Radio Sweden Weekly: After decades of cutting debt, Sweden will now borrow money to pay for defence

This episode explores several significant news stories from Sweden. The first segment focuses on the Swedish government's decision to borrow 300 billion kronor over the next 10 years to bolster its armed forces, a departure from decades of debt reduction. This decision, driven by concerns about the transatlantic link's security and the upcoming NATO summit, has received bipartisan support, although the allocation of funds remains a subject of debate. More significantly, the episode delves into the potential repeal of a law mandating grazing periods for dairy cows, a law once personally gifted to Astrid Lindgren. This proposal, aimed at increasing the competitiveness of Swedish food production, faces opposition from animal welfare groups and the Green Party, who highlight concerns about animal welfare and the potential loss of a distinctive aspect of Swedish farming. For instance, the debate involves the economic viability of Swedish dairy farms and the potential impact on consumer preferences. Finally, the episode recounts a humorous story of a fake 2,000-year-old gold artifact discovered at a construction site, which turned out to be an elaborate prank by construction workers. What this means for Sweden is a complex interplay of national security concerns, economic pressures, and the evolving relationship between tradition and modern policy.