Swedish bulletin winter 2012 by Swedish Bulletin

swedish

bulletin YOUR INSIDER’S GUIDE TO SWEDEN, STOCKHOLM & GOTHENBURG

WINTER 2012 SEK 50

swedish

bulletin YOUR INSIDER’S GUIDE TO SWEDEN, STOCKHOLM & GOTHENBURG

WINTER 2012 SEK 50

Dear Readers The unique Swedish Xmas customs are an integral part of what the festive season means to us, and this is reflected in the many small celebrations, such as Lucia – a tradition that can be traced back to both St Lucia of Syracuse, a martyr who died in 304, and to the Swedish legend of Lucia as Adam’s first wife. In this issue Christine Demsteader writes a comprehensive guide to celebrating Christmas like a native.

WINTER I 2012 PU B LI S HED BY SWEDISH BULLETIN HB

RE S P O N S I B LE PU B LI S HER AND CHIEF EDIT O R TERESA IVARS LANGUAGE EDIT O R M AT T L U D LO W LAURA POINTING C O V ER H I S M A J E S T Y K I N G C A R L X V I G U S TA V A N D T H E P R E S I D E N T, H . E . LT. G E N . S E R E T S E K H A M A I A N K H A M A , AT S I R S E R E T S E K H A M A

Being the modern country it is, Sweden also boasts many secular festive customs. The Nobel Prize marks not only the advent of an internationally celebrated tradition, but the beginning of the year’s darker months. This year Swedish Bulletin pays special attention to Chinese writer Mo Yan, the first citizen of mainland China to win The Nobel Prize for Literature. Over the past few years the European Union has been preoccupied with internal tensions relating to the financial crisis, and the Political and Security Committee is key in coordinating Europe’s emerging foreign policy in the coming years. In this issue chair of the PSC, and veteran Swedish diplomat Olof Skoog talks to Eric Paglia on the problems currently facing the EU. Swedish Bulletin illuminates on the Botswanan Ambassador to Sweden, H. E. Ms Bernadette S. Rathedi: Dean of the Lady Ambassadors Group who tells us about the long- lasting and fruitful relations between the two countries.

I N T E R N AT I O N A L A I R P O R T, G A B O R O N E . )

LAY O UT L LO Y D A X T E N C O NTRI B UT O R S T O THI S I S S UE BOO RUNDQVIST CHRISTINE DEMSTEADER CHRISTIAN VON ESSEN E L I Z A B E T H D A C E Y- F O N D E L I U S MICHAEL HELANDER JUDI LEMBKE LARS NORDSTRAND CHRISTINA LINDEROTH-OLSON E R I C PA G L I A MADELEINE PERSON MOIRA SULLIVAN AD V ERTI S ING G LO B E I N V E S T M E D I A

Also in this issue Swedish Bulletin welcomes two new Ambassadors, Javier Jimenez-Ugarte and Jorge Lomónaco, from Spain and Mexico respectively. Ambassador Lemónaco talks to Elizabeth Dacey-Fondelius on the subjects of preserving his countries long standing bi-lateral relations with Sweden, and changing foreign perceptions of his home country. The Spanish Ambassador, Señor Jimenez-Ugarte arrives from a nation, like much of Europe, embroiled in financial crisis, and he cites the Swedish recovery model from the 1990s as a suitable blueprint for his native Spain. In the Swedish Companies section we examine how the country’s online businesses are making their mark on the global market in The Swedish IT Revolution. We discover how Keolis is developing innovative transport solutions in Europe and across the world and Boo Rundqvist reveals how Uddeholm, established 350 years ago, continues to remain the world’s leading manufacturer of tool steel. Finally, the history of TetraPak (the proud creation of the Rausing family), from its humble beginnings and through its many innovations.

+46-(0)-18-418-6025 info@globeinvest.se w w w. g l o b e i n v e s t . s e

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Swedish Bulletin is always eager to report Swedish success, but we also like to publicise the triumphs of resident expats. This edition tells the story of Canadian born Lesley Pennington, founder of BEMZ, whose bold prints now upholster IKEA’s furnishings. Amelia Adamo: Queen of the Swedish Magazine Scene chronicles her career in journalism, from her birth into humble surroundings, to the possibility of starting a magazine for women in retirement, at the age of sixty-five. ‘Nu är det jul igen’ or ‘now it’s Yule again’, as we say in Sweden. In accordance, make the most of the festive season with its multitude of cultural offerings, with Swedish Bulletin as your perfect accompaniment.

Teresa Ivars Publisher and Chief Editor

bulletin

swedish FEATURE

SWEDISH COMPANIES

PEOPLE

TRAVEL IN SWEDEN

8 European external relations at a moment of

28 Uddeholm - World leading manufacture of tool

42 Amelia Adamo - Queen of the Swedish

56 Abisko National Park - A hot spot for outdoor

30 The story of Tetra Pak- Developing liquid food

44 BEMZ - Canadian born CEO Lesley

THE SEASON

introspection

20 Mo Yan; The boy told not to speak becomes Nobel Literature Laureate

FOCUS

otswana Ambassador to Sweden, H.E Ms B Bernadette S.Rathedi; Dean of the Lady Ambassadors Group

14 Mexican Ambassador - Jorge Lomónaco in Sweden

18 Economic diplomacy in a digital age - Spanish Ambassador Javier Jimenez-Ugarte

BUSINESS

WINTER 2 0 1 2

he Swedish steel industry - for the specialised T export market

steel suggest success comes from looking at the big picture packaging systems since 1929

32 The Swedish IT revolution - A closer look at

the most intersting tech start ups from Sweden

35 Keolis - In the lead of development and showing its strengths in mass transit

64 Serenity on Stockholm’s steps - Welcome aboard with Waxholmbolaget

SWEDISH INSTITUTIONS

38 A new Director for SIPRI - Dr. Tilman Brück brings a new perspective to the study of security and peace promotion

40 The National Property Board Sweden -

Magazine Scene walks us through her journalism career

Pennington disrupts the status quo for IKEA furnishing

CULTURE & MORE

48 Edvard Munch 150 year anniversary - Thiel’s

Gallery in Stockholm will be sharing some of his most important paintings in 2013

50 David LaChapelle at Fotografiska - Pushing the

boundaries this is LaChapelle’s largest show ever

adventurers all year round

60 Twelve days of Swedish Christmas - A fool

proof guide to celebrating the yuletide season like a native

oliday gift guide - Suggestions for the holiday H season

SWEDISH DIARY

Open dialogue. Stop racism

LIFESTYLE

54 New Swedish documentary chronicles the life of Olof Palme

Conserving and preserving the heritage of Sweden

FEATURE INTER V IEW

European external relations at a moment of introspection Ambassador Olof Skoog chairs a key committee responsible for coordinating Europe’s emerging common foreign policy TEXT E R I C PA G L I A

ver the past few years the European Union has been preoccupied with internal tensions relating to the financial crisis and questions over the common currency. This has largely overshadowed the crucial leadership role the EU continues to play in managing crises and mitigating conflicts across the globe. To this end, a key European entity is the Political and Security Committee or PSC, which is tasked with coordinating the Common Foreign and Security Policy as well as an array of other foreign policy functions. It is chaired by veteran Swedish diplomat Ambassador Olof Skoog, who has previously represented Sweden in international organisations such as the OSCE and the United Nations, as well as serving as Ambassador to Colombia, Panama,Venezuela and Ecuador, among other high level assignments. In 2010 he was appointed Permanent Chair of the PSC, one of the top positions within the recently formed EU Foreign Service.

“We put a lot of hours into our jobs, as many others do, and in order to manage this you really need a passion for diplomacy, and a desire to make a difference,”

Ambassador Skoog is concerned that the current crisis could affect Europe’s ability to conduct effective foreign policy: “There is a risk that the internal situation could limit Europe’s foreign policy ambitions. That is indeed a challenge.Yet the international community has looked to the EU to take the lead in, for instance, finding a negotiated solution to the situation surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.” The greater Middle East in general is one of the main theatres of European foreign policy: “We are very engaged in the region. Finding a durable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue remains a top priority, and like everyone else we are struggling to end the bloodshed in Syria,” says Ambassador Skoog. Foreign policy priorities also exist in Europe’s own back yard. Belarus, for instance, remains a quandary: “A country in the midst of Europe with a long way to go in terms of democracy and respect for human rights of course represents a major concern for the European Union,” the Ambassador says. “Further south, the western Balkans are a European region where the Union is proactively engaged in promoting reforms on the road to eventual EU membership for Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro,” he says. The ideal of EU membership as a beacon and basis of reform for countries on the periphery of Europe had faded somewhat amidst the recent financial turmoil. Thus for a beleaguered Europe, the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize was an extremely welcome ‘moral boost’. “It was a very significant

PH O T O PA W E L F L AT O

reminder to the EU and its leaders that the project of the Union is unique in the world and can serve as a model: the idea of democracies getting together, enlarging their club to allow for new members to join based on very severe and very serious demands for democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” according to Ambassador Skoog. “There was a risk that we were losing faith in our own project, and outsiders were starting to look at the EU as too bogged down, too obsessed with internal debates to have enough ambition left for a credible and active foreign policy,” he says. “We should not allow the current crisis to make us lose confidence in what we want to contribute in the global arena.” Ambassador Skoog has experience of international crises, having served in the United Nations Monitoring Verification and Inspection Commission for Iraq and as Political Advisor to Hans Blix in the years leading up to the second Iraq war. “It was not a happy moment, but as a historic event it was fascinating,” he says. Despite relishing his influential position within the European Union foreign policy apparatus, at times he misses the hands on dimensions of diplomacy that can make a tangible difference on the ground and in people’s lives. He makes reference to his participation in peace negotiations between the government of Colombia and the FARC rebels as the type of life and death deliberations that are largely absent from his work in Brussels. “We put a lot of hours into our jobs, as many others do, and in order to manage this you really need a passion for diplomacy, and a desire to make a difference,” the Ambassador surmises. “Moreover, you must constantly conduct a reality check: does this mean anything, does this actually change anything? If it’s just like-minded bureaucrats in a room seeking the least common denominator, nothing will change, and you might as well find another job,” he says. Another key quality for success as a diplomat is empathy, according to Ambassador Skoog. “As a negotiator, you need to understand that negotiations are about two sides or more, and that everyone needs to be able to walk away feeling they have gained something.” No easy task, especially under current circumstances, but two personal traits of Ambassador Skoog may provide hope: “As a Swede I am a consensus builder, and very much committed to the European ideal.”

F O CU S : DIPL O M ATIC INTER V IEW

ntering the Botswana Embassy nestled among the elegant structures of Stockholm’s Lärkstaden, the Swedish Bulletin was welcomed into the Ambassador’s office. Ms. Rathedi has entered her eighth year as Ambassador in Stockholm, her first ambassadorial posting. The Botswana Stockholm mission is quite a busy one with an enormous coverage, responsible for a total of 12 countries including, the Nordics, the Baltic states, Poland, Ukraine, Russia and the Holy See as well as the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). Botswana gained its independence in September 1966 and modernized its long-standing tradition of democracy. The Ambassador tells the Bulletin, “Our democracy was born a long time ago; it has its roots in the country’s traditional kgotla system.” Very soon after the nation’s birth, a fledgling country with a lot of rural territory and in need of assistance, Botswana began cooperating with partner countries like Sweden, which opened its embassy in Gaborone in 1972. Botswana then opened its embassy in Stockholm in 1985. These partnerships began as aid-related, but the high level of need turned out to be short-lived. In 1969, a most spectacular natural resource was discovered; diamonds. In addition to the private visit by His Majesty the King and Queen Silvia, to the Okavango Delta in Botswana for their honeymoon in 1976, Botswana and Sweden have exchanged high level visits over the years. In March 2006, the then Botswana President, H. E. Mr Festus G. Mogae and Mrs Barbara Mogae, visited Sweden as guests of Their Majesties. Even after the Swedish Embassy in Botswana was closed in 2008, the two countries continue to enjoy excellent relations. In March 2011, His Majesty King Karl XVI Gustav, accompanied by the Ministers of Rural Affairs and International Development Cooperation, and a large delegation from the Swedish industry and agencies, visited Botswana as a guest of the President, H. E. Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama. During the visit, His Majesty was taken to the Chobe National Park, where he witnessed Botswana’s efforts on sustainable tourism.

Botswana enjoys a robust economy, thanks to prudent fiscal policies put in place to manage its abundant natural resource. In the mid 1990s, Botswana had emerged as a middle income country and cooperating partners started scaling down on the bilateral assistance, focusing on assistance through multilateral and regional channels. Sweden was well placed and could provide what was needed for other forms of bilateral development cooperation. After diamonds, it is the call of the wild that brings people to Botswana.The country prides itself with its eco-tourism offering unforgettable destinations like the Okavango Delta. A growing foundation of diamond mining has married well with the competence of many Swedish companies like Atlas Copco, ABB, Sandvik, Scania and Ericsson. In addition to mining equipment, Sweden exports ICT (information and communication technology) to Botswana. Botswana, on the other hand, exports furniture parts and lab reagents to Sweden. It was duty which brought Ms Rathedi to Sweden.With a background in human development, the Ambassador was transferred to the Foreign Service in 1990 with postings in Stockholm and Pretoria as Deputy Head of Mission and a six year stint as Chief of State Protocol, before eventually returning to Sweden as Ambassador. On a crisp, sunny day in November, the Ambassador, too well aware of the imminent nightfall, confessed, “I have a big problem with the darkness. But I love the snow because it brightens up the place.”The Ambassador has not visited as much of Sweden privately as she would have liked, keeping a busy schedule as a “soccer mom”, and trying to keep up with her son’s activities of football and swimming. This long tenure in Sweden earned Ambassador Rathedi the position of Dean of the Lady Ambassadors Group of Stockholm, in 2010.Traditionally, the Dean is always the longest serving female Ambassador. Currently, there are 22 female Ambassadors in the group (see list) representing all corners of the globe. Being in Sweden, which is renowned for having a large number of accredited female ambassadors, we asked how that number compares with other countries.The Ambassador replied, “Here our number is on the larger side” though at one point during her tenure, it stood at 15.

Ambassador Rathedi speaks fondly of this group of female ambassadors, “We are a close-knit group,” and adds “We interact and share ideas in a relaxed atmosphere.”The atmosphere she is referring to is of the monthly meetings organized by the group. Each month, the appointed Lady Ambassador organizes an event. They include lunches at the residence with a special guest, e.g. Swedish ministers, MPs and other representatives of the private sector and NGOs or visits to Swedish counties, authorities, businesses and institutions. Events that the Ambassador has organized during her term include a visit the Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson and a visit to the Swedish Radio. Dean Rathedi tells us at the Bulletin, “We have had so many interesting speakers and have learnt a lot about Sweden.”

Within this tight group of Lady Ambassadors many long standing friendships take hold and grow even beyond the posting to Stockholm. Image below: Lady Ambassadors Group, and Mrs. Cilla Benko, the Director General of the Swedish Radio. 8 J u n e 2 0 1 2 , a t t h e R o m a n i a n E m b a s s y. S e c o n d r o w, l e f t t o r i g h t : M r s . L o u r d e s H i l b c k d e A r r o s p i d e , C h a r g e d ’ a f f a i r e s a . i . , Pe r u H . E . H a l a Fa r i z , A m b a s s a d o r, Pa l e s t i n e M r s . E m n a A b b e s , C h a r g e d ’ a f f a i r e s , Tu n i s i a H . E . A l i k i H a d j i , A m b a s s a d o r o f Greece H.E. Jana Hynkova, Ambassador of the Czech Republic H.E . Purity Muhindi, Ambassador of Kenya H.E . Bernadette Rahedi, Ambassador of Botswana, dean of the Lady Ambassadors’ Group H.E. Maija Manika, Ambassador of Latvia H.E. M a r i a Z e n a i d a C o l l i n s o n , A m b a s s a d o r o f P h i l i p p i n e H . E . Ve n e t i a Sebudandi, Ambassador of Rwanda Mrs. Metoda Mikuz, Charge d’affaires a.i. of Slovenia H.E. Jadranka Kalmeta, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina F r o n t r o w, l e f t t o r i g h t : H.E. Mandisa Dona Marasha, Ambassador of South Africa H.E. Barbara Bridge, Ambassador of New Zealand H.E. Anne Lund, Ambassador of Norway Mrs. Cilla Benko, Director General of the Swedish Radio H.E. Raduta Matache, Ambassador of Romania H.E. Zulma Guelman Guigou, Ambassador of Uruguay H . E . Z e r g u n K o r u t u r k , A m b a s s a d o r o f Tu r k e y H . E . M a r i a D o r a Victoriana Mejia Marulanda, Ambassador of Colombia

Botswana Ambassador to Sweden, H. E. Ms Bernadette S. Rathedi: Dean of the Lady Ambassadors Group TEXT: E L I Z A B E T H D A C E Y- F O N D E L I U S PH O T O : D A V I D FA L K

T H E UNCOMF ORTAB LE T RUT H

R EC yCLIN g WOR kS

Steel manufacturing is smelly, polluting and energy intensive. In the process of making steel, heavy metals, sulphur, solvents and CO2 are inevitably released into the atmosphere. Some of it sinks to the ground, where it is taken up by plants and animals and seeps into the groundwater. Producing steel also requires enormous amounts of energy. Fossil fuels further increase the emission of CO2.

Steel is endlessly recyclable. By recycling scrap metal you contribute to a sustainable cycle where you waste, pollute and consume less. Even better would be if you could buy back your own used product – worn-out tools and parts made from your own steel. Recycling also gets results when it comes to the humdrum habits of your co-workers. By separating rubbish at the source, you lessen the amount of waste coming from your plant (which your local council has to deal with) by as much as 85%.

W H ER E WOULD W E BE W IT H OUT ST EEL?

Meanwhile, steel is one of the most important and widely used structural materials in the world. It is used as a construction material in practically every industrial sector, from automotive to building to manufacturing. When it is not a component in end products, steel is used in the tools that shape or mould them. It is, quite simply, hard to imagine where we’d be without steel. In short, steel is essential to life as we know it, but at the same time it puts a strain on nature. What can we do to lessen the unavoidable environmental impact of manufacturing steel? W H AT C AN BE D ONE ?

Don’t just

buy our steel

www.uddeholm.com

Well as it turns out – quite a bit. It’s all about a shift in how you think. Some things are a given and some are not. Some steps mean large investments, others tiny. All contribute to the end result. By installing and continuously upgrading air and water filters, it is possible to reduce dust and CO2 emissions into the air and water by around 99%. By converting from fossil fuels to natural gas, dust emissions can be reduced by another 20% on top of that. Such a conversion can also be expected to further reduce sulphur emissions by a whopping 60%!

R EUSIN g EXCESS H EAT

A steel mill generates a lot of excess heat. Instead of letting it go to waste, some of our excess heat is fed into the district heating system in Hagfors Municipality. This has reduced the energy consumption of the surrounding households by 7,000,000 kWh/year, which corresponds to the annual consumption of 280 residential houses. T RUST IS SOMET H IN g yO U E A RN E vE Ry DAy

The figures you’ve just read are all real. They’re the result of 40 years of continuous efforts to reduce the environmental impact of our mill in Hagfors, Sweden. That’s why you don’t just get steel when you buy from us. you also get our commitment to producing steel that you can trust to be sustainable and as clean as it can get. getting there is a never-ending process. It’s a promise you make every day. That’s how trust is truly earned.

F O CU S : M EXIC O AND FEATURE S WEDEN

wedish Bulletin is met with a warm welcome by HE Jorge Lomónaco – the newly appointed Mexican Ambassador to Sweden – the meeting promptly commences with us enjoying the story behind a photocopy of a century-old portrait of Nobel laureate,Verner von Heidenstam. Set on the veranda at the Mexican residence in Djursholm, von Heidenstam’s contemporary residence, the Ambassador assured us that had the house not been in the midst of a comprehensive structural restoration, we would have been enjoying the sweeping view over the Baltic Sea first hand.The Ambassador, who began his posting in June, is already deeply immersed in preserving Swedish cultural heritage for generations to come. In good hands Despite missing out experiencing the lovely vista firsthand, the restoration could not be more fortuitous or in better hands, after all, Ambassador Lomónaco is a former architect. However, his move into international diplomacy was not unexpected. He explains, “I was a strange architect, I was interested in politics, I followed discussions about foreign affairs, which is not what an architect would do. It has been part of my interest in geography since I was a child. I love maps.” It was 1991 when the architect turned diplomat and entered the Mexican Foreign Service. Before Sweden, Ambassador Lomónaco served in embassies in the United States, the United Kingdom and most recently as Mexican Ambassador to the Netherlands.

Ambassador Lomónaco contends that Mexico is an excellent, naturally suited trading partner for Sweden when looking beyond Europe. Currently, Sweden is the 4th largest European investor in Mexico (6th in the world), and trade has doubled since the introduction of the trade agreement with Europe. But there is still a huge deficit and there are opportunities for both countries. In Mexico, Sweden’s reputation is characterised as: “The efficiency of the Germans with a touch of design.” The ambassador admits, “I love IKEA,” and would welcome its introduction into Mexico. Future opportunities Mexico has completely restructured its economy. In the past it was commodity driven, based on its oil reserves, and now it is rapidly expanding its manufacturing base, allocating more resources to this sector. In the 1980s, oil represented 85% of Mexico’s entire annual exports, but with no drop in the volume exported since then, oil now only accounts for only 12%. “We don’t suffer from commodity crunches,” says Lomónaco – Mexico today trades with over 40 countries and is ranked as the 9th largest trading power, globally. Like its Scandinavian partner, Mexico’s economic outlook is currently very good.Well positioned as a good base for trade thanks to its membership in NAFTA since 1994, Mexico also enjoys a thriving domestic market with 60 million inhabitants brandishing middle class purchasing power.

“I was a strange architect, I was interested in politics, I followed discussions about foreign affairs, which is not what an architect would do. It has been part of my interest in geography since I was a child. I love maps.” Coming north to Sweden has been an easy adjustment for the Ambassador: “I don’t mind the cold,” we are assured. In fact, Ambassador and Mrs Lomónaco are very happy about their placement in Stockholm, they enjoy its vibrant shopping scene, and the number of quality restaurants and cafés.

Mexican Ambassador Jorge Lomónaco in Sweden: Preserving and promoting a long-standing relationship TEXT: E L I Z A B E T H D A C E Y- F O N D E L I U S

PH O T O : D A V I D FA L K

Swedish-Mexican relations Mexico and Sweden have enjoyed a long-standing diplomatic relationship dating all the way back to 29th July 1885.The “Golden Age” for Latin America occurred between the 1970s and 1980s, and this corresponds to the era of Olof Palme. Sweden, led by Palme and the Social Democrats were active in supporting the growth of social democracy throughout Latin America. Mexico benefited because there was a centreleft government already in place, “There was an ideological connection between Palme and different Mexican Presidents at the time,” Lomónaco recalls. Sweden and Mexico have remained relatively close since those years. However, there has been a natural requirement for many of the agreements to move up to the European Union level after Sweden’s admission into the EU. Even so, Mexico and Sweden retain an excellent relationship together.The Ambassador added, “My mission is to bring the relationship between Mexico and Sweden to the levels they were at during Palme’s time and to add substance.”

Mexico has taken additional strides in coming closer to similar environmental and social policies already in place in Sweden and other EU nations. Mexico City recently legalised gay marriages including opportunities for gay couples to adopt children. Additionally, the Ambassador reported proudly, “Mexico is as green or greener [as Sweden].” Ambassador Lomónaco is eager to move beyond stereotypical perceptions.Tequila remains a vital export, though more consumers need to be introduced to the finer qualities: “In the UK there are high-end shots that sell for £35 each.”There is also a need for greater exposure of other such exports, including the works of Mexican artists like Gabriel Orozco, touted as one of Mexico’s most influential artists of his time. Outside the office The Ambassador has two great interests: travelling and travel photography. “I like to travel independently; always to places out of the way, with that comes photography.” Ambassador Lomónaco is an award-winning photographer and much of his photography is linked with, or inspired by architecture. Since June the Ambassador and his wife Claudia have travelled to Dalarna for midsummer, Gothenburg,Vadstena, Uppsala, Sigtuna, and around the Stockholm archipelago. Ambassador Lomónaco hopes to travel to northern Sweden to experience the northern lights, but time is limited since his ambassadorial duties include representing Mexico in both Lithuania and Latvia. 15

F O CU S : S PAIN AND S WEDEN

a Yakolev military transport plane crashed in Turkey while returning to Spain from Afghanistan, killing all 62 Spanish officers and soldiers as well 10 Ukrainian crew members. Ambassador Jimenez-Ugarte was the government spokesman during the crisis, which became highly politicised. He also led the official investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, and was responsible for questions surrounding compensation. “I am an optimist and most of my memories are good ones, but this tragedy was one of the worst moments in my life,” he recalled. It struck home in a personal way as well: “I belong to a military family, and would have been a fourth generation military pilot if not for my poor eyesight. My father advised me to become a diplomat instead.”

important partner and paragon of managing financial crisis. The current Spanish government, he says, has a similar philosophy to the Carl Bildt-led government that managed the financial crisis in the early 1990s, when several major Swedish banks were temporarily nationalised, thereby avoiding a pure taxpayer bailout. “My government has closely studied the Swedish experience from the 1990s,” he says, noting that Spain recently nationalised Bankia, its fourth largest bank. “Economic diplomacy entails not only explaining Spain’s approach to overcoming our financial crisis in terms of fiscal consolidation and structural reform, but also seeks to involve Swedish counterparts in bilateral economic and trade possibilities, and learn from the previous experiences of Sweden.”

The current European financial crisis provides the political backdrop to his mission in Stockholm. Economic diplomacy is the order of the day, according to Ambassador JimenezUgarte, who sees Sweden as an

Without a blog, or an hourly update on Twitter, Ambassador Jimenez-Ugarte is not a digital diplomat in the mould of Carl Bildt. He is, however, reflective in his work, having so far authored several

books on some of his many experiences as a career public servant. The first, Royal Trip to Greece, chronicled the state visit of the Spanish King and Queen to Greece in 2003 while he was serving as ambassador there; the other, Immigration and Consular Practice, shared the hard-earned insights he gained while serving as Consul General in Morocco. His most recent work is a reflection of his great appreciation of the Greek language, in which he translates to Spanish the memoirs of Tryfon Koutalidis, a famous Greek lawyer who was a personal friend and attorney to tycoon Aristotles Onassis and Constantinos Karamanlis, the father of the contemporary Greek republic. After spending an hour together at the palatial Spanish residence and embassy compound on Djurgården, it is apparent that Ambassador Jimenez-Ugarte loves, lives and breathes the timeless traditions of diplomacy and public service. The advice of his father has served him well.

Economic diplomacy in a digital age Ambassador Javier Jimenez-Ugarte is an accomplished diplomat representing Spain in a country that has successfully managed financial crises TEXT AND PH O T O S : E R I C PA G L I A

he art of diplomacy has changed significantly since Javier Jimenez-Ugarte first joined the Spanish diplomatic corps 40 years ago. Nowhere is this change more apparent than in Sweden, where he arrived in May on his third assignment as Ambassador of Spain. The advent of ‘digital diplomacy’, as he calls it, means that the Swedish perspective on an array of issues can be acquired almost instantly. “In the old days it could take weeks to assess another country’s official position,” says Ambassador Jimenez-Ugarte. “Now, like most other

ambassadors in Stockholm, I wake up in the morning and read Carl Bildt’s blog.” While digital diplomacy entails better contact between embassies and foreign ministries, the reliance on information and communication technology in diplomatic work has also, in the Ambassador’s opinion, brought with it some less positive implications. “For every diplomat, Wikileaks was quite an event. I must admit that I was not happy, as I do not think that this right to know is above all other national or international political interests,” he

says. “But at the same time we have to recognise that the media has made a step forward in a field that is still a little unknown. There is no more secrecy, and no more possibilities to hide from public opinion and journalism in the political or diplomatic world.” Javier Jimenez-Ugarte is himself no stranger to public life. The most memorable and indeed worst moment in his distinguished career as a civil servant came while he was serving as Secretary General of defence policy at the Ministry of Defence. In 2002 19

FEATURE

Sustainable Urbanization

The Nobel Literature prize 2012

Mo Yan: The boy told not to speak becomes Nobel Literature Laureate TEXT: C H R I S T I N E D E M S T E A D E R PH O T O : S C A N P I X

onoured with this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature as “an author“ who, with hallucinatory realism, merges folk tales, history and the contemporary.”

– a great challenge

A farmer’s boy that grew up being told to hold his tongue and suppress his thoughts, Mo Yan waited until later life to deal with sensitive issues, such as the Cultural Revolution, in his native China. “Through a mixture of fantasy and reality, historical and social perspectives, Mo Yan has created a world reminiscent in its complexity of those in the writings of William Faulkner and Gabriel García Márquez,” the Swedish Academy cited at the announcement. Born Guan Moye in 1955 in Shandong province, he adopted the pen name Moy Yan, which means “don’t speak”. In interviews he has explained that the inspiration for the name came after his parents warned him not to speak his mind in public – a result of China’s revolutionary political situation at the time. After the Cultural Revolution,Yan joined the People’s Liberation Army, and it was after becoming a solider he started putting pen, or rather brush, to paper. To this day, he prefers to write his novels by hand as opposed to typing or word processing.

“This is a well-deserved honour for easily the most prolific, most popular and most widely respected serious novelist in China,”

The world is undergoing rapid urbanization. Prob ably up to 100 million people a year are moving from rural areas to urban centres. This means high pressure on the environment and natural resources, an urgent demand to save resources and develop ecoefficient environmental technologies, and high demands on sustainable urban planning. A key factor to success in this regard is to identify and utilize the synergies between different segments of urban functions. We use the Swedish concept SymbioCity to visualize the interaction

between planning and different subsystems such as waste, energy, water and sustainable transport. China, India and Russia are all crucial countries with regard to the challenge of sustain able urbanization but also important markets for the Swedish cleantech industry. The Swedish Government has launched an initiative to support the export of environmental technology to these countries and collaboration with them on further innovation and development in this field.

If you would like to know more please contact one of the following.

said Howard Goldblatt – Yan’s English translator.

Yan composed his 2006 novel, Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out in only 42 days using ink and traditional Chinese paper. The story of Ximen Nao, a landowner during the Chinese land reform movement, who is targeted and executed, and then reincarnated, going back through life in the form of various animals.

“Yan writes big, bold, and often bawdy novels that are as imaginative as they are sensuous, and always originate in his social conscience,”

“He has such a damn unique way of writing,” says Peter Englund, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy. “If you read half a page of Mo Yan you immediately recognise it.”

Yan was the first ever resident of mainland China to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. Chinese-born Gao Xingjian, a citizen of France, was honoured with the title in 2000.

Yan is best know for Red Sorghum, which charts the life and times of three generations of a Shandong family from the 1920s to the 1970s. The film was first translated into English in 1994, although many may have been introduced to the story through the 1987 film of the same name, based on the book.

Yan does consider neither himself nor his work political, and his decision not to take a stance against his country’s government for the lack of freedom of speech has come under criticism from Chinese dissident writers. In China, however, the announcement of their new Nobel Prize winner was received with national celebration.

Howard adds. Mats Denninger High Representative mats.denninger@ enterprise.ministry.se

Monique Wannding Director - Russia monique.wannding@ enterprise.ministry.se

Lennart Nilsson Director - China lennart.nilsson@ enterprise.ministry.se

Micael Hagman Director - India micael.hagman@ enterprise.ministry.se

info@keolis.se

B U S INE S S

Swedish production of crude steel

kton 7,000

Crude steel 6,000 5,000

The Swedish Steel Industry – for the specialised export market Since the energy crises in the 1970s, the Swedish steel industry has continuously developed advanced steel.

4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 1970

TEXT: C H R I S T I N A L I N D E R O T H - O L S O N

1980

1990

2000

2010

PH O T O : P Ä R K O L S S O N , R E K L A M F O T O G R A F E R N A A B , S T I G - G Ö R A N N I L S S O N

Swedish production of crude steel kton/month 600

2010

2011

2012

500 400 B o - E r i k Pe r s , P r e s i d e n t a n d C E O, J e r n k o n t o r e t .

300 200 100 0

O x e l ö s u n d s t e e l h a r b o u r.

Jan

ining and steel have a long and rich tradition in Sweden. Between 90 and 95 per cent of the steel production is exported, with Europe remaining Sweden’s largest market. In 2011, the value of the country’s steel export amounted to SEK 56 billion. Today, the international steel industry faces serious problems due to the global financial crises. The Swedish industry, however, has some advantages, as it is perhaps the most specialised in Europe, and also one of the most environmentally orientated. Within what is a large country geographically, lies a wealth of hydro-power and raw materials. “The last decade has seen a formidable increase in demand, particularly in Asia. The global steel production experienced a growth from 800 million tonnes to a figure of nearly double. But as expansion in China has slowed, we now have an annual global overcapacity of 150-200 million tonnes,” says Bo-Erik Pers,

President and CEO of Jernkontoret – the Swedish Steel Producers’ Association. For several years, China’s investments in huge infrastructure projects ensured a healthy growth in steel demand.Today, the Middle Kingdom, formerly mainly an importer, is the largest steel producer in the world. It is anticipated that another Asian giant, India will take over as a major steel importer. India has an annual growth of between 5 and 8 per cent, but its well known protectionist policy could prevent it making up the ground. Sweden produces special steel products In several areas Sweden is a world leader in the development and production of high processed advanced steel. Following a major restructure after the energy crises of the 1970s, the Swedish steel companies are now specialist orientated, as well as technically advanced with a high degree of automation; they handle around 2,000 different steel grades commercially.There is a growing demand for lighter, stronger and more sustainable steel.

“Stronger and lighter steel has several advantages.You get lower transport costs through reduced weight in vehicles. This is largely due to increased payload capacity and lower fuel consumption, which also benefits the environment,” says Bo-Erik Pers. Strong steel is an important part of constructions and vehicles. One example is the stainless steel reinforcement bar from Outokumpu, utilised when a major upgrade of the Gateway Bridge motorway bridge across the Brisbane River in Australia was carried out. For the first time duplex steel was used as concrete reinforcement in a bridge. Duplex steel has several advantages: it does not corrode and because of its strength less material is needed.The result is a lighter construction and a lower production cost. Another example is the lighter but more robust railway wagon developed by LKAB, using high-strength steel from SSAB that reduces energy consumption per tonne of ore carried.The new wagon carries 100 tonnes, compared with the 80 tonnes of the old wagon.

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jernkontoret collaborates with the steel companies on issues such as energy, environment and climate within all areas that concern the steel’s eco cycle – from manufacture to recycling. Steel production is both energy and resource intensive: iron ore or scraps are used in the production. Sweden has several rich mines, some of which date back to the Middle Ages, and therefore the processes involved in the production are being developed continuously. Both raw materials and energy are put to efficient use, minimizing the environmental impact. Steel can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing its quality or durability. Every year, around one billion SEK is invested in steel research and development in Sweden. Many research projects are concentrated on materials, processes and the effects on climate and environment. The steel production now is the purest within Swedish metallurgy. The technical universities KTH (The Royal Institute of Technology) in Stockholm, Luleå University of

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Technology and Chalmers in Göteborg are prominent in research on materials and processes. “Jernkontoret carries out research in cooperation with the Swerea Group, jointly owned by the Swedish industries branch associations and the State of Sweden. We support around 50 research students working on their dissertations,” says Bo-Erik Pers. Specialist companies SSAB, the largest of the Swedish steel companies with 9,000 employees, is a leading producer of extra high-strength steel and hardened steel. www.ssab.se Höganäs has its reputation in producing metal powder technology. The company, based in the province of Skåne in the South of Sweden, is the world’s largest producer of metal powder.

www.hoganas.com

Uddeholm, founded in 1668, produces high quality tool steel.

www.uddeholm.com

Sandvik Materials Technology, part of the Sandvik Group, develops and produces advanced stainless steels, special alloys and other high-performance materials.

www.sandvik.com

Ovako is a leading producer of engineering steel for bearing transportation and engineering industries.

www.ovako.com

Outokumpu, with headquarters in Finland, is a leader in stainless plate and high-alloy special steels.

www.outokumpu.com

Jernkontoret (The Swedish Steel Producers’ Association), founded in 1747, is one of the world’s oldest branch associations. It represents the Swedish steel industry and is also part of a Nordic steel network. Its principle issues are trade policy, energy efficiency, environment, research and education and standardisation. Jernkontoret is based in Stockholm.

www.jernkontoret.se

B U S INE S S

2009

2010 2009 2011 2010 2012 20112012/2011 2012 %2012/2011 %

Pig iron, '000 metric Pig iron, tonnes '000 metric tonnes

1,966

3,447 1,966 3,240 3,447

Crude steel, '000 Crude metric steel, tonnes '000 metric tonnes where of: non-alloy wheresteel of: non-alloy steel stainless steel stainless steel other alloysteelother alloysteel Liquid steel forLiquid castings steel for castings

2,804 1,055 445 1,278 25

4,846 2,804 1,983 1,055 546445 2,288 1,278 28 25

4,867 4,846 1,928 1,983 586546 2,316 2,288 38 28

2,487 4,867 8481,928 288586 1,330 2,316 21 38

-10.8 2,487 -22.8 848 -10.1 288 -1.4 1,330 6.5 21

-10.8 -22.8 -10.1 -1.4 6.5

2,704 1,290 412 1,002 2,416 2,281 2,569

3,814 2,704 1,778 1,290 493412 1,541 1,002 3,464 2,416 3,275 2,281 3,625 2,569

3,931 3,814 1,657 1,778 538493 1,736 1,541 3,650 3,464 3,579 3,275 3,859 3,625

1,843 3,931 7411,657 237538 8661,736 1,742 3,650 1,839 3,579 1,939 3,859

-15.7 1,843 -20.7 741 -17.1 237 -10.3 866 -13.7 1,742 -2,7 1,839 -5,7 1,939

-15.7 -20.7 -17.1 -10.3 -13.7 -2,7 -5,7

Exports, billions Exports, SEK billions SEK Imports, billions Imports, SEK billions SEK

37.2 23.7

51.137.2 33.323.7

56.251.1 38.133.3

26.856.2 17.838.1

-11.4 26.8 -12.5 17.8

-11.4 -12.5

Number of employees Number of employees

16,700

17,200 16,700

3,240

Finished steel excl Finished ingots steel & semis, excl '000 ingotsmetric & semis, tonnes '000 metric tonnes Steelworks deliveries Steelworks deliveries Where of: non-alloy Wheresteel of: non-alloy steel Stainless steel Stainless steel Other alloy steel Other alloy steel Exports Exports Imports Imports Apparent steel Apparent use* steel use* Finished steel incl Finished ingots & steel semis, incl value ingots & semis, value

17,200

Steel production in Sweden 2011-2012 (Source: Jernkontoret)

Tr a n s m i s s i o n e l e c t r o n i c m i c r o s c o p e , A B S a n d v i k M a t e r i a l s Te c h n o l o g y.

S WEDI S H C O M PANIE S

UDDEHOLM

LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE TEXT: B O O R U N D Q V I S T

PH O T O S : C O URTE S Y O F: U D D E H O L M

n the tool steel business, the lowest cost per produced part often wins.You can get there by going down one of two very different paths: some choose steel varieties that are cheaper and wear out faster, whereas others think twice about it and try to look at the big picture. Higher quality tool steel may cost more to buy, but it is also less prone to common failure mechanisms, and it lasts longer. That way the initial investment is regained in the end, and the buyer can enjoy a lower cost per produced part despite a slightly costlier choice of steel. Uddeholm is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading manufacturer of tool steel and has been in business for over 350 years. We maintain a global presence that guarantees that you will get the same high quality tool steel wherever you are. All over the world, people need cars, buses and lorries. There are about 85 car manufacturers in the world today, and they produce over 80 million cars annually. It takes more than 1,500 different tools to build a car, therefore it stands to reason that the demand for higher quality tool steel is enormous.

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s automotive manufacturing industry is facing greater and greater challenges as it strives to build cars that are both stronger and safer while also being lighter and more fuelefficient. Improving tooling economy in die-casting, as well as hot forging and hot or cold forming, is one of the key drivers behind developing new grades of tool steel that can meet the rising demands of the automotive industry. Lowering fuel consumption and reducing CO2 emissions places demands on vehicle weight reduction. This, coupled with short lead times and severe pressure on prices, means that the change from metal to plastic parts is becoming essential. As if that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough, the demands on the moulds are ever increasing. To improve the strength of plastic vehicle parts, the resin normally needs to be reinforced. Parts are also becoming larger and larger, and the surface requirements more and more challenging. Larger tools require tooling materials that are robust to achieve a high degree of durability after heat treatment. Other properties needed to produce plastic moulds of high quality include high corrosion resistance; wear resistance and high thermal conductivity; not to mention to be able to polish the mould to a high degree. The trick is selecting the optimal tool steel for the application in order to maximise tool longevity and make great savings in productivity and total tooling cost. Success is often about taking a step back to look at the big picture: our customers did.

S WEDI S H C O M PANIE S

The story of Tetra Pak TEXT: M A D E L E I N E P E R S O N

PH O T O S : C O U R T E S Y O R T E T R A PA K

Although the tragic events in the London based Rausing family this summer does not have any connection with the Rausing family on the board of Tetra Pak, the company still drew upon everyone’s attention. Here is the proud story of Tetra Pak.

R u b e n R a u s i n g - Fo u n d e r o f Te t r a Pa k

he Rausing family – owners of the Tetra Pak Empire – captivated the attention of the world this summer. Here is the proud story of the global company’s founder, Ruben Rausing. Since 1929 Åkerlund & Rausing had been developing liquid food packaging systems that required a minimum of material, whilst still providing maximum hygiene levels. Then in 1951 Dr Ruben Rausing founded the Tetra Pak Company in Lund, Sweden. The tetrahedron shaped carton was presented to the press and attracted great attention. Today, processing and packaging solutions for food are being produced in 170 countries by 22,623 employees. Tetra’s annual turnover in 2010 reached 10 billion pounds, and the Rausing Family were 12th in Britain’s rich list. Tetra Pak’s key innovation is the aseptic packaging technology. The best-selling product – from the 1970s – with different innovations and variations over the years, remains the Tetra Bric Aseptic, which preserves for up to a year without chilling, with the result that distribution, storage costs and environmental impact, is greatly reduced while product shelf life is expanded. Today Tetra Pak is providing a range of different food packaging and processing solutions, supplying complete systems of processing, packaging and distribution. The company additionally offers automated production solutions and technical service. In 1981 Tetra Pak relocated its corporate headquarters to Lausanne, Switzerland for tax reasons. In 1991 Tetra Pak acquired Alfa-Laval, a venerable Swedish and world leading company producing industrial and agricultural equipment and milk separators – this was Sweden’s largest take-over

deal. The merger eventually made it possible for Tetra Pak to offer entire packaging and processing solutions to its clients. The deal drew anti-competitive scrutiny from the European Commission, but the takeover went through after various concessions from both companies. After the merger, Tetra Pak announced plans to return the headquarters to Sweden, and in 1993 Group Tetra Laval was created with joint headquarters in Lund and Lausanne. In 2001 Tetra Laval acquired the French plastic packaging group Sidel (Pet bottles). The merger was prohibited by the European Commission on the grounds that both Tetra Pak and Sidel were market leaders in their field. In a high profile case the European Court of Justice eventually ruled in favour of Tetra Laval. The Tetra Laval Group is controlled by the holding company Tetra Laval International, whose board of directors include the three children of Gad Rausing, having bought out his brother Hans Rausing Senior.

Sustainability and recycling Tetra Pak has a very pronounced sustainability profile. Ruben Rausing’s, in many ways, preclusive mantra from the 1940s – that a package should save more money than it costs – has over the years resulted in a highly sustainable product that makes efficient use of all resources involved. The use of materials and waste management are indeed, says Financial Times, “big issues” for the company. In 2011, Tetra Pak published a new set of sustainability targets, which included maintaining the CO2 emissions at the same level until 2020, whilst increasing recycling by 100% in the same period. Previous Tetra Pak sustainability targets (2005–2010) were met and exceeded with exceptional results the WWF has reported, affirming that Tetra Pak’s use of energy was lower in 2006 than in 2002, despite a production growth of

23%. Maintaining current CO2 emission levels until 2020 would result in a total of 40% relative cut in emissions, with an average growth rate of 5 % per year, a report compiled by Food Production Daily suggests. In 2010 40% of Tetra Pak’s carton supply was FSC certified. The company has stated it will increase its use of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper to 100% in 2020, with an interim target of 50% by 2012. The new targets will encompass the whole value chain, from suppliers to customers, putting pressure on partners to perform coherently. Slowly, sectors where glass bottles have been paramount, like the wine and spirits industry, have begun to look at carton bottles as a possible packaging solution as the carbon footprint of a carton container is said to be about one tenth of that of an equivalent glass bottle. The recently introduced Tetra Recart has equally been hailed by large retail groups like Sainsbury’s as “the 21st Century alternative to canned foods”. The carton’s rectangular shape make transportation, storage and distribution more efficient, taking up 21% less space and weighing two thirds of a tin can of equivalent volume.

Food and safety Tetra Pak has been engaging in community projects, and the company has supported School Milk and School Feeding programmes since the late 1970s, personally engaging Ruben Rausing. The Food for Development program (FfD) was initiated to improve nutrition and health, and alleviate poverty globally, as well as projects involved with the development of agricultural practices and dairy handling, providing training for farmers to enhance efficiency, productivity and food safety. Tetra Pak supplies the cartons for the school milk at cost and

does not make any profit on sales. UNDP and World Bank case studies of Tetra Pak school milk programs in Nigeria showed that vitamin deficiency, energy, growth and cognitive skills were improved, and that children were more interested in their school work after taking part in the program. Besides numerous disaster relief actions spanning decades, in China – although they were not involved in the scandal – Tetra Pak did help improve food safety in the dairy industry after the 2008 contamination scandal. As Financial Times stated at the time, it was not solely a philanthropic act but a way of securing the future for the market, helping the industry become safer, more sustainable and more efficient. The training program was reported to be very successful with substantial elevation of standards in dairy handling and farming.

www.tetrapak.com www.tetralaval.com Bibliography Tetra Pak: A Vision Becomes Reality: A Company History with a Difference by Lars Leander and Marianne Thormalen The Rausing Family – The Founders of the Tetra Pak Empire by Lydia D Thomson-Smith The Triple Bottom Line – With the Swedish Cases Ericsson and Tetra Pak, Max Hamburgers and Mitt liv by Marie Thulesius and John Viner.

S WEDI S H C O M PANIE S

The Swedish

IT revolution Those brand new glossy company logos flash by in the business press and on social media channels, but did you know that many of the most interesting tech start-ups come from Sweden? Here is a crash course to help you impress your dinner guests next time. TEXT: C H R I S T I A N V O N E S S E N

What?

When?

A social application that makes booking a hotel a more social experience.You can see what hotels your Facebook and Instagram friends recommend, and book them through Tripbirds and their partner, Booking.com.

The beta version was launched in 2011, and the site went live in 2012.

Who? Tripbirds was founded by Swedish web entrepreneur Ted Valentin together with Jonathan Heyman and Robert Kajic – they are based in Stockholm.

Why? Initially, Tripbirds was supposed to be its own community and take care of the whole travel supply chain. It was a complex process, and the first version now focuses only on hotels. The idea comes from the fact that it’s difficult to tell a real web review from a fake one. Most people instead rely on their friends when booking their travels.

www.tripbirds.com

What? Payment service over the smart phone or tablet in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and the UK.You register online and soon receive a free card chip reader to connect to your mobile device. The customer signs the transaction on the screen, and the receipt is sent by e-mail.

What?

Who?

Soundcloud can be described as “YouTube for music”. Every song’s sound pattern is visualised, and people can comment on each part of your uploaded material. If you like something, you can post it on Facebook or on your blog in a few seconds.

Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss.

When? Soundcloud was founded in Stockholm in 2007, but the founders soon moved to Berlin to set up the company there.

Why? The founders got sick of handling heavy mp3 files and thought that there must be a better solution for distributing digital music. It is an easy way for independent musicians to promote demos, and the instant feedback is perhaps the most crucial aspect, allowing numerous people to comment on, and therefore have a hand in developing, an ongoing project.

www.soundcloud.com 32

Who? Founded by Jacob de Geer and Magnus Nilsson.

When? 2010

Why? The market for fast, secure and mobile payments is exploding at the moment, and iZettle has grabbed quite a lot of market share by providing an easy and safe solution for small shop owners, market and trade show sellers and work lunch loans.

www.izettle.com

S WEDI S H C O M PANIE S

S WEDI S WEDI S HS IN H S CTITUTI O M PANIE ONS

Keolis in the lead of development TEXT: L A R S N O R D S T R A N D

What? Spotify has revolutionised the music industry. Today, the service has 18 million songs available for their 15 million active users. 4 million of those pay 99 SEK a month for a premium account without commercials; you do the math.

When? Spotify launched a beta version of their ground breaking music service in 2007, and received a monumental buzz from the VIP-invited tech and music bloggers. At parties, people were talking about the new service that could play basically any pop song in the world instantaneously, and for free. Since then,

many legal and business model obstacles have been overcome, and today Spotify is available in 15 countries, including the US and the UK.

Who? Spotify was founded by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon.

Why? With sexy design, an impressive music library, a social Facebook connection and impeccable timing, Spotify was perhaps the final blow to both physical music discs and eventually mp3’s.

www.spotify.com

Sprend Developed by Arne Evertsson, it’s a service for sending large files over the web that’s both fast and free.

www.sprend.com Minecraft

QUARTER PAGE AD

One of the world’s most popular computer games, Minecraft is all about building your own world with small building blocks, and the founder Markus “Notch” Persson has become a computer superstar. The first version of Minecraft had sold one million copies by early 2011.

www.minecraft.net HowDo

Launched during autumn 2012 this is a smartphone application that collects “instruction manuals” from its users.You can post your own video on how to make spaghetti or change a tyre, and you can browse through what skills other people want to share. Search for HowDo in your app store.

Memoto Founded by six Swedish entrepreneurs in 2012, Memoto is a small camera that you clip onto your clothes and that automatically snaps a photo every 30 seconds. In that way, you can record your everyday life, save it online, and share special parts if you like. This is a potential revolution, and perhaps the ultimate peak of the sharing trend. Further funding is still required for Memoto.

www.memoto.com 34

PH O T O S : C O U R T E S Y O F K E O L I S

ith its recent establishment in Australia, India, USA and Norway, Keolis - a Europe-based operator and part of the development of new transport services the world over - is once more showing its strengths in mass transit in light of public passenger transport’s rapid ascention to becoming one of the most important factors in improving sustainability in the global society. Extending public transport involves many aspects of life and many stakeholders. It affects everyone’s everyday life; health and safety, environment, congestion, land-use and specifically the efficiency of the use of human resources. Smart transportation solutions make big agglomerations work and offer flexibility to the local community and its inhabitants. Like Sweden, many countries have now adopted an ambition to double public passenger transport. This year Sweden passed new legislation that welcomes private initiatives to contribute, besides public tenders, with Keolis an active part in this development. “Originally a bus company, Keolis currently operates long distance and regional trains in Britain and Germany as well as in the Netherlands and USA,” says Lars Nordstrand chairman of Keolis Sverige. “Keolis is in fact number one in the world when it comes to launching tram projects and when it comes to tram operations and automatic metro

operations. We are presently working in a number of new tram projects. In Sweden Keolis is operating extensive bus services in Stockholm, Gothenburg and other greater cities in Sweden. We are proud to say that we achieve the highest score in bus passenger satisfaction in the capital area of Sweden. And we have higher ambitions still.”

Sweden, to double public transport patronage,” says Lars Nordstrand. “The ambition to give suppliers greater responsibility and more opportunity to adapt the offer to passengers´ needs, is a change that suits us at Keolis particularly well.” Based on its recent success, Keolis is optimistic and ambitious about its future.

To be a long-term innovative partner, Keolis has developed a wide range of expertise throughout the world. It ranges from the earliest phases of planning together with authorities and other stakeholders, right through to reliable operations: safety and security, engineering assistance, organising the network, integration, smart card systems, passenger information, to name but a few. Experience from passengers and operators and operator’s staff is a starting point in designing the infrastructure.

Quality, reliability and long-term profitability are revered above and beyond quick wins. Quality to passengers, and business relationships based on confidence and credibility are key. Keolis prefers to engage in business where conditions are transparent and where the burden of risk can be shared in a reasonable way. High ambitions and common targets are essential to be successful when entering into major projects.

To meet passenger’s needs, buses, trains, metro etc need to be integrated also with use of private cars, bicycles, taxis and pedestrian systems. Keolis has taken on the responsibility of operating a number of integrated city systems.The obvious target is to increase market share of public transport to the benefit of the city and its inhabitants and their living environment. “Keolis’ target is to exceed the expectation of the passengers and attract new people to public transport. Therefore I’m very positive about the present wide cooperation and development in public transport in

All solutions are local. Even if much experience and expertise can be moved between countries and applied in various environments, the service you provide is an everyday service in a local society. Understanding regional and local culture as well as traditions is key in wining the respect of local stakeholders and users, and to attract people to your services. Keolis employs more than 55,000 people and the group posted revenues of more than 4.4 million Euros in 2011.

lars.nordstrand@keolis.se

35 35

Active citizenship is created by strategic dialogues on several development projects in the community and one of these recently won an international innovation Prize.

CONTACTOR

The new public multiuse facility called Messingen have combined schools, conferences, libraries, sports and eating in one house that just recieved the Swedish Grand Community development price 2012.

VÄSBY TOWN – TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY Väsby is the first community in Sweden that is entirely eco-certified, which means that we are particularly committed to work for a sustainable development in several aspects. We are creating a modern town with

active participation from residents and business. We strive for diversity that empowers all citizens. Väsby town offers qualitative service and attractive living in the expanding Stockholm – Arlanda region.

www.upplandsvasby.se

36 uppl_vasby_410x253_nov2012.indd 1

37 2012-11-05 15.44

S WEDI S H IN S TITUTI O N S

“There are spaces in the world that are not being governed, and this allows actors of insecurity to establish themselves,” says Dr. Brück. “The increased fragility of states, the breakdown of law and order, and the lack of reach of legitimate and effective government are not just development challenges in terms of reducing poverty, but also security challenges. Addressing this is a job for decades into the future.” The collection and analysis of data is a matter close to Dr. Brück’s heart. His entire generation of economists was galvanised in SIPRI’s celebrated data series on security indicators like defence spending and the global trade in armaments. As SIPRI director, Dr. Brück is inspired to help shape peace and security research at a particularly dramatic historical moment, where revolutions and crises in the greater Middle East, Africa and elsewhere are calling into question

A New Director for SIPRI Dr.Tilman Brück brings a development economist’s perspective to the study of security and promotion of peace in the 21st century TEXT & PH O T O : E R I C PA G L I A

“

previous security assumptions. “The traditional western security response has become a no win situation,” according to Dr. Brück. “No intervention strengthens insecurity, but intervention might do the same. We must find a way to escape from this insecurity trap.” Dr. Brück is also concerned with how security in highly developed parts of the world – Sweden and his home country Germany included – is perceived. “People living in countries that are eminently safe like Sweden are still concerned about, for example, violent crime, and are fearful of something serious happening like in Oslo last year,” says Dr. Brück. “We must take citizen perceptions of security seriously if we are to help them overcome aspects of fears that, if objectively studied, seem to be mostly unfounded.” In this regard, the evidence provided by data should, in his opinion, play a much larger role in the crafting of public policy, at the expense of political ideologies that exaggerate certain threats while underplaying others. Sweden has been a lifelong destination for Dr. Brück, who spent summers here with his parents and later cycled across the Swedish countryside, sleeping in barns as a young adult. Now taking up residence in Stockholm, he intends to take to the water on his spare time, sailing west on inland lakes as well as east into the archipelago upon the return of summer. Although he is mildly concerned about coping with winter darkness, he takes heart in the fact that Swedes are experts at celebrating the seasons with traditions such as Lucia, crayfish parties and, not to forget, cinnamon bun day; call it seasonal security, if you will.

“

t just 42, Dr. Brück is the youngest director in SIPRI’s 46-year history. His long academic background as an economist provides another perspective on the understanding of peace and security issues, emphasising the link between development and security promises to be an increasingly important part of the SIPRI research agenda in the years ahead – Dr. Brück is an acclaimed expert on development issues. He cites sources of insecurity originating in those parts of the world that have become ungovernable, countries such as Somalia,Yemen and Mali - which he calls the ‘new Afghanistan’, due to the effective terrorist takeover of the northern half of the country - as well as places like large urban favelas in Latin America that have largely fallen into a state of anarchy.

Development is extremely important, as security is not regional anymore. Threats can originate in any part of the world and strike anywhere else. says Professor Tilman Brück, the incoming director of the world-renowned S t o c k h o l m I n t e r n a t i o n a l Pe a c e R e s e a r c h I n s t i t u t e .

S WEDI S H IN S TITUTI O N S

House of Sweden in Washington

Sweden’s embassy in Berlin, designed by architect Gert Wingårdh. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman

The National Property Board Sweden Many of Sweden’s palaces, historical buildings, royal parks and expanses of wild nature are owned by the state.The National Property Board’s mission is to conserve and preserve this heritage. TEXT: C H R I S T I N A L I N D E R O T H - O L S O N

Sweden’s ambassadorial residence in Santiago. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman

weden has a rich cultural heritage that encompasses a large number of palaces, historical buildings, museums, theatres, royal parks and vast expanses of wild natural land. A large portion of this heritage is state property: owned by the people. The National Property Board Sweden, or SFV (Statens Fastighetsverk) is responsible for the upkeep and management of localities measuring around two million square metres (6.5 million hectares) of land. The work includes environmental issues, security, ventilation, heating, electricity and sanitation. In the management of palaces and historical buildings SFV has to balance the need of preserving tradition with adopting the building for modern use. Among the employees there are a number of specialists, for example architects,

Sweden’s embassy in Algiers. Photo: Åke E:son Lindman

technicians and administrators. SFV also manages Sweden’s state owned properties abroad – embassies, consulates and ambassadorial residences. These properties represent Sweden world-wide, and therefore they aim to reflect Swedish traditions, culture, design and trade. An embassy will often function as a venue for Swedish business community meetings with international contacts. Some of the embassy buildings have exciting modern architecture, an example being the terrace based Swedish embassy in Tokyo, created by architects Michael Granit and Yoshito Katoh, its inspiration rooted in temple architecture. In Berlin the five Nordic embassies are situated on the same site, each embassy having its own building – the Swedish embassy was designed by architect Gert Wingårdh – but the five countries also share the Felleshuset building on the site.

SFV has published a book on the Swedish embassies: “17 Swedish Embassies, built 1959-2006.” About one seventh of the total land area in Sweden is managed and preserved by the National Property Board, for example state owned forests in the northern and southern parts of the country.

Restorations and new buildings SFV is in charge of a number of renovations and restorations. The Royal Palace in Stockholm, built by architect Nicodemus Tessin, is one of the largest palaces in Europe, and it is also the largest restoration project in Sweden. The Roman Baroque sandstone facade, measuring about 30,000 square metres, is in poor condition. The extensive restoration, including replacement of the stonework and of the earlier conservation, will be divided into 22 yearly stages. Another major project is the refurbishment of Nationalmuseum, the National Museum of Art building in Stockholm.

In recent years, SFV has been in charge of the construction of some new museum buildings, for example Moderna Museet (The Museum of Modern Art) in Stockholm and the Naval Museum in Karlskrona. Statens Fastighetsverk can be found in Stockholm’s Gamla stan (the old quarters). The headquarters – designed by architect Nicodemus Tessin and built in the 1670s – are located in Södra Bancohuset. www.sfv.se

PE O PLE : THE S WEDE S

Amelia Adamo in Rome, summer 2012

“He had this romantic vision, seeing us sitting in Rome writing articles, so I became a journalist and we lived our dream.” After marrying, Amelia became pregnant, tragically however, the boy was stillborn. It was a difficult time and she and Lasse split for a brief time. After reconciling they had two more children, Philip and Alex, who were just 5 and 8 when tragedy struck again, as their father died of cancer.

“Losing Lasse was much harder than losing the baby, whom I never saw. Lasse was my biggest supporter so the loss was tremendous,” says Amelia. By this time her career was on the rise; she was managing editor of Swedish weekly Veckorevyn, where her Social Science background came in handy.

“I was talking about target groups, which was new to Sweden. At that time journalists wrote what they wanted but I was asking readers what they wanted.”

Amelia Adamo: Queen of the Swedish Magazine Scene TEXT: J U D I L E M B K E

PH O T O S : A M E L I A A D A M O

orn in Rome to an orphaned mother, Amelia soon moved to Sweden from Italy’s capital before her first birthday. Her hazardous youth, which included four years at a convent, was succeeded by love, death, birth, divorce…and the transformation to a household name.

“It was love that got me into journalism. Not love of the craft – I had no real passion for it at the time – but love for a man, that was the springboard for my career,” explains Amelia. “I was working as a secretary at Svensk Dagtidning while completing my degree in Social Sciences.This was 1968, a very political time, and most journalists considered gossip magazines frivolous. I didn’t have any problem with that and became a reporter, with Lasse coaching me.” Lars ‘Lasse’ Ericsson was the summer editor-in-chief at Svensk Dagtidning and it was there that he and Amelia fell in love.

Her tenure at Veckorevyn honed Amelia’s skills as an editor and eventually she was headhunted by the national daily Aftonbladet.

“I was hired to bring in women but the paper, despite being very left wing, didn’t want the feminists.They also didn’t like my glamour or capitalistic ideas so I shed a lot of tears that first year.” Despite the initial difficulties, Amelia’s Sunday supplement proved a roaring success, with readership rising dramatically. Aftonbladet is also where Amelia met her second husband, Thorbjörn Larsson, the paper’s legendary editor.

“I had thrown myself into my work after Lasse died and this continued after marrying Thorbjörn.We lived and breathed the paper, but after seven years I wanted a new challenge.” Enter Swedish publishing giant Bonnier, which, she says, made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.

“I became Veckorevyn’s editor-in-chief, but it was operating in the red. Bonnier gave me a wonderful incentive: bring it into the black and I’d get a large bonus – it was my first opportunity to make real money.” After successfully turning Veckorevyn around, Amelia wanted another challenge and in 1995 Amelia was launched with immediate success.

“I gave readers a voice: I wanted to know what kind of lives they were living, what their dreams were, and then I addressed those things.”

Next came Tara, which Amelia says she started for her Amelia readers who were maturing and entering a new phase of their lives. Eventually she did return to Amelia, but after a time she felt the need to move on.

“I felt too old for Amelia’s readers, so we launched M Magasin in 2006. I created it for MAPPIES: Mature, Affluent, Pioneering People. M speaks to older women, allowing them to feel confident in their own skin.” Now at the tender age of 65 Amelia says she’ll slow down in a year or two, laughing at suggestions she’ll start a magazine for women in retirement.

“I have a new man, you know. I’m 65 and I’m in love!”

“Funnily enough my CEO was just talking to me about this but I don’t think the time is right.Women who are older now aren’t ready and women who would want it aren’t quite old enough. Its time will come but I don’t think I’ll be the one to do it.”

Love has been the driving force behind the life of Italian-born Amelia Adamo’s – and that life is the stuff movies are made of.

A suggestion that she may write an autobiography provokes an encore of laughter.

“What is there to tell that people don’t already know? My life has been an open book and my story has been told. I have my health, I have fantastic children and grandchildren and I have my wonderful work, both at the magazine and with the charities. I don’t need to look back.”

Amelia Adamo with one of her grandchildren

At the arrival of this realisation she pauses, as if she is searching for a profound personal conclusion.

“I’ve had a fantastic life but I’m no saint. I wish I had been a better mother at times and I wish I had been kinder to my own mother. I was ashamed of her growing up but she sacrificed her life for me.” “And I want to enjoy this new man. He’s Italian you know, my first, and we share the same food, laughter and culture. Part of me is Swedish, but my heart, my soul, my libido – they’re Italian.” Ready for out door exercise with friends

PE O PLE : THE EXPAT S

he idea is as brilliant as it is simple; supply fashionable and designer covers for IKEA sofas and chairs. IKEA furniture is ubiquitous on many markets. But often long before the furniture unit falls apart, the textiles are stained, faded, worn, or all of the above. In an age of recycle and reuse, covering up an old sofa is kind to environment. And even if new, IKEA furniture’s low price makes customising your padding with nearly one-of-a-kind slipcovers highly affordable.

BEMZ: it’s a cover up. From Toronto to Stockholm via Silicon Valley – Canadian born Lesley Pennington disrupts the status quo for IKEA furnishing. TEXT: E L I Z A B E T H D A C E Y- F O N D E L I U S

“It is all about individual personalisation,” explains BEMZ founder Lesley Pennington, as she places her iPhone with its elegant, sophisticated skin on the table. “Today, we all want to express ourselves by tailoring the things around us.That includes of course, our furniture.” Lesley Pennington’s “Why Sweden?” story is a variation on the most common for all North Americans. In California she met Fredrik, an Apple colleague whom she fell in love with, relocated for, and later married. That familiar tale eventually brought her to their summer-house, with the very Tomelilla sofa that inaugurated the BEMZ tale.

Lesley discovered Soheila Fors. Soheila started the world’s first tea-house for women – providing a safe venue for immigrant women – isolated by language or culture to seek advice and get help. Beyond the money donated to the tea-house as part of her role on the show, Lesley has carried on in a mentorship role to support Soheila, who has been able to open a second tea-house.

The things that matter to Lesley include initiating the Swedish chapter of School2School – a cultural and educational program where schools in Sweden “adopt” schools in Cambodia. It is an opportunity for children in Sweden to expand their geographical horizons, and for children in Cambodia to gain more access to education. So while it seems the story is about BEMZ, it seems to be really more about what BEMZ enables: a transplanted, successful Canadian businesswoman turned philanthropist to enrich her life. “BEMZ is full circle for me – back to my design and entrepreneurial roots. BEMZ nurtures both my creative spirit, and my entrepreneurial soul.”

www.bemz.com

PH O T O S : C O U R T E S Y O F B E M Z

The business idea was so simple that it was hard to believe that no-one had beat Lesley to it. But the people in the furniture industry anticipated a hostile reaction from the home furnishing giant and dismissed the concept as infeasible. Lesley, coming from a different business background, rightfully concluded that the BEMZ concept would be mutually prosperous for both her new venture, and the global brand. After all, the IKEA profile applauds recycling and individual expression, but does not endeavour to provide more than a basic selection of textile covers. If anything, BEMZ may have expanded the IKEA customer base to the cost conscious designer collector.

L e s l e y Pe n n i n g t o n - B E M Z C E O

The more finicky on a budget can now throw designer labels like Designers Guild or Marimekko, known for its bright colours and bold prints, to cover an IKEA chair for a total sum that easily falls into the range of reasonable, if not downright cheap. Today BEMZ delivers to over 35 countries worldwide – not bad for a business, that’s less than a decade old. Bemz, however, is not just another immigrant entrepreneurial success story, but also the personification of Lesley’s individuality. BEMZ, like IKEA, is an acronym of initials and comes from the names of children in Lesley’s life. “I wanted it to remind me of the really important things in my life, and the reason for doing what I do.” Soft spoken and enthusiastic, Lesley tells the Swedish Bulletin about the other things in life that matter. Recruited to Sweden’s version of the Secret Millionaire, a reality TV show infiltrating wealthy men and women into struggling communities to ultimately make a difference,

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CULTURE & M O RE

Edvard Munch: The Sick Child, oil painting from 1907. Munch painted the first version in 1886. Thielska Galleriet, Stockholm.

he innovative paintings of Edvard Munch (18631944) caused outrage during his lifetime, however his genius was eventually recognised in the early 20th Century. The Scream, the iconic work symbolising the existential anguish of modern man, is one of the world’s most famous images. One of the four versions became the most expensive painting ever sold at an auction, at Sotheby’s in New York in May 2012. An earlier version of the motif – The Despair – painted in 1892 depicts a man on the same bridge the one seen in The Scream.

For those who visit Norway June and August 2013 - The Munch Museum and The National Museum in Oslo will present a major Edvard Munch 150-Year Anniversary exhibition. www.munch150.com

In 2013 it will be 150 years since the birth of the fascinating and enigmatic Norwegian. Thielska Galleriet near Stockholm houses one of the largest collections of Munch’s paintings and graphic works outside of Norway.

Open Tuesday-Sunday 12pm – 5pm. Phone: +46 (0)8 662 58 84. www.thielska-galleriet.se

Edvard Munch 2nd February – 12th May 2013 Thiel’s Gallery is located in Swedish Thielska Galleriet at Sjötullsbacken 8 on Djurgården, in Stockholm. It takes a few minutes by bus from Stockholm city centre.

“Ernest Thiel was a great admirer of Friedrich Nietzsche and, in his view, Edvard Munch had the ability to turn Nietzsche’s ideas into art. He commissioned Munch to portray the then dead German philosopher. Later on, Thiel bought several of Munch’s paintings. He and his wife had modern ideas and their art collection includes some of the avant-garde artists of their time. Our exhibition will show around 20 paintings and Thielska Galleriet’s entire collection of Munch’s graphic works, 99 prints to be exact,” says Andreas Brändström, curator at Thielska Galleriet. In the early 20th century, the wealthy Ernest Thiel was one of Sweden’s most important art collectors. Thiel and his wife Signe once declared: “We want to live in an art gallery!” Thielska Galleriet, created by the Jugend architect Ferdinand Boberg, now a museum open to the public, was initially erected as a private residence. Edvard Munch emphasised the artist’s emotional experience of the motif. The first version of The Sick Child, depicting a heart-broken mother at the bedside of her dying child, shocked viewers when it was exhibited in 1886. The painting was inspired by traumatic events in Munch’s childhood – both his mother and one of his sisters died of TB – and several of Munch’s images have autobiographical themes, but they are free of self pity.

Edvard Munch 150-Year Anniversary In 2013 Thiel’s Gallery in Stockholm will exhibit several of the acclaimed Norwegian artist’s most important paintings. TEXT: C H R I S T I N A L I N D E R O T H - O L S O N PH O T O : T O R D L U N D / T H I E L S K A G A L L E R I E T, S T O C K H O L M

Although his early art was widely criticised, Munch’s talent was recognised and he received a state scholarship enabling him to study in Paris. Despite causing a tumultuous scandal when exhibiting solo in Oslo, he was invited to exhibit in Berlin. There he became part of a literary and artistic circle that included the Swedish writer August Strindberg and the Polish author Stanislaw Przybyszewski. The time in Berlin was of great importance to Munch’s artistic development.

E d v a r d M u n c h : Po r t r a i t o f F r i e d r i c h N i e t z s c h e , p a i n t e d from 1906 to 07. Thielska Galleriet, Stockholm.

Edvard Munch: On the Bridge, oil painting at Åsgårdstrand in Norway in 1903. Thielska Galleriet, Stockholm.

Central in Edvard Munch’s work is The Frieze of Life, a series of existential images based on anguish and anxiety. Some of his most recognised paintings were shown in the frieze – among others Madonna, The Scream, Anguish, The Sick Child,Vampire and Kiss. At times Munch has been characterised as a neurotic genius, however Modern research has proven this assumption a cliché. Although he suffered from a nervous disorder, even in old age Munch was interested in technical innovations, social issues, and the avant-garde art of his time. 49

CULTURE & M O RE

David LaChapelle at Fotografiska Colourful semi-surrealist images, celebrity portraits and music videos – the show is LaChapelle’s largest ever. TEXT: C H R I S T I N A L I N D E R O T H - O L S O N PH O T O : © D A V I D L A C H A P E L L E

ashion, glamour, celebrities and nudity were all outrageous images making the headlines in the 1990s, but there is also a reflective side to the famous photographer.This winter, David LaChapelle takes over Fotografiska in Stockholm: the exhibition will be his largest ever. “In 2008 15,000 people visited the David LaChapelle exhibition during one month in Nacka Strand, near Stockholm city. The show was arranged by Jan and Per Broman. In a way, it formed the embryo of Fotografiska,” says Min-Jung Jonsson. Patrik Steorn and Jonsson are co-curators of the ongoing exhibition. The two of them worked closely together with the artist, who took an active interest in the show. LaChapelle, born in the USA in 1963, worked for many years as a magazine and fashion photographer. He is likely to be best recognised for his numerous theatrical semi-surrealist pictures of celebrities, for example Michael Jackson, Hillary Clinton, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears. As an art school student, David LaChapelle approached Andy Warhol and published some of his earliest photographs in Interview magazine. In 2006 LaChapelle left the hectic commercial world in order to devote himself entirely to art photography. He currently lives among serene, relaxed surroundings, very rarely doing commercial commissions, in Hawaii.

Fotografiska’s exhibition presents some of his early black and white photos from the 1980s, and lots of the pictures taken since 2005.“David LaChapelle uses an excessive imagery as he arranges the set ups for his pictures.This is a conscious approach to catch the spectator’s attention. Sometimes, the reviews have focused on his celebrity portraits and the nudes only, but he is really a very complex artist.You will find a serious undertone in his pictures, even in the fashion images. He often refers to art history and religion,” continues Patrik Stoern. The exhibition is thematic, comprising around 260 photos and videos: “LaChapelle likes to do series, this show includes a new one. He has also directed some music videos, in cooperation with Elton John, Christina Aguilera and Florence & The Machine, to mention a few,” says Min-Jung Jonsson. Fotografiska, founded by the brothers Jan and Per Broman in 2010, is the centre of contemporary photography in Stockholm. The centre has been a great success, attracting around 400,000 visitors each year. David LaChapelle 30 November 2012 – 3 March 2013 You will find Fotografiska at the docks at Stadsgårdshamnen. Open Sunday – Wednesday 9am – 9pm, Thursday – Saturday 9am – 11pm. Telephone: +46 (0)8 50 900 500. www.fotografiska.eu 51

www.keolis.com lars.nordstrand@keolis.se

LIFE S TYLE : FIL M

M i n i s t e r Ta g e E r l a n d e r a n d O l o f Pa l m e i n t h e b a c k g r o u n d

t has been claimed that Sweden lost its innocence when Prime Minister Olof Palme (1927-1986) was openly murdered on a Stockholm street on 28th February 1986. A new documentary by Kristina Lindström & Maud Nycander chronicles the life and times of one of Sweden’s most brilliant and influential politicians. In the opening minutes of the film, British journalist David Frost interviews Palme about how he feels about his own mortality. He answers, as one might expect, that since it would diminish his lust for life, he never contemplates the subject. Following this we hear the phone call made to the police dispatcher reporting his murder, the subsequent investigation into which remains ongoing. Palme explores Olof ’s origins as a child prodigy in an aristocratic influential Swedish family: his education at the elite Sigtuna School of Liberal Arts, his law studies at Stockholm University, and his attendence at a student exchange program in Kenyon College Ohio from 1947-1948. Here he mastered a subject that is rarely taught in Sweden: public speaking and the art of argumentation and debate – a skill that would distinguish him as a politician.

New Swedish Documentary Chronicles the life of Olof Palme TEXT : M O I R A S U L L I V A N

PH O T O S : B - R E E L S T O C K H O L M

He was considered a uniquely gifted student and was offered a four-year scholarship to Harvard, but his family wanted him to return to Sweden. Before going back, he went on a three-month tour of the United States and Mexico where he observed America’s racial, gender and class differences. Palme claimed this trip was one of the factors that contributed to his becoming a socialist. Afterwards, he championed the causes of the oppressed during his meteoric rise to power.

In 1953 he became the right hand man of Prime Minister Tage Erlander during a period of societal change. Four years later, he secured a place in Parliament and climbed the party ranks from Minister of Transport in 1965, to Minister of Education in 1967. By 1969, at the age of 38, he had become the youngest Prime Minister in Sweden’s history. During Palme’s years in government Sweden enjoyed some of the highest living standards in the world. His advances in public health, housing, education, preschools, care of the elderly and expansion of social security were highly respected throughout the world. Palme was often compared to John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King as a result of his support of the underprivileged and his stance against racism. The fate of the two American leaders, who were assassinated in their prime, bears some resemblance to Palme’s struggles, as they too stood for issues that were not shared by the entirety of the electorate. Protests against the Vietnam war were

O l o f Pa l m e a t h i s h o m e w i t h h i s f a m i l y

particularly vocal in Sweden and Palme’s open criticism of it caused the United States to recall its ambassador in protest. He thereby put Sweden’s neutrality in jeopardy and there were calls for his resignation. This was not the first time he encountered adversity, protests over his ongoing solidarity with labour movements, which was unpopular among conservative Swedes, are further examples of his struggles. Because of his belief in a strong nuclear power plant program, the Social Democratic party lost the national election for the first time in 44 years. During the 1980’s the ways of producing goods and services changed, not only in Sweden, but elsewhere around the world. Unemployment and immigration issues became central concerns and Swedish social democracy came under fire. Palme wanted to continue his programs of public subsidies and progressive taxation, but he became a target for hate campaigns, which included accusations that he was out of step with the times, and moreover pro-Soviet to the point that it was detrimental to the country. Lindström and Nycander have constructed a rich document of archival footage, meticulously edited with rare footage of Palme’s meetings with political leaders such as Fidel Castro, film directors such as Tage Danielsson and actors such as Shirley MacLaine. Footage of previously unseen home movies provide insight into his summer vacations. These were spent with his wife Lisbet and sons, Mårten, Joachim and Mattias without electricity and water on the island of Fårö. Political party colleagues, such as former Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson who assumed office after Palme’s death, Minister of Trade Kjell Olof Feldt, and former leader of the Social Democratic Party Mona Sahlin, all speak fondly of his work. The film is scored in part by Benny Andersson from Abba. Milestones of Swedish history in the documentary include the 1976 arrest of Palme’s friend Ingmar Bergman, who allegedly hadn’t payed proper income taxes. And one of the sore spots of his administration, a 1973 bank robbery where the hostages developed sympathy and collusion with their abductors, today known as Stockholm Syndrome. Palme provides the opportunity to follow the rise of this brilliant politician who championed the underprivileged and disenfranchised in both Sweden and around the world. One of the memorable public signs held up right after his assassination posed the question: “Why murder a true Democrat?” At Palme’s funeral the ascending Social Democratic party leader Anne Lindh spoke – she was also murdered during her term.

Palme is an excellent chronicle, a time capsule of the golden years of Sweden, from the mid 1960’s, through to the 1980’s when the country was admired throughout the world for providing social services for its people – a productive and progressive land in tune with nature. Palme was very much the beating heart of this era.

O l o f Pa l m e b e i n g i n t e r v i e w e d b y w i t h D a v i d F r o s t

TRA V EL IN S WEDEN

Abisko National Park – A Hot Spot for Outdoor Adventure TEXT: M I C H A E L H E L A N D E R PH O T O S : H E N R I K T R Y G G . F R E D R I K B R O M A N . S TA F FA N W I D S T R A N D / I M A G E B A N K . S W E D E N . S E

ach year, ecotourists and outdoor enthusiasts alike migrate to Sweden’s Abisko National Park for hikes in the midnight sun or spectacular views of the Northern Lights. Located due north of Sweden’s highest point on Mount Kebnekaise, and an hour and a half ride northwest of Kiruna, Lapland’s Abisko is a 77 km² haven for Nordic wildlife and yearround adventure. Albeit cold and dark, winter is an ideal time to visit the national park. Situated in the northernmost area of Lapland, and 250 km north of the Arctic Circle, Abisko National Park provides one of the world’s most spectacular views of the Northern Lights. Also known as Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights are a breathtaking phenomenon where charged particles from the sun collide with the outer parts of the atmosphere and create ribbons of glowing lights that dance across the sky. Cloud-free skies and a central location in the Aurora zone provide Abisko visitors with unobscured views of light beam eruptions and pulsating auroras in the stillness of the night. If you plan to travel north for an opportunity to witness this magnificent spectacle, a visit to the Aurora Sky Station on Mount Nuolja is a must. A chairlift transports visitors up to the Station, allowing ones eyes time to adjust to the complete darkness of Abisko. Once there, the Aurora Sky Station offers a warm café, a souvenir shop, an exhibition explaining the science behind the Northern Lights, and a lookout tower. Don’t expect a luxury lodge, however, as the Sky Station has basic amenities without electricity or running water. The entry fee includes the chairlift, a guided tour, and warm viewing overalls. Open from

8pm to midnight daily from December 1st through to March 30th – advance bookings are highly recommended due to a limited number of tickets available each evening. And of course the Sky Station may close with short notice due to changing Artic weather conditions. More options including a 3-course dinner and mountaintop camping are also available via the Aurora Sky Station website. Many winter visitors choose to overnight at the century-old STF Mountain Station Abisko, where lodging is basic but lodgers avoid a middle-of-the-night trek back to Kiruna or other valley lodging. Apart from the must-see Northern Lights, Abisko wintertime adventures also include alpine, off-piste or Nordic skiing, snowshoe hikes, dog sled adventures, and ice fishing. For a true local experience, book a package that offers camping with the indigenous Sami people, campfires and reindeer cuisine. Not to be overshadowed by winter adventures, the Abisko summer is a magnet for hikers who begin their journey along the world-renowned 430 kilometre King’s Trail (Kungsleden), a well-developed system of mountain stations and mountain huts along a trail that accommodates both experienced and beginner hikers. Towns along the trail offer hikers a ‘hop on, hop off ’ experience across a landscape that shifts from forest to rugged rock. Another uniquely summer Abisko experience is the midnight sun, a natural phenomenon that spreads a dream-like quality over the wilderness landscapes while hiking through forests, along fjords, through canyons and by waterfalls. Golfers at the Björkliden Artic Golf Course even enjoy unlimited rounds of golf alongside magnificent

mountain vistas, since it never gets dark and the club offers a 24-hour green fee. Just like the winter visitors to Abisko National Park, summer tourists have endless choices of outdoor experiences including caving, fishing, and a dip in Sweden’s clearest Trollsjön lake with a clear view of the lake bed 36m below the surface. Dog-sled rides (yes, even in summer) and white water rafting are also on the summer agenda. For the quintessential Swedish outdoor adventure, Abisko National Park is a goldmine of activity at any time of year.

Plan your vacation: www.auroraskystation.com www.svenskaturistforeningen.se www.swedishlapland.com

S T O CKH O L M

he Friends Arena opened in a blaze of ceremony and song that was broadcast to the nation.The country’s new stadium is set to be home to a host of sports, music and events that ensure memorable moments for years to come. The foundations were laid in 2009 as Crown Princess Victoria put the first ceremonial spade into the ground at the arena site in Solna. Fittingly, the Princess and Prince Daniel attended the opening ceremony on October 27th to witness the spectacle and array of Swedish artists performing. An audience of 45,000 were also there to share the moment, and listen to the likes of Loreen, Roxette and The Hives.

Sweden’s new arena raises the roof

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PH O T O S : F R I E N D S A R E N A

The event was named “Swedish Moments,” and was broadcast live on Swedish Television and the arena’s exterior was lit up in yellow and gold, just as it will when the Swedish national football team plays its matches there – the inaugural game was played between Sweden and England in a friendly on November 16. Friends Arena is also the new home for local Stockholm football team AIK Solna. With an audience capacity of 65,000 for concerts and 50,100 for sports events it is the largest stadium in the Nordic countries, and the second largest indoor stadium in the whole of Europe.

“We are a meeting place where everyone should feel the community and try to connect,” says Thomas Perslund. “Friends work for everything that happens in the arena is great value for the organisers, the partners and the visitors.” Along with the stadium, building has begun to complement the complex with a 400-room hotel and a shopping mall. Known as the Mall of Scandinavia, it will house 240 shops and is set to be the biggest shopping centre ever constructed in Sweden when it opens in 2015.

Fun arena facts and figures • There are 724 toilets in the arena building • T he retractable roof takes a total of 20 minutes to open and close • T o increase the visual experience the arena has 647 LED screens • A huge mobile network can be used by 30,000 visitors at the same time

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TEXT: C H R I S T I N E D E M S T E A D E R

The keys were handed over in August to managing director Thomas Perslund who is now in charge of one of the world’s most modern arena. “The Crown Princess and Prince Daniel’s presence means a lot and underlines that the opening ceremony is an important and historic event for Sweden,” Perslund says. “For us it is important that the opening ceremony was also representative of Sweden, our culture and history framed in an emotional world class show.”

In 2007, Swedbank acquired the naming rights to the new stadium in a 153 million SEK deal that will last until 2023. It was initially known as Swedbank Arena, however, it was announced that it would re-name the facility Friends Arena, after the non-profit organisation Friends that campaigns against school bullying, which Swedbank supports.

“The Crown Princess and Prince Daniel’s presence means a lot and underlines that the opening ceremony is an important and historic event for Sweden,” Perslund says. “For us it is important that the opening ceremony was also representative of Sweden, our culture and history framed in an emotional world class show.”

THE S EA S O N

Twelve days of Swedish Christmas Spare a little time throughout the month of December to follow this fool proof guide to celebrating the yuletide season just like the Swedes. TEXT: C H R I S T I N E D E M S T E A D E R

1. Go to church

PH O T O S : I M A G E B A N K . S W E D E N . S E

Helena Wahlman

For eleven months of the year, secular Sweden lives up to its name but come Christmas time the pews are overflowing. Church attendance is dropping year on year, however, be sure to get there early for the numerous Carol concerts and special services throughout December. Reportedly, the first Advent Sunday is the day of the year when most Swedes choose to go to church.

If you haven’t had your fill of seasonal food by Christmas Eve, you must have deliberately avoided the office party or the previous month of lunching with friends and family. The Swedish Julbord is everywhere; with pickled herring and ham a plenty, not forgetting the minimum seven sorts of cake as standard. Families can also feast on a pot of porridge for Christmas breakfast - whoever finds the lonesome almond will have luck the following year.

Swedes tend to shy away from adorning their homes with life-size snowmen decorations in favour of a simple paper star, which is lit up and traditionally hangs in windows. The custom of lighting Advent candles is surprisingly widespread, and a Swedish home wouldn’t be complete without the electric candlestick – a seven-candle pyramid ornament invented by Swede Oscar Andersson in 1934.

Helena Wahlman

Miriam Preis

9. Eat your house

3. Let there be light Lena Granefelt

Seasoned kitchen enthusiasts may bake their own gingerbread but the rest of us can conveniently buy a ready-made gingerbread house kit at the local supermarket. Known in Sweden as pepparkakshus, they can be iced, adorned with sweets and then devoured piece-by-piece: total demolition usually ensues before Christmas Eve. The Swedish Museum of Architecture has an annual competition for amateur and architects alike and it puts the best constructions on display.

10. Adopt a goat

Follow your nose and the aroma of glögg – Swedish mulled wine – a much-needed winter warmer on a day spent at one of the many Christmas markets in town. Most stalls sell handicrafts, homemade decorations and sweets, but the beauty of a visit is simply to soak up the seasonal atmosphere.

The Christmas goat, or julbocken, is one of the oldest yuletide symbols from Northern Europe. Originally, the animal was slaughtered during a pagan festival. Nowadays it is a straw ornament bound in red ribbons but can still be subject to attack. The giant straw goat of Gävle has been the centrepiece of the city since 1966. However, it has been illegally set on fire so many times the country’s media waits to see how long the goat will ‘survive’ each year.

5. Pick your presents

11. See the calendar countdown

Sweden, of course, isn’t immune to the commercial grips of the festive season. Since 1988, HUI Research has annually announced the country’s eagerly awaited Christmas gift of the year. It aims to be a reflection of society’s shopping habits, which has proven interesting over time. In 1990 it was a Wok pan, in 1997 it was the electronic pet, and in 2005 it was a poker kit. What will be top of the gift list this year?

Swedish Television’s “Advent Calendar” has been broadcast since 1960 and is a much-loved part of the run up to Christmas. With a new plot every year, the series of 24 episodes is on television daily from December 1st to the 24th and is complemented by a traditional advent calendar you can by in the shops – with the daily windows revealing something to do with the story of the day.

4. Don’t miss the market

Quite possibly the most bizarre tradition of them all but something the Swedes take very seriously. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without the annual family gathering at 3pm on December 24th when most of the country will be tuning in for cartoon time. The 1958 Walt Disney special, “From All of Us to All of You,” has been shown at Christmas on Swedish television since 1959. Swedes refer to it simply as Kalle Anka – Donald Duck.

8. Bust your gut

2. Be star-struck

Celebrate the darkest day of the year in the company of Italian martyr Saint Lucia – the bearer of light. On the 13th of December, the whole country glows with candles, rejoices in song, and is perfumed with the aroma of coffee and saffron buns for breakfast. There are early morning concerts at preschools, and even workplaces are not exempt – many play host to the traditional procession led by Lucia, adorned with candles in her hair.

7. Toon in at 3 o’clock

Ola Ericson

6. What the Dickens?

12. Learn the lyrics

In 1843, Charles Dickens wrote about the antics of the pennypinching Ebenezer Scrooge and essentially the true meaning of the season. The play was performed in English in Stockholm to rave reviews, and recently it has been subject to a revival. With its British cast, “A Christmas Carol” takes to the stage at the Maxim Theatre in Stockholm from December 6th to the 23rd.

The most famous ditty in Sweden is “Nu är det jul igen” Now it’s Yule again. Christmas lasts until Easter, so the song goes, and Easter lasts until Christmas. The last verse puts some perspective on the fact that Lent and fasting comes in between. So therefore the whole premise of the song, as the lyrics state, is in fact not actually true!

Helena Wahlman

THE S EA S O N

Holiday Gift Guide

Swedish Bulletin Recommends TEXT: M I C H A E L H E L A N D E R

Is there a little prince or princess on your list? Colour Your Life offers bright and colourful canvas art including personalisation with your child’s name and other details. Every child’s face lights up when they open a gift with their name on it...literally!

Price: 399 kr. Available at www.signerat.se

It’s time once again to start the annual hunt for the perfect holiday gift. Whether for yourself, a good friend, or that impossible-to-buy-for relative, the Swedish Bulletin has put together some of our favourite gifts available this season, all designed or made right here in Sweden.We help take the stress out of gift giving so you have more time to relax and enjoy the holidays. The bookworm in your family will appreciate Patrick Karlsson’s Bokomaten, a pocketbook wall dispenser that marries functionality with clean design. The Bokomaten is based on an automated dispenser that not only determines what book to read next, it adds a designer touch to the traditional bookshelf. Have fun filling the Bokomaten with books from your family’s reading ‘wish list’, or host a book exchange where friends drop a book in the top and take one from the bottom.

It may not fit in the Bokomaten but everyone will enjoy the informative and entertaining Swedish Traditions by Jan-Öjvind Swahn. A beautiful addition to any coffee table collection, this hardcover book is full of traditional holiday recipes and photos of Sweden’s landscape. As one of the foremost authorities on Swedish culture, Swahn gives us the ideal keepsake for memories of living in Sweden.

Price: 192 kr. Available at www.adlibris.se

Price: 995 kr. Available at Design Torget

No proper Swedish home is complete without a ‘bricka’, a small serving tray used for nearly every occasion. We love Maria Holmer Dahlgren’s graphic Stockholm tray complete with recognisable motifs and landmarks. Also available is a dishtowel set with the same Stockholm design to add a splash of style alongside function in the kitchen.

Clean design is one of the hardest aesthetics to achieve and these simply beautiful tea candle holders by designer Sofia Nilsson will be appreciated by the most difficult to please person on your list. Available in three glazes, they bring understated glamour into every home and have even been spotted on the TV4 Nyhetsmorgon morning news show.

Price: 270 kr. Available at www.handgjordasaker.se

Price: 595 kr. Available at Design Torget

Price: 26-395 kr. Available at www.bjorkandberries.se

Price: 245 kr./tray and 150 kr./tea towel Available at Design Torget

When your man doesn’t have time to get out and enjoy nature, bring a little nature to him. These well-crafted mahogany cufflinks from BoJ say a lot about the man who spends his days in the concrete jungle.

If you have a particularly discerning interior design enthusiast on your gift list they will delight in the sleek white design of Christopher Muda’s fire extinguisher. At a compact 2 kg, the extinguisher can easily stand as a compliment to home decor. Giving the gift of safety is never faux pas, especially when it looks this good.

Give the gift of Swedish scents with Björk & Berries body and skin care products. Perfect for the workaholic woman, Björk & Berries offers 100% natural scents gathered from the Swedish forest near Gästrikland. Products are created with pure Stanna spring water infused with handpicked wild strawberries, lingonberries and birch leaves. Exclusive organic ingredients and natural scents give a peaceful sensation to juxtapose a hectic urban lifestyle.

Price: 840 kr. Available at www.hoganasgruppen.se When all else fails, and you still don’t know what to buy this year for that special someone, consider Sweden’s very own Koenigsegg hypercar.With each car handcrafted for ultimate performance, and the opportunity to influence the design specifications, every single car becomes a unique work of art treasured by their owners.

Price: 13 966 238 kr. Available at www.koenigsegg.com

For the chocoholics on your gift list consider this graphic black and white poster from Melvin & Jag. The poster can easily be framed (they recommend IKEA’s Ribba series) and it puts the recipe for Sweden’s well-known kladdkaka, a rich and sticky chocolate dessert, front and centre for those emergency cravings.

Price: 235 kr. Available at www.signerat.se 63

S WEDI S H DIARY

S WEDI S H C O M PANIE S

We l c o m e a b o a r d Enjoy the archipelago view aboard one of our traditional Steamboats

Open dialogue. Stop racism. Sweden is a country of idealism. The tenets of social democracy sprang from a post-industrial movementturned-tradition of fairness, equality and doing the right thing for your fellow human. Swedes wear it like a badge of honour on their sleeves and will defend it ferociously. But just like any political system relying purely on a socialistic platform, it will ultimately fail, along with it’s societal idealism. It will fail because it neglects to factor in human nature. Our humanism is the weakest link in realizing the perfect society. And the best way to overcome this failure is to persist with open dialogue about all things good and bad. But this is Sweden’s weakness. Presently, there is an ongoing political trend in

Serenity on

Sweden moving towards an ugly, more selfish reality of the right-wing waves of nationalism and

Stockholm’s Steps Welcome aboard with Waxholmbolaget, and take a quintessentially Swedish tour on a quintessentially Swedish boat. PH O T O : M A G N U S R I E T Z

enuine archipelagos exist in very few corners of the world and it happens to be Stockholm, which boasts the largest. Beginning in the centre of the city at Strömkajen, where Waxholmbolaget boats are moored, it stretches mile after mile out into to the Baltic. Some 30,000 islands and skerries are passed along the way, which gradually shift in character the farther out we get. Firstly, and at it’s heart, is the lush inner archipelago, which is relatively well developed and the core of archipelago life. Discover historic Vaxholm - the archipelago capital with its winding lanes and stately summerhouses - as well as pretty little villages and old fishing stations, still buzzing with activity, at least in the summer. Even though the number of year-round residents has increased in recent years, it is during the summer months that the area really comes alive. Fishing huts, summerhouses and old post offices are transformed into cosy inns, comfortable guesthouses and youth hostels, galleries, shops and handicraft studios. Even during the busy summer season, it is never hard to find your own private paradise in the archipelago.

protectionism that is already spreading throughout the rest of Europe. In the most recent election, the Swedish voter elected the anti-immigrant Swedish Democrats (SD) into parliament. SD achieved a result of over 6% of the vote. The day after the elections, headlines, Twitter tweets and Facebook

www.waxholmsbolaget.se.Tour information, tel +46 8 679 58 30.

people are being duped. There is a need to dismiss the support by suggesting that SD are merely skilled at disguising their evil hidden agenda and fooling honest people. Idealism requires a belief that most Swedish voters do not fully understand that SD only hate dark people and want to get them out of Sweden at all costs. No political party or pundit is willing to stand up and say that the SD political agenda, whether right or wrong, good or bad, is one that must be examined and not merely dismissed. Why is it so unthinkable to discuss Sweden’s immigration

even horror that Sweden could elect such a hate-

policies? Why must anyone interested in investigating migration

mongering, immigrant-unfriendly political party into

and asylum trends be immediately labelled racist and inhuman?

the Swedish Riksdag.

I am not implying the dialogue must be whether Sweden should

been surprised. Saddened? Certainly, but caught off guard? How? There should have been very little surprise as support for SD was polling at that level in the run up to the election. I suppose it was the ingrained disbelief that fellow Swedes could be so ugly. After all, Swedes are kind, considerate and turn a blind eye to colour, creed and religion. Well, the idealistic society that most

or shouldn’t allow immigration, or take in asylum seekers, but simply to open it up as a discussion topic that all parties can enter. Unfortunately, it seems any attempt to question the general policy governing immigration is unwelcome territory and a dangerous path to tread. Even the well-intentioned wanting to examine Sweden’s migration and asylum policies are quickly branded as racist neo-Nazi sympathizers. That leaves the Swedish Democrats as the only party discussing the issue, and that brings them voters.

envisage is like this at least. And herein lies the problem.

I am going to go out on a limb to say I think that discussing the

Because the election of SD into parliament is viewed as

policies and the thought processes behind them is an important

distasteful, and is contrary to the rose-tinted idealism, it

thing to do. I think important things should be transparent and

is largely ignored.

Information about the archipelago, including timetables and boat hikers’ maps, is available at Waxholmsbolaget terminals at Strömkajen, right outside the entrance of Grand Hôtel. We can also recommend visiting the archipelago’s very own travel agency,Visit Skärgården, on Strandvägen in Stockholm. Learn all about the archipelago and its islands, find out what activities are available and check out the special offers at Visit Skärgården, Strandvägen, quay 18, Stockholm, tel 08-100 222. Information office and cafe is open Monday – Sunday, 10am- 4pm.

vision, people in disbelief want the explanation to indicate good

status updates were filled with dismay, shock and

I did not understand the reaction. No one should have

Take a stroll through woods, past gentle meadows and along endless rocky beaches, with only eiders and red-breasted mergansers for company. As you edge nearer to the outer archipelago, you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a seal. Out here the landscape becomes more increasingly barren, wild and windswept. In the past these islands were inhabited by people who made a living from the sea, but they have long since left their fishing stations and lighthouses and today it is mainly sailors, along with grey seals and sea eagles, who find their way to these archipelago outposts.

and earning support. Unfortunately when clinging to an idealistic

But untreated cancer grows. Recent polls are putting SD at over 8% making them Sweden’s third largest political party after the Social Democrats and the Moderates. There are a number of reasons to speculate as to why they are gaining popularity

discussable. An open, frank discussion on immigration counters racism rather than fuelling it. In nearly two decades living in Sweden I have never seen a problem resolved by ignoring it. I hope that my adoptive country gets its idealistic head out of the sand because we need to direct the dialogue towards the things that matter. It should not be left in the hands of extreme and reactionary newcomers to the political block.

By Elizabeth Dacey-Fondelius 65 65

A high-speed train for the Nordic climate

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