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Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/key-legislative-changes-in-sweden-for-2025/

Sweden

Key legislative changes in Sweden for 2025

Published 2 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The Kristersson government is gearing up with a slew of new laws for 2025.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

At the turn of the year, several new laws came into force in Sweden. Laws that affect everything from taxes and the environment to legal certainty and digital accessibility. New earned income tax credit, more expensive unsecured loans, anonymous witnesses allowed and lowered limit for free dental care are some examples.

Below is a selection of several important legislative changes in 2025.

Enhanced earned income tax credit and reduced tax for pensioners

The government has introduced an enhanced earned income tax credit that gives everyone with a monthly income of more than SEK 16,000 a tax cut of an average of SEK 2,600 per year. At a monthly salary of SEK 40,000, the effect fades away.

In addition, the phasing out of the earned income tax credit will be removed, reducing the marginal tax rate from 55% to 52%. Pensioners will also benefit from lower taxes, with an average reduction of around SEK 1 400 per year.

Increased income pension

The income pension will be increased by 4%, which means that a pensioner earning SEK 18,000 a month will receive SEK 720 more from January 2025. For guarantee pensioners, this means an increase of 2.6%.

Tax-free basic rate for savings in investment savings accounts (ISK)

A tax-free basic rate will be introduced for savings in ISK and endowment insurance accounts. In 2025, savings up to SEK 150,000 will be tax-free, with a planned increase to SEK 300,000 in 2026.

Reduced tax on petrol and diesel

From 1 January 2025, the tax on petrol and diesel will be reduced compared to previously decided levels. Further reductions will take effect on 1 July 2025, and these tax rates will also apply in 2026.

Housing allowance extended

The temporary additional allowance linked to the housing allowance will be extended until June 2025, but at a level of 25% of the preliminary housing allowance.

Increased tax on electricity

From the beginning of the year, the tax on electricity will be increased – from SEK 0.428 per kilowatt hour to SEK 0.439 per kilowatt hour (almost SEK 0.55 per kilowatt hour including VAT).

Allowing anonymous witnesses

To strengthen witness protection and counter the culture of silence in criminal circles, it will now be possible to testify anonymously in certain cases. This applies to serious crimes with a minimum sentence of two years’ imprisonment, both during preliminary investigations and in court.

Mandatory textile sorting

From January 1, 2025, it will be mandatory to sort textile waste separately from other waste. This includes clothes, curtains, bags and other textiles. Municipalities will be responsible for the collection and management of textile waste.

Abolition of aviation tax

The previous aviation tax will be abolished on July 1, 2025. This is expected to reduce domestic and intra-European ticket prices by around SEK 80, while travel outside Europe will be around SEK 325 cheaper.

Reduced age limit for free dental care

The age limit for free dental care will be lowered from the beginning of the year. Previously, dental care was free until the year you turned 23; now this only applies until the age of 19. People between the ages of 20 and 23 will instead receive a general dental care allowance of SEK 600 per year.

Requirement for charging points at larger parking lots

After the turn of the year, parking lots with 20 or more spaces must have at least one charging point for electric cars. The requirement applies to almost all parking lots with 20 or more spaces. The exception is certain non-profit organizations, residential buildings and buildings for national defense.

Increased ceiling for rehabilitation grants

The ceiling for rehabilitation grants to employers will be raised from SEK 10,000 to SEK 20,000 per employee per year. The aim is to enable employers to offer employees the necessary rehabilitation.

Strengthened rights for children

Other examples of new laws and regulations to be introduced in 2025 include higher salaries for police trainees, abolition of license requirements for opening hotels or guesthouses, requirements for employers to report maternity and paternity leave to the Swedish Tax Agency, and strengthened rights for children against violence and abuse.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-teachers-union-warns-threats-and-violence-becoming-normalized-in-schools/

Sweden

Swedish teachers’ union warns: Threats and violence becoming normalized in schools

Published 14 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

An increasing number of teachers are being subjected to threats and violence in their professional roles, according to a report from Sveriges Lärare (Swedish Teachers’ Union). Staff working in after-school programs are the worst affected.

One in three teachers has been subjected to threats or violence in the past year. Meanwhile, four out of ten have witnessed a colleague being subjected to the same.

The report also shows that violence is becoming increasingly normalized – many teachers have stopped reporting incidents due to lack of support from school management and unclear procedures.

— Threats and violence in schools are no longer isolated incidents – this is a systemic failure. That we teachers cannot feel safe at work is unacceptable and must never be normalized. The limit of what we teachers can endure has been exceeded, says Anna Olskog, chairperson of Sveriges Lärare in a press release.

Problem worst in after-school programs

Teachers in after-school programs are the worst affected – six out of ten have been subjected to harassment, threats or violence. Half of all teachers experience high stress, one in three suffers from depression and one in five is considering leaving the profession. The report also shows a clear connection between increased exposure and staff shortages.

Sveriges Lärare demands zero tolerance for threats and violence from school management and that authorities address the problem.

— Threats and violence in schools are not just a school issue, it’s a societal issue. When teachers hesitate to report incidents and when colleagues leave the profession, we lose both quality and safety in schools. We have long demanded a national effort – from the state, from school management and from society as a whole – to reverse this development, says Olskog.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/more-swedish-adults-worry-about-childrens-mental-health/

Sweden

More Swedish adults worry about children’s mental health

Published 12 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Mental illness among children has become a widespread societal problem, experts warn.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Nearly half of Swedish adults have felt concern for a child’s mental wellbeing, according to a survey conducted by Verian on behalf of Bris (Children’s Rights in Society), a Swedish children’s helpline. At the same time, many don’t know how to get help for the child.

A large portion of calls from children who contact Bris concern mental health issues. During the summer, for example, 46 percent of calls dealt with this theme, showing a stable trend. Last year, the proportion of calls about mental health issues was 44 percent, confirming that these issues have been prominent for several years.

The survey shows that five out of ten adults have at some point felt concern about a child’s mental wellbeing. Of these people who felt concern, 64 percent say they know how to get help for the child. At the same time, 22 percent are uncertain and 14 percent say they don’t know.

— We know that many adults want to act, but the fear of doing something wrong can sometimes become an obstacle. We often give the advice that as an adult, you don’t need to be an expert on everything. The most important thing is that you reach out to the child, says Sara André in a press release.

In recent years, mental health issues have increased among children and young people. Among other things, the number of young people seeking help for depression and anxiety has increased, according to the National Board of Health and Welfare. The proportion of ADHD diagnoses has also increased markedly among children, where it increased by 50 percent just between 2019 and 2022.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-government-proposes-prison-from-age-13/

Sweden

Swedish government proposes prison from age 13

Deteriorating safety

Published 10 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Despite decades in the corridors of power, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has failed to tackle gang crime – but now things will be different, he claims.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The age of criminal responsibility will be lowered from 15 to 13 years for particularly serious crimes such as murder and serious bombings. This is promised by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson together with the party leaders of Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals.

In a debate article in the Bonnier publication Expressen, they argue that the law change should be time-limited to five years and only apply to the most serious crimes.

“In the serious situation we are in, we must try new measures. One thing is certain: if we keep doing what we have always done, things will keep turning out the way they always have”, the party leaders write.

The party leaders point out that the number of suspected crimes involving children under 15 has doubled in a decade and that those suspected in life-threatening shootings have become increasingly younger.

“This development must be stopped”, they state, arguing that serious crime is creeping down to younger ages.

At the same time, they highlight that the total number of shootings has decreased since 2022 and that they have more than halved so far this year compared to the record year of 2022. “But we still have levels of violence that no decent society can accept”, they write.

Three reasons for the reduction

The Swedish government and Sweden Democrats cite three main reasons for lowering the age of criminal responsibility. First, they argue that the chance of a child breaking a criminal lifestyle is greater the earlier appropriate measures are implemented.

“By lowering the age of criminal responsibility, we open up the entire toolbox of police and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service at an earlier stage”, it states.

Second, it concerns the state’s obligation to protect citizens from crime. Sanctions such as community service, youth care, youth supervision or prison enable more control and recidivism prevention measures, the party leaders argue.

Third, the sanction is important for the victim’s vindication and the legitimacy of legislation, particularly for young crime victims who are most severely affected by young criminals.

“Today’s system is not sufficient”

“It is obvious that today’s system for young criminals is not sufficient”, the party leaders write, directing criticism at previous policies. They argue that preventive measures should have been implemented ten years ago when today’s young criminals were small children.

The party leaders point out that several other countries have lower ages of criminal responsibility. In Ireland it is 12 years, and 10 years for certain serious crimes. In the Netherlands the age of criminal responsibility is 12 years and in England 10 years.

In addition to lowering the age of criminal responsibility, the government and Sweden Democrats highlight several other measures that have been implemented or are planned, including the establishment of youth prisons and the abolition of the so-called youth discount for young adults.

Police will also be able to use secret and preventive coercive measures against children under 15 in order to reach those who order crimes and prevent crimes before they are committed. In addition, secrecy barriers between schools, social services and police have been removed so that authorities can collaborate more easily.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/the-church-of-sweden-organizes-a-march-of-grief-for-the-climate/

Sweden

The Church of Sweden organizes a “march of grief” for the climate

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 8 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Swedish Bishop Andreas Holmberg is one of the key speakers at the left-wing political event.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Stockholm diocese of the Church of Sweden will conduct a climate alarmist manifestation later this week where participants are encouraged to express their grief over the ongoing “climate emergency”.

For many, however, the event confirms the image of a church that has abandoned its Christian core and replaced it with left-wing radical activism.

The Church of Sweden in Stockholm is inviting the public to what they describe as a grief march on September 11.

“We invite you to a march where grief over what has been lost or is being lost through the climate emergency is given space. A public manifestation and an opportunity to grieve together with others”, write those responsible for the church in their press release.

The initiative comes at a time when the Church of Sweden has long been receiving harsh criticism from both conservatives and believers for becoming increasingly politicized and non-Christian.

Critics argue that the church has been infiltrated by left-wing radical forces that prioritize climate alarmism, LGBTQ issues, mass immigration and other “leftist issues” over Christian theology and faith in God.

Participants should come “dressed in mourning”

Bishop Andreas Holmberg will lead the march that goes from Nybroplan via Hötorget to St. Clara Church in Stockholm, Sweden. Participants are encouraged to come dressed in black or “mourning clothes” to manifest their climate grief.

“We walk in silence, with drums, without placards and shouts. The demands presented in the march: Listen to climate research, Live up to the Paris Agreement, Make decisions that secure peace and future for children, Act now”, states the invitation.

Among the co-organizers are a number of left-wing radical or climate alarmist groups such as Grand Panthers, Greta’s Elderly (Gretas Gamlingar), Grandparents For Future, Rebel Mothers (Rebellmammorna), Rebel Fathers (Rebellpapporna) and Climate Action – organizations that have previously conducted various forms of climate alarmist protests.

The Equmenia Church, PRO Stockholm County (a Swedish pensioners’ organization) and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation are also behind the event. Professor Nina Wormbs in history of technology will speak together with the bishop.

“Has nothing to do with Christianity”

For many Christians, the “climate march” confirms what they have long warned about: that the Church of Sweden has largely lost its Christian orientation and that the church’s high-ranking representatives today seem to be passionate about completely different issues.

On social media, many express grief and disappointment over the development and wonder how one should actually proceed to “take back” the national church from activists and lobbyists.

“Jesus himself emphasized the difference between politics and religion. What the Swedish Church is doing has nothing to do with Christianity”, states one user on X.

“Due to low voter turnout, politically extreme organizations have been able to take power in the Church of Sweden. The church’s gospels have been replaced with postmodernist and nihilistic messages. Go and vote next week! Banish the activists to the political arena where they belong”, argues another.

The church election takes place September 8–21 and all members of the Church of Sweden over 16 years old can vote in it.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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