Swedes can unleash their inner Dancing Queen when the country scraps laws that FORBID them from boogieing
Swedes can finally unleash their inner Dancing Queen as the country scraps laws that FORBID them from having a boogie
- Owners of nightclubs in Sweden need permission to dance on their premises
- But the Swedish government said it plans to scrap the 67-year-old law
- – This is a long-awaited freedom reform, said Minister of Justice Gunnar Strommer
Swedes can finally boogie all night, without special permits that previously prevented them from dancing in certain venues.
The Swedish government said it intends to scrap the 67-year-old law that required owners of nightclubs and bars to get a license to dance.
While Swedes, despite their reputation for being subdued, can often be found dancing in nightclubs around the country, this requires the establishment’s owner to have a special permit.
Swedes can finally boogie all night, without special permits that have previously prevented them from dancing in certain venues (file image of people dancing)
The law, which has been the subject of debate for decades, dates back to 1956 when politicians tried to curb a wave of dance parties around the country where disaffected youths drank alcohol and listened to what some at the time considered immoral music and dancing.
– This is a long-awaited freedom reform, says Minister of Justice Gunnar Strommer in a statement.
“It’s not reasonable for the state to regulate people’s dancing,” he continued, adding that removing the need for permits would also cut red tape for businesses.
Sweden’s Riksdag agreed in 2016 that it was time to scrap the law, which led to the government reviewing the issue.
The law dates back to 1956 when politicians tried to rein in a flurry of dance rallies around the country involving unchaperoned youth (file image of people dancing)
However, the inquiry, which was completed in 2018, found that the permits served a purpose in addressing safety, and suggested that the process should instead be overhauled.
The whole issue was put on hold during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new government’s proposal, which will need to be approved by the Riksdag, means that bars and nightclubs will no longer need any permits to allow dancing as long as it is not in a public space.
There is broad support for the measure in the Riksdag.
For public dance events, the organizers must inform the police so that potential safety concerns can be assessed.
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