The Old Country Newsletter – Långfredag

Your Weekly Swede-ish

Van Johnson: the Hollywood heartthrob of the 1940s and 50s

As Current Biography noted in 1945, “Although he is often thought of as Irish, the actor is of Swedish descent.” Film historian David Quinlan later added that his “Swedish ancestry showed in his blue eyes and red-gold hair.” In truth, Van—born Charles Vandell Johnson in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1916—was both Swedish (or perhaps more accurately, Finland-Swedish) and Irish.

Johnson’s father, Charles Johnson, was born in Newport in 1883 to John Johnson, who had emigrated from Finland, and Margaret Sullivan, who hailed from Ireland. Van Johnson went on to become one of MGM’s most dependable leading men, often cast as the clean-cut all-American boy. But behind those matinee-idol looks was a fascinating blend of Nordic and Celtic roots—proof that even in golden-age Hollywood, Swedish-American stories were hiding in plain sight.

Sweden’s Spring Budget Targets Stability, Security, and a Boost for the Economy

With global markets rattled by rising tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty, Sweden is rolling out a spring budget designed to steady the ship and bolster national resilience.

The Swedish government, backed by the Sweden Democrats, presented its 2025 spring budget to Parliament this week. With economic turbulence abroad the 11.5 billion SEK ($1.1 billion) package aims to keep Sweden on course through choppy waters. Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson said the government is using the strength of Sweden’s public finances to support growth, reinforce national security, and help households and communities feel safer.

Among the budget’s highlights: continued support for Ukraine, a sharper focus on crime-fighting, and increased investment in defense. The plan also includes measures to support the struggling construction sector via a temporarily higher ROT tax deduction. Despite global volatility, Sweden’s economy remains solid, and the government says it's ready to do more if needed.

“In uncertain times, Sweden stands strong,” Svantesson said at the press conference. “We’re investing in the kind of security—both economic and physical—that builds a richer and safer Sweden for today, and for future generations.”

The opposition isn’t buying it, however. Social Democrat Mikael Damberg slammed the plan as “unfair” and out of touch with economic reality, saying it does little to help struggling families or stimulate consumption. The Centre Party and the Greens echoed the criticism, calling the budget passive, tone-deaf, and overly beneficial to high-income earners. The Left Party, meanwhile, accused the government of ignoring mass unemployment.

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.

Swedes have become significantly more critical of the USA since Donald Trump returned to office as the country's president. This is shown by a new survey conducted by DN/Ipsos.

Today, 70 percent state that they have a negative view of the USA, while 10 percent have a positive view. Two years ago, the numbers were evenly split between those with a negative and those with a positive perception of the USA.

The most negative views are found among voters of the Left Party (V), Center Party (C), and Social Democrats (S). The most significant change compared to 2023 is observed among Moderate Party (M) voters, where 70 percent now hold negative views. In 2023, it was 23 percent.

In the opinion poll conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Dagens Nyheter, 44 percent of respondents said they believe the United States would likely not support Sweden militarily in the event of a Russian attack. Just over one-fifth, 21 percent, were unsure, while 35 percent believe the U.S. would offer support.

“There is significant doubt among voters about whether we can truly rely on the U.S. when it matters most, and this skepticism is widespread across many groups,” Nicklas Källebring, opinion analyst at Ipsos, told the newspaper.

Support for NATO membership remains strong in Sweden, according to the survey. Just over six in ten are in favor, while fewer than two in ten are opposed to the membership.

A total of 1,438 people were interviewed for the survey between March 4 and March 16.