Jobs Questions and party culture discussed at the (S) Congress – Swedish Radio

Employment and the goal for Sweden to have the EU’s lowest unemployment rate in 2020 is the main theme when the Social Democrats keep Congress in Västerås on May 29 to 31 Discussions are also expected on the party’s internal culture, says party secretary Karin Jämtin.

At the Congress in May, 350 agents discuss the Social Democrats’ future issues.

The new that the party holding a small Congress in the year after the election. Previously, congresses held every four years, says party secretary Karin Jämtin.

The two themes to be discussed during the Congress is “Future Jobs” and “Future popular movement”. According to Karin Jämtin will questions about other areas will be postponed until Congress 2017.

Among the motions is especially demands for more jobs outside the metropolitan areas, more equality and better labor market conditions.

– The motions are a total of 550 pieces, and 430 of them is about jobs issue, says Karin Jämtin.

The Social Democrats had at the end of the year more members than ever. The party now has over 100,000 members and inflow in 2014 was just over 15 000 people, according to party secretary.

Discussions are also expected on the party’s functioning, according to Karin Jämtin.

– The party must renew their culture and way of being, she says.

Enterprise and Mikael Damberg expects many discussions about jobs issue and how the Social Democrats will achieve the goal that Sweden should have the EU’s lowest unemployment in 2020, as this is the main theme during the Congress.

– There will be a lot of discussion about the jobs of course, because we put so much emphasis on it. I also believe that a matter is discussed very much in the Social Democrats, it’s housing policy.

You want to set up regional innovation council. How will this be done?

– Yes, we are actually investigating the government right now. We have given Pontus Braunerhjelm, entrepreneurship study, commissioned to look at how to rig the Regional Innovation Council. We have created such at the national level, with Stefan Löfven. But there is an interest, several have exercised about this, how we can get more power of innovation out there regionally in Sweden.

– It is something we will proceed with, but we have not landed exactly in the design yet.

Now, not all questions can be asked at this Congress. You have controlled what may be with. Do you expect the opposition, for example, from pensioners’ organizations? They would of course love to have their questions discussed now all at once.

– Yes, it’s not a long congress, only a few days, so we are not able to discuss all issues. Then we chose the theme of the future social movement which is about how the party should be modernized and developed, and so we chose the theme of tomorrow’s jobs. We perceive that it is the question that bubbles most of social democracy.

– It is our most important election promise to bring down unemployment, so that we have the EU’s lowest unemployment, and then this is what we will discuss, concludes Enterprise and Mikael Damberg (s).

Erik Ridderstolpe
erik.ridderstolpe@sverigesradio.se