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The collapse of border trade has severely affected the economy and employment in several Swedish municipalities, but when Foreign Minister Anna Hallberg, who is responsible for Nordic affairs, met with representatives of the Strömstad municipality this week to discuss the situation , he was also struck by the stories of hostility created by the pandemic.
Swedes working in Norway testify about their cars being attacked, swearing at them and feeling frozen.
– There are also businessmen and politicians who have expressed disdain for the inhabitants of the other country and have turned it into a competition between the countries that have triumphed the most (in the pandemic). This is completely unacceptable, says Hallberg, who is grateful for the statement made by Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg this week on Swedish radio, where she said she was concerned about how people behave and warned that the “shame of the crown” runs the risk of destroying Nordic cooperation.
Anna Hallberg means that nationalist currents threaten the Nordic, who fight for cooperation between the Nordic states, and that hostility runs the risk of having far-reaching consequences.
– We have a special position in the Nordic region and we treat each other in a special way. I worry that if this goes on too long, it might leave a little deeper footprints, he says, and at the same time affirms that anxiety is good, because then there will be reasons to act.
The border problems were identified early on and Hallberg has had intensive discussions with his Nordic ministerial colleagues and has come up with his own proposals. She is satisfied with the solutions reached with Denmark and Finland and points out that social tensions decreased and economic conditions improved when the Finnish government decided to make a special solution for border municipalities in Tornedalen.
The riot fence was installed on the border between Haparanda and Tornio when the pandemic broke out, but now Sweden and Finland have found a solution.
Photograph: Pär Bäckström / TT
Norway has not received the same reply. Hallberg notes that countries basically want the same thing, but that Norway has chosen not to make sub-regional exceptions for border regions, even though the infection there has not spread in the same way as in other parts of the country.
– It is your decision and we in Sweden do not want anyone to interfere in our national decisions, but I think it is important to listen to our citizens who live on the border and I will continue to point out that what we have proposed is the right way to go, he says and adds that the meeting with politicians, companies and unions in Strömstad strengthened this belief.
The government recently unveiled a new SEK 15 billion support package, including extended support for layoffs, which has been a strong desire, especially from border municipalities. Anna Hallberg does not rule out special measures of regional or local support, but points out that in that case it should not be seen as compensation for the large tax revenues that cross-border trade provides the state, something that local politicians have said.
– Our society doesn’t work that way. There are many companies and merchants who contribute fantastically to our well-being and this applies to our entire country. It is not about “revenge”, but you have to see it as a whole. The tax revenue that we have received at the treasury and that has allowed us to “save in the granaries” means that we can now offer these important support measures, says Anna Hallberg and emphasizes the cooperation in difficult times between the state, the region and the municipality .
Trading in the large Nordby shopping center on the Norwegian border has almost come to a complete halt. Here, Norwegian customers accounted for more than 90 percent of sales before the pandemic.
Photo: Tomas Ohlsson, Tomas Ohlsson
A joint measure that has been decided is the adjustment office to be set up in Strömstad and which will help the unemployed to find new jobs or education. Hallberg notes that this move was successful in connection with the shutdown of carmaker Saab in Trollhättan.
Politician in Strömstad it has admitted on several occasions that the municipality relied too heavily on cross-border trade and tourism. Anna Hallberg says that the pandemic will create new conditions in several areas and that it is not certain that cross-border trade will go back to what it was before.
According to the minister, it is important not only to talk about problems, but also to present constructive ideas to curb nationalist currents and promote Nordic cooperation.
– What collaborations, projects and investments can we carry out together? Perhaps we can rush them to show goodwill to each other and to our citizens. I already have some ideas that I have discussed with my employees, says Hallberg without revealing what projects it could be.
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