Swedish leader talks on foreign policy

Urban Ahlin, the foreign affairs spokesperson of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, gave an address at RMIT University on The Scandinavian Social Democratic Approach to Foreign Policy.

The event, which followed a meeting between Mr Ahlin and Prime Minister Rudd in Canberra, was organised by Dr Andrew Scott of the School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning.

Mr Ahlin’s Social Democratic Party has dominated Swedish politics, governing Sweden for 65 of the past 78 years. According to opinion polls, it will return to government at the Swedish general election on 19 September.

Scandinavian nations have a long tradition under Social Democratic leaders (including Sweden under Olof Palme and Norway under Gro Harlem Brundtland) of taking an adventurous foreign policy role to achieve progressive change in the world.

Social democratic policies have influenced Sweden to take a leading role on environmentalism and accept asylum-seekers at a comparatively high rate.

In his RMIT address, Mr Ahlin welcomed Australia’s re-emergence as an international citizen, engaged with the world promoting multilateral solutions including on disarmament, since Kevin Rudd became Prime Minister in 2007.

Mr Ahlin nevertheless noted that Australia, while increasing somewhat, still had a long way to go to reach the long-standing United Nations target for rich nations to give 0.7 per cent of their gross national income (GNI) to assist poor nations.

Sweden now gives the most per capita aid in the world of all nations: it is the only country to give more than 1 per cent of its GNI in aid.

Mr Ahlin said that "prosperous countries have prosperous neighbours" and encouraged Australia to pursue a policy to improve the living standards of its neighbours.

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