Swedish party chair visits Anderson

  Photo Courtesy of Elisabeth Kihlberg Bo
Lundgren, Chairman of the Moderate Party, stands next to
the bust of John Anderson at the UCLA Anderson School of
Business.

By Michelle Kroes
Daily Bruin Contributor

The chairman of Sweden’s largest opposition party,
Moderaterna, made a special visit to UCLA last week for the
Anderson Business Forecast Conference.

Concerned with the growth and economic productivity of his
country, Bo Lundgren came seeking information on the financial
trends of the nation and California.

The dialogue generated by conferences such as Anderson’s
Forecast allows for an important exchange of ideas internationally
said Elisabeth Kihlberg, Associate Director of the UCLA
International Visitors Bureau.

“The flexibility of the American economy is a good example
for Sweden,” Lundgren said. “It shows that rigid labor
markets, as in Sweden, is a threat to growth.

In today’s Sweden, citizens pay some of the highest taxes
in the world. This is meant to provide Swedes with quality health
care, education and social security benefits.

Lundgren, a former minister of Fiscal and Financial Affairs,
acknowledges that Sweden’s present economy is strong and is
in a period of sustained economic growth.

But Lundgren said these public services have gradually declined
under the government of the Social Democratic Party and thus failed
to meet the people’s needs.

According to the Moderaterna, this decline can be measured by
actual events.

In information presented by the party’s Web site, many of
Sweden’s elderly population spend the final phase of their
lives badly cared for; the school system has declined so that one
in four pupils leave school without meeting the standards in one or
more subjects; and women have been denied entry into their local
maternity wards even during labor.

Although the Social Democratic Party has dominated
Sweden’s political system in the main since 1932, Moderaterna
did have a brief interlude from 1991-1994 to govern. Difficulties
in the nation’s economy, however, undermined the
party’s popularity, which gave way to the reinstallment of
the Social Democratic party.

All these instances point to the failure of the current
government, Lundgren said. He said better solutions must be found.
Advocating the party line, lowering taxes and freeing the market
for private alternatives will greatly benefit Sweden, he said.

“Essentially 60 percent of a person’s earnings go to
the state leaving only 40 percent for themselves. The state is
responsible for health care, education and social security and when
the government fails to properly provide for this, the people
can’t afford to do anything,” Lundgren said.
“Since people get no value for their tax money, people should
keep more of what they earn.”

Lundgren maintains that Sweden’s basic public financing
should remain even if citizens are granted more financial
control.

“There are also lessons to be learned from Sweden,”
Lundgren said. “For instance, even if the Moderaterna
proposes less dependence on the state and more private enterprise,
we still believe in the complete public financing of education and
health care. Even individuals who choose schools outside the nation
are financed by the state.”