FES Nordic Countries

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Sverige
Stockholm
FES Nordic Countries

The Nordic office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Committed to the ideas of social democracy.

08/05/2026

13th Nordic-German Think Tank Meeting
"Between Sovereignty and Solidarity: The Nordic Countries, Germany, and Europe in the World"

Day 2.
🔴 Progressive Economic Policy - In times of crisis, progressive economic policies provide important stimulus and stabilize growth, whereas cuts to the welfare state risk creating lasting political and economic problems.

🔴 Energy Policy – Energy integration creates short-term pain for long-term gain.

🤝 Partners on the ground: experts from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland shared their insights.

👋We would like to thank our partners for this insightful and valuable exchange and are already looking forward to the next Nordic-German Think-Tank Meeting! See you next year!

07/05/2026

13th Nordic-German Think Tank Meeting.
"Between Sovereignty and Solidarity: The Nordic Countries, Germany, and Europe in the World"

Day 2.
🔴We presented and discussed some of our previous findings to Martin Schulz, chairman of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. He captivated us all with a clear and urgent call to think Europe beyond the old concepts of the West and not to let difficult times stop us from striving for respect, tolerance, and dignity.

🔴This was followed by a second highlight: a very productive exchange with social democratic parliamentarians of the German Bundestag: Johannes Schraps,Markus Töns and Ralf Stegner.They reiterated the importance of deeper European cooperation and shared ongoing projects with Nordic partners and upcoming challenges for Germany, the Nordics, and Europe.

06/05/2026

Back in Berlin with our Nordic partners for the 13th Think Tank!

Theme: “Between Sovereignty & Solidarity – The Nordic Countries, Germany & Europe in the World.”

Day 1.

🔴Turbulent Times – Co operation and social trust are important for Europe to become more resilient.
🔴Digital Sovereignty – Our dependence on Big Tech creates security & geopolitical risks. Digital tools must serve the public good, not just profit or short term politics.

Partners on the ground: experts from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland shared their insights.

Highlight: Philipp Fink gave a keynote at dinner on progressive policy innovation in Germany. Sofie Holme Andersen gave us insights into the Danish election, and Johan Sjölander shared perspectives on the upcoming election in Sweden.

29/04/2026

AI in the Public Sector — The Gap Between Ambition and Reality

AI systems are often framed as tools to boost productivity, cut costs, speed up decisions, and improve services. But when introduced in the public sector, their impact extends far beyond performance, raising important questions about accountability, transparency, democratic oversight, and the role of civil servants.

The first results from three case studies in Finland, Norway, and Sweden were presented and discussed today in Berlin with German experts, policymakers, and trade union representatives at an expert roundtable.

Key questions included:
🔴 Will AI change the attractiveness of public-sector work?
🔴What happens when laws are translated into proprietary code?
🔴How do we prevent bias and discrimination in AI systems?

The expert meeting was organised within the FEPS–Nordic Digital Programme by FEPS and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nordic Office. The discussion aim was to identify strategies to mitigate risks and explore how AI can be implemented responsibly in the Nordics, Germany, the European Union, and beyond.

20/04/2026

Seminar: Democracy, Populism and Transnational Imaginaries

Last week, our policy advisor moderated a discussion on how to understand and respond to populism today.

Together with Mark Devenney (University of Brighton ) and representatives from civil society, the discussion highlighted strategies, lessons, and concrete ways forward—drawing on examples from Brazil and political developments under Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

👉 How is populism shaped and mobilised today?
👉 What can we learn from both its rise and the resistance to it?

Participants included:
– Laila Abdallah
– Claudia Arenas
– Oscar Ernerot
– Barbro Andersson

The discussion highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration between politics, civil society, media, and institutions.

The seminar was a collaboration between Olof Palmes Internationella Center and , together with Södertörn’s interdisciplinary platform Contested Democracy.

15/04/2026

AI is not neutral.

As artificial intelligence becomes more common in workplaces, it also brings new risks — particularly for gender equality and occupational safety.

Our new analysis paper “Gender & AI at Work” looks at how algorithmic management and AI systems can reinforce existing inequalities if gender perspectives are not considered in their design and implementation.

Drawing on discussions with international experts at the workshop “AI-Driven Work: Implications for Women’s Safety, Health, and Equality” in Brussels, last year the paper proposes concrete ways to mitigate discrimination risks and promote responsible AI in the workplace.

As AI continues to change the future of work, ensuring fair, transparent and inclusive technologies is essential. Unions have a central role in requiring transparency and co-determination when new AI-systems are introduced.

Access the full paper through our Linktree

13/04/2026

If the walls at Sigtuna Stiftelse could speak, they would tell a hundred-year story of Bildung in its truest sense. In these rooms, ideas have been shaped, conversations have unfolded, and texts have been written that have contributed to reflections on society, democracy, and the human condition.

Swipe through the carousel to learn more about this interesting place we visited two weeks ago, where we held our international conference, “Education for Democratic Resilience in Northern Europe.”

30/03/2026

Two weeks ago, we were in Sigtuna, where we exchanged experiences and discussed the urgent need for broader coalitions that stand up for democracy.

We listened to views from Norway, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, and Finland on topics ranging from democratic education to the labour movement – and what is needed to strengthen participation and trust.

One thing became clear during the discussions: democratic values are under threat in many parts of the world, sometimes quietly through self-censorship, and sometimes more visibly through political changes. Civic and public education are vital infrastructures for participation, yet they are increasingly subject to political and economic pressure.

Building sustainable networks and facilitating continuous exchange are crucial for developing effective long-term strategies to strengthen democratic resilience.

08/03/2026

Less time, fewer opportunities?

Even in the Nordic countries – often seen as global leaders in gender equality – women still do more unpaid care and household work than men.

On International Women's Day, we want to highlight that time is still gendered. Women bear the brunt of unpaid care work, taking on childcare, housework and caring for relatives.

This work is essential for our societies and economies. However, when it is distributed unequally, it can limit women’s time, opportunities, income, career development and pension accumulation over the course of a lifetime.

Parental leave, public childcare and strong social policies – have helped reduce these gaps. Yet inequalities remain. Women still take longer parental leave, work part-time more often, and carry a larger share of everyday care responsibilities.

23/02/2026

This report examines the current situation and future challenges facing Swedish public service media (PSM).

PSM are still widely used and enjoy a high level of trust, particularly with regard to news, education, and crisis management. However, their independence and long-term sustainability are under pressure due to political debates, increasing regulation and planned funding cuts.

Digitalisation and AI present new opportunities for innovation and audience engagement, but also pose risks ranging from credibility issues to fragmented audiences.

Read more via the link in Linktree.

03/02/2026

Yesterday, we welcomed our FES colleagues from the Baltic states Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Baltic States to our office for a joint meeting on the Baltic Sea region. We also had the honour of a visit by H.E. Ludger Siemes, German Ambassador to Sweden Tyska Ambassaden Stockholm - Deutsche Botschaft Stockholm who shared valuable insights and joined the discussion on bilateral relations and joint initiatives for a stable and prosperous Baltic Sea region.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the German Ambassador for his contribution and engagement.

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Barnhusgatan 10
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https://nordics.fes.de/, https://linktr.ee/fesnordiccountries

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