Swedish politics

I juni 2024 skrev Hans denna artikel i Frisinnad Tidskrift, om "en liberal partiledning som saknar inre kompass".

"Offentlighetsprincipen regleras i tryckfrihetsförordningen, där det är tydligt att privata organisationer inte är myndigheter. Ändå arbetar regeringen nu för att utsträcka offentlighetsprincipen till fristående skolor. Det är en ambition med mycket långtgående konsekvenser och risker." Det skrev Hans Bergström i den här texten för Smedjan i november 2024.

Vänstern använder mindre brister i friskolesystemet för att försöka återmonopolisera skolväsendet. Men friskolereformen är ett av de mest framgångsrika initiativ en borgerlig regering tagit, och borgerliga politiker och ungdomsförbund borde försvara dess grunddesign, skrev Hans Bergström i denna essä för Smedjan 20 juni 2023.

Regeringens direktiv till friskoleutredningen är ett intellektuellt och politiskt haveri. Inte bara skulle förslagen om de genomfördes göra det så gott som omöjligt att driva vidare dagens skolor. Liberalernas partiledning har dessutom omfamnat en socialistisk föreställningsvärld där vinstintresset ses som något i grunden ont, skriver Hans Bergström.

(Debattartikel i Dagens Industri, 10 juli 2023.) Det finns en föreställning i den rättrådiga debatten och nyhetsbilden att det goda statsrådet är en person totalt avskild från kontaktytor. Han eller hon sitter där och tar upplysta beslut, i oväld. Allt annat är korrupt, skriver docenten och debattören Hans Bergström.

"Kritiker vill nu göra mig ansvarig för vad andra har skrivit. Det berör mig djupt att bli anklagad för antisemitism", skrev Hans Bergström 19 september 2023 i en replik på Dagens Nyheters ledarsida.

Text på Svenska Dagbladets ledarsidor 3 mars 2022: "Den som står utanför Nato kan heller inte räkna med försvar från den västliga militäralliansen. I den situationen befinner sig Ukraina – liksom Sverige och Finland."

Socialdemokraternas tonläge kring att förbjuda skolföretagens vinstutdelningar skärptes i veckan. Ska man förstå Löfven och hans partisekreterare som att de vill förbjuda all företagsamhet inom de stora tjänstenäringarna, frågar sig Engelska skolans Hans Bergström i denna artikel införd på Di Debatt 23 sep 2021.

(Artikel ur Frisinnad Tidskrift 2020-0x)

Gästkrönika i Svenska Dagbladet 17 juni 2020

Gästkrönika i Svenska Dagbladet 27 mars 2020

Debattartikel i Svenska Dagbladet, 1 sep 2020.

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 16 juli 2020

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 12 maj 2020

Article published on 17 April 2020 on global opinion site Project Syndicate. From the article's opening paragraph: "As the coronavirus pandemic has swept the planet, Sweden has stood out among Western democracies by pursuing a "low-scale" lockdown. Whether this approach speaks to a unique strength of Swedish society, as opposed to bad judgment, can be determined by comparing Sweden's COVID-19 rate with its neighbors'."

Ledartext i Svenska Dagbladet, 31 mars 2020: Även om Socialstyrelsens nya riktlinjer för "prioritering inom intensivvård under extraordinära förhållanden" är nyanserade, finns det anledning varna för en mekanisk tillämpning, skriver Hans Bergström, tidigare chefredaktör för DN.

(Artikel ur Frisinnad Tidskrift 2019-05)

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 3 dec 2019.

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 5 april 2019.

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 4 feb 2019.

(Artikel ur Frisinnad Tidskrift 2018-05)

Gästkrönika i Svenska Dagbladet 17 juni 2020

Gästkrönika i Svenska Dagbladet 19 maj 2018

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 17 okt 2018.

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 21 sep 2018.

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 9 juni 2018.

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 4 juni 2018.

In 2017, Karlstad University celebrated its 50th anniversary with a book about the early years. Hans Bergström was among the pioneering students in 1967. His contribution to the book brings to life the time and its sentiments, with the Vietnam war etc, which led up to the legendary year of 1968. The essay gives personal and vivid memories from a generation which brought down authorities, but it also debunks a few myths about what occupied most students during those formative years.

(Artikel ur Frisinnad Tidskrift 2017-04)

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 14 nov 2017.

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 6 dec 2016.

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 29 sep 2015.

In this text, from an anthology from 2014 on a major tax system overhaul in Sweden, Hans Bergström argues against making neutrality in distribution a restriction for a tax reform. The main purpose of a tax reform must be to influence behavior in a way which leads to a higher economic growth over time. The result after, say, 5-10 years is then much more important than the static distribution today. A reform inducive to higher growth will furthermore enhance the ability of the state to finance programs for schools, health care, social insurance etc. The expenditure side of the public budgets are likely more important for equality than a type of taxation which hampers innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation and growth.

Debattartikel införd i Dagens Industri, 13 maj 2014.

This is the manuscript for a lecture given by Hans Bergström on the Swedish reforms to break public monopolies and empower families, by giving them the right to choose providers of health care and school. The text was printed after the lecture. It presents the reasons for empowerment and for accepting entrepreneurship also in professions dominated by women. It shows why the counter arguments from the left are based on false assumptions, and urges liberals to go on the offensive when it comes to the right to choose.

(Artikel ur Frisinnad Tidskrift 2013-07.)

Debattartikel införd på nyhetssajten Newsmill, maj 2013.

Debattartikel införd på nyhetssajten Newsmill, april 2013.

Debattartikel införd på nyhetssajten Newsmill, mars 2013.

Debattartikel införd på nyhetssajten Newsmill, mars 2013

In a book from 2012 about Swedish research, Hans Bergström contributes with an essay about the relationship between politicians and voters. Politicians tend not to believe that the electorate could not be made interested in the nation´s research and innovation. But they underestimate citizens. The electorate is not just interested in its personal economy, but in fact searching at election time for a grand story about the nation´s future. The essay also presents a reform program for the organization of the central government, in order to make it more effective in promoting policies for long-term success for the country.

(Artikel ur Frisinnad Tidskrift 2012-01.)

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2012-03

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2012-05

Debattartikel införd på nyhetssajten Newsmill, mars 2012.

20 years after the basic teacher employment was moved from the state to municipalities, this book discussed the experiences of this change and whether it was time to bring back responsibility for public schools to the national level. Hans Bergström argues in his contribution that the question is incorrectly framed. The state had already regained considerable power over the school system, via laws and inspections. The expansion of free schools had given it legitimacy to add control instruments also over municipal public schools. Thus, the relevant question is no more “state or local” but the balance between national regulation and the autonomy of school operators.

“Images of Sweden” was the theme of the Engelsberg conference in 2011, arranged by the Johnson Foundation in Sweden. Lectures that were given at the conference were later printed in a book. Hans Bergström was invited to give his perspectives, as a keen observer and a political scientist but also as a Swedish-American. He expressed pride in several social inventions in modern Sweden, like the free school system and the new, robust, public pension system. He noted that some of the basic characters of a stable Swedish political system are changing, like the homogeneity of an old nation state and the dominant role of the Social Democratic party.

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2011-02

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2011-04

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2011-06

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2011-06

(Artikel ur Frisinnad Tidskrift, 2010-01.)

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2010-02

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2010-04

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2010-06

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2010-08

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2009-02

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2009-04

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2009-06

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2009-08

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2008-02

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2008-04

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2008-06

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2008-08

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2007-02

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2007-04

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2007-08

The government is expected to lead the country, focusing on the main strategic aspects for future success. This book, with original research, analyses how well the Swedish government is functioning for this crucial task. It shows major deficiencies in the ability to intelligently handle qualified reports and inputs from agencies and research, its “reception capacity”. Political logic and paradigms are, though, even more important in taking focus away from the vital conditions for innovation and growth.

(Article from Frisinnad Tidskrift, 2006-05.)

Försäkringskassan, the Swedish social security agency, took the initiative in 2006 to invite several researchers and journalists to reflect on factors changing the conditions for social security administration during the coming decade. Hans Bergstrom´s contribution focused on demography and value transformations between generations. An important observation was that the years of full responsibility had been reduced by a prolonged “youth” period as well as a new period of “freedom” among the younger elderly. The essay was later published by Försäkringskassan under the title “Baby boomer´s era of freedom” (Report 2009:11).

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2006-01

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2006-03

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2006-05

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2006-07

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2006-09

(Artikel ur Frisinnad Tidskrift 2005-04.)

Krönika i tidningen Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2004-05

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2005-02

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2005-06

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2005-08

Krönika i tidningen Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2004-01

Krönika i tidningen Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2004-02

Krönika i tidningen Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2004-03

Krönika i tidningen Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2004-04

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2004-07

Krönika i Sunt Förnuft (Föreningen Skattebetalarnas tidning), 2004-08

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-01-02. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-01-16. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-01-23. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-02-13. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-03-05. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-03-12. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-03-19. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-03-26. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-04-02. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-04-23. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-04-30. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-06-04. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-06-11. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-06-24. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-07-09. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2020-07-16. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2000-07-02.

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 2000-07-16.

The Rippon Educational Fund Conference (with, among others, +50 US Members of Congress), Stockholm, August 1999.

In memory of Bertil Ohlin, the liberal party leader and opposition leader in Sweden for all of 23 years (1944-1967), an anthology was published in 1999. For the anthology, Hans Bergström wrote this text that provides a political science analysis of the roles for parties in opposition. In the Swedish party system, there is a strong tension between negotiating for results and campaign for a change of government. The essay predicts that the Social Democrats with reduced size will meet the same type of dilemmas as the non-socialists have long endured. It also notes that the leader of the opposition has a major impact on which issues are in the center of political dispute, as well as on the intellectual quality of public discourse.

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-01-05

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-01-05. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-07-18. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-08-08. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-08-15. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-08-29. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-09-05. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-09-26. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-10-10. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-10-17. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-11-07. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-11-14. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-11-21. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-11-28. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-12-12. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-12-19. Artikeln finns även i boken "Next Mission - Finn människans telefonnummer" (2000, Bokförlaget DN).

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-06-13.

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-06-20.

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-06-27.

Ledarartikel, under vinjetten "Söndagssignerat", i Dagens Nyheter 1999-07-25.

Lecture given at "Pensions 2000", a conference for American insurance companies, Stockholm, September 1998.

Lecture at the The Trilateral Commission's European meeting, December 1998.

Sweden entered the European Union as a new member on January 1, 1995. One of the first important issues became whether the country as a consequence should change currency, to the Euro to be introduced in 1999. The economist Lars Calmfors led a commission on the issue, which in 1996 recommended a “wait and see” approach. Within the editorial board of Dagens Nyheter, there was a pressure that the paper should strongly push for replacing the Krona with the Euro. Hans Bergström, as chief editor, was hesitant. In a series of editorial articles at the end of 1996, he took a cautious position. These editorial articles were later gathered in separate pamphlet - which now is available here.

Lecture at a Spanish-Swedish seminar at the Swedish Embassy about the political way of handling challenges to European wellfare systems. Madrid, June 1996.

Two-day lecture at the Nordic Journalist Centre in Århus, Denmark, every year 1990-95.

With a basis in his doctoral dissertation ”Rivstart” (1987), Hans Bergström presents the situation at the time of the takeover of the Carl Bildt government in 1991, in this book in honor of professor Olof Ruin. The essay is foremost a qualified political science analysis of the conditions for governing with a coalition in the minority. This is a difficult type of government, partly because it has to make compromises in two steps, first between parties in government, then with other parties to gain a majority in parliament. Still, minority coalitions have become common, on both sides of the political spectrum.

This essay was written as a part of a project from the Swedish parliament on Politics and Ethics. In public discourse, it is common with moral judgments about political proposals. And journalists love to disclose moral deficiencies in politicians. The essay discusses a third type of question: what is good ethics in the political process? The starting point is that words should express authentic convictions, and that actions should be in line with that has been declared. But politics is more complex than that. Can, for example, lying be defensible during any circumstances?

A research anthology, named "Devaluation 1982", was published in 1991, shortly before an election raising the possibility of yet another devaluation of the Swedish krona. Hans Bergström contributed with an analysis of the “Big Bang”-decision from the new Social Democrat government in 1982 to devaluate the krona with 16 percent. He discusses currency changes as a political instrument. The essay concluded that yet another devaluation was less likely, but that a change of the total currency arrangement could happen. After the European currency crisis of 1992, Sweden finally let go of the long established policy of a fixed exchange rate.

This political science analysis of Sweden around 1990 was written for an international readership. Hans Bergström takes as his starting point that the Swedish party system for decades had been characterized by few dimensions of conflict (mainly left/right), a frozen party structure, one dominant political party and a high degree of trust from citizens. He shows that all of this is about to change, More conflict dimensions are added, new parties are emerging, the Social democratic party becomes weaker and the electorate less trustful. Sweden is on its way to be a normal Western democracy and not so much an exemption.

Shortly before the start of negotiations on Swedish membership in the European Union, then vice prime minister Odd Engström gathered a group of Swedes and EU-representatives to discuss European democracy. The three-day conference took place at Häringe castle outside Stockholm. In his contribution, Hans Bergström made the point that EU is establishing itself as a political counterforce to global challenges, but may run into the paradox that it actually contributes to reduced trust in the political system. EU should limit its agenda, accept that many issues are still best handled at the national level and understand that Europe also thrives from interesting dynamic differences.

Elections in a democracy are supposed to settle directions and decisions from the elected government. But the relationship between elections and the outcome of decisions is complex. Realities for a government regularly becomes very different from what was assumed during the election campaign. Coalitions and negotiations can also force many deviations from program presented. These and other legitimate deviations between promises and actions are analyzed in the chapter on “a Government´s mandate”.

This doctoral dissertation from 1987 analyses time as a political factor. Political logic before an election is distinctly different from after an election. Conditions for action early on for a new government are much more favorable than later. A central observation is that the skills required to win an election are totally different from those needed to govern successfully and handle the Executive. Still, the sense of mandate for a new government provides special opportunities at the start, for which a winner is rarely well prepared.

Then party leader for the Liberal party, Bengt Westerberg, arranged a series of seminars in Tällberg in Dalarna, Sweden, as a way of deepening his own and his party's thinking on big issues. At such a conference in November 1985, Hans Bergström was asked to introduce the subject of “the liberal view on man”. He prepared the presentation by writing this essay on the topic, later published through the Bertil Ohlin Institute. The essay has become spread and read as an important basic text for Swedish liberalism.

The Swedish election of 1973 resulted in a stalemate situation in parliament, 175/175. At the same time, Opec I created record high inflation and foreboded an economic crisis. This led to the “Haga agreement” between the Social Democrat government and the Liberal party (Fp), with the purpose of showing that the country could be responsibly governed. In this book in honor of the liberal leader Gunnar Helén, Hans Bergström debunks myths about the agreement. Among them is the claim that Helén supported a socialist type of “wage earner funds”.

(Artikel ur Svensk Tidskrift nr 1 1984.)

This essay comes from an anthology which was published in 1982, when the cold war was at its coldest. Hans Bergström then wrote in his contribution that no singular change would contribute more to peace than if the Bolsheviks had to abandon their dictatorship over the Soviet Union. The essay further discusses, with reference to the legendary liberal leader Bertil Ohlin, what happens when the state takes upon itself larger tasks than it can handle: decision and information overload, growing corruption and a gradual decrease in trust for democratic institutions.

There is a strong tendency in the political debate in Sweden to dress nearly all issues in the terms of “equality”, Hans Bergström notices in this essay from 1982. The constant use of the theme of “fair distribution” is often motivated more by political convenience than facts. Issues most important for equality are mostly others than what the left likes to bring up: jobs from a growing economy, a demanding school, improved old age care for all. “Equality” should not mean that all public services are the same, nor should it be the only goal for society or be described as the same as “fairness” or “justice”.