Swedish prime minister hits back at critics over national security adviser’s resignation, ‘top-level Swedish diplomat’ suspected of espionage, new healthcare guidelines for changing legal gender revealed, and university union slams ‘exploitative’ migration policy.
Swedish prime minister hits back at critics over national security adviser’s resignation, ‘top-level Swedish diplomat’ suspected of espionage, new healthcare guidelines for changing legal gender revealed, and university union slams ‘exploitative’ migration policy.
Swedish prime minister hits back at critics over national security adviser’s resignation, ‘top-level Swedish diplomat’ suspected of espionage, new healthcare guidelines for changing legal gender revealed, and university union slams ‘exploitative’ migration policy.
PM hits back at critics over national security adviser’s resignation
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has found himself in hot water after newly-appointed national security adviser Tobias Thyberg quit before even assuming his new role, following the emergence of old pictures which Thyberg had posted on the Grindr dating app, including in a DM.
After Kristersson was accused of dragging his feet on firing his former national security adviser, Henrik Landerholm, over confidential documents left behind at a conference centre, sources within the government office are now criticising him of instead overreacting and throwing Thyberg – an experienced diplomat who has worked as ambassador of Ukraine and Afghanistan – under the bus.
Some opinion writers have also argued that it’s a storm in a teacup caused by homophobia.
But Kristersson insisted that it was only Thyberg’s failure to disclose the pictures in security discussions before he was offered the position that had led to his departure, discussions which he said were meant to bring to light everything that could possibly cause future problems.
“That’s what they’re there for. Everyone who has those conversations knows that, and just like he himself said, he ought to have brought it up in these conversations. So it’s not to do with anything else whatsoever,” Kristersson told the Aftonbladet newspaper on a visit to London.
Swedish vocabulary: a picture – en bild
‘Top-level Swedish diplomat’ suspected of espionage
A person arrested in Stockholm on suspicion of espionage is a Swedish diplomat, reports public broadcaster SVT.
He is said to have worked for the Swedish foreign ministry for years and has been stationed at embassies around the world.
Sweden’s security police Säpo confirmed that they’re investigating espionage, but did otherwise not want to comment on the identity of the suspect when approached by Swedish media, including whether the person is a man, woman or has Swedish citizenship.
Sweden has in recent years seen several high-profile spying cases.
Swedish vocabulary: espionage – spioneri
New healthcare guidelines for changing legal gender revealed
According to new healthcare guidelines, a single digital healthcare appointment should be enough to obtain the certificate required for a person to change their legal gender in Sweden’s population register, reports public radio broadcaster SR’s news programme, Ekot.
“It’s important to remember that these are regulations that to a large extent are based on the individual’s own right to self-determination and the process is meant to be easy,” Pär Ödman, head lawyer for the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, told Ekot.
Parliament agreed last year that a gender dysphoria diagnosis should no longer be required to change your legal gender, and the age limit should be lowered from 18 to 16 years with the approval of the legal guardian. The new law is set to come into force on July 1st.
Swedish vocabulary: legal gender – juridiskt kön
Sweden’s university union slams ‘exploitative’ migration policy
A new report, carried out by the Swedish Association of University Teachers and Researchers’ Doctoral Candidates Association (SULF-DCA) between 2023 and 2025, looked into the challenges faced by international PhD candidates and early career researchers in Sweden, specifically with regard to Swedish migration policy.
It calls for migration policy reform when it comes to international researchers, criticising in particular what it calls Sweden’s “exploitative ‘revolving door’ migration policy”.
“[These policies] permit recruitment of international talent to bolster innovation, but deny migrant scholars equal access to professional opportunities and preclude them from achieving long-term stability in their residence status ‒ basic prerequisites to building a successful research career,” the report reads.
It also criticises the Migration Agency for “false advertising and mixed messaging about migration policy”, accusing it of misleading applicants about their immigration prospects.
“There are chronic, glaring discrepancies between the public representation of migration processes as explained by the Swedish Migration Agency, and the reality of interacting with the migration system as a foreign researcher. Such discrepancies do not arise by accident, but rather by design,” it reads.
The working group interviewed a number of international PhD students as part of the investigation.
Swedish vocabulary: a report – en rapport
Discover more from World Byte News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
