The Nordic Model of Social Democracy: A Conversation with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven

The Nordic Model of Social Democracy: A Conversation with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven

The Nordic countries with their small open economies, well-developed welfare states and organized labor markets, have given rise to the concept of the Nordic model. In recent years the Nordic model has attracted positive global attention, since the Nordic countries have demonstrated good results in terms of growth, employment, gender equality, competitiveness, living conditions and egalitarianism when compared to other countries.

External change in the form of increased global competition, climate, migration and European integration, interacting with internal change associated with an aging population and rising expectations with regard to welfare services, will be a test of the models resilience.

The Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will introduce the features of the Nordic Model and discuss the future development of the model.

Stefan Löfven is Sweden’s Prime Minister since October 3, 2014. He heads a coalition government consisting of the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the Green Party. Mr. Löfven is chair of the Swedish Social Democratic Party since 2012. Between 2005 and 2012 he was an alternate member of the Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party. Between 2006 and 2012, he chaired the Metalworkers' union IF Metall, and was also an alternate board member of the European Metalworkers' Federation between 2002 and 2007. Mr. Löfven has also served as deputy chair of the Swedish Trade Council in 2004-2012, and as a board member of the Olof Palme International Centre in 2002-2006. He was employed at Hägglunds in Örnsköldsvik from 1979 to 1995, during which he had various trade union assignments. Born 1957, he is married and lives in Stockholm.

This event took place on November 19, 2014.