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Tidying Up? 'EU'ropean Regionalization and the Swedish 'Regional Mess'

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  • Malin Stegmann Mccallion

Abstract

McCallion M. S. Tidying up? 'EU'ropean regionalization and the Swedish 'regional mess', Regional Studies. The regional level of governance has been intensively discussed in Sweden since the 1980s. One of the reasons is that Sweden has an obvious national level of administration and an equally obvious local level of administration (with relatively independent municipalities). However, despite the debates regarding change, the county (regional/meso) administration level actually remained incoherent, meaning that the term 'regional mess' is frequently used to describe it. Drawing on empirical work, this article evaluates recent attempts to change regional governance in Sweden that have resulted from domestic and international (and especially 'EU'ropean, i.e. European Union membership) pressures. In particular, the article focuses on the experimental reform at regional level - the development of Regional Pilot Project regions and, subsequently, the Regional Development Councils. It establishes the mix of domestic and European pressures that produced these changes, and argues that the result has been an exacerbation, rather than a cleaning-up, of the 'regional mess'. [image omitted] McCallion M. S. Y mettre de l'ordre? La regionalisation dans l'Ue'rope et la 'pagaille regionale' en Suede, Regional Studies. On discute a fond du niveau regional de la gouvernance en Suede depuis les annees 1980. Cela s'explique en partie par la presence en Suede d'un niveau d'administration national evident et d'un niveau d'administration local qui s'avere tout aussi evident (dont des municipalites relativement independantes). Cependant, malgre les debats sur la notion de changement, le niveau d'administration regional est reste en fait incoherent, d'ou on fait allusion au terme 'pagaille regionale'. Puisant dans des recherches empiriques, cet article cherche a evaluer les tentatives recentes de transformer la gouvernance regionale en Suede qui resultent des contraintes a la fois nationales et internationales (notamment celles qui resultent de son adhesion a l'Ue). En particulier, l'article porte sur la reforme preliminaire d'envergure regionale - le developpement de Projets-pilotes regionaux et, par la suite, de Conseils Regionaux. On etablit le melange de contraintes nationales et europeennes qui ont suscite ces transformations et affirme que l'on a fini par aggraver la 'pagaille regionale' plutot que d'y mettre de l'ordre. Regionalisation Projet-pilote regional Niveau regional Suede Europe des regions Debat McCallion M. S. Aufraumarbeit? Die Regionalisierung durch die EU und das ,regionale Wirrwarr' in Schweden, Regional Studies. Seit den achtziger Jahren wird die regionale Ebene der Regierungsfuhrung in Schweden intensiv diskutiert. Einer der Grunde hierfur ist, dass Schweden uber eine klare nationale und uber eine ebenso klare lokale Verwaltungsebene (mit relativ unabhangigen Gemeinden) verfugt. Ungeachtet der Debatten uber eine Veranderung blieb die (regionale bzw. mittlere) Verwaltungsebene der Provinzen jedoch in Wahrheit inkoharent, weshalb diese Ebene auch oft mit dem Begriff ,regionales Wirrwarr' beschrieben wird. In diesem Artikel werden mit Hilfe empirischer Arbeiten die Versuche der jungsten Vergangenheit zur Veranderung der Regionalverwaltung in Schweden bewertet, die durch den Druck aus dem In- und Ausland (und insbesondere durch das Drangen zum EU-Beitritt) verursacht wurden. Im Mittelpunkt des Artikels steht die experimentelle Reform auf regionaler Ebene: die Entwicklung der Regionen des regionalen Pilotprojekts und anschliessend der regionalen Entwicklungsrate. Es wird das Gemisch aus inlandischem und europaischem Druck identifiziert, der diese Veranderungen hervorgebracht hat, und es wird die These aufgestellt, dass das ,regionale Wirrwarr' hierdurch nicht aufgeraumt wurde, sondern sich im Gegenteil verschlimmert hat. Regionalisierung Regionales Pilotprojekt Regionale Ebene Schweden Debatte uber das Europa der Regionen McCallion M. S. ¿Un arreglo? La regionalizacion europea y el 'caos regional' de Suecia, Regional Studies. Desde la decada de los ochenta en Suecia se ha venido discutiendo intensamente sobre el nivel regional de gobierno. Una de las razones es que Suecia tiene un nivel obvio de administracion nacional y un nivel igualmente obvio de administracion local (con relativa independencia de los municipios). Sin embargo, pese a los debates sobre el cambio, el nivel (regional/medio) de administracion en las provincias sigue siendo en realidad incoherente, por eso con frecuencia se describe como el 'caos regional'. Basandonos en trabajos empiricos, en este articulo evaluamos como se ha intentado cambiar la administracion regional en Suecia a raiz de las presiones nacionales e internacionales (y especialmente de la UE, es decir, para que Suecia se convierta en un miembro de la UE). En este ensayo prestamos especial atencion a la reforma experimental a nivel regional: el desarrollo de las regiones del proyecto piloto regional y posteriormente los Consejos de Desarrollo Regional. Demostramos que estos cambios han sido posibles gracias a una combinacion de presiones nacionales y europeas y argumentamos que esto lo que ha hecho es intensificar mas el 'caos regional' en vez de arreglarlo. Regionalizacion Proyecto piloto regional Nivel regional Suecia Debate sobre la Europa de las Regiones

Suggested Citation

  • Malin Stegmann Mccallion, 2008. "Tidying Up? 'EU'ropean Regionalization and the Swedish 'Regional Mess'," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(4), pages 579-592.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:42:y:2008:i:4:p:579-592
    DOI: 10.1080/00343400701543322
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    1. Loughlin, John, 2001. "Subnational Democracy in the European Union: Challenges and Opportunities," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198296799.
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    1. Hedfeldt Mona & Hedlund Gun, 2011. "A Clash between the Business and Political Climates in Sweden - Gender in the European Structural Fund Partnerships," European Spatial Research and Policy, Sciendo, vol. 18(1), pages 53-69, May.
    2. Maliszewska-Nienartowicz, Justyna & Stefański, Oskar, 2024. "Decentralisation versus centralisation in Swedish energy policy: the main challenges and drivers for the energy transition at the regional and local levels," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).

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