From Government to Governance: Regional Partnerships in Sweden

Private-public partnership is a key concept for understanding the transformation of regional governance in Sweden. The introduction of Regional Growth Agreements (RGAs) as a new element of industrial policy is the latest illustration of this development. This article analyses the emergence of regional partnerships in the processing of RGAs in Swedish regions. Questions dealt with concern consequences for the public-private balance, democratic accountability, and the pressure for regional reforms. The results reveal that regional partnerships seem ready to take greater responsibility in the field of industrial policy, but also raise questions about who should be included and who is accountable. It is also questionable whether coherent regions will emerge before substantial reforms of regional government are implemented to match more spontaneous processes of regionalization.