Swedish News:

Swedes view themselves as EU citizens. Swedish youth less rowdy. "Children may lose the right to the throne”. Swedes view themselves as EU citizens.  

  • Swedish teenagers are getting more future oriented and thus less rowdy, according to new statistics. High school students walk in pairs through the woods on their way to Studenten. Photo by V. S. Arrowsmith
  • Swedes view themselves as EU citizens
    73% of Swedes also view themselves as citizens of the European Union. That’s less than Luxembourg, in which 87% of the population think of themselves as EU citizens, but it still is higher than the average in the 27 member countries (63%). The country that’s at the bottom of the list is Greece (46%), according to an extensive study conducted by the Eurobarometer. 1 029 people were interviewed in Sweden last year, and the results show that more men than women view themselves as EU citizens, and that view is also more common among young people and those with higher educations.

  • Any children from Madeleine and Chris, should they remain outside Sweden, may lose the right to the Swedish throne. Above: Silvertronen (the Silver Throne) at Rikssalen, a gift to Queen Kristina from Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie for her coronation in 1650. Photo courtesy of kungahuset.se
  • Swedish youth less rowdy
    Swedish youngsters, like most probably, like to be naughty; to shoplift, and to drink. Yet they are less rowdy today than they used to be, according to Dagens Nyheter. New statistics from Brottsförebyggande rådet or Brå (The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention), show that 20% of all Swedish 15-year olds have shoplifted during the past year, 30% have skipped school, 40% have gotten drunk, 5% have smoked marijuana, and 25% have caused some sort of damage. Even though these statistics may seem alarming, they show that Swedish youngsters are actually getting better. The study has been made every third year since 1995, and gives a different picture than regular crime statistics. “Barely half of them (youngsters) have committed a theft-related crime during the last 12-month period. This is an age when these things are exciting, but people who do (commit crimes) like these, only do it a few times. Then there’s a small group who has done many things, repeatedly. What’s positive is that this groups is getting smaller,” says Jonas Ring, researcher at Brå. One reason Swedish youth is getting less rowdy is that they are more future oriented today. Ring believes they realize it’s important to succeed in school in order to get a good job.

  • Swedes are of course Swedes, but 73% of them also think of themselves as citizens of the European Union. After a landmark vote, British citizens will soon no longer be members of the EU and are showing an increased interest in moving to Sweden ....
  • 'Children may lose the right to the throne'
    Princess Madeleine’s future children may lose their right to the Swedish throne – that is if she decides to remain in the US after her June 8th wedding. Says political scientist David Ekstrand: “The law is not formulated very clearly, so it is a problem. But the order of succession insists on the following two specifics: Heirs to the throne must be bred in and belong to the Protestant Church And heirs to the throne must be bred within Sweden. If Madeleine and Chris O’Neill continue to live in the US an enormous uncertainty is added.” On the other hand, according to the Swedish law, a royal born abroad doesn’t necessarily mean that he or she can’t access the throne. “But I also don’t think minimal stays in Sweden are enough,” says Ekstrand. It’s been three years since Madeleine left Sweden and in the Swedish national registration she is registered as “emigrated”. “Now it doesn’t look like Madeleine and Chris’ children will be considered for the throne, but the mere thought of that scenario would lead to a constitutional crisis, if she and Chris don’t move to Sweden before the children are too old. It’s worrisome,” Ekstrand concludes. According to the royal Swedish court there’s no end date for Madeleine’s stay in the US. “We refrain from commenting on that,” says Bertil Ternert, Director of the Information and Press Department at the Royal Swedish Court.

  • Elin and Tiger together again?
    When they split, few believed Swedish Elin Nordegren would ever be able to forgive Tiger Woods for his rather extensive infidelity. But that’s what it looks like she’s doing right now. According to reports the couple are back together again. A month or so ago, the National Enquirer claimed that Woods was desperate in trying to win back his ex-wife, even offering to sign a $200 million prenup for a second marriage. Then last week the two of them were seen together at a sports event in Palm Beach Florida. Could this mean the couple is on again? The couple split in 2010.