Almedalen week in Sweden hosts police union push and calls for forum reform

The Police Federation sent its chair Katharina von Sydow and vice‑chairs Sophia Willander and Thomas Stjernfeldt to this year’s Almedalen week on Gotland. Their agenda includes discussions on police staffing, wage compression, the state as an employer, gaps in the mental‑health system and how officers can prepare for “ongoing lethal violence”. They participated in a seminar with Kommunal and Vårdförbundet on a possible “psychiatric reform 2.0”.

Innovation experts Stefan Engeseth and Jörgen Wahl criticised the Almedalen format, describing it as “almost influencer politics” and arguing that short monologues and a fragmented debate climate hinder lasting change. They urged a radical overhaul into a national workshop that brings together professionals from health care, policing and other sectors, ensuring that decisions are informed by frontline expertise.