Regional development partnerships in Sweden: Putting the government back in governance?

Abstract

Regional development partnerships were introduced in Sweden in 1998 as part of a new regional policy. Here it is argued that these partnerships can provide support for the concept of governance in which the state continues to play an important role in steering the direction of policy. On the surface, as a decentralized organizational form, emphasizing inclusion of a broad range of regional stakeholders in the production of regional growth agreements/programmes, the partnerships would seem to fit a strategy of 'letting other regimes rule' on the part of the state. However, the central role played by the Swedish county administrative boards (the extended arm of the state in the region), suggests that the partnerships could also be a way for central government to retain control over the direction of regional development. In this way, they become an example of the state's ability to adjust to a changing environment rather than its 'hollowing out'.

Governing the Governance of Education: The State Strikes Back?

“…According to these, what is taking place is a change in the state's methods of steering rather than an abdication of its control and the idea of governing without government is questioned (see, for example, Davies, 2002;Hudson, 2005). As Kooiman (2003) and other writers such as Pierre & Peters (2000), Kohler-Koch (1996) and Pierre (2000) argue, the fact that the state is apparently encouraging other actors to take responsibility for solving societal problems and developing policies should not be taken as a sign that the state is reneging its responsibility or losing control.…”

Strong Regions within the Unitary State: The Nordic Experience of Regionalization

“…This marks a historical shift in the goals and conduct of regional policy since the mid-1990s: from redistributive policies and state control to a regional policy based on networks and partnerships as well as the adaptation of policies to local and regional conditions and needs (e.g. Hudson, 2005;Karlsson et al, 2009;Loughlin, 2007). The new regionalist perspective on regional policy (e.g.…”

“…The ideas on which this concept is based have also been developed by others scholars. Hudson (2005) claims that the introduction of regional partnerships in Swedish regional policy does not imply a stronger role for the region; it is rather a way of the state to adapt to a changing environment and to "retain control over the direction of regional development" (Hudson, 2005: 311). Thus, the introduction of regional partnerships might be characterized as 'new regionalism' but in a Swedish context, it is also a way for the central state to maintain control and stick to the traditional redistributive regional policy.…”

“…Traditionally, regional policy has focused on redistributive measures and standardized solutions (e.g. Keating, 1998;Hudson, 2005;Loughlin, 2007). In the Nordic countries central government has traditionally steered regional policy without much involvement from regional or local actors.…”

Rethinking Local Politics: Towards a Cultural Political Economy of Entrepreneurial Cities

“…Here, regional development has been viewed as a zero-sum game, where the state balances development in different regions against each other. Recently, the traditional regional policy has been challenged by a new, growth-oriented discourse (Hudson, 2005). Currently we are witnessing a shift in emphasis from territorial redistribution and cohesion to territorial competition.…”