Monday, June 2, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Stockholm politician masturbated in front of children – may receive millions in compensation

Published 13 December 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Gustav Hemming is one of several C politicians linked to child abuse in recent times.

Gustav Hemming – the Center Party regional councilor in Stockholm, was recently forced to resign after it emerged that he had masturbated in front of a 13-year-old boy on a train.

Less than an hour after leaving office, however, he applied for compensation from the Remuneration Board and could receive over SEK 90,000 a month of Swedish taxpayers’ money until he turns 67 – a total of around SEK 15 million (€1.3 million).

Due to the fact that I have requested dismissal from all my assignments in Region Stockholm and in other organizations in which I represent Region Stockholm, I request that the Remuneration Board grant me the contractual right to a fixed-term pension from 2024-12-06, or from the day after the date on which my regional council fee ceases, he writes in his email to the Remuneration Board.

As I have been in service since November 2006 and am over 50, it is considered that the contract in force at the time of my appointment is applicable. I understand that it is the Provisions on pension and severance pay for elected representatives as amended from 2003-01-01. I am resigning from all posts at my own request. I therefore request a fixed-term pension/guaranteed pension on the basis of the PBF in order to be able to carry out my transition”, he continues.

In an email to the regional management office, in which he requests his resignation from all positions of trust, the C politician is also careful to demand the money he is entitled to under current regulations.

Furthermore, I would like to request that you activate the provisions on pension and severance pay for elected representatives that are applicable in my case”, he writes.

Public outrage

Under the very generous regulations that apply to the Center Party top, regional councillors who resign after serving more than one term can receive up to 65% of their salary in a fixed-term pension. Mr. Hemming’s monthly salary was SEK 140,400 – which means his fixed-term pension will be just over SEK 91,000 and will be paid until he reaches the age of 67 – i.e. for 15 years.

In total, this means that Gustav Hemming will receive around SEK 15 million (€1.3 million) of taxpayers’ money – even though he was forced to resign after molesting a child.

In comments, forums and on social media, many people say that the current regulations are completely unreasonable, and that those in power who molest children or commit other serious crimes should not receive any compensation at all – but on the other hand, they would like to see much harsher punishments than today.

The Remuneration Committee has not yet taken a decision on Hemming’s remuneration.

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More young Swedes getting confirmed: “Want to get closer to God”

Published today 8:33
– By Editorial Staff
Young people are confirmed in St. Mary's Church, Ystad.

After decades of decline, the number of confirmands in Sweden is now increasing – and many young people say they feel a need to get closer to God.

It’s no longer uncool to be interested in the Christian faith or to call yourself a Christian, says parish educator Sara Björnö.

After falling from 80 percent in the 1970s to below 20 percent during the coronavirus crisis, the number of confirmation candidates has now recovered to pre-2020 levels. This has led the media to speculate that it is a lasting “Jesus trend”. However, Associate Professor Frida Mannerfelt in practical theology believes it is too early to draw any firm conclusions:

– We should be cautious about calling the increase a trend reversal, she says.

Confirmation has changed from a self-evident tradition to an active choice for a minority, driven by secularization and the fact that Christianity no longer has a special status in Sweden, as well as the immigration of non-Christian groups.

At the same time, many young people say that it is precisely their encounter with other religions that has made them curious about religion and led to a desire to find a religious affiliation for themselves.

“Making an active choice”

Today’s confirmands are no longer attracted by gifts, but by a desire to explore life issues such as death, identity, and community. Statistics also show that more people are being baptized during the confirmation period – from 1 percent in 2007 to 10 percent in 2022 – which indicates a growing interest in Christianity.

Being able to discuss questions such as ‘How should I deal with the fact that I’m not perfect?’ is necessary in a society where pressure is put on young people from various quarters – such as social media and the current grading system – to be perfect, says Mannerfelt.

Those who choose to be confirmed today are, to a greater extent, making an active choice to do so, continues the lecturer.

Sara Björnö is a parish educator in the Almby parish in Örebro, and she clearly sees that more young people today are curious about Jesus and Christianity.

– Quite a few say they are interested in God and Jesus. Several have written that they want to get closer to God and that they have found faith after confirmation.

Attracted by soccer camps and ski trips

She has noticed a noticeable change in how young Swedes view religion.

It’s no longer uncool to be interested in the Christian faith or to call yourself a Christian, she says.

At the same time, the Church of Sweden has also been criticized both externally and internally for being “vague” and unserious in its recruitment efforts – for example, by attracting confirmation candidates with secular activities such as soccer camps, ski trips, and visits to amusement parks.

There is a discussion within the Church of Sweden about whether the pursuit of relevance risks appearing frivolous, but the prevailing view is that there are several ways to achieve this, concludes Frida Mannerfelt.

The Swedish Church has also been criticized by conservatives for being perceived in many places today as highly politicized, with a strong focus on modern left-wing activism rather than on faith in God and traditional Christian values.

Tests reveal imported honey in Sweden is fake

Published yesterday 11:34
– By Editorial Staff
According to EU rules, real honey should only contain honey - and nothing else.

All honey imported into Sweden is fake, new tests show. Instead, the “honey” contains mostly sugar and syrup.

The industry organization Biodlingsföretagarna has tested 40 honey products available on the Swedish market. A new form of DNA technology was used to test the honey.

36 of the products, all imported, did not contain real honey, the tests showed. Instead, the products contained sugar and syrup. Only four of the products tested contained real honey and all were produced in Sweden.

We consider this to be extremely serious. We knew there were fake products on the market, but we are shocked by the scale of it, says Yngve Kihlberg, chairman of the Swedish Beekeepers’ Association, to the tax-funded SVT.

“Must await EU decision”

In the EU, a product called “honey” must contain only honey. It is okay to mix honey from different origins, but not to add other ingredients. According to the trade association, most of the imported “honey” comes from China, where they have found ways to cheat to allow products to pass controls even though they contain very little honey.

Swedish grocery retailers will not replace the honey products identified as fake at this stage, as they have passed the current controls.

We would like to replace the current testing methods if they do not work. But we have to wait for the EU’s decision on the accreditation of the DNA tests, says Martin Andersson, who is responsible for industrial policy at the Swedish grocery trade, to SVT.

Worrying trend: More people driving under the influence of drugs

Published 30 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Genre image - traffic accident. There is no information that drugs are related to this particular incident.

In Sweden, it is now more common for drivers to be under the influence of drugs than alcohol, while in Finland it is still more common to drive drunk than under the influence of drugs.

Between 2018 and 2022, 81 people died in Finland in traffic accidents where the driver who caused the accident was under the influence of at least one drug. This corresponds to 11 percent of all fatal traffic accidents during the period when drug testing was possible.

– Alcohol is still the most common intoxicant in fatal traffic accidents, but drugs are becoming increasingly common. This is particularly true of amphetamines, which are often linked to high speeds and risky decisions. Cannabis is also common among those who drive while intoxicated, says Kalle Parkkari, Director of Traffic Safety at the Finnish Accident Investigation Board, to Swedish Yle.

Statistics show that drivers under the influence of drugs are more likely to collide with other vehicles, while drivers under the influence of alcohol tend to drive off the road or crash in off-road terrain. However, Parkkari points out that the number of cases is so limited that it is difficult to draw firm conclusions.

– There is nevertheless a slight trend indicating an increase in drug-related driving under the influence. Traffic is part of society, and drug use in society appears to be on the rise. It is therefore inevitable that drugs will also begin to appear more frequently in traffic, Parkkari notes.

Sweden stands out in the statistics

In Sweden, the trend is more alarming. Between 2012 and 2022, 23 percent of drivers who died in traffic accidents were under the influence of drugs, compared to 11 percent who had alcohol in their system. Drug-related drunk driving has thus overtaken alcohol as the most common cause.

Lars-Olov Sjöström, traffic safety manager at the Swedish Motorists’ Sobriety Association, points to a change in attitude among young people as a possible explanation.

– For a hundred years, we have taught people not to drive with alcohol in their system, but the surveys we have conducted in collaboration with authorities in Norway show that the same young people who refrain from driving when under the influence of alcohol do not think as carefully when it comes to cannabis. We are lagging behind in providing information about cannabis and other drugs.

“We can learn from each other”

He believes that a more liberal and permissive view of “recreational drugs” among young people makes the work more difficult, but still sees hope for change within five to ten years. Both Parkkari and Sjöström emphasize the importance of cross-border cooperation to manage the development.

– It would be enormously helpful if we could learn from other countries’ experiences in this area. While the situation in Finland is still under control, it is very important to ensure that it does not get worse, says Parkkari.

Sjöström agrees, adding:

– We are seeing the same pattern in Finland as we have seen in Sweden, so we can learn from each other and discuss methods for dealing with the problem.

Swedish journalist files police report against major bank for theft

The crisis of confidence in banks

Published 29 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Mattias Albinsson doesn't think he'll get his banking services back - but he'd like the bank to give back the money they took.

Samnytt reporter Mattias Albinsson has reported the Wallenberg-owned bank SEB for theft after the bank not only closed his account and blocked his Bank ID, but also seized the journalist’s own money on unclear grounds.

Albinsson suspects that he has been subjected to repression by the bank because he works for a newspaper whose reporting and editorial stance are disliked by SEB’s management.

In recent years, the Nordic Times has highlighted a very worrying trend in which people with regime-critical or otherwise inconvenient views are reporting that their accounts are being suddenly and arbitrarily closed – something that also happened earlier this month to Samnytt journalist Mattias Albinsson.

One day, he discovered that his Bank ID no longer worked and that he could not access his own money in his bank account.

According to the reporter, a bank official confirmed that the bank had moved his assets to one of its own “internal accounts”.

Simply stolen, in plain Swedish. I can’t claim it was a huge amount of money. But it would have been enough for a month’s worth of groceries, at least. Now it will probably end up in the bank managers’ golf fund”, he writes in a column.

“An excuse to shut me down”

Albinsson has been a customer of SEB for 24 years but has been living abroad for several years. Last fall, the Wallenberg bank contacted him and asked him to fill out a “customer knowledge” form, which he did, together with a female bank employee over the phone.

The journalist explains to the bank that he needs Bank ID in order to access official mail and other important services, and they agree that other “risky banking services” such as cards, Swish, and international payments will be deactivated – precisely to avoid problems with the bank in the future.

Despite the fact that one of the bank’s own employees helped Albinsson fill out the document, the bank is not satisfied and soon sends out a new “customer knowledge” form, demanding an explanation as to why the journalist wants a bank account in Sweden in the first place. This is also filled out, but new forms continue to arrive.

Customer knowledge, customer knowledge, customer knowledge, customer knowledge, customer knowledge. In the end, I can’t reasonably respond any further to SEB’s demands for ‘customer knowledge’. I’ve already responded several times. I’m starting to get an idea of what they’re after. They want an excuse to shut me down”, he says.

“I feel that they have support from Rosenbad”

His fears proved to be well-founded, as SEB soon kicked out the Swedish expat – even though he had already answered their questions on several occasions.

SEB did not allow him to get his own money back in a straightforward manner with the help of a relative who visited one of the bank’s offices with power of attorney. Instead, they demanded that he fly to Sweden himself and appear in person to get his seized assets back. A trip that would likely be more expensive than the money he had lost.

He himself believes that it is very likely that the reason he was targeted is because he works for a newspaper that SEB’s managers disapprove of, and points out that they have acted in a similar way towards others in the past.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Sweden, regardless of the political color of the government, is moving in an increasingly totalitarian direction where freedom of the press is being stifled step by step. In more ways than one. It’s not just about ‘alternative media’. The ‘Foreign Espionage Act’, for example, can be seen as primarily targeting so-called established media”, he argues, continuing:

So SEB probably feels that it has the support of Rosenbad (Swedish government) when it cracks down on Swedish journalists abroad. In particular, those who write about the wrong things, are suspected of harboring the wrong opinions, or whatever else they choose to focus on”.

To protest the bank’s actions, Albinsson has decided to report SEB to the police for theft or fraud. He does not believe that this will lead anywhere, but sees it as “a way of showing that we will not silently accept theft”.

For my part, I don’t think I’ll get my Bank ID back. Or my bank account. But I am more than happy to get back the money that SEB has stolen”, he emphasizes.

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