Under the Influence of Traumatic Events, New Ideas, Economic Experts and the Ict Revolution – The Economic Policy and Macroeconomic Performance of Sweden in the 1990s and 2000s

Abstract

Under the influence of traumatic events, new ideas, economic experts and the ICT revolution-the economic policy and macroeconomic performance of Sweden in the 1990s and 2000s*

What's ‘Left’ in the ‘Garden of Sweden’?

“…Beginning in the 1980s, under the SAP, the last few decades have also been marked by the growing power and influence of the Ministry of Finance and its economic experts and advisors. Highly critical of public-sector growth and Keynesian policies, it has championed deregulation and the autonomy of the central bank and marginalized the Ministry of Social Affairs, a traditional defender of social programs (44). 18 The structural biases embedded in a capitalist system ensure the dominance of the capitalist class; all actors in capitalist nations are dependent upon a dynamic, profitable economy, and all governments, whatever their political stripe, rely upon taxation and borrowing from the private sector to operate.…”

The Nordic future of work

“…The interplay between market competition, solidaristic wage setting, participative company relations, and the welfare state's income security has been regarded as an important driver of industrial restructuring, innovation, and mobility. As Nordic trade unions have embraced technological change, competition in liberal product markets has spurred reallocation of labour and capital into the most productive firms (Erixon 2011), and active labour market policies have assured unions of the benefits of productivity-oriented cooperation at workplace level -a typical Nordic example of "politics with markets" (Jørgensen et al 2009).…”

“…From early on, Nordic trade unions embraced technological change as a necessary means to improving earnings and working conditions. Competition and compressed wage structures pushed unprofitable firms out of business and reallocated labour and capital investment into the most productive firms and sectors (Erixon 2011). Income security provided by the welfare state and mobility-enhancing labour market policies assured company unions that workers would gain from rationalization and productivity-oriented cooperation at the workplace level -a typical Nordic example of "politics with markets" (Jørgensen et al 2009;Pontusson 2011).…”

Czy model szwedzki był realną alternatywą dla polskiej transformacji?

“…np. [Erixon 2011]). Niestety, okres reform przeprowadzanych w Szwecji w ostatniej dekadzie XX wieku przeszedł w Polsce raczej niezauważony, stąd notowane obecnie bardzo dobre wyniki gospodarcze są w naszym kraju pewnym zaskoczeniem.…”