Election Guide 2002 - Sweden.se

founded in 1992. It succeeded the Confederation of
Socialist Parties of the European Community, which had
been set up in 1974. The current President, Robin Cook,
was elected President at the 5th Congress of the PES in
Berlin in 2001. The PES group is the second largest in
the European Parliament.
There is close co-operation between the Swedish
Social Democratic Party and its Nordic counterparts
through SAMAK, which was founded in 1886.
Through The Olof Palme International Centre the
party, as well as the rest of the Labour Movement,
supports democracy development and other solidarity
projects with countries in the Third World and Central
and Eastern Europe.
Sweden is a wealthy country
with great possibilities
Ours is one of the countries where equality, and gender
equality, have progressed furthest. Positive commitment
and knowledge and many people’s creativity and industry
have made Sweden a leading research and IT nation with
a high level of employment and many successful business
undertakings. We have an extensive welfare system and
our communal economy is strong. We have a healthy,
variegated environment and Sweden is a pioneer in the
change-over to ecologically sustainable development. We
live in the region – the Baltic Sea region – which perhaps
stands to gain most from EU enlargement. Although we
are a small country in the world, Sweden is a strong voice
for international solidarity, democracy and peace.
These are strong points and possibilities which we
must make good use of. Today we need them more than
ever.
The world we live in has grown more insecure.
Globalisation has not only entailed the intertwining of
economies and greater mobility of people and business
undertakings. On 11th September 2001 came the worst
example hitherto of the new kind of menace which the
countries of the world are now having to face. The terror
attacks on New York and Washington were not only the
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