Experiences from SwedenPresentation by Peter Gustavsson, Uppsala Party

Dictrict of the Swedish Social Democratic Labour Party (SAP).

The West Bank, Palestine, November 12th-17th 2005

The origins of Swedish Social Democracy, slides 2-7

Democratic decision making, slides 2-18

Organization building in theory and practice, slides 19-22

Sweden 100 years ago

• 5,1 million citizens (today 9 million)

• Infant mortality rate 100/1000 (7/1000)

• Average age: men 53, women 58 (74/80)

• Average working hours a week: 75 (38)

• Average income/hour: 0,45 SEK (115)

• Price of pork/kg: 1 SEK (75)

Sweden 100 years ago

• Number of doctors: 1 131 (today 20 000)

• Number of hospital beds: 16 000 (120 000)

• The employers also owned the houses people lived in, and the stores you shopped in

• Blacklisting, starvation and lousy living conditions

When we started

• Sweden was one of the poorest countries in Europe

• Starvation and poverty• Bad living conditions• Blacklisting and harrassment by police/military• Strong patronage system• Capitalists and landowners who also had the

political power

How long time did it take?

• Organising/struggle for democracy, 29 years (1889-1918)

• Fighting to win power, 14 years (1918-1932)

• Reformation of society/creating a welfare state, 30 years (1945-1975)

• Financial crises during the 30’s and second world war delayed the development

The Strong Society

• Universal welfare

• Income security

• Only the best is good enough for the people

• As everyone gets something out of the system, high taxes can be maintained and public support for the system is high

The Strong Society and women• The discontent of rising expectations • Gender equality at first a result of reforms for the

working class. • Elder care, hospitals, kindergartens made it

possible for women to take part in the labour force• TU demands for equal pay resulted in higher

salaries in ”female jobs”• Today – the Social Democrats are a socialist and

feminist party

Organisation: Principles

• The mirror picture of the society we want to create. Not the mirror picture of the society we live in...

• Strong members = strong movement

• Internal debate is a strength, not a problem

• Equality within the movement

• Openness, transparence, accountability

Organisation: Structure

LOCAL PARTYAnnual meeting, Board, Report

MEMBER

LOCAL ASSOCIATIONAnnual meeting, Board, Report

REGIONAL PARTYAnnual meeting, Board, Report

SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC LABOUR PARTYCongress every four years, Board, Report

Organisation: The annual meeting (in the association)

• Activity report• Economic report• Auditor’s report• Decision on fee• Activity plan• Election of new board• Proposals/motions• Political programs• Election of representatives to local party

For the people, by the people I: Popular Movement

• The Social Democrats’ largest strength: The popular movement

• Local party organisations in an on-going struggle. • Elections are peak-times, but there is activity all

the time.• Primarily a popular movement, secondarily a

campaign organization to win elections.• You join to change society!

For the people, by the people II: The network around the party

• Strong links to trade unions, the tenants’ organisation, the co-op movement etc that are influencing party policy.

• Strong and independent organisations for Social Democratic women, youth, students etc that advances party policy.

Social Democratic Labour Party

Trade Union Congress (LO)

15 trade unions

Workers’ Education Organisation (ABF)

Social Democratic Youth (SSU)

Social Democratic Students

Social Democratic Women

Religious Social Democrats

(Broderskap)

The Olof Palme International Centre

The Co-operative movement

The Tenants’ Organization

The trade unions’ insurance company,

FOLKSAM

People’s Houses and Parks

Children’s organization, Unga Örnar

Social Democratic newspapers

For the people, by the people III: The Labour Movement Tree

For the people, by the people IV: Selection of candidates

• 1. Candidates nominated by the party members through the associations.

• 2. A committee is elected by the local party. The committee proposes a list of candidates.

• 3. The local party meeting (local council) or an election conference in the regional party (regional council and national parliament) vote and decide on the list.

• Important to mirror the population as a whole: women, trade union people, young people, retired people, immigrants, geographical representation etc

• Who do you represent? Accountablity.

For the people, by the people V: Government and Opposition

• A strong opposition needed for a good government. Otherwise democracy loses its meaning.

• Social Democrats have around 40 % and need to compromise to get proposals through Parliament.

• Today: Social Democrats, Left Party and Green Party negotiate the state budgets. Conservatives, Liberals, Christian Democrats and Centre Party in opposition.

The Social Democratic congress I

• Every fourth year, the autumn the year before the general election. 350 representatives elected by local party members.

• 1. Motions from the party members and discussions on issues proposed by the party board

• 2. The party board makes a program after having seen the proposals from the members. The proposed program is sent to the delegates and is available on the internet.

• 3. The delegates propose amendments.

• 4. Congress vote (or compromise).

The Social Democratic Congress II

• Last congress: More than 1 000 motions from party members and organisations

• Congress checked the board’s accounts and records and the auditors’ reports and accepted the board’s actions

• Congress re-elected Göran Persson as chair and elected a new party board.

Democratic popular movement: weaknesses

• Difficult to make fast decisions? The board responds to the congress, as long as they follow the party program and the decisions are accepted by the members they can act quite freely.

• ”A party growing wild”? Internal debate is most often a strength. Common goals – constant discussion on the means. ”Yes-sayers” are risky. The loyalty is to the party/movement, not to the leader.

Organisation building in theory and practice:

Recruitment of members• A. Long term: Making people enthusiastic for

Social Democratic policy and ideology• B. The last step: Asking the question. Remember

to do it!• Go to people where they are – jobs, trade union

meetings, town squares, schools, universities etc• Good material, in leaflets and on the internet.

Always with a signing-up sheet

Education of new members

• The base: Ideology and organisation. Why are we doing what we’re doing and how do I get involved?

• Two forms: study circle and course

• Basic education often takes place in the youth organisation and in the trade unions

• Knowledge is power!

Getting involved in changing society

• Many forms of involvement• Local activism – arranging meetings in the local

area, handing out information, taking part in the party’s democratic process

• Youth, women’s, student and christian socialist movements – argue for social democracy within their communities, work within the party for an agenda

• Public office – implementing party policies and arguing in front of the public

Continuity between generations

• Let the young members dream their dreams, even when those dreams go further than government policy! Unless, you’ll loose that generation.

• The best tool: An independent youth organisation• Links between youth organisation and party –

involve the young members in decision making• Speak to the young generation in its own

languague and with people in their own age