Proposing a common defence Sweden’s SocDems call for Nato presence on Gotland

By Kevin McGwin and The Hanseatic | 12 January 2026

The leaders of Sweden’s Socialdemokraterna are calling for the establishment of a permanent multinational Nato force on the island of Gotland. Their plan, put forward on Sunday during the opening day of Folk och Försvar, an annual security conference, proposes establishing a contingent that could supplement the island’s existing defensive capabilities. They also suggest making the island the home base of an 800‑person amphibious battalion capable of operating throughout the Baltic.

Gotland, given its strategic location in the Baltic, has been a focal point of Sweden’s post-post-Cold War rearmament. Even so, the island remains only lightly defended—the Gotland Regiment, re-established in 2018, comprises only 350 soldiers. Gotland’s home-guard unit reckons it could muster another 500 soldiers in the event of a Russian attack, and the thinking in Stockholm had been that the combined force would be enough to hold any unforeseen Russian invasion in check until reinforcements from elsewhere in Sweden and the rest of Nato could arrive.

But, with Moscow expected to be antagonistic for the foreseeable future, and Washington looking increasingly unwilling help out, that strategy is up for revision. In practice, the military is already preparing for both of these scenarios: in September, Sweden held its first bilateral drill with Poland on Gotland (pictured above).

Politically, Socialdemokraterna are in the opposition, but the proposal aligns with the government’s own position that it would welcome a Nato contingent if the alliance decided to send one. Their hope is that they would do so before the Russians decided to send their own.

(📸 Försvarsmakten)

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Denial of service Gov’t told to pull plug on Bornholm’s TV station

By Kevin McGwin | 3 December 2025

Proposed adjustments to the public-service-media landscape in Denmark could cost Bornholm its sole TV station. Three recommendations handed down by an expert panel on Tuesday for the future of the eight regional TV stations all include eliminating TV2 Bornholm as an independent outlet.

The recommendations are hardly a surprise: part of the brief given the panel by the culture ministry was to find a way to rectify a situation in which all TV regions receive the same funding. TV2 Bornholm, the smallest TV region, serves 40,000 people, yet gets the same 71.8 million kroner (€9.34 million) each year as TV 2 Kosmopol, which serves the 1.9 people living in Greater Copenhagen.

Two of the experts’ recommendations would redraw the map entirely, either by combining funding for TV and radio production or by creating 30 semi-independent local news outlets.

The last calls for the creation of a third TV region in eastern Denmark, and to include Bornholm as part of the coverage area for one of them. This may be the one scenario the other regions can accept, since they generally would remain intact, and, in fact, is something they long have hinted would be fair. In its report, the panel seemed to suggest it agreed. “To ensure that Denmark as a whole is covered uniformly, it is necessary to take money away from TV2 Bornholm.”

The author is a member of the TV2 Bornholm board of directors.

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When, not if Energy Island Bornholm

By Kevin McGwin | 2 December 2025

The concept behind an energy island is easy enough to understand: connect offshore windfarms to a converter station that can transform the electricity they generate to high‑voltage direct current and export it to markets where it is needed.

Indeed, in the case of Energy Island Bornholm, the matter should be even simpler: the converter station can be built on the island of Bornholm, about halfway between northern Germany and eastern Denmark—two markets that have said they want to buy the three gigawatts of electricity (enough to power as many as 4.5 million homes) the windfarms would produce.

What has not been so simple has been getting lawmakers to find the money for a project that has nearly doubled in cost since it was proposed in 2020 and now stands at 31.5 billion kroner (€4.15 billion). Uncertainty about whether Germany would still support the project after its federal elections this past February led to negotiations being suspended until May, but now it appears Berlin is eager for them to draw to a close.

Stefan Rouenhoff, a spokesperson for the German government, told an industry get-together on Bornholm on Monday that his country was willing to shoulder the larger share of the bill, and that he hoped a deal could be reached in time for it be announced on 26 January, when Germany hosts a wind-energy gathering of its own.

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His comments echo earlier remarks from EU and Danish officials that an agreement is close. Other developments—from the EU’s pledge of €645 million as part of its wider energy‑security programme to the opening of public consultation in Denmark and Germany—suggest they are not exaggerating.

The industry appears to share their outlook. The meeting on Bornholm was the third of its kind, and, say the Danish hosts, the best attended, with representatives from all the key firms and agencies needed to bring Energy Island Bornholm on-line by 2030.

Also on hand were those looking for proof of concept for energy islands of their own, including one linking Åland, Gotland and Estonia’s Saaremaa. The real question, then, may be neither if nor when, but where.

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Agro-construction in Latvia – a natural solution for sustainable building

By Kevin McGwin | 20 November 2025

As Latvia moves toward the European Union’s climate-neutrality goals, it is seeking new ways to reduce the construction sector’s carbon footprint and strengthen the use of local resources. One of the most significant yet underused opportunities is agro-construction – a sustainable building approach based on agricultural materials. It not only helps mitigate climate change but also creates new economic and social development opportunities for Latvia’s regions.

This topic has been brought to the forefront by the “Agro Building Carbon (ABC)” project, implemented by the Vidzeme Planning Region in cooperation with the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences’ New Building School (JBS). The project aims to explore and strengthen the use of agricultural-based building materials, their carbon-sequestration potential, and their role in Latvia’s construction policy.

Conversations that set the direction
On September 25 of this year, project partners and industry experts gathered in Riga, at Paraugtipogrāfija, for the first joint discussion to share experiences and build collaboration networks. The conversations highlighted that hemp, straw, and other crops can significantly contribute to both construction and agriculture, while also helping to meet carbon reduction targets. It was emphasized that Latvia has a long history of cultivating these crops, yet the sector lacks sufficient processing capacity and clear regulations.

Read full announcement (external link)

Originally published on 19 Nov

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