Third Way decomposition and the rightward shift in Finnish and Swedish politics

Oscillating meanings of the Nordic model: ideas and the welfare state in Finland and Sweden

“…Interview 11On balance, portraying opposing views on privatization of health care as 'small ideological differences' is rather flawed. However, as was pointed out, the privatization push began already during the Persson government and this is an example of where the center-right has abused the opportunities arising from the failures of 'The Third Way' (Kuisma and Ryner 2012). The possibilities for the left in launching a counter-argument were slim, as the principles introduced by the center-right government were not the antithesis of those of the previous social democratic administration and any critique of them could be considered as a self-contradiction.…”

Nordic social democrats: Still Europe's progressive vanguards?

“…It is clear that there has been a structural systemic shift, a symptom of which can be seen in the changing electoral outcomes, which relate not only to the declining power of social democratic ideas, political leadership or structural shifts but perhaps all three of these broad factors. Without a doubt, the electorate has been turning towards the right and part of this process is embedded in a declining of the social base of the social democratic parties (Kuisma & Ryner, 2012). After the decline of old industries, and the drop in the level of unionisation, the power of the trade union movement has also consequently declined, causing a need for the social democratic parties to rethink their social bases.…”

“…So far, there have been attempts to react to some of these new challenges by embracing the values of competing parties. The turn to the right in the shape of the Third Way policies in the 1990s (Belfrage & Kuisma, 2017; Kuisma & Ryner, 2012), the more recent adoption of green environmental agenda, and the strict immigration policies adopted as a response to the rising popularity of the radical right are but some examples. Here, there is a challenge of political branding, as the worldviews that characterise these parties are becoming more and more similar with other broadly liberal parties and deciding what is essentially social democratic in the 21st century is not an easy task.…”

Running out of road? Dilemmas and issues for the British Labour Party and the Swedish Social Democratic Party in their search for a ‘modern’ welfare state narrative

“…This brief discussion of some of the changes in social democratic approaches to the welfare state in Sweden highlights the perennial difficulty of trying to "discover" whether changes in social democratic thinking on economic and social policy are based on pragmatic adaptation to changing economic, social and electoral "realities" or whether they reflect some form of ideological conversion (see Berman, 2006;Kuisma & Ryner, 2012;Taylor, 2005). Whilst it is difficult to disentangle the two influences, the fact that changes have sometimes occurred without observable external or internal "pressures" or crises is suggestive of an ideological shift (see Klitgaard, 2007).…”

“…Following the post-election resignation of Mona Sahlin, the SAP elected Hakan Juholt (¹) as their new leader in 2011. Juholt attempted to move away from the 'Third Way' strategy of his immediate predecessors (see Kuisma & Ryner, 2012) and called for a return to a classic social democratic agenda focusing on child poverty, a reduction in youth unemployment, increased public sector pay, a reformed pension system and curbs on the privatisation of public services. However, Juholt's brief and unhappy period as party leader 1 was dogged by criticisms over his failure to oppose government cuts in unemployment benefits and health insurance and by his tacit support for a suggestion by the SAP Mayor of Malmo, Illmar Reepalu, that newly arrived immigrants be granted temporary, rather than full, citizenship on the grounds that those who subsequently secured a criminal conviction could be deported more easily.…”