Nordic Socialism: The Path Toward a Democratic Economy

In recent years, the Nordic countries have been the envy of the world for their economic success, institutional stability, and consistently high levels of social happiness. But are they socialist? Several prominent members of the American right think so. They may find a surprising ally in Pelle Dragsted, a member of the Danish parliament and the leader of the socialist political party Enhedslisten (Red-Green Alliance); contrary to most Nordic leaders, Dragsted accepts the charge of socialism. Going even further, he here delivers a clarion call to lean into that description. In Dragsted’s studied conclusion, Denmark and the rest of the Nordic countries are indeed already socialist, but only in part. The dangers faced by Norden come (and here many conservative American commentators will disagree) from the unhealthy encroachment of capitalism. His provocative starting argument is that capitalism and socialism are not in fact mutually exclusive, and already Nordic economies are hybrids, a mix of decommodified, democratically governed sectors and undemocratic, privately controlled enterprises. The relevant question is the degree to which one dominates the other. Currently, undemocratic forces are ascendant, but it need not be so. Here, Dragsted offers both his diagnosis and his proposed solution, a comprehensive plan for a gradual (re)democratization of the economy and a move to fully and firmly embrace, and redefine, the charge of “Nordic socialism.”