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The Old Country Newsletter – Resignation, Screen Time & Space
Your Weekly Newsletter from Sweden
Philip Gustavsson
September 06, 2024
Good morning!
It’s Friday, September 6th.
I hope you’ve had a great short week, and an even better Labor Day. 160 countries around the world, including Sweden, celebrate the equivalent of Labor Day on May 1st. But, as evidenced by your use of the US Customary System and, well, Fahrenheit, you clearly don’t want to be like everybody else. In the hopes that you won’t unsubscribe from this newsletter, all I’ll say is: Good for you!
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
There’s been a lot of talk about healthcare from both presidential campaigns in the U.S. While the Old Country has much to learn from the U.S. in areas like technology, research, and its cultural impact on the world, the New Country could arguably benefit from looking across the Atlantic when it comes to healthcare.
Sweden’s healthcare system, primarily funded through taxes, offers universal coverage. The country spends about 11% of its GDP on healthcare, while the U.S. spends over 16.5%. Sweden has significantly more physicians per capita than the U.S. Despite lower spending, Sweden ranks higher in healthcare outcomes, with a life expectancy of 83 years compared to 77 years in the U.S. Infant mortality in Sweden is 2.2 per 1,000 live births, lower than the U.S. rate of 5.4.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström Resigns, Steps Away From Politics
Tobias Billström, Sweden’s foreign minister, announced his resignation from both his post and politics altogether, after two years in office.
Billström broke the news on X (formerly Twitter), saying the decision was far from easy and something he had been contemplating for a while. In his post, Billström shared that he is stepping down with a mix of pride and sorrow, stating he’s proud of his time in Ulf Kristersson’s government. “It’s with both melancholy and pride that I informed the Prime Minister today that I will resign as foreign minister on Tuesday,” he wrote.
While the reasons for his sudden exit remain unclear, there’s speculation about tensions between Billström and Kristersson, particularly over appointing a new cabinet secretary. Both camps have strongly denied these claims. SVT’s political commentator Mats Knutson called it “remarkable” for a foreign minister to leave after just two years.
Billström, now 50, has spent 25 years in politics, having also served as migration minister. His future remains uncertain, but he hinted at new opportunities outside politics. Prime Minister Kristersson expressed his gratitude for Billström’s contributions, especially regarding Sweden’s NATO membership.
In other news
📵 The Swedish Public Health Agency has issued new recommendations on children's screen time, advising that children under two should have no screen time and teenagers should limit it to a maximum of three hours per day. These guidelines emphasize the importance of balancing digital media use with other daily activities, highlighting concerns about the impact of excessive screen time on children's health, including sleep issues and mental well-being.
🦷 The Swedish government and the Sweden Democrats have announced a major dental care reform, allocating 3.4 billion SEK to improve access for older adults and lowering the age for free dental care from 23 to 19. The reform, set to start in January 2026, will expand cost protection for those aged 67 and older to match the broader healthcare system.
🚨 Children are being recruited through social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat to carry out violent tasks for criminal networks, often facing threats if they try to back out or fail. The police warn that this dangerous trend is affecting children from all backgrounds, urging parents to closely monitor their children's online activities.
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.
Sweden’s Largest Environmental Crime Trial Begins
As the largest environmental crime trial in Swedish history kicks off this week, eleven defendants, including prominent business figures, face charges for their roles in illegally burying construction waste across central Sweden.
The case has sparked widespread concern, particularly among residents living near the affected areas. One such resident, Anna Öhgren from Norrtälje, says she no longer trusts her tap water after high levels of heavy metals were detected in the nearby Infjärden. “I don’t dare drink my own tap water anymore. I’ve switched to bottled mineral water,” she says, noting that her well is only a short distance from the contaminated area.
The trial, built on a staggering 48,000-page investigation, involves four individuals facing charges of serious environmental and financial crimes, including Bella Nilsson, now known as Fariba Vancor, her former husband Thomas Nilsson, and entrepreneur Leif-Ivan Karlsson. The remaining seven are charged with varying degrees of environmental offenses.
Municipalities and private citizens are seeking a total of 260 million SEK in damages, with Botkyrka municipality alone having to remove 48,000 tons of waste. Despite the mounting evidence, the defendants maintain their innocence. The trial is expected to run until May 2025.
Word of the week
SOPTIPP [SOOP-tipp]
Your Weekly Swede-ish
Attribution: Gage Skidmore, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A Swede(-ish) on the Moon!
Buzz Aldrin, born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. in 1930, is not only a space legend but also has Swedish roots! Aldrin’s paternal grandfather, Carl Johan Aldrin, emigrated from Sweden to the U.S., making Buzz a proud Swedish-American.
Growing up in New Jersey, Aldrin would go on to attend West Point and later join NASA’s space program, where he made history as the second person to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
Beyond his astronaut career, Aldrin has been a passionate advocate for space exploration, authoring books and continuing to inspire future generations of astronauts. Privately, Aldrin has been married three times and is a father of three. In 2015, Aldrin received Sweden's prestigious Order of the Polar Star in recognition of his extraordinary achievements and Swedish connection—bringing his journey full circle!