Mineral policy at a crossroads? Critical reflections on the challenges with expanding Sweden’s mining sector

The making of mining expectations: mining romanticism and historical memory in a neoliberal political landscape

“…In Sweden, as in many other countries, the state has proved willing to cede control and influence over some dimensions of the economy but not others, an approach that Harvey calls 'circumscribed neoliberalism' (Harvey, 2005, p. 115). Neoliberal policies in natural resources regulation amount to more than just ownership model, however, and can also be seen in processes that aim to facilitate resource exploitation by removing regulatory barriers, both in the form of environmental and financial regulation (Bebbington & Bury, 2013;Bridge, 2004;Bury, 2005;Haikola & Anshelm, 2016;Krever, 2011;McDonell, 2015;Naito et al, 2001;Otto, 1997;Warhurst & Bridge, 1997). Ease of access to natural resources for investors across the globe is one explanation for the so called 'financialization' of commodity markets that has occurred since the turn of the century, by which commodity markets that had previously been relatively independent have seen radically increased investment flows and become more tightly coupled with other financial markets (Adams & Glück, 2015;Büyükşahin & Robe, 2014;Irwin & Sanders, 2011;Miffre & Brooks, 2013;Stoll & Whaley, 2010;Tang & Xiong, 2012).…”

“…Government and state representatives viewed the mining project in Pajala against an expectations horizon of regional development, underlining its potential as a generator of growth for a stagnating community and of regional growth from a wider perspective. The government's stance should also be viewed against the background of its attempts to reorient the national mineral policy towards further liberalization, a reorientation that would be formulated in the Mineral Strategy of 2013 (Swedish ministry of enterprise and innovation, 2013; Haikola & Anshelm, 2016). In this context, Northland Resources seemed the perfect example of the power inherent in the free market, with the government acting as facilitator so that private capital could work its magic.…”

Evolutionary governance in mining: Boom and bust in peripheral communities in Sweden

“…The state-owned mining company LKAB, the largest producer of iron ore in the European Union, has been targeted for possible privatisation on several occasions although so far it has maintained its state ownership, albeit through a charter that stipulates it is to be governed strictly as a business enterprise (Liedholm Johnson & Ericsson, 2015). With the introduction of the Mineral Law in the beginning of the 1990s (see below), the state explicitly attempted to facilitate increased mining by easing regulatory burdens, and deregulation has continued through the adoption of one of the world's lowest taxes on minerals (e.g., Envall, 2015;Haikola & Anshelm, 2016). The reformation of Swedish mining legislation was made in the context of financial deregulation sketched in the preceding section.…”

“…The Swedish mineral strategy, formulated by the liberal-conservative government and backed by broad parliamentary support, was premised on a neoliberal logic. It ascribed a role for the state as a facilitator for foreign and private investments into Sweden's untapped mineral resources, and emphasised it was imperative for peripheral communities to take every opportunity for economic development provided by private initiatives (Envall, 2015;Haikola & Anshelm, 2016). Unlike Finland, which identified an active role for the state in its mining expansion (Liedholm Johnson & Ericsson, 2015), and Norway, that is famed for its system for socializing profits from mineral extraction (Karlsson, 2017), Sweden foresaw an expansion led by private initiatives in which the state did little to regulate or actively distribute risks and profits according to a strategic vision.…”

Histories of land : politicization, property and belonging in Molo, Kenya

“…In addition, histories about past injustices-such as the land losses and political repression suffered by indigenous communities-are brought to the fore. Similar conflicts over land are looming in Sápmi, in northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, where the recent mining boom has attracted various mining explorations, including in areas which have traditionally been used for reindeer herding and singled out for environmental protection (Haikola & Anshelm 2016;Persson, Harnesk & Ishlar 2017).…”