Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Housing crisis worsens in Stockholm – over 800,000 in housing queue

Published 18 September 2023
– By Editorial Staff
Demand for affordable rental apartments in Stockholm soars.
1 minute read

Stockholm is facing its most acute housing shortage ever, with 810,000 people currently in line for rental apartments. This disproportionately affects low-income individuals. Marika Nordström, Head of Marketing and Communication at Bostadsförmedlingen, said the demand for cheaper housing options is surging.

The waiting time for cheaper apartments has increased by 1.5 years, Nordström told media, highlighting that the overall queue time has only increased by two months. She noted that interest in rentals has risen, particularly as rising interest rates make ownership less accessible.

This year, over 4,000 new applicants per month have joined the housing queue. Demand is especially high for cheaper rentals those under 1,600 SEK per square meter per year. Landlords often require tenants to have an income three times the annual rent, a rule that severely impacts low-income groups.

Marika Nordström, Bostadsförmedlingen (Stockholm Housing Agency). Photo: Bostadsförmedlingen

Meanwhile, middle and high-income earners find it easier to secure newly built, expensive apartments with little to no wait time. Bostadsförmedlingen has broken its record for the number of allocated apartments, with 2,140 homes given out just in August. However, this must be seen in light of Stockholm’s growing population, which reduces the availability of homes relative to the number of seekers.

The agency expects both longer queues and more allocated homes in 2023, attributing this to delays in new construction projects.

Homes that are starting construction now will only be available to us in two years, Nordström concluded.

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Sweden invests billions in roads and railways – will take 25 years to catch up

Published today 11:31
– By Editorial Staff
Decades of deferred maintenance are now to be addressed on both roads and railways.
2 minute read

Over 100 billion euros will go to maintenance and upgrading of Swedish roads, railways, as well as maritime and aviation infrastructure, according to the Swedish Transport Administration’s national plan for transport infrastructure.

At the same time, the agency announces that it will take 25 years to catch up with railway maintenance – and that several planned investments will be scrapped.

It was last autumn that the Swedish government decided to upgrade Sweden’s infrastructure with the aim of, among other things, creating better conditions for efficient and sustainable transport. On Tuesday, the Swedish Transport Administration presented its proposals on how the money should be used.

A total of 100 billion euros will be divided up, with half of the money going to maintenance and half to development of new infrastructure.

The plan is to, among other things, catch up with deferred maintenance on both roads and railways. The forecast for when they will be caught up with the work is estimated to be 2037 for roads and 2050 for railways.

It’s possible to do it faster, but then we can’t allow as much train traffic as we do today, says the Swedish Transport Administration’s Director-General Roberto Maiorana to public broadcaster SVT.

“Travel will become more efficient”

There will also be quite a few investments made to meet “Sweden’s future needs for efficient, sustainable and robust transport”. Furthermore, they will also scrap certain projects that have been active, including the expansion of double tracks in Maria–Helsingborg as well as Gävle–Kringlan, which are considered too expensive. This is being done to free up money for other projects that they consider to have greater benefit.

Much of this plan is about better conditions for commuting, a more competitive business sector and strong total defense. Travel and transport will become more reliable, efficient and safer, says Maiorana.

Swedish government opens wallet to combat “racism”

Published 25 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
"Racism is a threat to our entire democracy", says Swedish Gender Equality Minister Nina Larsson of the Liberal Party.
2 minute read

The Swedish government is now allocating an additional €900,000 to long-term work against “racism, antisemitism, antiziganism, anti-Muslim and anti-Black racism as well as discrimination against the Sami people”.

The initiative builds on the national action plan that the government has used for several years to combat alleged discrimination and prejudice.

The measures will continue to be implemented within schools, working life, welfare and the justice system and will be coordinated by, among others, the Forum for Living History (a Swedish government agency). The goal is to combat everything from “hate crimes” to subtle prejudices, and the efforts are to continue at least until 2029.

Racism is not just an attack on the individual person – it is a threat to our entire democracy. We can never accept that people’s rights and life chances are limited by prejudice and discrimination. That is why we are now taking a long-term approach to the work against racism. It requires perseverance, continuity and political will – and that is exactly what we are delivering, says Swedish Gender Equality Minister Nina Larsson (L).

Critics point out, however, that Sweden according to several international comparisons is among the world’s least racism-affected countries and that the problems often exist on the margins.

Symbolic action or real change?

Current and previous Swedish governments’ recurring focus on the “fight against racism” can be perceived as disproportionate, and some question whether the resources are being used effectively, or whether it is more about a political symbolic action.

At the same time, there are studies that indicate that certain groups, for example Afro-Swedes, face discrimination within important areas of society. It is a balancing act between acknowledging real problems and avoiding magnifying them into general societal crises.

The Swedish government repeatedly emphasizes that racism is “a threat to the entire democracy”, and that a sustained, long-term approach is therefore required.

In comment sections and on social media, however, many Swedes wonder when the “fight against racism” transitions into becoming a routine and unjustified political doctrine in a society that is already ranked among the most tolerant and welcoming in the world.

Screen time decreases among Swedish children

Published 24 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
More children up to eight years old read daily.
2 minute read

Children and young people are spending less time in front of screens, according to a new report. The decrease is most pronounced in younger age groups, where reading has taken up more space.

The report “Kids & Media 2025” examines Swedish children and young people’s media usage and their attitudes toward media. The study is based on a national survey among children and young people up to 18 years old and represents the most comprehensive statistical study in this field.

The results show that the use of mobile phones, tablets and computer games is decreasing among young people in most age groups. The clearest decline is found in the 9-12 age group, where daily use of digital devices decreased by 38 minutes per day in 2024 compared to 2022. A decrease of 21 minutes during the same period is also seen among 13-16-year-olds.

Furthermore, the proportion of nine-year-olds who do not have access to their own mobile phone has almost quadrupled since 2022. A similar development is also seen among younger children.

Increased concern among parents

Yvonne Andersson, author of the report, believes the decrease is due to parents becoming more restrictive because of increased concern about the harm that screen time can contribute to.

Many parents express increased concern about the negative consequences of media use, she tells Swedish public broadcaster SVT.

More read daily

The report also shows that more children up to eight years old read daily. Among children aged 9-12, 39 percent read every day. According to Andersson, more children read books or newspapers daily today than when the surveys began in 2012.

One can imagine this is a positive consequence of them spending less time on digital media, and therefore having more time for reading.

Female paramedic killed in stabbing in Sweden

Deteriorating safety

Published 21 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The suspected murderer is arrested by tactical police units.
3 minute read

A female paramedic has died following a knife attack in Harmånger in Nordanstig municipality, Sweden, on Saturday. A 25-year-old man has been detained on suspicion of murder.

Police received an emergency call at 11:30 AM about an assault in a residential apartment complex area.

— We were told that an ambulance worker had been injured by a sharp object that a man at the scene had, says Maria Hall, police press spokesperson for the central region.

The woman was taken to hospital but her life could not be saved. A neighbor who knows the suspect recounts:

— My little 12-year-old daughter, who was out with the dog, saw how the ambulance woman came out bleeding. I know the guy who did this. As we understand it, he himself called for an ambulance because he was in such bad condition.

According to the neighbor, several people witnessed the attack.

— There were several witnesses standing outside the entrance when the injured woman ran out. She threw herself out of the apartment after he had stabbed her. The guy stood with two knives in his hands. People screamed at him and then he went back into the apartment again. He is dangerous. That’s well known.

Residents had to stay indoors

The area was cordoned off and residents were advised to stay indoors. Sweden’s National Task Force arrived at 2:30 PM. A female neighbor heard screams from the stairwell and then saw the paramedic on the ground.

— Someone else performed CPR. She kept going for a very long time, she tells Bonnier newspaper Expressen, and explains that she was forced to stay inside for two hours.

— The police called me and said I wasn’t allowed to go out into the stairwell, because I was safer inside.

Two hours after the emergency call, the man was arrested and later detained on probable cause suspected of murder.

Ambulance union: Murder could have been prevented

Henrik Johansson, union secretary at the Swedish Ambulance Union, believes the death could have been prevented with better information sharing between police and healthcare services.

— For many years we have lacked the possibility of flagging, that is, information exchange between police and emergency dispatch, where one could otherwise find out if the person appears in crime and suspect registers – if the person has repeatedly threatened ambulance and rescue personnel, he says to Schibsteds-owned TV4.

— It gets red-flagged. A textbook case of someone who should not have received an ambulance. So it would have made a real difference in this case.

The union has been pushing this issue for 20 years without success.

— We have been so frustrated about this – and we have really been nagging. We have participated in the blue light investigation. We have written articles about it. We bring it up almost daily in various forums. But the employer remains silent.

“A tragedy”

Sineva Ribeiro, chairperson of the Swedish Association of Health Professionals, agrees with the criticism.

— Here the employer has a great responsibility to never accept threats and violence against healthcare personnel.

Region Gävleborg (the regional healthcare authority) has activated crisis support for colleagues.

— It is a tragedy. It is a terrible incident. There are upset emotions and we are now taking care of staff and relatives, says Susanna Björklund, deputy director of health and medical services.

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