Published 7 February 2024 at 08.20
Domestic. The image of Sweden in the USA is deteriorating and the Scandinavian country is now associated with immigrant-related crime. The reason for the changed view is alleged to be, among other things, “Russian troll factories”.
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In a new report carried out on behalf of the Swedish Institute, Carl Marklund, docent in Nordic studies at Södertörn University, how the Swedish policy of neutrality and global events have affected the image of Sweden in the USA.
– There are many reasons why there is a certain image of Sweden in the US, one of them is the idea of Sweden as a peaceful country with a well-functioning welfare system. There has been a fascination with the Swedish model, how capital and the labor movement have been able to achieve unity. But now that image is in flux and has been for a long time, he says.
The image of Sweden has been in flux for a long time, according to Carl Marklund.
– It is affected by how Sweden acts but also by campaigns from Russian troll factories and Islamist groups. And when Sweden has now left the policy of neutrality and applied for membership in NATO, and the welfare system is not as strong as it was, the picture is affected, he says.
Marklund continues:
– The biggest differences from in the past, today the discussions are about crime, problems around integration or multiculturalism. Sweden is still seen in some quarters as a pioneering country, but more and more foreign observers seem to agree with the rather self-critical view of society that has prevailed here at home for a few years.