Zeitgeist

economic system (18). The compromise between socialism and capitalism to form a welfare state was pushed forward by Wigforss and other members of the SAP. In a more modern Sweden, the issue of who the "people", as outlined under classical liberalism, are has begun to redefine the political landscape. Throughout the twenty first century cultural and linguistic diversity in Sweden grew as a result of increasing immigration. This influx led to the rise of conservative and nationalist identity groups like the Swedish Democrats. The SD is a far right nationalist group that received more than 5% of the vote in the 2010 elections, granting them representation in the Riksdag (19). This is an escalation of the trend towards conservatism that had been growing in Sweden since the center right coalition took control of the government in 2006, ending almost eighty years of Social Democratic leadership. A study published by Oxford university finds that, “Both recent immigration and proportion foreign- born reduce support for the Swedish welfare state… immigration is the only county-level variable that negatively affects Swedes' attitudes, and it is the only regional variable that is significant across all models” (20). The basis for the welfare state is redistribution, which lost support as the country became more diverse. In an increasingly heterogeneous society the effectiveness of collectivism has been called into question, in turn calling the entire welfare state into question as well. To catch up with the changing political situation, the Social Democrats adapted their positions to welcome a broader group into the party. Magdalena Anderson, the current Prime Minister of Sweden, spoke about the issues around immigration in her address to the government in 2021. She states, “Everyone who can work should work. Having a job and your own income gives you the freedom to decide for yourself how you want to live and with whom. This applies equally to all, regardless of your gender or where you come from” (21). The SAP attempted to increase support for the welcoming of immigrants but assuring the native Swedish public that everyone benefiting from the welfare state would also be contributing to it, which is a distinctly Lockean idea. All those that want to participate in the society must contribute to its growth and development. The Social Democrats believe that anyone who wishes to contribute should be given the opportunity to do so. The Social Democrats are also working to expand the welfare system to better support the changing needs of the public. In the same speech, Aderseron says, “The welfare system as a whole will be strengthened. It is the greatest redistributive power that exists” (22). Wealth distribution was one of the founding principles of the Swedish welfare system and has remained one of the most important elements of the government system. PAGE 18 VOL. 1, NO. 1 ZEITGEIST Magdalena Andersson served as Sweden’s Minister of Finance since 2014 and was elected as Social Democrat leader in 2021.

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