Nordic Political Economy at Åbo Akademi | 16–17 April 2026
Schedule
Thu, 16 Apr, 2026 at 02:15 pm to Fri, 17 Apr, 2026 at 03:00 pm
UTC+03:00Location
Porthaninkatu 3, FI-20500 Turku, Suomi | Turku, LS
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What is happening to the Nordic model in today’s Europe?You are warmly welcome to two events at Åbo Akademi University exploring Nordic political economy in a time of crisis and transformation.
Thursday 16 April, 14:15
Room Stella, Astra
Professor Magnus Ryner (King’s College London)
"Rebel Sons and the Enchanted World Revisited: Adapting French Regulation Theory to Understand Financialisation and the Allocation Crisis of Swedish Social Democracy"
A key idea in the talk is the “allocation crisis.”
The problem today is not a lack of wealth — but how that wealth is distributed. Where earlier economic growth, rising wages, and welfare states reinforced each other, we now see increasing flows of wealth into financial markets and asset ownership, while the capacity for redistribution is under pressure. The result is a growing tension between how the economy works and what people expect from it.
Friday 17 April, 13:00
Auditorium Bonfire, Astra.
Doctoral defence: Johan Ekman (Åbo Akademi)
"Why No Nordic Model Writ Large in Europe? Pragmatic elite adjustment, neoliberal stabilisation, and contradictions in Finnish political economy in the EU era"
Custos: Mikko Lagerspetz (Åbo Akademi)
Opponent: Andreas Bieler (University of Nottingham)
The thesis asks a timely question:
Why has the Nordic model — associated with equality, welfare, and coordination — not been extended to the European level?
It argues that Finland’s EU policy is shaped by a historically rooted power bloc centred on export-oriented interests. This has stabilised a strategy of “competitive corporatism,” where coordination is maintained but subordinated to competitiveness and fiscal discipline. Rather than exporting the Nordic model to Europe, this has contributed to reproducing the existing integration model — while generating growing tensions at home.
In short:
Why has European integration strengthened market discipline more than social protection — and what contradictions follow from this
The defence will be live streamed (Link will follow).
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Where is it happening?
Porthaninkatu 3, FI-20500 Turku, Suomi, Henrikinkatu 7, FI-20500 Turku, Suomi, Turku, FinlandEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
