The Old Country Newsletter – Election Hype

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Statistics you didn’t ask for

The number of centenarians in Sweden has risen significantly, reaching 2,750 in 2023, an increase of about 60 from the previous year, according to SCB data. This trend reflects steady growth since the late 1960s when only 105 Swedes were over 100 years old. Despite occasional dips in 2015 and 2018, the past five years have seen a consistent rise, primarily among women. If this pattern holds, Sweden is likely to soon have over 3,000 citizens aged 100 or older.

In other news

❌ An investigation in Norrbotten found that a doctor inseminated women using his own sperm about 40–50 years ago, which was deemed unethical but not illegal at the time. The full number of children born as a result is unknown, but seven have been identified, causing distress among affected individuals, with some experiencing identity crises and fears of unknowingly forming relationships with half-relatives.

🏓 During the World Table Tennis tournament in Frankfurt, Sweden's Anton Källberg executed an impressive trick shot by switching hands mid-rally, surprising his opponent Omar Assar and commentators. Källberg emphasized that his intention was not to be disrespectful, noting the positive reactions and explaining that he had been inspired by a similar move seen years ago.

🔫 The Swedish police will scrap all phased-out Sig Sauer P225 service weapons instead of selling them, as confirmed by Polistidningen. Jens Lundin from Noa highlighted that selling the weapons was not viable due to legal restrictions and the inability to profit, with the police having transitioned to Glock 45 as their standard firearm due to difficulties in sourcing spare parts for the Sig Sauer models used since the 1980s.

Värnamo’s Remarkable Turnaround: From Shootings to Stability

Your Weekly Swede-ish

A More Personal Edition – My friends and I

Every four years, I feel especially connected to the U.S., and it doesn’t take much on my part. I buy a prinsesstårta, invite some friends, brew a pot of coffee, and stay up all night watching broadcasts from across the pond. The rest is up to you—the American people.

This year, three of us stayed up until early morning to see the first election results come in. In retrospect, getting up when I went to bed would have been the smarter move, as that’s when the shift began.

It was my third valvaka—election watch. Each has featured the same Republican candidate. Without placing my own opinion—that’s not for me to do—I look forward to 2028, to see what I can learn from a contest with two other candidates.

As reported earlier in this newsletter, Swedish and European media have been more focused on American politics than our own for the past several weeks, even months. Understandably, the rest of the world has a vested interest in the outcome, given the president’s role in international relations.

Yet, it goes beyond that. For a Swede, the American election feels like an engrossing, high-stakes TV drama. It spans nearly two years, filled with highs, lows, punchy one-liners, and dramatic shifts—far removed from the Swedish elections, where political ads are only allowed for three weeks prior to voting.

This spectacle draws us in not just for its drama but for its impact. And despite whether your candidate won or not, I hope you feel okay. Regardless of whether you agree with his policies, I think the current President put it best during his address from the White House Rose Garden on Thursday:

"You can't love your neighbor only when you agree."

Do you have a story from the past that could be worth sharing? I bet you do! Or would you like to see something else in the newsletter and have suggestions for topics? If so, lease reach out!