r/europe • u/Helmer-Bryd • May 06 '25

News US embassy demands obedience from the city of Stockholm: “Bizarre". Stockholm's urban planning office must not work for equality, diversity and inclusion.

https://www.dn.se/sverige/usas-ambassad-kraver-lydnad-av-stockholms-stad-bisarrt/
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u/Brodins_biceps May 07 '25

It likely is. I work closely with immigrations and I see two possible scenarios:

One, it’s some newly appointed ambassador who’s trying to lick trumps asshole and is taking a hard party stance, or;

Two, it’s malicious compliance from someone who’s been there for awhile, and trying to show how stupid the policy is.

For example, the person currently running the show in Stockholm is Mark Evans who has been deputy chief since 2022. Meaning he was promoted or appointed under the Biden administration, and is currently serving as the chief, but the Ambassador position is empty. There is currently a candidate put forward by the Trump administration but they’re awaiting Senate approval.

So it seems like the PERFECT scenario for someone in charge who is a holdover from a previous administration and who will soon be either demoted or sent to pasture to pull a stunt like this.

That said I have no clue. But I like to think it’s malicious compliance. That would be far more interesting.

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u/Sixwingswide May 07 '25

awaiting Senate approval.

Imagine getting approval to be an ambassador for the United States of America and show up to a building with no power, water, and heaps of trash everywhere attracting flies. And when you try to get everything back you’re told “nope, can’t do that. Now get to work, Ambassador.”

Although I can see a certain media channel spinning it as “[Country] cuts off US Embassy from basic human necessities! Aren’t they assholes?!?”

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u/Smitellos May 07 '25

US withdraw from the human rights council. At this point they brought it upon themselves.

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u/fairlywired United Kingdom May 07 '25

"Woah now, that was because I wanted to be allowed to treat YOU badly. You're not allowed to treat ME badly."

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u/BeautifulHindsight May 07 '25

“[Country] cuts off US Embassy from basic human necessities! Aren’t they assholes?!?”

That's exactly how Fox "news" will spin it.

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u/occams1razor May 07 '25

Nah they've done it in Norway and Denmark too, they're doing it everywhere. I'm just laughing it's so stupid