Hospitalised bus crash victims in stable condition, weather warning issued for Stockholm, Liberals torn over Sweden Democrat collaboration and Swedish krona still performing well. Here’s Sweden’s news on Monday.
Condition stable for those injured in bus crash
The two people being treated in hospital after the deadly bus crash which took place in Stockholm on Friday are in a stable condition.
The bus drove into a queue at a bus stop during rush hour on Friday, killing three people and injuring three others.
Police said on Sunday that they have not yet finished identifying the three fatalities which means they have not yet been able to contact their next of kin, although they said this work may be complete on Monday.
Police spokesperson Ola Österling told AFP that there was “no material” suggesting that the incident was intentional, and that it appears to have been an accident.
Swedish vocabulary: tillstånd ‒ condition
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Yellow weather warning issued for Stockholm on Monday
Sweden’s weather agency, SMHI, has issued a yellow weather warning for Stockholm on Monday, warning that up to five centimetres of snow could fall during the afternoon and evening.
Eastern Svealand is expected to be affected, or more specifically eastern parts of Stockholm, as well as Uppsala, Norrtälje and parts of the east coast.
The agency warns that roads could become slippery and that there could be poor visibility.
“Allow more time for your journey and adjust your speed to road conditions and visibility,” it writes.
It also warns that vehicles could get stuck on the roads and there may be delays or cancellations on public transport.
The warning is in place from November 17th, from noon until 8pm.
Swedish vocabulary: snö ‒ snow
Liberal Party torn over whether to accept Sweden Democrat ministers
The Liberal Party currently has an official ‘red line’ in place against allowing Sweden Democrats to hold minister positions after the 2026 election, but the party is torn as to whether this red line should remain in place or not.
A large number of Liberals want to stop cooperating with the Sweden Democrats entirely, while others believe the Liberals should be open to being in government alongside them.
“Of course, there have been a number of scandals where Sweden Democrats have been involved, but they’ve been a supporting party for this term and the Tidö cooperation has for the most part worked well,” Runo Johansson, chair of the Tidaholm council, told the TT newswire. He has submitted a motion to the party’s congress arguing for both of the party’s ‘red lines’ to be abolished ‒ the party also refuses to work with the Left Party.
Johansson said it’s “difficult to explain” why the Liberals are happy working alongside the Sweden Democrats on a budget but will not accept ministers from their party in government.
Jan Jönsson, who is a member of the Liberal Party’s board and an outspoken critic of the Sweden Democrats, wrote in his own motion that the party should not collaborate with parties which use ‘troll factories’, engage in disinformation or who have links to organised crime. The Uppsala branch of the Liberal Party wants the party to stop cooperating with the Sweden Democrats entirely.
Swedish vocabulary: röda linjen ‒ the red line
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Swedish krona still going strong
The Swedish krona is still the best-performing currency this year in the so-called G10 group of the world’s most traded currencies.
One US dollar currently costs 9.45 kronor, which means the krona has strengthened by 17.1 percent this year, according to Bloomberg.
Other currencies which are performing well include the Swiss franc, which has seen a 14.3 percent rise against the dollar, and the Norwegian krone, which has risen 12.9 percent.
At the other end of the scale, the New Zealand dollar has only seen a 1.6 percent rise against the dollar, while the Japanese yen has only performed slightly better with a 1.7 percent rise.
Swedish vocabulary: valuta ‒ currency