Introduction
Sweden is in Northern Europe, between the countries of Finland and Norway (CIA, 2022).
Sweden is a part of the Nordic group that uses universal welfare which includes free education
and health care (Nielsen & Lindvall, 2021). For the most part, there is seemingly a great amount
of public trust in the political structure of Sweden (Nielsen & Lindvall, 2021). With an estimated
23 million acres of forestry, Sweden maintains ten percent of the global forestry business (Kumar
et al., 2020). In addition to forestry exports, Sweden thrives in the service sector (tourism),
minerals, and pharmaceuticals (to name a few) (Enander, 2022). The legal system and
governmental structure are based on a monarchial and democratic foundation with the Head of
State not having political power (Endander, 2022). Although no country is without accusatory
discrimination in some communities – Sweden is seen as effectively pursuing equality within its
borders.
People of Sweden
Sweden is a country that is homogenous, but with a mixture of ethnicities since the migrations
during the 1980s (Irastorza & Törngren, 2022). Swedish is the official language. There are
diverse ethnicities in Sweden to include (2020 estimate) Swedish (80.3%), Iraqi (1.4%), Syrian
(1.9%), Finnish (1.4%), and other (15%) (2022). Much of the population lives in the southern
parts of Sweden because of climate and terrain (CIA, 2022). The largest religion practiced in
Sweden is Lutheranism, followed by Christianity, Islam, and Roman Catholic (Enander, 2022).
Economy of Sweden
Natural resources of Sweden include ore, copper, lead, gold, silver and uranium (to name a few)
(CIA, 2022). Sweden, like most countries, have felt the inflation costs since the dawn of the
Russia-Ukraine war (Henley, 2022). According to a news article in the Guardian, author Henley
(2022) expresses the concern of poverty levels rising over 14% within the last year. With the
country utilizing nuclear and wind, and hydropower the need for petrol is not as high as other
surrounding areas (EU) for power (2022). According to research by Kumar et al. (2020), Sweden
is the third leading country for exported forest products. Pulp and paper are the largest provider
of employment in Sweden with approximately 120 thousand workers (Kumar et al., 2020). An
estimate of a third of the growth development product is from exports to the United Kingdom,
Norway, Germany, and Finland (Enander, 2022). In addition, the tourist industry plays an
important factor in the economic aspect with roughly a third of employed personnel working in
such service positions (2022).
Transnational Issues & US Relations
No transnational issues currently. According to the Department of State Fact Sheet (2021),
Sweden and the United States holds a strong bilateral bond. Sweden was one of the first
countries to recognize the United States independence in 1783 (Department of State, 2021).
Bilaterally there is an agreement with the promotion of global human rights, democracy, and the
defeat of terrorist organizations such as ISIS (2021). In May 2022 Sweden applied for the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and was accepted roughly a month later (Enander, 2022).
Government Structure/Legal Structure
The constitutional monarchy and parliament democracy was established in 1917 (Enander,
2022). The Riksdag is the parliament, and the parliament speaker nominates the Prime Minister
and chooses the cabinet members (2022). The parliament is the decisive factor of government
with the reigning monarch remaining as the head of state not holding power in politics (Enander,
2022). According to Riksdagsförvaltningen (n.d.) there are four fundamental laws: (1) Act of
Succession, (2) Instrument of Government, (3) Freedom of Press Act, and (4) Freedom of
Expression. The National Law Code (1734) is still in existence with modernization replacing the
original text (Enander, 2022). Public defenders are available for all, and the fines are typically set
upon the amount one could afford (unlike the United States and other countries) (Enander, 2022).
The National Council for Crime Prevention (1974) was established in Sweden for the purposes
of strengthening research for policies within the country (Estrada et al., 2012).
Human Rights
Parliamentary Ombudsman (1809) opened its doors to preserve peace, ethical practices, and
supervise courts and legal systems (Enander, 2022). The Swedish Discrimination Act of 2009
was created to battle human rights and discrimination within the borders of Sweden
(“Discrimination Act SFS 2008:567,” 2008). According to the Department of States 2021 report
for Sweden’s human rights practices laws are in place for acts of sexual harassment, domestic
violence, protections for refugees but there is an ongoing issue with Roma personnel (n.d.).
Conclusion
Sweden is a welfare state with free health care and education, but at a cost of higher taxes
(Enander, 2022). Sweden is a monarchial and democratic state that firmly believes in the
freedom of press, freedom of opinion, and free will of choice in unity (marriage) (to name a
few). Much like other countries, Sweden’s population is feeling the brunt of the inflations caused
by the current war in Russia and Ukraine. Sweden also does not go without some type of
discriminatory acts of minority groups, however, unlike other countries the laws enacted protect
the people within its borders and sets a standard for other countries to follow. As Ephesians 4:3
(KJV) reminds us, “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
References
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