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The Old Country Newsletter – Happy Midsummer!
Your Weekly Newsletter from Sweden
Philip Gustavsson
June 21, 2024
Good morning – och Glad midsommar!
It’s Friday, June 21st. Today is Midsummer’s Eve. Regardless of whether you intend to celebrate or not, I would like to wish you a Glad midsommar! Swedes all over the country, and the world, are currently making wreaths, raising their maypoles, dancing and singing, or enjoying their midsummer food. While we might be bad at celebrating our national day, Midsummer’s eve is a whole different thing. Further down in the newsletter, you’ll find a story of my midsummer celebrations in New York in 2022.
On a personal note, I am spending the day and weekend with friends on the countryside in the southern parts of Sweden. We will hopefully enjoy good food, take a dip in a water-filled gravel quarry, compete in different games and enjoy each others company. We will also decide on who among us has made the best “sill” and “snaps.“ Wish me – and our pickled herring in malt whisky and schnapps on dandelion – luck!
Wherever you are: enjoy the day! And, as always, have a wonderful weekend!
Philip
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Take care of your life! Take care of it! Don't waste it! Because now is your time on earth!
My personal favorite book series of all time is The Emigrants, by the Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg. Through the four books in the series, we get to follow the triumphs and tribulations of early Swedish immigrants in America. In the first book, "The Emigrants," we meet Karl Oskar, Kristina Nilsson, their three children, and eleven others who set out from Småland in 1850, seeking a better life away from poverty, religious persecution, and social injustice.
By clicking here, you can learn more about the books and order a copy for yourself. Beyond getting your hands on an incredible book, it is also a great way to show support for this newsletter, as a few cents of each sale will help support our work.
Statistics you didn’t ask for
Compared to many other European countries, Sweden’s surface area is fairly large. The length of the country, in particular, is substantial. That is why so many Swedes lovingly say: “Vårt avlånga land!“, at least a few times a year.
Compared to the U.S., though, Sweden does not stand a chance. The U.S. is approximately 22 times larger than Sweden. If you were to drive from Williston, Florida, to Niagara Falls, you would have driven about the length of Sweden. You can check out the comparison between the two countries by following this link.
Sweden's First Official Prisoner Swap: Hamid Noury Exchanged for Two Swedish Citizens
In a historic move, Sweden has conducted its first official prisoner exchange, releasing life-sentenced prisoner Hamid Noury to Iran in return for two Swedish nationals detained on unclear grounds.
What led to the arrests of Saeed Azizi and Johan Floderus?
It's not uncommon for foreign nationals to be detained in Iran without clear reasons, often as part of the regime's political maneuvers to secure the return of its citizens held abroad. Johan Floderus, who worked on aid issues in the EU, was arrested about a year and a half ago on unfounded espionage charges, facing a potential death sentence, according to the Swedish government. Meanwhile, 60-year-old Saeed Azizi, who holds both Swedish and Iranian citizenship, was detained in November 2023 on what the Swedish government describes as “false grounds” and sentenced to five years in prison.
Who is Hamid Noury?
In the summer of 1988, thousands of political prisoners were executed in Iran on the orders of then-religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Hamid Noury, arrested in Sweden in 2019, became the first individual ever tried for these crimes. In the summer of 2022, Noury was sentenced to life imprisonment for severe violations of international law and murder. Amnesty International's Maja Åberg highlighted the significance of the ruling for the relatives of those killed during the prison massacre, calling it historic.
How did the exchange take place?
During a Saturday evening press conference, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced that Hamid Noury had been pardoned and handed over to Iran. The operation was a coordinated effort involving the Swedish government, the Swedish Security Service, and the mediator nation Oman. The two Swedish detainees were released from Tehran's Evin prison and flown to Arlanda, where they arrived at 21:20 on Saturday and reunited with their families.
The exchange has sparked criticism from various quarters, including Amnesty International, which pointed out that Swedish-Iranian Ahmadreza Djalali remains imprisoned in Iran. Amnesty's Secretary General, Anna Johansson, noted that Sweden had a "very strong card" in negotiating Djalali's release before the release of Noury.
In a message to SVT Nyheter Väst, Johan Floderus' family from Kungälv expressed their relief and joy at the reunion, acknowledging the emotional whirlwind since receiving the news of his release. Matts Floderus, Johan's father, shared their sentiments: "It's an incredible relief and a fantastic joy that the nightmare is finally over. At the same time, our thoughts are with those who have not yet been reunited with their loved ones."
In other news
😀 Nine-year-old Lisa, who was born in Sweden but previously faced deportation to Albania, has been granted a temporary residence permit. Her guardian expressed immense relief, stating that Lisa can now stay until at least next summer when she can reapply. Lisa's case, which involved potential placement in an Albanian orphanage due to lack of family there, sparked significant public outcry, protests, and petitions.
💭 The U.S. designation of the Nordic Resistance Movement (NMR), a neo-nazi group, as a terrorist organization might temporarily boost its members' morale, according to right-wing extremism researcher Christer Mattsson. However, Mattsson notes that NMR has significantly diminished over the past five years, with many members leaving and no new recruits, making it unlikely that this boost will reverse their decline.
💶 EU member states have approved the controversial nature restoration law, as reported by TT. The law passed by a narrow margin during an environment ministers' meeting in Luxembourg, with Sweden voting against it due to perceived flaws in the proposal, according to Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari.
Would you like to feel closer to Sweden? A perfect way to do that would be to have a look at Swedish broadcasts, either current or past. SVT Play is an online streaming service provided by Sveriges Television (SVT), the Swedish national public television broadcaster.
To watch it, one has to be in Sweden – or have access to a VPN provider that can connect to a remote server located in Sweden. Like NordVPN, which sponsors this segment of the newsletter.
By using NordVPN, you can access what SVT Play has to offer – including current news, documentaries about emigrants, live broadcasts from nature events, and much more – by simply connecting to a server in Sweden. Follow the link here to get 74 % off for your first two years and three months (!) of usage. By doing so, you also help support the distribution of this newsletter.
The Swedish Parliament Approves Controversial US Military Access Agreement
In a significant move, the Swedish Parliament, the Riksdag, has approved a contentious defense cooperation agreement with the US, granting American forces access to multiple military bases across Sweden.
On Tuesday, the Swedish Parliament voted in favor of the debated Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the United States. This agreement, finalized late last year, allows the US military to use 17 Swedish bases, including airfields, naval bases, and ground force sites, scattered throughout the country. The DCA permits the US to station military personnel and equipment in Sweden and conduct exercises, aiming to ensure rapid American support in crises and bolster NATO’s defense capabilities in the Baltics and Finland.
Despite broad support from six out of eight parliamentary parties, the Left Party and the Green Party opposed the agreement. Their main concerns include the absence of explicit prohibitions on nuclear weapons, unlike similar agreements in Denmark and Norway. While the Social Democrats added a reference to the non-proliferation treaty, critics find this insufficient. Additionally, there are worries about US soldiers being governed by American law while in Sweden, particularly since Swedish laws on sexual offenses are stricter. However, Sweden maintains the right to reclaim jurisdiction over American personnel in critical cases.
The government argues that the DCA strengthens deterrence and stability while respecting Swedish sovereignty. Foreign Minister Tobias Billström emphasized that no country can be forced to accept nuclear weapons against its will, and Sweden’s policy against nuclear arms on its territory during peacetime remains respected. However, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson indicated that this stance could be revisited in wartime. The timeline for US deployment under the DCA is still unclear, with legal changes set to take effect on a date determined by the government. Similar agreements have been made between the US and several other nations, including Finland, Norway, Denmark, the Baltic states, and Poland.
Word of the week
SMÅ GRODORNA [SMOH-groo-dor-na]
Celebrating Midsummer in the Heart of New York City
In the summer of 2022, my girlfriend and I embarked on an unforgettable seven-week journey across the United States, beginning with our arrival at JFK just days before Midsummer on June 24th. We spent our initial days exploring Manhattan, visiting Ground Zero, Saint Paul's Chapel, and Hamilton's grave at Trinity Church. We also tried to immerse ourselves in the "Yank"-experience by going to Yankee Stadium to watch the New York Yankees take on the Houston Astros.
Midsummer's Eve began with a deeply moving visit to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. As a 25-year-old-ish, who has grown up in a world that has largely been shaped directly or indirectly by the horrors of that day, to be so close to where so much of it transpired was difficult to grasp. The resilience and courage of those who lived through it, the memory of all who lost their lives, and the unimaginable grief of those who lost someone, stayed with us.
In the afternoon, we tried to shift our mental states by joining the Midsummer festivities in Battery Park, organized by the Swedish Consulate in New York City. The park was alive with joy and vibrant, specifically blue and yellow, colors. People dressed in their summer best gathered around the maypole, and young dancers in traditional Swedish "folkdräkter" filled the air with the spirit of the Old Country. The traditional Swedish songs, performed by Paul Dahlin & Fiddlers from the American Swedish Institute, along with Ross Sutter's dance leadership, made the celebration feel like a slice of Sweden in the heart of New York.
Families enjoyed picnics, ate traditional Swedish Midsummer food and candy, made wreaths together, and watched children play as adults sang along or danced. This was one of the most authentic Midsummer celebrations I have ever attended, despite it being so far from home. It was a beautiful blend of Swedish tradition and American spirit.
The thing that has especially stayed with me was seeing the Swedish and American flags waving together with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in the backdrop. It was impossible not to think of our ancestors who first set foot on American soil there, filled with hope for a new beginning. Celebrating Midsummer in such a historic setting connected us deeply to our heritage and the shared history of our two nations.
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island just across the water.
It was an afternoon of joy, reflection, and an unforgettable sense of community, making it a highlight of our American adventure.