Left Party backs Moderate candidate Norlén for speaker as parliamentary deadlock looms
Swedish MPs are set to elect a new speaker as they gather for the formal opening of parliament today.
A parliamentary majority want Andreas Norlén to continue as speaker of the Riksdag for another four years.
The Moderates and the other right-wing parties have nominated Norlén, who is a member of the Moderates (the speaker is picked by the parties but is supposed to be neutral when they hold the speaker's title).
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Late on Sunday, the Left Party also came out in support of Norlén, which means he now has a majority.
"It could take a long time for Sweden to get a government. We therefore believe that we need stability and a fixed point in parliament. That is why we will cast our vote for Andreas Norlén," deputy Left Party leader Ida Gabrielsson told public broadcaster SVT, confirming rumours that had been building that the Left Party was unexpectedly going to throw their support behind a conservative candidate.
The Social Democrats have not yet nominated a candidate, but have previously said they believe the position of speaker should be held by the biggest party of the ruling bloc.
Norlén was elected speaker in 2018. In those eight years he has become a well-known figure as speaker of parliament, thanks to his work leading previous long government negotiations and his penchant for quoting poetry.
He is generally seen as capable and politically unbiased, but the Left Party's decision to back him is likely also a way of putting pressure on the Social Democrats in their government negotiations. (The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: a speaker – en talman
Left politician warns scrutiny over background risks alienating Swedish minorities
Left Party politician Mohamed Ali, at the centre of a storm around electoral fraud allegations, described the past few days as "extremely taxing, both personally and politically" in a post on Facebook.
He was elected to parliament via personal preference votes before reports surfaced that police had opened an investigation into suspected electoral fraud.
According to sources cited by multiple media outlets, the suspicions include allegations that voters were handed pre-marked ballots, that people were driven to the polling stations and possibly that money changed hands.
No one has been served with a formal notice of suspicion, and it is not known whether Ali himself, who strongly denies any wrongdoing, features in the investigation.
"I have seen the media reporting and commentary where conclusions have been drawn about me before ongoing processes and investigations have been allowed to run their course. To me, it is important that the facts come to light and that people are not condemned in the court of public opinion before there are proper grounds [for doing so]," he wrote on his Facebook page.
He has requested two weeks' leave of absence from parliament due to his current situation.
Ali went on to write that he had reacted to how his background had been highlighted, stating that discussions must be conducted objectively "regardless of name, background or skin colour".
"What has been particularly difficult is that parts of the debate have also come to centre on background and identity. That doesn't just affect me. It also risks making other Swedes from minority backgrounds feel that their participation in our democracy is being questioned on different terms," he wrote. (The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: taxing – påfrestande
Sweden's AI boom: Six in ten Swedes now use AI tools
AI, artificial intelligence, has made its big breakthrough in Sweden. A clear majority of Swedes now use various types of AI services, according to a new report from the Swedish Internet Foundation.
In 2026, just over six out of ten Swedes use AI, compared to four out of ten last year. The report notes that the largest increase is among people born in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, and that women have now caught up with men in their usage.
Just over half of AI users report that AI helps them get more done, for example in their professional lives. Furthermore, one in five relies on their AI service as a kind of extra friend.
The report also reveals that nearly eight out of ten Swedes have a digital mailbox. However, among the oldest age group – those aged 76 and over – one in four feels that the service actually makes their daily life more difficult. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: a digital mailbox – en digital brevlåda
Sweden's trade balance slips into 11.9 billion kronor deficit in August
Sweden's foreign trade balance posted a deficit of 11.9 billion kronor in August, according to figures from Statistics Sweden.
That compares with a surplus of 1.4 billion kronor in July and a deficit of 8.7 billion kronor in August last year.
The value of Swedish exports reached 159.9 billion kronor in August this year, representing an 11 percent increase year-on-year. However, the value of imports rose by 12 percent to 171.8 billion kronor.
Adjusted for seasonal variations, the net trade balance remained in positive territory, standing at a surplus of 1.7 billion kronor. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: foreign trade – utrikeshandel
Police investigate after pig's head dumped outside mosque
Police are investigating an incident where a pig's head was left outside a mosque in Sandviken, a town some two hours north of Stockholm, local newspaper Arbetarbladet reports.
Early on Saturday morning, members of the congregation who had gathered for prayers at dawn discovered that someone had left a pig's head by the entrance.
Police have opened a report into harassment.
"It is a direct attack on religious freedom in Sweden. We are feeling anxious now, as you never know what might happen next," congregation member Ibrahim Haj Jouma told Arbetarbladet. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: harassment – ofredande