Let's Complain: 6 Things I Don't Like About Sweden

I usually don’t complain about Sweden - I consider myself a guest here and I can leave anytime, so it wouldn’t be appropriate. Generally, I find my way in this country, although sometimes it’s hard, but I try to adapt to the new reality surrounding me, treating all negatives as peculiarities I can’t control. To cope with them, I decided to write them down and analyze briefly.

1. Automated Politeness

In Sweden, it’s an oasis of kindness and politeness, sometimes taken to absurd extremes. Swedes are always nice and smiling. Visiting an office or engaging in small talk with colleagues is a pure pleasure. The problem is that despite all this friendliness, you still have no idea if you will get your matter settled or if your colleagues like you. It often happens that a very nice and helpful clerk, right after you leave, will delay your matter just to send you a very politely written refusal. Or a colleague will stab you in the back when you turn around. Not literally, of course - that would be politically incorrect!

2. Food

A typical Swedish diet is very heavy: high in carbs, fats, and salt. Personally, I don’t have any favorite Swedish dish. Despite a huge selection of organic products, I still find a lot of chemicals on the store shelves. Additionally, Swedes love sweets and can add sugar to almost everything. Seriously. For example, Swedish bread - it’s not only not very tasty and usually sweetened (and the butter is salted - WTF?), but also extremely expensive. A simple loaf of bread from the shelf costs around 25 SEK (about 2,5 USD). If you’re lucky enough to pass by a bakery, you can choose a reasonably edible sourdough bread that at least won’t be insanely sweet. Unfortunately, the sight of the price might make you grimace.

3. Swedish Alcohol Problems

Sometimes in the evening, while choosing a movie on Netflix, I get a craving for wine. I throw something on and rush to the empty kiosk around the corner where bottles of alcohol stack up on the shelves. I look for my favorite wine and finally see it near the fridge with beer... Then I wake up.

Systembolaget

In Sweden, my dream must remain a dream - here, buying alcohol has to be planned in advance. Alcohol over 3.5% can only be bought in the state-owned Systembolaget stores. There are just over 400 of these stores across Sweden, and they are usually open from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 19:00, and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 15:00. The Systembolaget monopoly was established in the mid-20th century to combat alcohol problems among Swedes. Apparently, it helped - at least that’s what the statistics say. Moreover, Swedes are proud of this, and complaining about the alcohol sales system is very unwelcome here.

Going Out?

In Sweden, you won’t party in the city unless it’s payday. And you would do it just once. Drink prices in bars here are several times, even dozens of times higher than in other countries. Swedes try to cope with their alcohol problem in various ways - flying for weekends to other countries and taking cruises, which are like duty-free zone parties. Recently, during a visit to another country, a beer in a popular bar in the city center was the highlight of my entire weekend. First, because I hadn’t done it in a long time, and second, because that beer cost me a fraction of what it would in Sweden. My face when paying the bill must have been priceless.

4. Closed Swedish Circles

Anyone who has ever tried to get into a Swedish social circle knows what I’m talking about. In short: it’s impossible. Well, unless you no longer bear any visible traces of being non-Swedish, starting with your name. Otherwise, you will always be somewhat on the sidelines. In Sweden, Swedes usually stick with Swedes, and immigrants with immigrants. All this happens in full harmony and a friendly atmosphere, but sometimes it seems that the thought of disturbing this order is unacceptable to Swedes, and the effect would be comparable to a butterfly effect - if someone starts, everything collapses. On one hand, it’s a bit sad, but on the other... Sweden is full of people from so many interesting countries around the world who would love to be friends with you!

5. Lack of Medicines in Pharmacies

Got a cold? Take paracetamol and rest. Twisted your ankle? Take paracetamol and rest. Have an ear infection? Guess what! ...Take paracetamol and rest! Alvedon, the most popular Swedish paracetamol, is the cure for everything. Pharmacies here are empty. You won’t find most over-the-counter medicines available elsewhere, including antiviral drugs, certain antibiotics, pain relievers, cough suppressants, and even popular herbal products. The choice of dermocosmetics is also very limited, which severely restricts treatment for chronic skin conditions.

6. Finding an Apartment is a Miracle

Looking for a place to live here is unfortunately completely different. Here, due to the ongoing housing crisis, landlords, cooperatives, and developers have the upper hand, as there are simply not enough apartments. If you rent a place, it’s best to rent from a cooperative subject to Swedish law. Imagine that Swedes stand in queues for apartments and collect points for it! The longer you stand, the more points you get. For example, in some cities, several cooperatives have joined into a “queue consortium,” with one queue costing an annual fee. Currently, almost 100,000 people are waiting in this queue! Renting a private apartment, on the other hand, is quite risky, especially in big cities. Such rental agreements are very unstable, with the threat of unregulated rent increases and termination of the lease at any moment.