Swedes free to dance as government rips up archaic law

STOCKHOLM: Owners of Swedish night clubs and bars will no longer need special permits to allow dancing on the premises, the government said on Thursday as it announced its intention to bin a 67-year-old law.

While Swedes, despite their reputation for being subdued, can frequently be found dancing at nightclubs around the country, it does require that the owner of the establishment have a special permit.

The law, which has been the subject of debate for decades, dates back to 1956 when politicians were trying to rein in a surge of dance meets around the country where unchaperoned youths would consume alcohol and listen to what some at the time considered immoral music and dancing.

“This is a long-awaited freedom reform,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said in a statement. “It´s not reasonable that the state should regulate peoples´ dancing,” he continued.