This event is the third in a series of witness seminars organized in collaboration by colleagues at the Centre for Nordic Studies at Helsinki University, the Institute for Contemporary History at Södertörn University and the Department of History and Classical Studies at Aarhus University. The series is funded by the Joint Committee for Nordic research councils in Humanities and Social Sciences (NOS-HS). The seminar explores the various understandings of the concept of the Nordic model in Northern and Southern Europe (specifically Spain) from the 1970s to the 1990s. The aim is to widen our knowledge on the Nordic model by analyzing how and in which contexts it was understood, used and conceptualized in these decades.
The witness seminar format is a variant of oral history that goes beyond the mere exposition of the memories of the historical actors, allowing these actors instead to recall, discuss and debate the historical events among themselves and together with scholarly experts in the field. The seminar brings together some key political actors associated with the development of European social democracy in the 1970s, the Northern and Southern processes of European integration, and the fortunes of the Nordic model from the 1970s to the 1990s. The seminar will be recorded, and a transcript will be published as part of the open access series Samtidshistoriska frågor at Södertörn University.
Confirmed participants:
Allan Larsson is a journalist, trade unionist and social democratic politician who has served as Swedish Finance Minister, Member of the Swedish Parliament and Director General in the EU Commission. He has also served as special adviser to President Juncker on the European Pillar of Social Right and as vice chair on EU Mission Board on Climate Neutral Cities.
Mogens Lykketoft is a social democrat politician who served as Danish Minister of Taxation between 1980 and 1981. He was Minister of Finance from 1993 to 2000 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2000 to 2001. After that he was leader of the Social Democrats between 2002 and 2005, Speaker of the Parliament of Denmark from 2011 to 2015 and President of the United Nations General Assembly from 2015 to 2016.
Joaquín Almunia is a Spanish Socialist politician. He was the chief economist of the socialist trade union UGT from 1976 to 1979. He served as Spanish Minister of Employment and Social Security from 1982 to 1986, and as Minister of Public Administration from 1986 to 1991. After that he was European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs (2004-2010) and for Competition (2010-2014). He has been Member of the Spanish Parliament from 1979 to 2004, and leader of PSOE from 1997 to 2000.
The seminar takes place via Zoom on 29 April 2022 (14:00 - 17:00 EEST). All are welcome.
Register here: Visions of the Nordic Model in Northern and Southern Europe (1970s-1990s)