The brave music of a distant drum: Sweden's nuclear phase out

Abstract

The guiding idea in this article is that current developments in the nuclear energy field are essentially shaped by the same political rules of the game which have shaped nuclear energy policy during the whole post-war period. A basic theme in Swedish energy policy during this period has been that the state has made attempts at initiating and pursuing a long-term energy policy on several occasions — attempts which have often required regulation and steering of the energy market and thereby run up against political opposition. However, on certain critical occasions strong demands for political measures have been made on decision makers and have created temporary political opportunities for initiating comprehensive and far-reaching plans. But the policies formulated under these special circumstances have not lasted. When the threat of an impending catastrophe has faded, tolerance for an active state policy and the resolution of government to take unpopular measures have typically decreased, to the advantage of market oriented solutions. To summarize, this has meant that political conditions for establishing and implementing long-term and comprehensive energy policy goals have varied greatly.