Cancelled “Oktoberfest” in Skåne and heated discussions in the Municpal Council about beggars. Here are the latest News of the Week.
Spring comes early for the Moderates
As a result of the election on Sunday, 14 September, the party leader, Fredrik Reinfeldt, decided to hand in his notice of resignation, not only to the Speaker of the Parliament concerning his own government, but also to his own party, Nya Moderaterna. Reinfeldt mentioned that he will step down from his position as Party leader “this spring.” According to both Göteborgs-Posten and Sydsvenskan, the party’s secretary has stated that a successor will be appointed on 7 March, next year.
Election aftermath
According to Swedish newspapers, a coup has been staged which will give parties with Nazi-views seats in some Swedish Municipal Councils. This is because the Swedish Democrats, the party that grew most in the election, did not have enough representatives and chose to leave the candidate list open in, e.g., Ludvika. Thus, individuals from more militant parties seized the opportunity. However, DN reports that a new law, if passed, may close this loophole.
“Oktoberfest” cancellations in Lund and Helsingborg
There will be no “Oktoberfest” events in neither Lund nor Helsingborg, at least not if they are to be arranged by the company AB Besoma, Sydsvenskan’s 24-hour news-blog reports. The company chose to cancel an event in Malmö, and now, it was Helsingborg’s and Lund’s turn to have a taste of the sour grapes. Apparently, the reason is a lack of interest indicated by the low ticket sales figures. This irritates both the ticket companies and the performing artists.
Heated discussions in the Municipal Council about beggars
At the last Municipal Council meeting, before the new members enter, a representative from the Swedish Democrats moved a resolution concerning beggars in Lund, Sydsvenskan reports. The gist of it was that begging and playing music in the streets should demand a permit. This was met with much resistance from the other parties in the Council. At the same time, the number of homeless EU-immigrants is increasing and different institutions are now working together to find a sustainable solution.
International university graduates will get employment
This is the goal of the new cooperation between Lund University and the Folk University in Lund, Sydsvenskan reports. The goal is to start “The Short Way,” where Arbetsförmedlingen acts as a channel for international qualified graduates and employment seekers, and put them in the program. The University’s task will be to help setting standards for applicants. The Vice Chancellor of Lund University wants a national implementation of the program. He also wants to make it easier for Swedish graduates to find work.
Lund-resident receives award for mutated rice
Sydsvenskan reports that Udda Lundqvist, an expert in barley refinement receives an award from the UN institution International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for his investigation concerning the effects radiation might have on regular rice. The work has resulted in the creation of rice that is possible to grow on high altitudes, and in salty water. This will be especially useful for the people in Vietnam, where great floods, caused by climate change, have increased the saltiness of the water.
