Swedish prosecutors open probe into suspected election fraud in Dalarna
Sweden's national anti-corruption unit is investigating suspected election fraud, reports business newspaper Dagens Industri.
The alleged office took place in Dalarna and involves pre-marked ballot papers used in the general election, according to sources speaking to the newspaper. The complaint is classified as "undue influence in voting" and was submitted to the Prosecution Authority's anti-corruption unit on September 1st. The preliminary investigation was initially dropped, but has now been reopened under the same legal classification.
According to an anonymous police report, individuals transported voters from socially vulnerable areas and provided them with pre-marked ballots, Expressen reports.
A person was also allegedly seen handing out ballots and money to people.
No one has yet been formally notified of suspicion of a crime, according to Expressen, and it may be some time before further details are shared.
"In a week or two, we might be in a position to share more information on the case," prosecutor Oskar Edvardsson told the Aftonbladet newspaper.
The politician whose name was ticked on the ballots is Left Party politician Mohamed Abdukadir Ali, who was ninth on the Left Party's ballot for parliament in Dalarna, but ended up in first place thanks to 648 votes for him as an individual. In Sweden, you can vote for a party only, or for an individual politician. A politician needs at least five percent of votes in a constituency to enter parliament based on those individual votes alone.
His success was unexpected. He has been a member of the Left Party for just over a year, according to Expressen, and became a Swedish citizen in February.
Abdukadir Ali is not suspected of a crime and he told public broadcaster SVT he found out about the investigation from journalists and was shocked.
"It is utterly, utterly wrong. I have not done it. I know the law. I have been given voters' trust in every constituency in Dalarna. It is not something I could do, such a severe crime, against Swedish law," he said. (The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: undue influence in voting – otillbörligt verkande vid röstning
Swedish electricity prices soar near year high – and winter could be far worse
Electricity prices in Sweden are creeping towards record levels for the year today, in what is likely just a foretaste of what is to come this winter.
Over the weekend, electricity was practically free thanks to strong winds. But on Tuesday, the daily average price in southernmost Sweden (bidding zone 4) jumps to 2.35 kronor per kilowatt-hour.
This year, it has been higher only once before.
In bidding zone 3, which covers northern Götaland and Svealand, prices are nearing a new high of the year. Only once before so far this year, on February 10th, has the daily price exceeded today's level of 1.92 kronor per kilowatt-hour on the Nord Pool power exchange.
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Even northern Sweden is seeing unusually high prices, ranging between 98 öre and 1.36 kronor.
Widespread calm weather combined with half of Sweden's nuclear power capacity being shut down for annual maintenance explains much of the surge.
And if the price of electricity contracts for the winter ahead is anything to go by, these kinds of price spikes will becoming increasingly common. Analysts are pointing to prices approaching those seen during the 2022-2023 energy crisis. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: northern Sweden – norra Sverige
Centre-left parties remain tight-lipped as Swedish coalition talks drag on
The centre-left opposition parties are keeping their lips sealed regarding any coalition meetings taking place behind closed doors.
According to a Left Party insider, the Centre Party is still refusing to sit down for joint party leader talks, reports the TT newswire.
Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson was tasked by the speaker of parliament with exploring options to form a new government, after her left-wing bloc emerged with the most votes in the September 13th election.
However, what that government might look like remains unclear, and the divide between the Centre Party and the Left Party still appears vast.
According to TT's Left Party source, the party leaders have yet to meet. Nor have there been any joint government talks at any level involving the Centre Party.
The Centre Party's press office stated only that they maintain an ongoing dialogue with several parties, refusing to elaborate further.
The Left Party has no intention of backing down from its demand for cabinet posts, deputy party leader Ida Gabrielsson asserted in an interview with SVT on Sunday. She acknowledged that this could lead to a snap election, but placed the blame squarely on the Centre Party.
"We will stand our ground, absolutely. We received strong backing from the voters and made the largest gains," she said.
The "too long, didn't read" version: Andersson needs the support of both the Centre Party and the Left Party to be elected prime minister. The Left Party has pledged to reject any government that doesn't include Left Party ministers; the Centre Party has pledged to reject any government that does include Left Party ministers. The speaker has four attempts to propose a nominee to parliament, after which a new election has to be called. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: unclear – oklart
Sweden's TBE infections hit all-time high as public health officials urge vaccination
A record number of people have been infected with the tick-borne viral disease TBE in Sweden this year.
Up to and including September 14th, 448 cases of TBE had been reported, according to fresh figures from the Public Health Agency. The figure has never been so high in any previous year. The year 2023 comes closest, with 392 cases reported over the same period.
Most people who contract TBE do not get sick, but the disease can hit hard. Of those who get infected, 10 to 30 percent suffer from flu-like symptoms for four to seven days. Of those, 20 to 30 percent risk developing a second phase, when the virus spreads to the brain or the meninges. Some people develop severe symptoms straight away, without an initial phase of fever.
Pinpointing the exact cause of this year's increase in cases is tricky, according to Caroline Schönning, an investigator at the Public Health Agency.
"There are so many factors that influence the TBE situation. There is the tick population, which in turn depends on host animal populations such as roe deer and small rodents. Both of these can depend on the weather we've had during the winter and summer. And in the long run, a warmer climate can lead to longer tick seasons," the TT news agency quoted her as saying.
The number of cases can fluctuate wildly from one year to the next, but over the past ten years, infections have been climbing by about 6 percent per year.
This spring, the Public Health Agency issued updated recommendations regarding TBE vaccination. The advice is that all adults and children over three years old across large swathes of southern Sweden – where ticks are most prevalent – should get vaccinated. It is not yet clear whether the recommendation has had any impact.
"We haven't yet been able to evaluate whether these recommendations have directly led to more people getting vaccinated. However, you also need to take a series of vaccine doses, so from a medical standpoint, it takes a while before recommendations yield results," said Schönning-
Tick season is far from over. In 2023, many cases were reported relatively late into the autumn. In other words, there's no need to hold off on getting vaccinated until next year.
"If you spend time in areas where ticks and TBE are prevalent, it is a good idea to go and get vaccinated now as well. Partly because you need a sequence of doses, and partly because ticks remain active for quite some time yet," said Schönning. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: a tick – en fästing
Airline SAS expect multi-billion kronor bill due to high fuel prices
The price of jet fuel has more than doubled since March, Paul Verhagen, chief commercial officer at SAS said in an interview with the Finans magazine.
He said in the interview that the higher price of fuel is expected to give the company an extra bill of 3.4 billion Swedish kronor this fiscal year, around 2.2 billion Danish kroner.
"Our situation is perhaps best illustrated in concrete figures: before March the price of jet fuel was around 700 dollars per tonne. Now it's around 1,600, so more than double," he said.
He didn't want to comment on how exactly that could affect the company this fiscal year – November 1st, 2025, to October 1st, 2026.
Air industry analyst Hans Jørgen Elnæs told Finans that the best case scenario is that the company breaks even on operating costs. In the worst case scenario, he said, SAS could end up with an operating loss of 1.3 billion Swedish kronor. (The Local Denmark)
Swedish vocabulary: a bill – en räkning