The Swedish Model Betrayed

Abstract

Olof Palme, Sweden's former Prime Minister who dominated Social Democratic politics for two decades, is often remembered for his efforts on behalf of mutual disarmament and human rights. But, throughout the early 1980s, Palme stood out on the international stage as one of the leading opponents of the emerging neoliberal agenda. Financial deregulation, monetarism, and fiscal austerity, he warned, were a prescription for a society of egoism and sharp elbows and a threat to Sweden's model of mixed market capitalism and universal social welfare.