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The Old Country Newsletter – Handgrenades, Football Stars & Voter Turnout
Your Weekly Newsletter from Sweden
Philip Hannes
October 25, 2024
Good morning!
It’s Friday, October 25th.
The last few weeks, I’ve been contemplating whether to switch up the newsletter. Change segments, alter its layout, feature other stories. But before making any changes, I would like to know what you think.
What do you want to read about? In what way could we make the newsletter better, more interesting, and engaging? What would you change?
Please reach out via the button at the bottom of the letter – your feedback would be greatly appreciated!
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
As the upcoming U.S. election captures attention across the globe, let's take a look at how Swedish voter turnout compares. In Sweden’s latest parliamentary election in 2022, 84.2% of eligible voters turned up at the polls—a slight decrease from 2018, but still an impressive turnout by international standards. Local elections, too, typically see a strong showing, underscoring the commitment many Swedes have to their civic duty.
Sweden's all-time highest turnout came in 1976, with a record 91.8% of voters participating in the national election. And in 1982, turnout again topped 91%. Contrast this with U.S. presidential election turnout, which, while rising in recent years, peaked at only around 66.8% in 2020. This was considered remarkable in the U.S. but still falls far short of Sweden's average participation.
What's behind these numbers? Sweden has a culture deeply rooted in civic engagement and offers measures like automatic voter registration and weekend voting to make the process easier for citizens.
Football Star Mbappé Denies Rape Allegations in Stockholm
Attribution: Sandro Halank, via Wikimedia Commons
During his visit to Stockholm last week, French football star Kylian Mbappé denied accusations of rape, linking the claims to his ongoing legal dispute with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Swedish media, including Aftonbladet, reports that Mbappé’s camp suggests that the allegations are part of a smear campaign. However, critics like Aftonbladet's Oisín Cantwell argue this stance aims to intimidate media into silence. "It’s an attempt to scare the press and others into keeping quiet," Cantwell wrote.
Legal expert Mårten Schultz of SvD noted similarities between Mbappé’s case and past high-profile legal events in Sweden, such as the arrest of rapper ASAP Rocky and the lengthy investigation into Julian Assange. Schultz also pointed out that Sweden's strong protections for journalists allow them to publish such reports early, with Mbappé’s name already circulating widely in the media.
Mbappé's lawyer, Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard, maintains his innocence, emphasizing that he was never alone during his Stockholm evening out, accompanied by security at all times. Despite the media frenzy, she says her client is calm, though "bewildered" by the attention. Mbappé, still under investigation, has denied the claims as “false news” on social media.
In other news
🧨 Football team Hammarby celebrated their derby win over Djurgården in front of empty stands after the match resumed the day after it was suspended due to thrown fireworks and rockets. Despite the unusual atmosphere, Hammarby players, including club captain Nahir Besara, expressed sadness that their fans were absent for the victory, as they had not been involved in the disruptions. Many supporters, however, gathered outside the stadium to cheer for their team.
💥 The use of hand grenades in criminal explosions has more than doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year in Sweden, according to data from SVT. This increase is attributed to the difficulty criminal gangs face in obtaining stolen explosives, leading them to resort to smuggled grenades, which are easier to acquire and use. The Swedish Customs Service has also reported a sharp rise in grenade seizures at the border this year.
🗺 Charlie Weimers, a Swedish EU parliamentarian from the Sweden Democrats, called for Sweden to collaborate with the U.S. and Israel to "eliminate" gang leader Rawa Majid. Weimers alleges that Majid has committed terror acts on behalf of Iran in Sweden and suggests that, to prevent foreign states from using gangs against Swedish citizens, Sweden must respond with full force. He compares the situation to the 2011 U.S. drone strike that killed al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki.
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.
Uppsala Hospital Mistakenly Removes Uteruses of 33 Women
Attribution: belgium24.eu, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Between 2023 and 2024, Uppsala University Hospital wrongly performed hysterectomies on 33 women after they were incorrectly diagnosed with precancerous changes.
The women, aged 38 to 85, were told they had early-stage uterine cancer and underwent surgery, only for the diagnoses to later be proven wrong. Chief physician Johan Lugnegård expressed deep regret over the errors, acknowledging the irreversible consequences.
Sweden’s Minister of Health, Acko Ankarberg Johansson, called the news horrifying, emphasizing the need for accountability. The hospital has launched a review to ensure such mistakes are avoided in the future. They’ve also joined a national network of pathologists to improve diagnostic accuracy. Following this incident, the hospital plans to file a Lex Maria report, which is required when serious healthcare-related injuries occur.
This case mirrors at least two similar errors elsewhere in Sweden, highlighting an unsettling trend in misdiagnoses leading to unnecessary procedures.
Word of the week
TRAGEDI [trah-geh-DEE]
Your Weekly Swede-ish
First Lady Mamie Eisenhower
Did you know that Mamie Eisenhower, beloved First Lady and wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, had Swedish roots? Born Mamie Geneva Doud in 1896 in Boone, Iowa, Mamie’s maternal grandfather hailed from Sweden, bringing a bit of Scandinavian heritage to the Eisenhower legacy. Known for her lively spirit, Mamie charmed the nation during her years in the White House from 1953 to 1961.
Mamie was a style icon of her time, famous for her love of pink (dubbed “Mamie Pink”), as well as her warm hospitality and keen sense of humor. She was instrumental in making the White House a welcoming place for veterans and their families and was known to organize memorable parties with that extra Scandinavian flair. Mamie’s mix of warmth, elegance, and down-to-earth sensibility made her a First Lady to remember—another proud link in the chain of Swedish-American history!