There is an acute shortage of places within the Prison and Probation Service – something the Swedish government hopes to solve by renting prison places in other countries. An investigator has now been appointed to examine whether this type of placement is practically viable.
– We must work on several fronts at the same time, said minister of justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) at a press conference on Thursday.
Politicians and the Prison and Probation Service have long warned that there are not enough places to house all prisoners, and existing institutions and remand prisons are currently being expanded across the country – yet the government says this is not enough.
The governing parties and the Sweden Democrats therefore hope to be able to rent prison places in other countries and have launched an investigation to examine whether this is possible, how much it would cost and what practical and organizational problems need to be solved. It will also analyze how to organize the transports, what kind of prisoners can be placed abroad and how to ensure that they are treated in an acceptable and legal way.
Mattias Wahlstedt, permanent secretary and deputy head of department at the Police Legal Department, has been appointed as an investigator and will work on this assignment for 12 months.
Looking in the local area
According to Gunnar Strömmer, it is not currently known which countries Sweden can sign agreements with – but the focus is on the “immediate area”.
– You can think of the Nordic region and Europe, where there is experience with other comparable countries that have rented sites abroad.
The Netherlands is an example of a European country that has received prisoners from other EU countries for a fee, and is one of the options the government will look at more closely.
– Of course there are risks, but I am convinced that it is possible to take care of them in a good way. That is what the investigator will do, and we are open to what the investigator will come up with. Our point is to get to the bottom of these issues, the justice minister continues.
According to Strömmer, Sweden needs to double the number of prison places compared to today.
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Despite the Swedish police raising the alarm about the growing Foxtrot gang network back in 2021, the leadership chose not to act. Today, the network is linked to over 30 murders – at least 16 of which were completely unrelated civilians.
The documentary series En gång bröder (Once Brothers) reveals that a special police investigation team identified Foxtrot four years ago as a rapidly expanding group with a high propensity for violence.
According to the head of intelligence at the police, Jale Poljarevius, the group sounded the alarm early on – but the alarm was deprioritized in favor of other gangs.
– If we could turn back time, we would have quickly redirected our efforts in this direction, Poljarevius told state broadcaster SVT, admitting that Foxtrot had long been off the police’s radar.
It was only after several high-profile murders in 2022 that Foxtrot began to come under police scrutiny. According to the documentary, the network has since been linked to over 30 murders, at least 16 of which were innocent civilians with no gang connections.
Rawa Majid is wanted internationally by Interpol. Photo: screenshot/Interpol.int
Division escalates the spiral of violence
The division within Foxtrot in September 2023 marked a new level of violence. One faction, led by the internationally wanted Rawa Majid – also known as “Jordgubben” (Strawberry) – is suspected of, among other things, the murder of Ismail Abdo’s mother, which further escalated the conflict.
During the summer of 2023, Swedish police managed to infiltrate the network using encrypted chat groups such as the Signal app. This breakthrough led to several arrests and indictments against a number of people in Foxtrot’s top echelons, including for particularly serious drug offenses.
Despite this, the violence continues. According to SVT’s information, the network has also expanded to Norway, where Swedish gang crime has become a growing problem.
At the time of writing, National Police Commissioner Anders Thornberg has declined to comment on the investigation.
A growing number of women are choosing to give birth in so-called birthing pools. Water births are now offered in almost all regions of Sweden, something that was unusual just a few years ago.
Water birth means that the pregnant woman is in a pool and thus surrounded by water, and that the baby is then born underwater. The woman lifts the baby out of the water herself once it is born.
Since 2019, when only four of Sweden’s regions offered this option, more water births have been introduced at Swedish maternity hospitals, according to a survey by the tax-funded SVT. Today, only four do not offer water births: Region Kronoberg, Region Örebro County, Region Gävleborg and Region Blekinge.
In the 17 other regions, there is, or is about to be, some form of possibility to give birth in a birthing pool. One of the latest to acquire a birthing pool is the birthing clinic in Karlstad.
– It feels absolutely fantastic, it’s a goal that we’ve been working towards for several years and haven’t had the conditions for until now, says Charlotte Stenström, head of the obstetrics department at Karlstad Central Hospital, to SVT.
Not everyone will have the opportunity, however, as there are certain criteria. In Karlstad, for example, there will be requirements that the pregnancy is within normal limits and that the baby in the womb is of normal size.
Giving birth in a birthing pool can shorten labor and give the woman a more positive experience of the process, as well as a sense of control over her birth. It can also be beneficial against pain.
– There are many benefits of water births – pain relief is one, says midwife Araceli Carranza.
Svenska kraftnät (the Swedish national grid operator) warns of a critical electricity shortage in southern Sweden this winter equivalent to the output of seven nuclear reactors. A new report shows that electricity area SE4, southern Götaland including Skåne, is particularly vulnerable.
The forecast points to a power shortage of 7,700 MWh/h during a normal winter in SE3 and SE4. The reason is insufficient plannable production in relation to consumption.
Malin Johansson, energy and climate manager at the industry organization IKEM, is calling for quick solutions:
– This confirms that we need to quickly build new capacity in the form of gas turbines and batteries that can even out the peaks and cope with the power demand in southern Sweden, especially during cold, windless winter days.
Imports do not offer a reliable solution either, as the electricity systems of neighboring countries are often just as strained:
“Analyses of import opportunities from neighboring countries show that most, like Sweden, are dependent on imports in strained situations. This indicates that import opportunities from our neighboring countries at these times may be limited if shortages occur simultaneously”, writes Svenska kraftnät.
– It’s no news that if there’s no wind in Denmark, there’s no wind in Skåne either. Every country must take responsibility for its own electricity system. We can’t rely on neighboring countries, says Malin Johansson.
“Must be able to produce around the clock”
Svenska kraftnät highlights consumer flexibility and storage as solutions, but Johansson is skeptical:
– Why should we create a market where industry is forced to be flexible? It’s not as if we have a high added value from selling electricity to other countries. Industry must be able to produce around the clock to promote growth and prosperity in Sweden.
The transmission capacity between SE3 and SE4 is insufficient during peak hours, which drives up electricity prices in SE4. The ERAA 2024 report confirms that margins are shrinking in southern Sweden, where demand is increasing while transmission from the north is limited. The situation requires urgent measures to secure the electricity supply.
The report points out that Europe’s electricity system is at risk of becoming increasingly vulnerable to power shortages. Despite extensive investments in wind and solar power, there is no realistic plan to replace fossil fuel-based electricity production that is being phased out for economic reasons. As a result, new capacity may not be built in time, which threatens security of supply.
A new political party, Sverige Först (Sweden first), was launched yesterday with the stated vision of restoring Sweden’s prosperity, security, and independence.
The founder is the outspoken and popular member of parliament Elsa Widding, who has long been a vocal critic of climate alarmism, supranationalism, and experimental mass vaccination programs.
The party uses the slogan “Make Sweden rich again!” and compares Sweden to Switzerland, noting that Swedes have fallen far behind in recent years.
“In the 1970s, Swedes were one of the richest people in the world; we were then on the same level of prosperity as Switzerland. Today, an experienced Swedish high school teacher earns about 40,000 kronor per month, while a Swiss teacher earns the equivalent of 150,000 kronor”, they write. The party’s solution? Lower taxes and a freer market economy.
In the area of security, Sverige Först wants to see a return to non-alignment. They criticize NATO membership as provocative and risky and want to focus on invasion defense and diplomacy, especially to reduce tensions with Russia.
“Given the uncertainties surrounding NATO, Sweden’s goal should be to pursue an independent security policy aimed at becoming an alliance-free country again. Our ambition should be to stay out of armed conflicts and instead work for détente in our immediate neighborhood”, they argue further. The party is also strongly critical of the DCA agreement, which they see as a direct provocation against Russia, and emphasizes that Sweden should avoid becoming a target in a potential conflict scenario.
More independence
Sverige Först is also opposed to supranationalism and globalism and sees the EU and the World Economic Forum (WEF) as threats to Sweden’s sovereignty and independence.
“Swedish citizens should govern Sweden, not the globalists in Davos or the EU bureaucrats in Brussels”, they declare, arguing that Sweden may need to leave the EU if the union no longer serves the interests of Sweden and the Swedish people.
They also warn that global institutions such as the WHO and the IMF are actively depriving nations of their self-determination and pushing for digital control systems that threaten individual freedom.
“The further away political decisions are made, the more difficult it is for individuals to make their voices heard, and the less self-government and freedom the nation has left. For globalists, the individual is a source of tax revenue and soldier material, but otherwise mostly a nuisance”, they write.
No to climate alarmism and experimental vaccines
Climate policy is another contentious issue. Sverige Först dismisses the climate crisis as greatly exaggerated and wants to base decisions on science, not “alarmism”.
They refer to the IPCC and claim that disaster scenarios have been toned down, while prioritizing agriculture and self-sufficiency over wind power, which they want to phase out in favor of more stable nuclear power. The party emphasizes that nuclear power is the key to cheap and reliable energy, while wind power is seen as unreliable and harmful to nature.
On the vaccine issue, the party expresses skepticism toward mRNA vaccines and condemns the handling of COVID-19. It emphasizes that the individual’s right to choose must be respected according to the Nuremberg Code and criticizes the coercive and surveillance measures introduced during the pandemic.
“Self-evident rights such as gathering, demonstrating, visiting elderly relatives, and attending funerals were abolished. In some countries, it was more or less mandatory to be vaccinated with COVID vaccines, even though the preparations are still in the experimental stage”, it continues.
The party expresses strong concern that the vaccines have not been sufficiently tested and have caused a number of serious vaccine injuries, and calls for an independent review of the pandemic measures:
“Positive change always begins with an acknowledgment of the mistakes that have been made. This process must begin immediately, before more lives are lost in a careless and unnecessary manner”.
Want to highlight what others ignore
When it comes to migration, the party wants to limit it with income requirements – but does not advocate any comprehensive repatriation programs. However, it wants to “stop immigration in order to be able to take care of those who are here” and “create good conditions for the families and individuals who have come to Sweden over the past 25 years with the desire to integrate into Swedish society”.
According to Elsa Widding, the party’s focus is “on the important issues that none of the current parties in parliament dare to pursue with sufficient vigor”, and each policy area will be represented by three people until the 2026 election.
“All with documented experience and relevant expertise to be able to show the way forward”,it says.
