Adjusting to International Standards: Has Sweden Learned from the European Charter of Local Self-Government?

Abstract

Following Swedish ratification of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 1989, a number of further reforms of Sweden’s system of local government have taken place. Based on premises derived from institutional theory, this article examines the extent to which these reforms can be seen as further adjustments to the Charter. Analyses of monitoring reports and policy documents indicate that the reforms are largely inspired by the Charter but that some key features of the Swedish legal system, such as the lack of a significant judicial remedy, remain unaffected despite the demands of the Charter.