Official and unofficial, formal and informal in the Nordic Model of Cooperation Regions, nations and

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Official and unofficial, formal and informalin
the Nordic Model of CooperationRegions,
nations and dynamics of cooperation the Nordic
model in societal and economic
perspectivesThursday, 16th NovemberHeidi
Haggrén, Department of Social Science History
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Structure

• A Nordic model of cooperation?
• Nordic cooperation in the post-WWII period
• Divisions official and unofficial formal and
  informal

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A special model of cooperation/integration?

• wide regional cooperation since 1950s, Nordic
  countries known as a Nordic bloc
• interest towards Nordic cooperation as a
  diverging model of regional cooperation
• in international comparison the peaceful
  co-existence of Nordic countries and their
  cooperation in welfare state building has
  appeared as unique
• a third way thesis and its critique
• reference to following dimensions
• actors and institutions
• basis and focus

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Official and unofficial

• only to a limited extent characterized by
  institutional integration?
• integration across the national entities, not by
  higher-level entities
• characterized by harmonization and
  compromises/consensus
• cooperation streching over the entire society
  cooperation in different sectors and levels of
  society
• parallel structures official and unofficial
  cooperation

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Bottom-Up Cooperation

• Nordic cooperation as society-based cooperation
  (folklig förankring)
• motiovations parliamentary basis practical
  cooperation wider societal aims based on shared
  values (democracy, openness, equality), culture,
  language popular support grassroot cooperation
  (as a basis for the cooperation)
• widely recognized thesis Nordic cooperation is
  bottom up cooperation (vs. top down cooperation)
• stresses the practical and non-political nature
  of the cooperation and suggests unique legitimacy
  and democratic essence
• includes often an idea of something better and
  more valuable

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Nordic cooperation after 1945

• the failure of major cooperation projects in the
  fields of security and economic policy
• Scandinavian Defence Union negotiations 1948-49
  (lead to different security policy choices NATO
  or neutrality concept of Nordic Balance)
• in 1950s continuous efforts to establish a Nordic
  customs union in 1960s NORDEK, a Nordic economic
  union
• however, a wide and intimite cooperation in
  various policy areas (cultural, social, economic
  and judicial)

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Nordic Council

• established in 1952
• Finland entered 1955
• background IPU 1889 and NIF 1907
• a council for inter-parliamentary cooperation a
  forum where parliamentarians and government
  representatives meet
• makes recommendations, that are then put into
  force on the national level
• success stories of 1950s
• a Nordic passport union 1954
• a common labour market 1954
• a Nordic social insurance convention 1955

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Nordic Council of Ministers

• expansion of the institutional structure since
  the mid-1960s (personnel, institutions,
  financing)
• established in 1971, after the breakdown of
  NORDEK negotiations
• a vehicle for co-operation between the
  governments of the Nordic countries
• replaced previous informal consultations between
  ministers
• coordinated by the Nordic cooperation ministers,
  but the ultimate responsibility resides with the
  countries prime ministers

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Nordic treaties and institutions

• Helsinki Agreement 1962 (1971, 1974, 1983, 1985
  ja 1991 )
• "to seek to preserve and further develop
  co-operation between our nations in the legal,
  cultural, social and financial areas as well as
  in matters relating to transport and protection
  of the environment"
• inclusion of foreign and security policy issues
• numerous Nordic organs and institutions
• Nordic Cultural Committee 1948, NIB 1976 etc.
• lightly binding system, doesnt challenge
  national sovereignty
• piece by piece
• cooperation in various areas

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Unofficial cooperation

• The most important, substantial Nordic
  cooperation is to be found on the society level
• mobility between the Nordic countries and close
  contacts as an everyday reality professions
  (meetings since 1830s), parties (especially
  Social Democrats), interest organizations, civic
  organizations, business life etc.
• long history, regionalism (Norden associations),
  common problems, national targets
• traditional division between official and
  unofficial state civil society however, in
  the case of Nordic cooperation the term
  unofficial has often came to refer to a wider
  phenomena
• notion important informal cooperation and
  interaction across national administrations,
  institutions, political elites central role in
  joint policy making processes

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Formal and informal

• network of both formal and informal interactions
  across the borders
• two lines of action in Nordic cooperation 1)
  creation of Nordic institutions, 2) Nordic
  cooperation as part of the everyday routines of
  administration etc.
• Nordic cooperation as an informal community of
  decision-makers in the Nordic countries
• long history, prior the growth of institutional
  structure
• NC and NCM
• non-bureaucratic and personal procedures
• example harmonization of law practically
  motivated, resulted from informal contacts

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Informality as a practice

• informal contacts as the core of the Nordic
  cooperation
• informal contacts stronger than formal
  hierachies?
• institutionalized practices
• example UNESCO cooperation
• interplay and overlap of the levels

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Nordic context

• different motivations
• interconnectedness, communalities, cohesion
  easing the cooperation
• cooperation has created convergence and given
  content to Nordic (consciously and unconsciously)
• Nordic identity and values
• Norden as a context of comparison and knowledge
  production
• public policy as jointly planned, formulated and
  executed
• example reformations have typically included
  Nordic comparison
• circle of reaction

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A model for others?

• model idea present already in the discussions of
  1950s
• Nordic experiences (as a best practice) as an
  export product
• in connection with globalization and
  regionalization, especially European integration
  increasing interest towards Nordic cooperation a
  model for regional cooperation? (Europe, Baltic
  states)
• in what amount can we talk about a special model?
• in what amount can the powers of cooperation be
  defined as grassroot activity?
• how is informality and consensus compatible with
  democratic ideals and openness?