Volvo Cars urges staff to relocate to Gothenburg when Stockholm office closes
Volvo Cars is closing its Stockholm office and consolidating its resources at its Gothenburg headquarters, the company announced on Monday.
The office is set to shut its doors permanently on March 1st next year, and around 450 employees will be affected by the decision.
"The majority of them will be offered employment in Gothenburg instead," Volvo Cars press officer Magnus Holst told Swedish news agency TT, but would not be drawn on exactly how many.
Staff will not be able to accept job offers while continuing to work remotely from the capital.
"No, it comes down to moving to Gothenburg, that's just the way it is," Holst said.
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Kristina Tullgren, representing the Engineers of Sweden union, described the move as "unilateral".
"This is extremely difficult news for our members in Stockholm. Many are in the middle of their lives with families, children, homes and social networks. It is therefore completely understandable that many now face a tough decision on whether they want to – and are able to – relocate to Gothenburg to stay employed," she said in a statement.
"Negotiations with the company will now continue. Our primary focus is ensuring our members receive clear information and the support they need during this difficult transition," Tullgren said. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: unilateral – ensidigt
Sunday 'fika' fails to heal spat between right-wing Swedish leaders
A dispute that broke out over the weekend between the Sweden Democrats and Christian Democrats over the latter’s refusal to rule out supporting a Social Democrat-led government remains unresolved, despite a Sunday “fika” between the leaders.
Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson on Monday demanded an official answer from Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch on what the "exceptional situations" were in which she might be willing to vote for Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson as prime minister.
The disagreement broke out when Åkesson openly criticised Busch in the summer speech he delivered in his hometown of Sölvesborg.
"Can you trust the Christian Democrats?" he asked, referring to Busch's recurring flirtation with the Social Democrats. "Is a vote for the Christian Democrats at risk of becoming a vote for Magdalena Andersson?"
After his speech, Busch changed her schedule and turned up in Sölvesborg where she drank coffee and offered Åkesson sockerkaka, a Swedish sponge cake.
"We are agreed on four more years after a blue-yellow victory," Busch said after the meeting, saying she had had "a fantastic coffee" with Åkesson. (The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: to trust – att lita på
Swedish researchers warn against winter tyres during summer after fatal crash study
Cars driving on winter tyres during the summer months are heavily overrepresented in fatal road accidents, according to a study by researchers from VTI (the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute), Folksam and the Swedish Tyre Industry, in collaboration with the Swedish Transport Administration.
"Our results indicate that the large overrepresentation of winter tyres in fatal accidents during the summer is mainly related to the tyres' poorer grip on summer road conditions," said Mattias Hjort, researcher at VTI and lead author of the study, in a statement.
The study, published in the journal Traffic Safety Research, is based on in-depth analyses of all fatal car crashes in Sweden between May and September from 2012 to 2021.
In 22 percent of the fatal accidents, the car had at least one winter tyre fitted. This compares to an estimated 7 percent of cars nationwide that drive on winter tyres during the summer months, according to VTI.
"The importance of tyres has largely been overlooked in analyses of fatal accidents during the summer. Our results show that the choice of tyres can play an important role in road safety," said Hjort. (The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: a tyre – ett däck
Macron seals $4.9-bn French frigate deal in Sweden
President Emmanuel Macron on Monday oversaw the signing of a 4.3-billion-euro deal for Sweden to buy four French frigates as Paris and Stockholm seek to tighten cooperation against a backdrop of growing Russian threats.
Sweden is racing to boost its defences after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, with the Nordic country becoming a Nato member two years later.
Macron and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson oversaw the signing of the contract aboard the French frigate Amiral Ronarc'h, moored in Stockholm.
"We are sealing a major strategic partnership, one that is reciprocal, respectful and ambitious," Macron said.
"This demonstrates the strength and importance of this European pillar of defence and how Franco-Swedish cooperation is becoming an essential component of it," the French leader added.
Macron and Kristersson stressed the need for greater European autonomy in defence.
"Everyone now knows that in Europe we must take greater responsibility for our own security," Kristersson said.
"The European pillar of Nato is continuing to strengthen." (AFP/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: cooperation – samarbete
Stockholm sees all-time high in summer tourists
A record number of tourists visited Stockholm this summer, according to figures reviewed by the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.
"The trend is clear and shows that Stockholm is growing as an increasingly popular destination," said Daniella Waldfogel, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce.
During June and July, 3.6 million guest nights were registered in Stockholm, representing an eight percent increase compared to last summer. This is the highest level ever recorded.
"Last summer, we could see that tourism had bounced back after the pandemic. Now, we are breaking records again," Waldfogel said.
During this period, 1.5 million hotel rooms were booked, and the average room rate rose by 12 percent to 1,645 kronor.
Every third guest night in the capital was accounted for by visitors from outside the Nordic region, the Chamber of Commerce wrote in a press release. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: a night – en natt