Today, Tuesday 6 June 2023, marks the National Day of Sweden- a public holiday in the Nordic country since 2005.
A parliamentary constitutional monarchy (like Luxembourg), Sweden celebrates its national day every year on 6 June, a date which commemorates two historical events: the election of King Gustav Vasa in 1523, which is believed to have laid the foundation of Sweden as an independent state, and the adoption of a new constitution in 1809. Traditionally on this day, the King and Queen of Sweden participate in a National Day ceremony at the Skansen open-air museum in Stockholm. The Swedish flag is run up the mast, while children dressed in traditional costumes present the royal couple with summer flower bouquets.
According to the government agency Statistics Sweden, the country's population stood at 10,533,267 as of March 2023. The latest statistics from Luxembourg's statistical institute STATEC showed that there were approximately 1,600 Swedish nationals officially residing in the Grand Duchy as of 1 January 2023.
In the past, Luxembourg has hosted a Nordic Film Festival and Café Nordbro and ScanShop in Luxembourg-Neudorf currently offer a range of Nordic specialities and delicatessen. There are various organisations too, including the Luxembourg branch of the Swedish Women's Educational Association (SWEA), and the Scandinavia stand (including Sweden) at the International Bazaar (Bazar International de Luxembourg). Moreover, IKEA Arlon (across the border in Belgium) has proven a particularly popular destination among Luxembourg consumers over the years. The Grand Duchy and Sweden also have a shared history in relation to Luxembourg-based cargo airline Cargolux, which was founded in March 1970 by then Icelandic airline Loftleiðir, Swedish ship management company Salén and Luxembourg's flag carrier Luxair.
The two countries cooperate at the European level as member states of the European Union (EU) and Luxembourg has been vocal in its support for the accession of Sweden (and Finland) to NATO. In terms of diplomatic missions, Luxembourg currently has an embassy in Copenhagen, accredited to Denmark (resident), Sweden, Finland and Norway. The current ambassador is Henri Schumacher. The Swedish Embassy in Luxembourg is based in Stockholm, Sweden, with Annika Molin Hellgren serving as the current ambassador.
From 1 January to 30 June 2023, Sweden is holding the presidency of the Council of the EU, with its priorities centring around security and unity, competitiveness, green and energy transition, and democratic values and the rule of law.
Sweden is known globally for its pop music talent, as the home of world-renowned artists like ABBA, Roxette, Avicii and Loreen (who recently won the Eurovision Song Contest for the second time), but also several producers and songwriters. It is also known for its art and design (IKEA and H&M, among other globally recognised brands), its nature and green spaces, as well as its solid education and healthcare systems. More recently, in the context of World No Tobacco Day, reports emerged that Sweden was close to becoming the first "smoke-free" country (i.e. less than 5% of the population are daily smokers) in Europe: according to Eurostat, only 6.4% of Swedes aged fifteen and over were daily smokers in 2019 (the lowest share in the EU).
