A New Regime? Class Representation within the Swedish State'

Abstract

Other authors have pointed to recent changes in Swedish society: the rifts in the labour movement; the internationalization of capital; the defeat of the Social Democratic government. We contend it is the relationship between these three spheres that has been the key subject of change. The entire regime is on the edge of a precipice to a new era. This article examines the special way class actors have been represented within the Swedish state, especially in the boards and agencies that execute the active labour market policy which has been at the heart of the 'Swedish model'. Class analysis is at its strongest when it locates developments in the relationships between classes, rather than viewing labour, capital and the state in isolation. The decline of LO's hegemony within the labour movement, SAF's declared 'farewell to corporatism' and SAP's inability to govern are all elements essential to marking a new era. We ask whether Sweden stands on the edge of a regime change. How do the major class actors now align? Have the forces of conservatism begun to surpass the hegemony of Sweden's social democracy?