Week 17: Russia back in the heat? NICE!

Russia recently took over the presidency of the UN Security Council, and the country continues to seek new ways back into the international political arena, which has been debated on Swedish debate and editorial pages during the past week. Even 11-year-olds Murhaf Hamid's sale of Majblommor has been discussed in connection with Sweden's migration policy.

In early April, Russia took over the presidency of the UN Security Council, whose rotation has not been affected by Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov now holds the chairman's baton, and over the past week debaters have highlighted this controversy.

- Russia violates the UN charter and international law on a daily basis. And one of the main defenders of the war is precisely the Russian foreign minister, writes Jonna Sima at Aftonbladet's leader page.

She also raises the problem that Russia is a permanent member and thus has veto rights and cannot be excluded from the council.

Russia has also tried to get back into the political heat through commitment to the "Ecology of the Baltic Sea". Among other things, the Kremlin has tried to revive contacts at the Baltic Sea Center at Stockholm University.

- Of course, all institutions must shout NJET. In addition, they should think about whether the previous collaboration was worthwhile, writes Express editorial board.

Murhaf and the Mayflower

11-year-old Murhaf Hamid's sale of May flowers went viral on Twitter this past week, where a member of the Sweden Democrats called Murhaf Hamid a racist slur. The Sweden Democrats distanced themselves from the woman and several party leaders condemned the comments. The uproar caused Murhaf Hamid's sales to pick up and i Friday it amounted to four million kroner.

- The support for the 11-year-old is undoubtedly a sunshine story, writes Tove Lifvendahl Svenska Dagbladet's leader page.

But Murhaf Hamid, who is an asylum seeker, will probably not be allowed to stay in Sweden.

- This is not a sunshine story, writes Henrik Jalalian, director of the green think tank Cogito, in expressen.

The 11-year-old's family, who are from Ethiopia, do not have grounds for asylum in Sweden, and Ethiopia does not want to accept them either.

- M, KD, S, L, C, SD think that strict migration precedes children who have lived their whole lives in Sweden being allowed to finish school with their peers. Don't blame the Migration Agency or rigid laws. That Murhaf be deported is exactly what the politicians want, writes Henrik Jalalian and continues:

- It must be possible to find a balance in migration policy, instead of letting extreme positions dictate the entire policy.