Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Friday Advertisement Swedish News Latest news 2026 Swedish election
Politics Immigration Cost of living Travel news Economy Stockholm Malmö Gothenburg Discover Sweden 2026 election
Podcast Practical help Living in Sweden Work permits Moving to Sweden Residency permits Study in Sweden Visas
Citizenship Living Costs Family Taxes Pensions Reader questions Language Swedish courses Learning Swedish Swedish Word
of the Day Homes Property Renting Find Rentals Jobs Games Topics Swedish News Latest news 2026 Swedish election Politics
Immigration Cost of living Travel news Economy Stockholm Malmö Gothenburg Discover Sweden 2026 election Podcast
Practical help Living in Sweden Work permits Moving to Sweden Residency permits Study in Sweden Visas Citizenship Living
Costs Family Taxes Pensions Reader questions Language Swedish courses Learning Swedish Swedish Word of the Day Homes
Property Renting Find Rentals Jobs Games Choose edition sweden All Editions Austria Denmark France Germany Italy Norway
Spain Sweden Switzerland Membership Become a member Newsletters Help Centre Gift Vouchers Educational Access Corporate
Access The Local About Us Contact Us News Archive Search articles All topics Advertise with us Post a job ad Get The
Local App The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden Today in Sweden Members only Today in Sweden: A
roundup of the latest news on Friday Emma Löfgren - emma.lofgren@thelocal.com Published: 4 Sep, 2026 CET. Updated: Fri
4 Sep 2026 08:51 CET Share 1 comment Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson said the official linked to pro-Russian
posts is currently off work. Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT Add The Local as a preferred source Swedish PM says no room
for pro-Russian narratives after SD official linked to pro-Kremlin posts – and how much more will your electricity
bill cost in Sweden this winter? Here's the latest news. Swedish PM says no room for pro-Russian narratives after SD
official linked to pro-Kremlin posts A Sweden Democrat official accused of spreading pro-Russian information must be
fired if the allegations are true, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told the Aftonbladet newspaper. According to an
investigation by anti-racism magazine Expo, the official – a woman who moved from Russia to Sweden in 2006 – shared
articles and posts featuring Russian narratives between 2015 and 2017. These came from Russian state bodies,
state-controlled outlet RT, and other channels known for Russian propaganda and disinformation. She previously shared a
tribute song to Russian President Vladimir Putin on social media, complete with heart emojis and the caption "people
singing about their love for the president". According to Expo, the woman lives with a top Sweden Democrat official who
works in the government offices and is one of the architects of the Tidö coalition agreement. She continued to share
pro-Russian content as recently as 2024 and 2025. Kristersson said there is no space for pro-Russian narratives in
Sweden. "We are in the middle of a European war. This is serious business," he told Aftonbladet. "You simply cannot have
people sitting around spreading pro-Russian narratives while working in Sweden's parliament." Sweden Democrat leader
Jimmie Åkesson said the party had "no knowledge" of the situation. He stressed that the official is currently off work
and will remain so for some time. "This isn't something the party had any knowledge of, as far as I know. It's something
that came to light today, but we'll have to look into it and get to the bottom of it. We have time," he told public
broadcaster SVT. "I see no reason to panic about this," he added. Earlier, his far-right party's press office said in an
email to the TT news agency that the individual has "publicly been strongly critical of the Russian regime in recent
years" and is currently on parental leave. Teresa Carvalho, justice spokesperson for the centre-left Social Democrats,
described the allegations as a "security crisis" until "proven otherwise." "In the worst-case scenario, this is a
serious infiltration attempt by a foreign power right into the core of Swedish power," Carvalho told a press conference,
urging the prime minister to get to the bottom of what happened and clarify whether his office was aware of the
relationship between the woman and the senior official. "The Swedish public deserves answers," she added. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: allegations – anklagelser Advertisement Danske Bank delays expected Riksbank interest rate hike to
November Danske Bank still expects two interest rate hikes from Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, between now and
2027. However, it has pushed back its forecast for the first hike to November this year. "These are the best times for
households," said the bank's chief economist, Susanne Spector. The Riksbank's next interest rate decision will be
announced later in September. Even though Danske Bank expects a rate rise in November, Spector believes there is
actually no reason for the bank to wait. "The economy is already back to normal, inflation risks are growing, and
monetary policy operates with a lag. But given how the Riksbank communicated in August, we think it will take one more
meeting." After that, Danske Bank expects another hike in February next year, which would bring the policy rate to 2.25
percent. DON'T MISS: The Local Games – find the Swedish word in WordroW and crack the daily sudoku Spector does not
believe two rate hikes will put too much strain on Swedish households. "If you look at household interest rate
expectations in the National Institute of Economic Research's barometer, you can see that households are already
expecting higher rates," she said. "It appears that households have both adapted to the current rate environment and
accepted that the next step will be a couple of hikes." At the same time, Spector points out that inflation will be
higher next year, as will interest rates. Inflation according to the CPIF measure – which fixed-rate mortgages are
excluded from – is expected to rise to 1.4 percent this year and 2.7 percent next year, according to the bank's latest
forecast. The bank has also raised its GDP forecast for 2026 from 2.1 percent to 2.8 percent, alongside a slight upward
revision for 2027 (from 2.4 to 2.5 percent). (TT/The Local) Swedish vocabulary: policy rate – styrränta Advertisement
Ryanair signs collective agreement for Arlanda cabin crew Budget airline Ryanair has signed a collective bargaining
agreement with the Swedish Transport Workers' Union. The deal covers Ryanair's base at Stockholm Arlanda Airport,
meaning cabin staff will now receive union-agreed wages and employment terms, the union stated in a press release. "This
is a historic announcement for Ryanair's employees and an important success for the Swedish model. Since Transport took
over the agreement area, the goal has been clear: Ryanair's cabin crew in Sweden must have collective agreements, secure
conditions and the opportunity to influence their work situation. Now we are there," Tommy Wreeth, chairman of the
Transport Workers' Union said in a statement. "For Transport, the agreement is also important in principle. All
companies operating in the Swedish labour market must respect the Swedish model, where wages and working conditions are
regulated through collective agreements between the social partners," he said. "No one should have to compete with worse
wages and conditions. When such a large European airline operator as Ryanair signs a collective agreement in Sweden, it
is a success for our members, but also for the entire Swedish model." Ryanair's chief people officer, Darrell Hughes,
said the agreement followed months of intensive negotiations. "This agreement will support Ryanair's $800 million
investment in Sweden and helps secure well-paid, highly skilled aviation employment. Following the abolition of the
harmful Aviation Tax from July 2025, Sweden needs to continue to lower access costs so it can remain competitive and
secure air connectivity, which the next government should prioritise to allow Ryanair to continue to invest and create
jobs in Sweden as we grow to carry 300 million passengers per annum by 2034." (The Local) Swedish vocabulary: collective
bargaining agreement – kollektivavtal Advertisement How much more will your electricity bill cost in Sweden this
winter? Residents in southern Sweden can expect to pay around 700 kronor more per month for their electricity this
winter compared to last year. Further north, cost increases will be more modest, provided forecasts hold true. There is
no energy crisis expected, but power will be significantly more expensive than last winter – a warning analysts have
sounded repeatedly. The decisive drivers are lower-than-normal water levels in reservoirs, alongside skyrocketing gas
prices making electricity more expensive on the continent, which directly impacts the southern half of Sweden in
particular. Electricity prices are already at higher levels than last year. Autumn is unlikely to offer much relief
either, as half of Sweden's nuclear fleet will periodically be taken offline for annual maintenance. The real blow is
expected this winter, according to forward pricing on electricity, just as consumption typically rises. Based on these
projections, energy supplier God El has calculated monthly costs for standard households between December and February.
In southernmost Sweden (bidding area 4), the power bill – excluding grid fees and tax – for a detached homeowner is
expected to land around 3,700 kronor a month. That is 700 kronor higher per month than last winter, adding up to several
thousand kronor extra across the colder months. Advertisement During the energy crisis winter of 2022-2023, monthly
costs stood at roughly 4,800 kronor, though substantial state energy subsidies were paid out at the time. In bidding
area 3, which covers Svealand and northern Götaland (so if you live in Stockholm or Gothenburg, among other places),
bills are projected to hit roughly 3,100 kronor a month – an increase of 300 kronor. In northern Sweden (bidding areas
1 and 2), costs are set to fall by 300 kronor to reach 2,100 kronor. On top of the raw power cost, an owner of a
detached house consuming roughly 20,000 kWh annually must add nearly 2,000 kronor per month on average for grid fees and
energy tax – a charge independent of the spot price. However, since energy consumption spikes during winter months,
the total bill will end up substantially higher. For apartment dwellers, the sums are significantly lower. Nevertheless,
the general advice is to prepare in advance for what lies ahead. (TT/The Local) Swedish vocabulary: bidding area –
elområde (Sweden is divided into four pricing areas, SE1 to SE4, where power prices vary based on regional supply and
transmission capacity) Become a member or log in to continue reading More #Today in Sweden Comments (1) Join the
conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion
for our journalists then email us at news@thelocal.se. Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and
make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved. Please log in here to leave a comment. All comments 1 Sort
by Most recent Most popular P 21 hours ago Yes, yes, publicly he is "very critical" to ruzzia, but privately he's
secretly working for ruzzia. And the party "didn't know anything". What a typical Swedish shit show! 2 Likes See Also
Advertisement The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden The Local About us Contact us News Archive
Search articles Find jobs in Sweden Find a rental in Sweden Post a job ad Advertise with us Membership Login Become a
member Newsletters Help Centre Gift Vouchers Educational access Corporate access Popular Topics Latest News Malmö
Gothenburg Politics Working in Sweden Learning Swedish All topics Get daily news straight in your inbox Sign up By
signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We will use your email address to send you newsletters as
well as information and offers related to your account. 2026 The Local, All Rights Reserved. Manage Cookies Privacy
Policy Terms & Conditions