What is wrong with the people in Sweden? Natives or immigrants for decades, it seems they all have adopted the same strategy of silence.
Something absurd happens? They stay silent.
Are they treated like second-class citizens in their own city? Silent.
Is someone blocking their sidewalk or bike lane for a “private event”? Silent.
Is a bridge lift closed without any explanation? Silent.
Has the community sauna been broken for two weeks and no one is fixing it? No reaction.
Only resigned acceptance and moving on.
How can anything change in a society where no one speaks up, where fear or apathy are the norm? When you say nothing, you accept everything. You become part of the problem.
🔒🌞 The Swedish Summer – long, bright… and closed
In many places around the world, summer means life. Terraces fill up, parks come alive, and opening hours expand.
In Sweden? Summer means pause.
Just when the days are long and people are finally free… everything closes.
“Sommaröppettider” – that means reduced hours: libraries, sports centers, pools, public transport. As if summer is a problem, not an opportunity.
🕓 Reducing hours exactly when people are on vacation is hard to understand. Then we wonder why people don’t exercise or choose McDonald’s. But if nothing is open, what options do you have?
🎫 The “Summer Ticket” — an expensive bureaucratic joke
Want to explore the region by public transport in summer? You have the “Sommarbiljett”. But:
It’s not valid for 3 months, only for 2.5 months (June 15 – August 15).
You can’t buy it for the whole period. Only in 30-day segments.
If you get your first ticket on June 15, it only covers until August 15.
From August 15 to August 31? Too bad.
Price: 860 SEK — basically a normal Göteborg monthly price extended to the whole region. Nothing “summer special” about it.
If you want people to stay in the country during summer, to discover nature, you make the ticket:
- free or low cost
- flexible — one week, two weeks, a month
But no, here you make it expensive, limited, and inconsistent.
🏊♂️🧊🌿 Jubileumsparken – the symbol of paradox
The most promoted summer spot in Göteborg. Theoretically: sauna, fresh and saltwater pools, green spaces.
In practice?
♨️ The sauna is almost always broken. No repair deadline.
🌊 Pools are opaque, full of algae — you can’t see even 15 cm down.
Rules? Completely ignored. It says no jumping in, but people jump like crazy. Watch out not to get hit on the head.
Swimming? Forget it — it’s just splashing around, not a real pool.
Ecological doesn’t mean unmaintained. But here, that’s exactly what it means.
🧳❌ Tourism? Only in theory
Göteborg, a city with sea, forests, wide parks, history. And yet tourists are rare. Why?
Because:
- There’s no nightlife — the city “dies” at 9–10 PM, even in July.
- No friendly guidance or atmosphere.
- Attractions? Two train tours and that’s it.
No one visits a city where nothing is offered — not out of hostility, but due to inaction and lack of vision.
♨️ Public facilities? Broken, closed, ignored
This applies generally. Pools, sports centers, saunas. A defect can last weeks.
No one demands explanations. No one offers any. Just an A4 sheet: “temporarily closed.”
The truth? No urgency because there’s no pressure from the people. And everyone is silent.
🚷🚂 Let’s recap:
🚷 Bike lanes blocked — in a city proud of cycling.
🕒 Reduced summer hours — when people have time and light, they find closed doors.
🛠️ Saunas broken for weeks — no announcements, no worries.
🌊 “Ecological” pools closed or dirty — can’t see, can’t swim.
🚫 Ignored restrictions — no supervision, no accountability.
🚂 Childish tourist attractions — a train and some flyers.
🤐🧊 But perhaps the worst: silence
Why are people silent in Sweden?
🧠 1. Conflict-avoidance culture
They’re told from childhood: “Don’t complain, don’t attract attention.” Criticism is seen as a threat, not something helpful.
😶🌫️ 2. Cold individualism
If it doesn’t affect you directly, you don’t care. People live in their bubbles. Time is “too precious for involvement.”
🧊 3. Fear of standing out / jantelagen
Don’t stand out, don’t disturb. Don’t think you’re special. Even when you’re right, stay quiet.
🤐 4. Lack of real civic engagement
People don’t feel that change is in their hands anymore. They wait for “someone else to do something.”
🪞 5. Social self-sabotage
Many know something is wrong but choose to stay silent, endure, anesthetize themselves. It’s easier than being angry and clear-headed.
🎯 Conclusion?
Sweden seems to want to remain closed in on itself. Even in summer. Even to its own residents. Even to those who might want to discover it.
Not out of ill will. But out of lack of reaction, courage, and societal pressure.
Everything becomes a simulacrum: programs “for the citizen’s good,” but only on paper.
And summer paradoxically becomes the closed season.
PS
🇸🇪 In Sweden, the retirement age has recently increased: from 65 to 67 years. In a country where youth unemployment sometimes hits 30%, and general unemployment is nearly 10%. And, unlike France, no one protests. No one says a word. Everyone stays silent, perhaps hoping they will die before retirement.
The official explanation? “So people feel active, engaged, like they still matter.” But you can be active if you want — not if it’s imposed. When it becomes mandatory, it’s no longer for you. It’s for “them.” It’s against you.
PPS
The issues raised in this article — every single one — I tried to post, one by one, in the largest Facebook groups of the city or neighborhood. Not only were they not approved, but they were dismissed as “undesirable.” Even though all I did was expose a reality that those very group admins should be addressing for the community’s good.
Apparently, being honest and truthful isn’t enough when the truth disturbs. Maybe the peace and “pretty” image of the city matter more than an honest conversation. But without voice and courage, change will never come.
