Lars VargAmbAssAdor of sweden

sweden has been praised inter-nationallyforprovidingarecipeforsuccessintimesofeconom-ic crisis. Theswedishwelfaremodel seems tohave stood thetestoftime.

sweden re-mains one ofthe most egali-tarian countriesintermsofincomedistribution,andhasoneoftheworldslowestlevelsofpoverty.Itsnosurprisethat sweden consistently ap-pearsnearthetopofthehumandevelopmentIndex,whichrankscountriesaccordingtolifeexpec-tancy, education and standardofliving.Whileswedespayhightaxestomaintaintheirprizedso-cial welfare system, they are nolonger the highest-taxed peopleintheworld.

sweden has succeeded increating a balance between so-cialequalityandeconomicsuc-cess.educationisfree(exceptfornurseryschoolsandhigheredu-cation, which are partly fundedbythegovernment),healthcareis cheap, child care is universaland the streets are clean butthere is still the opportunity tocontrolyourowneconomicdes-tiny.

The driving forces behindthe swedish model are stillalive,althoughthemodel isnotas all-encompassing as it oncewas. There is greater privati-zation in the health care sec-tor and the number of privateschools is growing rapidly. Buttoday all parties of the politicalspectrumtalkofmaintainingthe

welfarestate,sinceswedensvot-erswouldsimplynotstandforadismantlingofit.

Theswedishmodelwasbornin 1938 with the signing of thesaltsjbaden agreement. Thisgroundbreaking labor markettreaty between strong tradeunions, innovative companiesand a solid welfare state ac-knowledgedeachactorsimpor-tance in creating a stable andprosperous society and becamea model for other agreements.even if the concept of swedishwelfare has changed over theyears,thecoreremains:afirmlyrooted notion that everyoneshould have access to publiclyfinancededucation,healthcare,childcareandelderlycare.

Swedish lifestyle The swedish lifestyle brings to-gether a love of nature, goodhousing, environmental think-ingandlotsofculturealltiedupwithawarenessofhealthanda strong sense of equality. effi-ciency is combined with a laid-backattitude,andoldtraditionsblended with openness for newtechnologies.swedes ingeneralworkhardbuttreasuretheirfreetime and enjoy long, relaxingholidays.

The swedish lifestyle variesgreatlywiththeseasons.duringthedarkerwintermonths,thereare lights in the windows, eve-nings in the cinema and wintersports during the day. In springand summer, life is lived out-doors: music festivals, outdoortheatersandopen-airmuseumsare popular. not only are theflowers blooming, the swedesthemselvesare,too.

Traditions such as JunesMidsummer and decembers

Luciaareofgreatimportancetoswedes and are celebrated justasenthusiasticallytodayastheyhave been for generations. Thissense of heritage is mixed withan open-mindedness for othercultures,duetothefactthatone-fifthof thepopulationhasrootsin other countries, that swedestravelagreatdealandthattheyspeakotherlanguages.Themostinnovativecountryintheworld,as highlighted by numerous re-ports, is not only the home ofinventorsandentrepreneursbutalso a creative hub for fashion,musicandfood.

Tourism in SwedenTourism is swedens fastestgrowingsector,offeringthearc-tic wilderness of the far north,ultra-cool urban fashion showsinthecitiesandfive-starculinaryadventuresalloverthecountry.

nature tourism is one ofswedens biggest attractions,with visitors from around theworld drawn by the countrysstunningnatureanduntouchedwilderness. at the top of manytravelers wish list is Lapland,with its unique scenery andonce-in-a-lifetime experiences

such as the midnight sun, thenorthernlights(auroraborealis),wintersarcticchillandamysti-calsilence.

Theswedishcapitalofstock-holmhaslongbeenfamedforitsidyllicsettingsprawledacross14islandsanditsrichculturalheritage. The city has also builta reputation as a global centerofdynamicdesign,cutting-edgefashion, and innovative cuisine,musicandart.

On the west coast, swedenssecond largest city, Goteborg,has plenty to offer with its vi-brant entertainment scene andmultitude of cultural experi-ences.

Cosmopolitan Malm, in the

far south of sweden, is linkedto the danish capital of Copen-hagen via the resund Bridge.Together, they make a thrivingmetropolitanregion.

Swedish educationFrompreschoolonward,swedesare encouraged to think inde-pendently. Its one way swedenmaintainsitslongandproudtra-ditionofinnovation.

This innovative spirit can beseeninthefactthatswedencon-sistentlytopseuropeanrankingsintermsofresearchinvestmentsas a percentage of GdP and inthe number of published scien-tificworkspercapita.

The educational system isbased on tax-financed educa-tion for all, supported by pub-licly subsidized programs forfurther education, retraining,adultschoolsandstudygroups.The private business sector,meanwhile, offers an advancedsystemoffurthereducationand

self-improvement.nooneisleftbehind;theed-

ucation act states that childrenin need of special assistance atschoolshouldreceiveit.Thelaw

also says there must be equal-ity in education for all children,wherever they live in swedenand regardless of ability or dis-ability.

swedish society and the swedish model drove nation onward

Unique: There are several nature tourism adventures to Lapland in which tourists can explore the Sami culture. steffAn widstrAnd / imAgebAnk.sweden.se

Education: All Swedish schools are required by law to provide free lunches for the students. In Sweden, free lunch has been served since the 1940s and it is an important part of the education system. LenA grAnefeLt / imAgebAnk.sweden.se

Sweden national day

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