The Swedish Embassy launches the “No somos tan s(u)ecos” campaign to change the country’s image in Spain

The Diplomat The Swedish Embassy in Madrid has launched “No somos tan s(u)ecos” -un untranslatable play on words combining the words “suecos” (“Swedish”) and “secos” (“dry”)-, a campaign virtually starring Queen Christina (who reigned between 1632 and 1654) aimed at changing the image of the Nordic country in Spain. This was explained on Tuesday by the Swedish ambassador, Per-Arne Hjelmborn, during an interview on “La Ventana” on Cadena SER radio. “The reason for this campaign is quite simple: as ambassador, my job is to promote Sweden’s interests in Spain, and of course, we know that the more people know about the country, the greater the interest in traveling to Sweden,” he explained. “You don’t know my country,” beyond “investing in Sweden and working with Sweden, cooperating with us, even buying our products and services, Volvo cars, IKEA furniture, and Spotify music,” the ambassador warned. In fact, he explained, a recently released study by the Swedish government reveals that 38 percent of Spaniards perceive Swedes as cold, serious, or distant, and only eight percent consider them hospitable, open, cheerful, or friendly. This image, according to the ambassador, is due to the scarcity of contact between citizens of the two countries. “Eighty percent of Spaniards report having no friends, acquaintances, or contacts of Swedish origin,” he explained. Furthermore, only 244,170 Spaniards visited Sweden in 2025, compared to 1.8 million Swedes who traveled to Spain during the same period. According to Hjelmborn, this lack of direct contact “means that the perception is constructed through the consumer market,” which often reinforces this stereotype. Therefore, “we have launched a campaign that shows we are not so “s(u)ecos”, and Queen Christina is a remarkable figure who already demonstrated 400 years ago that we are not so “s(u)ecos”, and that we are creative, we are leaders in innovation, in unicorns (fast-growing technology companies),” he announced. Cultural differences exist, Per-Arne Hjelmborn admitted, but both countries have much more in common. An example of these differences, he recalled, is the culture shock he himself experienced in Spain. “Dinner time, for example, is a bit complicated,” he explained. “I lived here with young children, and of course, having dinner at six with the family and then with the Spanish at nine at work, and doing something during the day in between, adds up to many hours,” he continued. “But I think we’ve also made our schedules more flexible in Sweden; we eat dinner a little later here too. We’ve become a bit more continental. You’ll see it when you visit Stockholm—the bars are packed at eight o’clock and we don’t close at nine,” he added. Another example of how Swedes and Spaniards are more similar than one might initially think is “fika,” a Swedish tradition that, according to the aforementioned study, is only known by 13 percent of Spaniards. It consists of taking a break for coffee and something sweet with friends or colleagues. Once explained, 74 percent of Spaniards said they identified with this practice, and 66 percent considered it a very appealing plan. “We like making plans and enjoying life, just like everyone else,” Per-Arne Hjelmborn affirmed.

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