Readers Push Back on Claim That Sweden 'Lost Its Soul'

The Guardian has published a letters response, attributed to readers Alvin Engström and Jean Fridh, addressing an earlier opinion article by writer Martin Gelin titled "How Sweden lost its soul – and stopped being Sweden," published on 11 September.

According to the published letter, Gelin argued that Sweden has entered "a new era of cruelty," pointing to a shift away from the liberal internationalism associated with former Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's tenure.

Engström, writing about growing up in Malmö, said in the letter that he has observed how border controls with Denmark have affected daily life in the Öresund region, which he said has long depended on ease of movement across the strait separating the two countries. He said Gelin was correct to characterize this retreat from openness as consequential.

However, the letter disputes Gelin's broader conclusion, stating that describing Sweden as having "lost its soul" "goes too far." The writers argue that Sweden's political shift is "neither uniquely Swedish nor evidence that the country has somehow ceased to be itself."

The letter draws a comparison between the fading of what it calls Reinfeldt's "open your hearts" era in Sweden and the trajectory of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "Wir schaffen das" ("We can do this") approach to migration in Germany, suggesting both shifts occurred within the same broader European political moment.

The letter further contends that mainstream political parties across the European continent have moved toward more restrictive positions on migration in recent years, framing Sweden's policy changes as part of this wider continental pattern rather than an isolated national departure from historic values.

The Guardian published the letter as part of its opinion section, in direct response to Gelin's original piece examining shifts in Swedish politics and national identity.