Europe wants Sweden’s minerals. That’s more bad news for the Sami
Weak legal protections are pushing reindeer-herders to the brink
A CENTURY ago Swedes labelled Kiruna, a town in the north, “the land of the future”. Rich in iron ore, it became the backbone of Swedish industry. Its mine grew so vast that the ground beneath it collapsed, forcing much of the town to relocate. History is now repeating itself. A newly discovered deposit of rare-earth metals—the largest in Europe—has placed the town at the heart of Europe’s green transition. The mine will be a key part of the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act, which aims to source 10% of the bloc’s essential minerals domestically.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Reindeer v rare earths”
Europe
April 26th 2025- France is a far healthier country than America
- Why Italy’s defence spending lags far behind
- Europe wants Sweden’s minerals. That’s more bad news for the Sami
- The Kremlin’s grey-zone war in the Black Sea shows its real intent
- America is selling a Ukraine peace plan. No one is buying, yet
- Europe’s reluctant reset with Turkey
From the April 26th 2025 edition
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But it carries costs for the rule of law