Swedish town rejects proposal to grant sex leave to workers

Overtornea, Sweden

WHEN a politician in a small town in northern Sweden recently suggested that it subsidise one-hour sex breaks for local employees, Swedes - and people around the world - reacted with a mixture of astonishment, glee and derision.

The politician, Per-Erik Muskos, 42, a member of the centre-left Social Democratic Party, said his proposal could help lift the town's sagging birthrate. Sexologists argued that state-funded sexual interludes could spice up flagging marriages. As news of the idea spread, the scenic town of Overtornea was suddenly portrayed as the latest emblem of Scandinavia's liberal values and generous welfare state.