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  • Why Swedes stay home in summer (and it's not for the rain)
    2025/07/26

    In this week's episode we talk about 'cloudburst-like rain' and what to do if your house is flooded, we talk about why Swedes tend to stay home in the summer, and we talk about what it's like to have a baby in Sweden.


    Floods

    How can you protect your Swedish home against downpours?

    Swedish summer

    'On a sunny day, it can't be beat': The best things about spending summer in Sweden

    Having babies

    How to use Swedish parental leave to spend four months with your baby back home

    What you need to know about giving birth in Sweden


    Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts

    Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.

    Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+

    • For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+
    • For new members: Get Membership+

    Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.

    Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    23 分
  • Is your Swedish good enough for university? – Quiz 11
    2025/07/23

    It’s time again to learn some Swedish as our panelists try their hand at the tricky vocabulary section of Högskoleprovet, the Swedish university entrance exam.

    Host Paul O’Mahony in Stockholm is joined this week from Malmö by The Local's Becky Waterton and Richard Orange.

    READ ALSO:

    • SWEDISH TEST: Can you pass the vocab part of Sweden's version of the SAT?
    • What you need to know about applying to university in Sweden
    • The seven stages of learning Swedish every foreigner goes through


    Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    11 分
  • Can Sweden's migration minister survive scandal of son's extremist links?
    2025/07/19

    In this week's episode we talk about revelations that the son of Johan Forssell, Sweden's migration minister, has been active in far-right extremist groups and how the scandal is affecting the government.

    We also discuss what's behind a recent spate of redundancies in Sweden's games sector, an industry that employs a disproportionately high number of foreign workers.

    Politics
    • Swedish minister vows to stay on despite son's links to white supremacist groups
    • INTERVIEW: Probe into minister's relative has revealed 'threat to Swedish security'
    Working in Sweden
    • 'Awesome people get pushed away': What's happening in the Swedish gaming industry?
    • The seven bizarre traditions that make up Swedish Midsummer
    Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts

    Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.

    Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+

    • For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+
    • For new members: Get Membership+

    Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.

    Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    17 分
  • Is your Swedish good enough for university? – Quiz 10
    2025/07/12

    In this week's episode we once again bring you a Swedish language quiz as The Local's journalists answer multiple choice questions from the vocabulary section of Högskoleprovet, the Swedish university entrance exam.

    Host Paul O’Mahony is joined for the quiz by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange.

    READ ALSO:

    • SWEDISH TEST: Can you pass the vocab part of Sweden's version of the SAT?
    • What you need to know about applying to university in Sweden
    • The seven stages of learning Swedish every foreigner goes through


    Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    15 分
  • Is your Swedish good enough for university? – Quiz 9
    2025/07/05

    In this week’s episode we bring you a language quiz in which we put The Local’s journalists through their paces with questions from the vocabulary section of Högskoleprovet, the Swedish university entrance exam.

    Host Paul O’Mahony is joined for the quiz by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange.

    READ ALSO:

    • SWEDISH TEST: Can you pass the vocab part of Sweden’s version of the SAT?
    • What you need to know about applying to university in Sweden
    • The seven stages of learning Swedish every foreigner goes through


    Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    16 分
  • Almedalen special: Swedish red tape vexes Ukrainians
    2025/06/28
    In this special episode from the Almedalen political week on Gotland, James Savage talks to former US Ambassador Erik Ramanathan about how much the Trump presidency is really changing the relationship between Sweden and the US. He also has an interview with campaigner Khrystyna Hevchuk about the challenges faced by Ukrainian refugees in Sweden. And Helena Renström from Skellefteå municipality talks about what Northvolt's bankruptcy means for work permit holders there.

    Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    41 分
  • Fit in or stick out? How Sweden changes you
    2025/06/20

    In this week's episode we talk about the bridge between Denmark and Sweden and how it means a lot more to one of our panelists than the sore feet she got after running across it.

    We also discuss what foreigners do to fit in in Sweden and why some people push back against assimilation.

    Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange.

    Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:

    Sweden and Denmark
    • Why the Bridge Run between Sweden and Denmark meant so much to me
    Reader insights
    • 'Sometimes I explode inside': How foreigners in Sweden become more Swedish to fit in
    • Ten signs you're becoming more Swedish than the Swedes
    Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts

    Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.

    Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+

    • For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+
    • For new members: Get Membership+

    Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.

    Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription.

    Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    14 分
  • Good news at last for work permit holders in Sweden
    2025/06/14

    In this week's episode we talk about how to make the most of Sweden’s Midsummer celebrations, and we look at big changes to Sweden’s work permit system — including a new rule that could help you stay in the country if you lose your job.

    For Membership+ subscribers we explore why Swedes are dropping traditional surnames, racism in Swedish nightclubs, and why party leaders have been reprimanded after calling for a slow down in citizenship processing.

    Host Richard Orange is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and James Savage.

    Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:

    Donation
    • Donate to The Local
    Work permits
    • How Sweden wants to make it easier to change employers on a work permit
    • Sweden set to double three-month deadline for (some) laid-off work permit holders
    Midsummer
    • Why is Midsummer's Eve celebrated in Sweden?
    • The seven bizarre traditions that make up Swedish Midsummer
    Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcasts

    Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.

    Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+

    • For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+
    • For new members: Get Membership+

    Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.

    Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    18 分