It’s a little embarassing that Sweden’s national day had to be patched together from different historical events (none of which were really particularly memorable on their own) to make a holiday that no one particularly asked for. But the idea finally seems to be taking off. Heja Sverige – way to go Sweden!
Today is also the anniversary of D-day, 1944. One can argue as to which is more important these days, but one can’t argue that Sweden played any role in Europe’s liberation.
Not since 2001 have Denmark, Sweden and Finland all had a Social Democratic government. Denmark’s looks a lot different than Sweden’s though, so in practice there may not be a lot of hugs and back-slapping happening at their next meeting. Still, the nordic countries (don’t say Scandinavian!) do put some stock in their common history, political history and location. One can say there’s a bit of a ”special relationship” between them – only across a smaller pond.