Fredrik Erixon, head of the think tank ECIPE, writes in an opinion piece that Sweden is one of the major losers in the new wave of global protectionism, which he sees spreading rapidly.
He argues that “Sweden is making a downward technological class journey” and that the country is quickly becoming more “peripheral” in a range of technology-related fields.
Erixon, who has a background at the investment bank JP Morgan and the neoliberal think tank Timbro, points out that the U.S. under recent presidents has distanced itself from “the economic world order that emerged after World War II” and instead shifted toward increased protectionism—believing that the current world economic order “is not capable of handling new geopolitical conflicts”.
“That attitude also extends to climate policy: the US, like the EU now as well, no longer accepts an international climate policy framework where China can continue a fossil-fueled economic expansion while Western companies become less competitive due to rising energy costs. The world economy is moving into a protectionist spiral”, he continues.
According to the lobbyist, “Sweden is one of the major losers” in this new era of protectionism – because “we are too small an economy to play hardball when dealing with economic frictions”.
“Sweden cannot compete based on the power of large numbers: we don’t have a population size that allows us to influence other countries with dazzling consumer demand, investments, natural resources, and so on. They can manage without us. At the same time, we are enormously dependent on economic openness for our prosperity and for access to services and technologies from the rest of the world”.
“Once at the forefront”
He also raises a warning about what he sees as Sweden’s tendency to align with an “EU policy that is more inward-looking and fearful of competition”, arguing that particularly “high-tech and research-intensive sectors” in Sweden have suffered under EU policies, and that Sweden’s passivity has damaged its geoeconomic influence.
“Sweden is making a downward technological class journey. In recent years, the government has created various incentives for a larger share of investments to go to ‘mid-tech’ technologies like batteries and green steel. The GDP effect from these technologies is limited. In major transversal technologies like materials, AI and quantum technology, telecommunications and space technology, and biotechnology, Sweden is becoming increasingly peripheral—even though we were once at the forefront of these technologies and their commercialization”, he laments.
Calls for government investment
According to Erixon, the solution is for the authorities to start using their “state capacity” to improve Sweden’s geoeconomic position -through targeted political efforts and by offering businesses “better tax incentives and more attractive conditions for research-intensive activities and human capital to locate in Sweden”.
“Especially in transversal technologies – that is, technologies expected to drive much of future innovation and structural transformation in the economy”, he continues.
He concludes with a recommendation that the government’s spending on research and development should be “at least” 5 percent of GDP within ten years – and that the state should begin by allocating an additional 500 billion SEK to strategic research over the coming decade.
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The upcoming book “Gods of data” examines AI from a religion-critical perspective. Carl Öhman, researcher at the Department of Government at Uppsala University in Sweden, argues that today’s AI systems can be compared to humanity’s relationship with gods – and researches what would happen if power were completely handed over to AI.
As AI has developed, the tool that was initially used as a more personal version of Google has now also taken a place as an advisor in homes. AI is increasingly being used to ask more personal questions, such as healthcare advice, psychology and even as relationship counseling.
Öhman argues that AI has begun to become like gods, that is, a “kind of personified amalgamation of society’s collective knowledge and authority”, and in a research project he studies what humanity would lose if it allowed itself to be completely governed by technology – even a flawless one.
In a thought experiment, he explains how AI can affect, for example, a couple in everyday life who have started arguing due to different values, who get help from an AI relationship counselor.
— They ask: ‘Hi, should we continue being together?’ The AI has access to all their data: their DNA, childhood photos, everything they’ve ever written and searched for and so on, and has been trained on millions of similar couples. It says: ‘with 98 percent probability this will end in catastrophe. You should break up with each other today. In fact, I’ve already found replacement partners for you who are much better matches’, he says in the Research Podcast.
Buying security
Öhman argues that even if there are no rational reasons why the couple shouldn’t obey the AI and break up, one gets a feeling here of having lost something. And in this particular case, the couple would lose faith in themselves and their relationship.
— Love is always a risk. All interpersonal relationships involve a risk of being betrayed, saddened, that something goes wrong. We can absolutely use technology to minimize that risk, perhaps even completely reduce it. The point is that something is then lost. We sell our ability to be brave and buy security from the machines, he says.
World daddy in AI form
The research project also examines other relationships where AI has taken an increasingly larger role, for example parenthood. Today there are a number of AI apps designed to help adults handle their relationship with their children. Among other things, this can involve AI giving personalized responses or trying to prevent conflicts from arising.
— Just like in the example of the young loving couple, something is lost here. In this particular chapter I use Sigmund Freud and his idea that belief in God is a kind of refusal to be an adult. That there is some kind of world daddy who ultimately always has the right answers. And here it becomes somewhat the same. There is a world daddy in the form of AI who then becomes the real parent in your relationship with the children. And you increasingly identify as a kind of child to the AI parent who has the final answers, he says.
Handing over power over ourselves
Öhman argues that it might feel nice to be able to avoid getting your heart broken, or to prevent conflicts with your children, but that one must be aware that there is a price when AI gets the power. He argues that when people talk about AI coming and taking over, it often happens violently and that “the machines come and take our lives from us.”
— But the point in my book, and this project, is that it is we who hand over power over our lives, our courage, faith, and ultimately ourselves, he says.
Did you know your company can save significant IT costs today without compromising on functionality or user-friendliness? Teuton Systems, as one of the first providers in the Nordic region, offers installation of Nextcloud - the world's leading alternative to Microsoft 365.
Nextcloud is a collaboration platform that brings together file management, document editing, calendar, contacts and communication tools in one place. Just like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, it gives employees the ability to work with documents wherever they are, share files with colleagues and have video meetings – but with one crucial difference: you decide where your data is stored and who has access to it.
More than 400,000 organizations worldwide, from the French Ministry of the Interior to Swedish universities, have chosen Nextcloud to maintain control over their information.
Features in Nextcloud
File management that works everywhere: Upload documents, images and files from your computer and access them from your phone, tablet or any other device. When someone updates a document, everyone else sees the change immediately. No emails with “latest version” as an attachment – everyone works with the same file.
Work together in real time: Through integrated office tools, multiple people can edit the same document, spreadsheet or presentation simultaneously directly in the web browser. You see what your colleagues are writing as they write it.
Communicate and organize: Nextcloud Talk offers video meetings, chat and screen sharing without any external services like Zoom or Teams. Shared calendar and contacts make it easy to coordinate meetings and ensure everyone on the team has the same information.
Integration: The system can be connected to existing tools like Active Directory, SharePoint and other business systems. Over 200 add-ons are available to customize the platform according to specific needs.
Open and edit documents directly in the web browser through cutting-edge integration of word processors and other document apps.
Why choose Nextcloud over Google or Microsoft?
1. You decide where your data is stored – and it matters
When you use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, all your files, emails and documents end up on servers in the USA. This means that US authorities can demand access to your data through laws like the US Cloud Act – often without you knowing about it. For a Swedish company, this could mean that sensitive information about customers, employees or trade secrets is suddenly accessible to foreign authorities.
With Nextcloud, you decide where your data is stored. You can either have the system on your own server in your office, or choose a local hosting provider. Either way, everything stays within your country’s borders, which automatically means GDPR compliance without complicated data processing agreements. This is why Swedish government agencies like Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency) and Transportstyrelsen (the Swedish Transport Agency) have chosen Nextcloud – they must be able to guarantee that citizens’ information is protected.
2. Skip monthly costs – save thousands of euros
Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 cost money every month for every person in the company. For a company with Microsoft 365 Business Premium and 50 employees, it amounts to approximately €13,500 per year – that’s €67,500 over a five-year period. And prices tend to increase over time.
Nextcloud is open source and completely free to use. The only thing you pay for is the server it runs on and any support services. A server for 50 people costs around €2,000 to purchase, plus around €500 per year for electricity and maintenance. Over five years: €4,500 instead of €67,500 – a saving of over €63,000.
Even if you choose to let an external provider handle the actual server operation, the cost becomes a fraction of what Google or Microsoft charges. And you get unlimited storage based on your hardware – no limit on how much you can store.
Access all company files and documents in your own “cloud” regardless of where you are without dependence on Microsoft, Google and other tech giants.
3. Complete security control
When your files are with Google or Microsoft, it’s their security routines that apply. You can’t control what happens behind the scenes. With Nextcloud, you have full insight and control.
You can, among other things:
Require two-factor authentication for all users
See exactly who opened which files and when
Set rules for what types of files can be uploaded or downloaded
Activate encryption that makes it so not even the system administrator can read the content
Decide that certain files are automatically deleted after a certain time
Since Nextcloud is open source, anyone can review the code for security flaws. This means that problems are discovered and fixed quickly by thousands of developers worldwide. Compare that to closed systems where security problems can lie hidden for years.
Nextcloud is also the first cloud platform to receive Blauer Engel certification (Germany’s official environmental label), which confirms both security and sustainability.
4. Customize the system according to your needs
With Google or Microsoft, you get the apps and features they offer – no more, no less. With Nextcloud, you can add exactly the features your company needs through over 200 available add-ons.
Do you need tools for visual project management? Forms to collect information from customers? Integration with your existing accounting software or customer system? Custom appearance that matches the company’s graphic profile? All of this can be implemented.
If the company grows, Nextcloud scales with it – from five to five hundred users without you needing to change systems or sign new expensive contracts.
5. No lock-in – you decide
Once you’ve put all your data with Google or Microsoft, it’s troublesome to move. It’s designed that way – the more locked in you are, the harder it is to switch. But what happens if they raise prices? Or if their service is down for a whole day? Or if a conflict arises with American interests that choose to limit access to services in Europe?
With Nextcloud, you own your data and can move it when you want, where you want. All data is saved in open standard formats that work everywhere. Want to change hosting provider? Move from the cloud to your own server? Or vice versa? No problem. You’re never locked in.
Keep all company internal meetings and calls with business partners privacy-secure on your own server without outside surveillance with access to meeting rooms, meeting recording, transcription and modern AI functions.
Getting started with Nextcloud
You don’t need to be a technical expert to use Nextcloud. The interface is intuitive and works exactly as you expect – click to open files, drag and drop to upload, share with a link.
For installation and configuration, there are companies that specialize in this. Teuton Systems is a Swedish technology company based in Dalarna, Sweden that works with privacy-promoting technology and open source solutions. They help companies install, configure and maintain Nextcloud. With support in Swedish and English, you get help through the entire process – from planning to ongoing operation.
Technical overview:
Files and storage: Unlimited storage based on your hardware, automatic file versions, password-protected file sharing
Collaboration: Real-time document editing, video conferences, chat, calendar, contacts
Compatibility: Works in web browsers, available as app for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android
Cost: License-free open source, possibility to sign enterprise support on annual basis
Contact: Call Teuton Systems at +46 10 10 11 222 or visit teuton-systems.com to get help getting started and assess whether Nextcloud fits your business.
The Environmental Code’s ban on nuclear facilities in large parts of Sweden’s coastal and archipelago areas should be removed, the Swedish government proposes. A consultation proposal has been sent out and must be answered by December 15 at the latest.
During a nuclear power conference at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (Liberal Party) presented plans to make the coast accessible for nuclear power expansion.
— We are now making the entire coast, including our islands, available for nuclear installations. New reactors are necessary for us to be able to live fossil-free lives, she says.
The changes affect several areas along the Swedish coast. Among others, Bohuslän (western Sweden), Öland, Gotland (Baltic Sea islands), and the Stockholm archipelago will become available for nuclear facilities. Coastal areas in Småland and Östergötland (from Simpevarp to Arkösund) as well as in Ångermanland (from Storfjärden to Skagsudde) in northern Sweden are also included in the proposal.
— We need the possibility to evaluate all suitable locations for new nuclear power, we cannot exclude them in advance, says the environment minister in a comment to TT.
“Nuclear power has been badly treated”
The climate minister justifies the changes by saying nuclear power is needed to create a “sustainable future”.
— We propose that nuclear facilities should be exempted from these restrictions, they have a crucial role for a sustainable and reliable future, she continues.
Despite the ban being removed, protection for natural and cultural values should be maintained according to the proposal.
“Today’s ban excludes locations that could be suitable without allowing an assessment in individual cases. The legal change creates conditions for more actors who want to build and invest in nuclear facilities along the coast”, it reads among other things.
The Swedish government expects the changes to take effect on July 1, 2026.
— Nuclear power has been badly treated and neglected for decades. But that has now changed. A new licensing process is being introduced, Pourmokhtari states.
Foxtrot, Dalen and Rumba – three criminal networks and their leaders bear responsibility for nearly half of all gang violence that has led to personal injuries or deaths in Sweden during 2025.
Despite extensive police operations following the major wave of violence in 2023, the same gang leaders continue to control their organizations and instigate violent acts from abroad, according to an internal situation report obtained by Bonnier newspaper Expressen.
The police report identifies three main actors: Foxtrot led by Rawa “Kurdish Fox” Majid, the Dalen network headed by Mikael “The Greek” Tenezos, and the Rumba network under Ismail “Strawberry” Abdo.
“There are over 50 mapped networks in Sweden that are assessed to have very high violence potential. In light of this, it is remarkable that only three networks are involved in nearly half of the violence that leads to personal injuries and/or deaths”, the police write.
Conflicts between the three networks have somewhat subsided since the 2023 wave of violence, which is reflected in statistics showing a sharp decrease in gun violence, but police simultaneously warn that this does not mean the networks have been weakened. Both Foxtrot and Dalen have instead focused on drug trafficking and carry out violent acts for payment.
Released on bail – now arrested again
The Rumba network is reported to have been weakened since leader Ismail Abdo was arrested by Turkish police in early July 2025. The arrest is considered a major success for Swedish police, as the network is suspected of extensive weapons smuggling and a long series of violent acts.
Abdo had previously been arrested in Turkey in May 2024, when he was armed with a loaded pistol and wearing a bulletproof vest. But he was released after paying the equivalent of approximately €550 in bail.
Smuggling hand grenades from the Balkans
Foxtrot, which is assessed to be the most violence-driven network, has according to police “an established logistics chain for smuggling weapons and hand grenades from the Balkans”. The network has carried out several attacks per month during 2025, primarily to strengthen its position in the drug market.
Among the notable incidents is a series in western Sweden where a shooting and four arson attacks were carried out after the network’s accomplices stole over 30 kilos of cocaine. In another case, three bombing attacks were carried out against a person’s relatives as pressure for that person to start dealing Foxtrot’s narcotics.
Rawa Majid, who left Turkey in autumn 2023, remains at large. Reports have claimed that he was detained in Iran and he has also been accused of orchestrating attacks against Israeli targets in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime.
In January, Majid’s uncle was murdered in Husby, a Stockholm suburb. In an interrogation, Majid’s father said his son had promised not to seek revenge.
— He promised me not to do anything, the father said. When police asked where the son got information about who ordered the murder, the answer was: “He knows everything”.
Police assess that “a critical dependency for the Foxtrot network’s use of violence is likely the strategic persons who are located abroad”.
New wave of violence expected
Mikael Tenezos, the former hockey talent who leads the Dalen network, is in turn wanted in absentia but controls his network from Mexico. Despite repeated appeals from Swedish authorities, most recently in February 2025, he has not yet been arrested.
The Dalen network dominates drug trafficking in northern Sweden, with Gävle as the new central distribution point. The network also carries out violent acts for payment, primarily threats, violence and debt collection for financial criminals. The weapons used have largely come from the Rumba network’s smuggling from Turkey.
Police warn of the risk that a new major conflict could break out if Foxtrot and Dalen clash in the drug market. Both networks are assessed to have the ability to quickly scale up and carry out multiple violent acts in a short time.
