through the project “Proud streets in rainbow colors”.
Opposition city councilor Jan Jönsson (L), who is driving the proposal, argues that the initiative would clearly signal that Stockholm is a city that stands for “love, openness and inclusion”, reports Samnytt.
The proposal comes as the Liberal Party faces the threat of being voted out of the Riksdag. With polling around two percent – far below the four percent threshold required for parliamentary representation – the party is now seeking attention through symbolic policy proposals ahead of next year’s elections.
Drag queens – a cause close to the heart
Jan Jönsson has previously attracted attention for a series of attention-seeking initiatives in recent years. He has called himself “the gangs’ worst enemy” in a campaign about gang crime, although his proposals in practice mainly involved sitting down and having serious conversations with criminal youth.
He has also advocated for men dressed as drag queens to be allowed to read stories to children at libraries. According to Jönsson, it is of utmost importance to protect drag queens’ rights, and he considers it an “art form” that must be defended.
— We want to defend drag queens and everyone else’s right to express themselves. No one should have to hesitate to exercise their right to freedom of expression out of fear of reprisals of any kind, he declared in connection with putting on makeup himself, dressing in women’s clothing and organizing his own drag queen story time in support of the group in question.
— It’s about how people try to restrict people’s right to express themselves and be who they want to be. Especially this art form. This applies to Sweden and not least other countries where increasingly cold winds are blowing, Jönsson warned, claiming that many European countries are moving in an “LGBTQ-hostile direction”.
The number of minors suspected of planning murders has skyrocketed in a short time, according to new figures from the Swedish Prosecution Authority. More than 120 children under 15 are currently under investigation for planning deadly violence.
At the same time, the Swedish government reports that the fight against gang crime shows some progress – but the development raises concerns.
The government’s initiative against gangs has been a central part of the Tidö Agreement between the governing parties and the Sweden Democrats. Three years after the cooperation began, several sentences have been toughened, the justice system has received increased resources, and police have gained access to new tools.
Despite this, it remains unclear whether organized crime is actually decreasing. However, one clearly positive trend is that the number of shootings has decreased sharply in recent years.
According to police statistics, 314 shootings occurred through September 2022. During the same period this year, the number has dropped to 113. The number of fatal shootings has decreased from 49 to 26 during the corresponding period – excluding the ten people killed in the attack at Risbergska School in Örebro, central Sweden.
Police assess that more violent crimes are being stopped in time thanks to expanded possibilities for secret surveillance and other intelligence methods. More murder investigations are also being solved, according to the authority.
Antalet barn under 15 år som misstänks för inblandning i mordplaner ökar dramatiskt i Sverige. Mellan januari och september 2022 misstänktes 14 barn under 15 år för mordplaner. Under samma period i år är siffran 127.
Samtidigt i MP ♀️ pic.twitter.com/lN1LZxAA54
At the same time, the trend points in the opposite direction regarding bombings and arson attacks. These have increased but rarely lead to fatalities. Recently, many of the bombings have been carried out with powerful pyrotechnics instead of military explosives.
Police also see successes on the international front. So far this year, 183 gang-connected individuals have been arrested abroad – a record figure – of which 35 are classified as so-called priority actors. Despite this, the total circle of gang criminals is not assessed to be decreasing.
According to police’s latest situation report from autumn 2024, around 14,000 people are actively involved in the gang environment and an additional 48,000 have connections to it. When the next report is presented in November, the numbers are expected to rise.
Directing crime from abroad
Police also estimate that approximately 700 gang criminals now operate from abroad – an increase of 100 people since previous calculations.
The most concerning trend, however, involves children and young people. In 2022, 14 children under 15 were suspected of involvement in murder plots. This year, the figure has risen to 127, according to new data from the Swedish Prosecution Authority.
The suspicions mainly concern attempted murder, preparation, conspiracy and aiding and abetting murder, but also nine completed murders and a couple of cases of incitement.
Bombings are increasing alarmingly in Sweden (archive image Uppsala, Sep. 2023). Photo: Facsimile/Aftonbladet Play/YT
Children recruiting children
According to the Swedish Ministry of Justice, children are often recruited via social media, where gang criminals post orders for violent acts. A growing trend is also that children themselves recruit other children. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer (Moderate Party) believes that crime has not worsened, but that it has changed character.
Criminologist Manne Gerell assesses that the development is largely moving in the right direction: – The best indicator for me is how many people die or are seriously injured, and there we have seen a massive decrease in shootings.
Gerell believes the decrease is mainly due to increased resources for police rather than individual reforms in the Tidö Agreement: – Everything else is small puzzle pieces that individually could hardly have played any role, he says.
Among the measures that have had the least effect, he mentions the visitation zones, which have been used less than expected and have not produced any clear results.
Police simultaneously warn that the level of violence within gangs remains high and that new spirals of violence may arise: – One concern is that hundreds of children and young people who were taken for involvement in these crimes a few years ago will, to a large extent, be back on the streets soon if they aren’t already, says Manne Gerell.
Swedish defense company Saab has secured a contract worth almost €50 million from NATO’s procurement organization NSPA to extend the lifespan of Arthur radar systems for the Spanish army.
This marks the first time Saab’s radar systems have been procured through NATO’s purchasing organization.
The contract involves enabling the Spanish army’s artillery locating force to maintain its operational capabilities through modern technology.
The life extension of the systems will provide higher operational mobility and more accurate fire control. The upgrade means more targets can be located at longer distances. The system will also have a smaller signature against electronic warfare sensors, which increases protection for personnel and equipment.
Carl-Johan Bergholm, head of Saab’s Surveillance business area, comments on the order:
— We are pleased to continue strengthening Spain’s artillery locating capability, which is crucial for warning against hostile artillery as well as directing our own artillery fire. The order is also the first for our radar systems to go through NATO’s procurement organization, which is an important step for us,he says.
Largest in the Nordic region
Saab is by far the largest defense company in the Nordic region with approximately 25,000 employees and manufacturing operations in the United States, Germany, and Brazil, among other countries. In 2023, the company ranked as the world’s 35th largest arms manufacturer.
In addition to its well-known fighter jets, Saab also produces and maintains military command and control systems.
The largest shareholder is the Wallenberg sphere, which through the investment company Investor controls around 30 percent of the capital and 40 percent of the votes. Marcus Wallenberg has been chairman of the board since 2006.
An increasing number of Swedes are living in material and social poverty. According to this year’s poverty report from Sweden’s City Missions, poverty in Sweden has nearly doubled since 2021.
Last year, 698,000 Swedes lived in some form of poverty, according to the report. The increase in poverty in Sweden stands out across Europe, particularly in terms of speed – having nearly doubled in four years. Jonas Rydberg, secretary general of Sweden’s City Missions (a charitable organization), believes the rising poverty is largely due to the economic downturn and sharp increases in food prices.
— But what we can show in our report is that it’s also because it’s becoming increasingly difficult to have one’s rights met. For example, financial benefits. They are inaccessible and difficult to obtain, he says in Nyhetsmorgon.
Rydberg notes that many of those seeking help from the city mission don’t receive the general social insurance benefits they’re entitled to, making it significantly harder to manage daily life. Social welfare support, for example, has become more complicated to obtain and the payments are very low.
— It has become increasingly difficult and the ultimate safety net is being eroded in Sweden.
The Swedish government recently presented a welfare reform that involves stricter requirements for social benefits, with the goal of getting more people into work. According to Rydberg, the proposal risks instead pushing more people into poverty.
— It’s difficult and the labor market in Sweden is not accessible, he states.
