Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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

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.

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Swedish police ignored early warnings about Foxtrot – now 16 civilians are dead

Deteriorating safety

Published today 13:58
– By Editorial Staff
If early warnings had been taken seriously, the Foxtrot network could have been tackled at an earlier stage.
2 minute read

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 Foxtrot Interpol
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.

Facts: The Foxtrot gang network

  • Leader: Rawa Majid, known as “Jordgubben” (Strawberry), wanted by Swedish police and residing in Turkey
  • Start: The network was identified by Swedish police as early as 2021 as an emerging player
  • Activities: Suspected of being behind extensive drug trafficking, extortion, and contract killings
  • Murders: Linked to over 30 murders – at least 16 of the victims were innocent civilians
  • Division: In September 2023, an internal conflict broke out, leading to further acts of violence
  • International spread: Has established a presence in Norway, among other countries
  • Infiltration: Swedish police infiltrated Foxtrot via encrypted chat groups during the summer of 2023

Birthing pools gain popularity among Swedish women

Published today 7:19
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read

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.

Power shortages threaten southern Sweden this winter

The energy crisis in Europe

Published 17 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Residents in southern Sweden can expect sky-high electricity prices this winter.
2 minute read

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.

Widding’s new party wants to put Swedes first

Published 13 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Elsa Widding's party wants to focus on “the important issues that none of the current parties in parliament dare to pursue with sufficient vigor".
4 minute read

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.

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