The Swedish E-Sports Federation has been approved as a member of the Swedish Sports Confederation. Membership was approved by 108 votes to 71.
It was in 2021 that the Swedish e-Sports Federation first applied to become a member of the Swedish Sports Confederation, but was then denied. The reason was that there were two separate organizations within e-sports that made the application, which meant that they were voted down to become members.
After the rejection, the two organizations merged into one and also implemented changes to adapt to the sports movement’s statutes and values before submitting a new application to the federation in the spring of 2023.
The E-Sports Federation has now been voted in as a member of the Swedish Sports Confederation. Although the E-Sports Federation had hoped to become a member this year, the National Sports Board had insisted on rejecting the application at yesterday’s meeting. During the meeting, however, the member associations went against the National Sports Board and several took the podium to argue for e-sports to be included in the association. For example, actor and martial arts profile Musse Hasselvall warned that Swedish sport risks losing young people if e-sports are excluded.
– It means a lot, especially for the children and young people who see e-sports as their main sport, Sammi Kaidi, chairman of the E-Sports Federation, told tax-funded SVT.
The Swedish E-Sports Federation was voted into the Swedish Sports Confederation with 108 votes to 71.
We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.
Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…
Sweden’s prime minister proclaims that Sweden is certainly not at war at the moment – but that the Swedish people should not believe that there is any real peace either.
– Let’s plan for the worst, so we can continue to hope for the best, declares Ulf Kristersson, and calls for continued escalation and rearmament.
During this year’s edition of Folk och Försvar’s national conference, those in power gathered in Sälen to discuss issues related to Sweden’s defense and security policy. This year, Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also took part, and in his speech he focused on trying to explain how the government actually views Sweden’s current defense policy status.
– Sweden is not at war.But neither is there peace, the Prime Minister emphasized.
– Real peace requires freedom and that there are no serious conflicts between countries.But we and our neighbors are exposed to hybrid attacks, which are not carried out with robots and soldiers, but with computers, money, disinformation and the risk of sabotage, Kristersson further argued.
“Take this seriously”
In March, it will be one year since Sweden joined the US-led NATO alliance, and the Prime Minister was very proud when he described how Swedish aircraft already contribute to NATO’s airspace surveillance, how 600 Swedish soldiers are on their way to Latvia – and how Sweden is ready to contribute to NATO’s naval forces as well.
– It is an asset for Sweden in NATO that support for our membership is so strong and broad.Politically, but also among the population.It is an expression that we live in serious times.But also a sign that Sweden has changed.
Kristersson believes that Sweden has previously been “a somewhat naive idealist on the sidelines”– but has now become much wiser and has become “a realist at the center of events“.
According to the Moderate leader, Sweden and other countries are not being subjected to conventional warfare – instead, he believes it is a “proxy war” where, for example, Iran is accused of hiring gang criminals to commit acts of violence in Sweden and where Russia is allegedly “undermining democratic elections” in European countries.
– So take this seriously.I and the government take it seriously, he admonished.
“It’s all about priorities”
There do not seem to be any plans to improve relations with Russia and promote de-escalation through dialogue and diplomacy – instead, the focus is on deterrence and continued rearmament.
– The Russian threat is by all accounts a long-term one.So must our defense be… It’s all about priorities.We can afford to defend our freedom – but we cannot afford to lose our freedom, he said.
The Prime Minister also stressed that Sweden “is not only a place of freedom and self-realization – but also of responsibility and self-sacrifice” and paid tribute to the young Swedes who “do their duty” by joining the Swedish army.
– Now it is a new era once again. And it doesn’t have to be a pre-war era, but as is well known, those who want peace must be prepared for war.
Kristersson and outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Photo: U.S. Department of State/Public Domain
“Let’s plan for the worst”
He says that today, just as in the Cold War days, the struggle is between “democracy and dictatorship“, and although he claims that he and his party do not want a war, he says it is nevertheless of the utmost importance to consolidate, arm and increase militarization if one were to happen.
– We won and the dictatorship lost.There is no law of nature that makes it always so.But the free world has done it before and we can do it again.Let’s plan for the worst, so we can continue to hope for the best, he concluded.
The Nordic Times also highlighted Folk och Försvar’s national conference 2024, where the focus was on Sweden’s entry into NATO and alleged domestic and foreign threats to the country.
Throughout his secondary school years, the boy was subjected to bullying and abuse without the abuses being addressed.Now he will receive SEK 90,000 (€7800) in damages from the municipality.
– It feels good that my son now knows he was right all along in what he felt. That there is an authority backing him up, saying this is not how things are done, that this is not okay. In that sense, it’s a victory for us, after all the time that has passed, the boy’s mother told Sydsvenskan.
The pupil, who is now in upper secondary school, will receive SEK 60,000 (€5200) for the violations he was forced to endure and another SEK 30,000 (€2600) for pain and suffering. This is after the Swedish Schools Inspectorate’s Child and School Student Representative (BEO) ruled that the school had not investigated or remedied the violations quickly or adequately.
– We have made this decision because we see that we have failed in the handling of the case.And we strive for a world-class education and a school where you should feel safe, says Viveca S Dahl, head of operations for the primary school in Lund.
“Should have done a thorough investigation”
Among other things, the boy has been subjected to offensive comments, been ostracized and also suffered physical violence – where other students, for example, pushed or hooked him in the school corridors.
In addition to the damages, BEO is also demanding that Lund Municipality ensure that school staff report any future abuse and bullying to the head teacher and that these incidents are taken seriously in the future.
– In light of the information about the student’s vulnerability that has come to light over time, a more comprehensive approach to the student’s school situation should have been taken. A more thorough and cohesive investigation should have been conducted than what was done,says Erica Segerlund, a lawyer at the Child and School Student Representative.
Ulf Kristersson’s government has promised that the days of almost limitless mass immigration are over and that it intends to pursue a much more restrictive migration policy.
In reality, however, almost 100,000 residence permits were granted last year, which is the same level as in many of the years when the Social Democrats and other left-wing parties ruled the country.
While there has been a slight decrease – from 102,000 residence permits in 2023 to 94,000 last year – mass immigration remains at historically very high levels and no immigration freeze, or even a radical reduction, has demonstrably materialized.
According to the Swedish Migration Agency, the decrease that has nevertheless occurred is due to several explanatory models – but mainly to the fact that Sweden has become less attractive to migrants and that fewer applications for asylum and work permits were received in 2024.
“Of the permits granted, about 27,000 were labor market cases and just over 24,000 were family ties.Around 15,500 first-time applications for protection were granted, down from just under 17,000 in 2023. Of these, around 11,000 were for people from Ukraine who were granted a residence permit under the Mass Refugee Directive and just over 900 were quota refugees selected through the UNHCR’s resettlement program”, the press release states.
“The largest countries of origin in terms of all grounds for residence were India and Ukraine, both with around 12,000 permits.They were followed by China, Pakistan and Thailand.Countries had different numbers of applicants in different categories; Ukraine, for example, had many who were granted protection (mass displacement), India had applicants in both work permits, studies and affiliation, while China had many who were granted residence permits for studies”, it explains.
65,000 citizenships were granted
It is noteworthy that the number of citizenships granted is also at about the same levels as before. Last year, 65,591 citizenships were granted – compared to 68,168 the year before.
There has also been a cautious increase in voluntary return, but there are still relatively few migrants leaving Sweden of their own free will – 8,200 last year and 7,500 in 2023.
It has also been noted that both the Swedish government and several of the major establishment media have chosen to highlight last year’s migration figures in a directly misleading or misleading way, painting a picture that there has been a sharp overall decrease in immigration to Sweden. In reality, last year’s figures are certainly lower than the worst years, but still higher than, for example, 2020 and higher than all years between 1980 and 2009.
The fact that the government continues to hand out almost 100,000 residence permits annually has also led to concern in many quarters and accusations that the Moderates’ new anti-immigration profile is mostly about attracting voters, and that there are no serious ambitions at all to put an end to the policy of population exchange that has been pursued in recent decades.
The governing center-right coalition want the Swedish army to be twice as large as it is today – and to achieve this, German tanks will be purchased for billions.
– This is an absolutely necessary investment, says Minister of Defense Pål Jonson (M).
At the end of last year, the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) signed a contract with German weapons manufacturer KNDS to purchase 44 new Leopard 2 A8 tanks.
The Germans will also be tasked with modernizing 66 of the Swedish Armed Forces’ tanks from the 1990s and refurbishing a number of other combat vehicles – the total bill is expected to reach SEK 22 billion (€1.9 billion).
– These tanks are among the most modern on the market.This is a major increase in capability for the ground forces, says FMV’s Director General Göran Mårtensson, to state television SVT.
According to Defense Minister Jonson, the order is a must “in order for us to achieve the high goals that politics has set for the Armed Forces and FMV“.
“A stronger army”
– These are high goals, but they must be high goals in the serious international situation we have right now, he adds, and is most unhappy that the investment has not been made earlier.
–With this order, we will have a stronger army, stronger brigades and a better ability to face a qualified opponent, he says.
Once the deliveries have been completed, Sweden will have a total of 154 modern tanks – compared to 110 today. And they will be equipped with longer fire tubes and more digital functions than previous models.
It is not clear, however, why politicians are choosing to spend billions of taxpayers’ money on buying weapons from foreign companies instead of investing in and building up domestic production.
