- In terms of receiving and integrating migrants, Sweden's current systems are neither practically or economically sustainable. There's trouble in Wonderland, said Tove Lifvendahl at SCCE's Business Lunch, Monday 23 November.

Tove Lifvendahl is a Swedish writer, speaker and the political editor-in-chief at the Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. At this Business Lunch, Tove gave us an update and commented on some of the major current Swedish political challenges with a focus on migration.

- Rigid labor market regulations and an incapacity to appreciate and rightly validate competence gained or imported from outside Sweden, makes it difficult and in some cases impossible for migrants to enter the Swedish labor market. When adding to this a lack of capacity in housing, schools and health care, jihadist travelers, racism and xenophobia, it's not difficult to realize that the current agenda of political challenges is long and complicated in Sweden, continued Tove.

- Six out of eight political parties in the Swedish parliament - the two minority coalition government parties and the four parties included in the Alliance - have reached a couple of agreements addressing for example the migration and Sweden's defence. These agreements have all one thing in common; the actions and financing proposed are not enough.

- Sweden's political leadership is reactive and not proactive, it simply doesn't have a map, concluded Tove as she showed her last slide which said; "If you don't know where to go, you'll end up somewhere else."

Having listened to Tove and the following lively discussion, I'm sure that the forthcoming Swedish political winter will provide material for further analysis during the coming months.

On behalf of SCCE, I would like to thank Tove Lifvendahl for a very interesting presentation. My thanks also go to our participants who took an active part in the concluding discussion. And, last but not least, my thanks also go to Anders Hedman, member of SCCE's supervisory board, for taking the initiative to and arranging Tove's visit to Tallinn.

Sincerely,

Kristiina Sikk

SCCE Ombudsman