Christian Democrat leader calls for 'blue-and-yellow comeback' with focus on welfare over tax breaks
At an impromptu press conference in the centre of Visby, on the island of Gotland, Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch kicked off the Almedalen political week by addressing the recent opinion polls, which suggest that the right-wing Tidö coalition is heading for a defeat in the September election.
"Election victory is in danger for the blue-and-yellow team. We need to step it up a gear," Busch said. "But I believe a record-breaking blue-and-yellow comeback is possible."
Her talk about "blue-and-yellow" is no coincidence. Various shades of blue are usually used to represent three of the Tidö parties: the Christian Democrats, Moderates and Liberals. And yellow represents the far-right Sweden Democrats, which isn't in government, but is still part of the coalition. Blue and yellow also happen to be the colours of the Swedish flag, which fits the patriotic message with which the four parties like to associate themselves.
Busch's recipe for success is to focus on the finances of ordinary families, a well-functioning welfare system, less bureaucracy and a "battle of values".
"I believe the focus needs to be on making welfare work. It's a combination of prioritising it in kronor and ören, alongside reforms to make schools, healthcare and childcare work better."
The Christian Democrats are going into the election promising that "the overall tax burden must not increase", while low-earners should benefit more than high-earners. This means that the party will not automatically agree to a new employment tax deduction which would cut taxes for everyone who works.
"It is not high-earners who should be the primary winners of an economic policy that we are involved in negotiating," Busch said.
"The next four years will not be about heavy tax cuts."
Swedish vocabulary: employment tax deduction – jobbskatteavdrag
Sweden Democrats launch retro election campaign to make 'Sweden like Sweden again'
The Sweden Democrats are betting on retro-style election posters that promise to make "Sweden like Sweden again".
The aim is to evoke nostalgic feelings of a safe and happy childhood from days gone by.
"Sweden should feel the way Sweden once felt," the party's communication chief, Joakim Wallerstein, was quoted by TT as saying.
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For him, that era was the early 1980s, but he pointed out that it depends on when you were born.
The party has also adopted a new campaign symbol for the election: a child-like illustration of a bumblebee.
When asked whether the Sweden Democrats are attempting to project a softer image in this election campaign, deputy party leader Henrik Vinge replied that the party is prepared to roll up its sleeves to take tough action on immigration, crime, and other issues.
"But our goal is not to have a harsh society," he said. "We want to safeguard soft values, like people's safety and security."
Swedish vocabulary: Sweden – Sverige
Swedish security service warns Iran continues to recruit gang youth
The terror threat against Sweden remains elevated (three on a five-point scale), according to the Swedish security service, Säpo. And the agency warns that Iran is continuing to recruit youth with gang connections to target assets within Sweden.
Säpo notes in its latest report on the threats facing Sweden that it has handled a series of different security threats over the past six months.
"This includes both cases stemming from the actions of state actors, but also those related to terrorist activity," Säpo chief Charlotte von Essen told the TT news agency.
Among other things, cases linked to espionage, right-wing extremism and violent Islamist extremism have led to several prosecutions and detentions.
Von Essen said that the terror threat and the state security threat are increasingly intertwining.
"In the sense that we see state actors making use of proxies to carry out attacks, and such an attack can, in certain cases, constitute a terrorist attack," she said.
Previously, incidents at Israeli embassies and the Israeli company Elbit Systems in Gothenburg have been linked to Iran. Recently, a boy was also convicted of attempted murder against a well-known expert on Iran based in Sweden.
"We see that this is ongoing. Threats against American, Jewish, and Israeli interests have increased, as well as against individuals who are prominent within the Iranian diaspora," says von Essen.
Russia continues to be singled out as the greatest threat to Sweden. Säpo notes that Russia has also begun using proxies to carry out hostile acts.
"There are many clear examples from other parts of Europe where digital means have been used to target young people to act as proxies to carry out various types of sabotage."
In Sweden, Säpo has seen examples of attempted destructive cyberattacks that can be linked to Russia. One cyberattack was directed at a heating plant in western Sweden in the spring of 2025, and the fact that it was specifically "destructive" is highlighted as a sign of altered and more risk-tolerant Russian behaviour.
Säpo also notes that Russia has been mapping out operations vital to national security, but declined to specify what these were.
"The mapping can be used at a later date; it can be part of war-preparatory measures," said von Essen.
Swedish vocabulary: security – säkerhet
Swedes urged to catch mosquitoes to help track disease risks
Researchers are calling on the public to send in mosquitoes to help map the insects and better determine the risk of mosquito-borne diseases spreading in Sweden.
Last year, 688 mosquitoes were sent in from across the country to a research project known as the "Mosquito Map" (Myggkartan). The scientists behind the initiative – who are linked to the National Veterinary Institute (SVA) and the Swedish Species Information Centre at SLU – now want the public to keep sending them in this year too.
Last year's project yielded several interesting discoveries, including a saltwater mosquito found in the Uppland region, which had never previously been spotted so far north in Sweden.
Due to climate change bringing warmer and shorter winters, various mosquito species have been expanding their territory across northern Europe. Last year, the West Nile virus – which can affect humans, horses and birds – was detected in mosquitoes in neighbouring Denmark.
Anyone wishing to report their sightings and submit mosquitoes can do so via the Swedish Species Observation System (Artportalen).
Swedish vocabulary: a mosquito – en mygga
SAS threatened to move traffic from Copenhagen to Sweden
Scandinavia's SAS airline threatened in March to move flights from Copenhagen to Stockholm Arlanda due to the long queues at Copenhagen Airport, the Børsen newspaper has reported, citing documents it has received. Denmark's justice ministry then agreed to move approximately 60 extra officers to the airport.
On March 12th, Mads Brandstrup, director of communications at SAS, wrote a letter to Denmark's justice and finance ministries in which he said that the company had "for some time" been led to expect that a plan would be presented for staffing passport control at Copenhagen Airport, the main airport used by southern Swedes.
He wrote that the company now understood that the police did not "intend to present the promised plan before the critical point at which the EES regulations come into force in April".
"Against that background, we have unfortunately been forced to begin planning for reduced capacity in Copenhagen, with flights being moved to Arlanda Airport instead. We will discuss this at a SAS board meeting on Wednesday next week," the letter read.
Five days later, the Ministry of Justice and the police guaranteed to move approximately 60 extra officers to the airport until the autumn holidays.
Swedish vocabulary: an airport – en flygplats