Meidner and the Swedish economist Gösta Rehn were responsible for the Rehn–Meidner model for economic growth as promulgated by the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the LO, the blue-collar trade union. The Rehn–Meidner model was first proposed in 1951 and for over the next twenty-five years was the basis for the low-inequality, high-tech oriented, rapid-innovation Swedish economy which also was exposed to international trade and became export oriented. In response to the increasing demand on the part of workers, communities and women for a share of the excess profits (permitted by a capital-labor-state wage suppression agreement) accumulated in an increasingly powerful capitalist sector, Meidner created a proposal in 1976, published by the LO, that called for requiring all companies above a certain size to issue new stock shares to workers so that within twenty years the workers would control 52 per cent of the companies they worked in. This policy followed in Meidner's career-long efforts to build a step-wise, peaceful, institutionally supported transition to a socialist society, whose carefully crafted incentive structure and culture would allow each member of society to work and contribute according to her or his capacity and receive social support according to her or his needs.[5]
Supported by important Swedish policy designer Walter Korpi, Meidner's work was opposed by pro-capitalist Social Democrats, including the aggressively conservative Finance Minister Kjell-Olof Feldt as well as Gösta Rehn (proponent of active labour market policies) and Olof Palme.[5] The increasing ambitions and occasional militancy of the Swedish working class in conjunction with Meidner's careful, progressive socialist institutional planning politicized the Swedish capitalist class via the Swedish Employers Association (SAF), who joined other countries' capitalist classes ramping up their political efforts to destroy working class organizational bases and to promote the capital deregulation and mobility that began to come to crisis in the 2000s.[6] The SAF's response was to model their political and policy strategies after the New Zealand capitalist class' campaign which had successfully destroyed a labor movement of similar strength to the Swedish labor movement.[5]
The Rehn–Meidner model resulted in Sweden having a very egalitarian wage system so that wage differentials between professions was very low, fortifying a low Gini coefficient. However, in the absence of the socialist steps urged by Meidner in the 1970s the economic model resulted in capital concentration (despite a very active social policy, Sweden has one of the highest percentages of private ownership of capital in the world) to the point where in the late 1970s 25 per cent of share capital was held by the top 0.1 per cent of shareholders and 75 per cent by the top 10 per cent. For the time being, the progressive taxation and pro-middle class state institutions promoted by the model extensively ameliorate this capital concentration as can be seen in comparatively successful, egalitarian outcomes.[7]
Erixon, Lennart (2011). "A Social Innovation or a Product of Its Time? The Rehn–Meidner Model's Relation to Contemporary Economics and the Stockholm School" (PDF). The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought. 18 (1): 85–123. doi:10.1080/09672560903207653. ISSN 1469-5936. S2CID 153531915.
Olsen, Gregg. The Struggle for Economic Democracy in Sweden.
Schmitt, John; Zipperer, Ben (2006). "Is the U.S. a Good Model for Reducing Social Exclusion in Europe?". The Post-autistic Economics Review. 40 (1).
Vogel, David. Fluctuating Fortunes.
Further readingEdit
Ekdahl, Lars (2001). Mot en tredje väg: en biografi över Rudolf Meidner. 1 Tysk flykting och svensk modell (in Swedish). Lund, Sweden: Arkiv. ISBN978-91-7924-147-6.
——— (2005). Mot en tredje väg: en biografi över Rudolf Meidner. 2 Facklig expert och demokratisk socialist (in Swedish). Lund, Sweden: Arkiv. ISBN978-91-7924-186-5.
Greider, Göran (1997). Rudolf Meidner: skärvor ur ett nittonhundratalsliv (in Swedish). Stockholm: Atlas. ISBN978-91-89044-03-6.
Meidner, Rudolf (1993). "Why Did the Swedish Model Fail?". Socialist Register: 211–228. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
Newman, Michael (2005). Socialism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
October 21, 2023
rudolf, meidner, rudolf, alfred, meidner, june, 1914, december, 2005, swedish, economist, socialist, meidner, 1966bornrudolf, alfred, meidner, 1914, june, 1914breslau, kingdom, prussia, german, empire, present, wrocław, poland, died9, december, 2005, 2005, age. Rudolf Alfred Meidner 23 June 1914 9 December 2005 was a Swedish economist and socialist Rudolf MeidnerMeidner in 1966BornRudolf Alfred Meidner 1914 06 23 23 June 1914Breslau Kingdom of Prussia German Empire present day Wroclaw Poland Died9 December 2005 2005 12 09 aged 91 Lidingo SwedenNationalityGermanSwedishPolitical partySwedish Social Democratic PartySpouseElla Jorgenssen m 1937 wbr AwardsIllis quorum 1997Scholarly backgroundAlma materStockholm UniversityThesisSwedish Labour Market at Full Employment 1954 Doctoral advisorGunnar MyrdalInfluencesJohn Maynard Keynes 1 Karl Marx 1 Hans Singer 2 Scholarly workDisciplineEconomicsInstitutionsSwedish Trade Union ConfederationStockholm UniversityNotable ideasMeidner planRehn Meidner model Contents 1 Biography 2 Rehn Meidner model 3 Notes 4 References 4 1 Footnotes 4 2 Bibliography 5 Further readingBiography EditSon of Alfred Meidner and Elise Bandmann Meidner was born on 23 June 1914 in Breslau Silesia He was forced to flee Nazi Germany after the Reichstag fire in Berlin 1933 being Jewish and a socialist In 1937 Meidner married Ella Jorgenssen and became a citizen of Sweden in 1943 3 Meidner was an economist and the developer of the employee funds plan proposed by the Swedish Trade Union Confederation in the 1970s He studied under the economist and Nobel Prize laureate Gunnar Myrdal He got his Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1954 with a dissertation labeled Swedish Labour Market at Full Employment He spent most of his work life at the Swedish Trade Union Confederation as a researcher Meidner was awarded the Illis quorum by the Swedish government in 1997 4 Meidner died on 9 December 2005 in Lidingo aged 91 Rehn Meidner model EditMain article Rehn Meidner model The neutrality of this section is disputed Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met November 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Meidner and the Swedish economist Gosta Rehn were responsible for the Rehn Meidner model for economic growth as promulgated by the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the LO the blue collar trade union The Rehn Meidner model was first proposed in 1951 and for over the next twenty five years was the basis for the low inequality high tech oriented rapid innovation Swedish economy which also was exposed to international trade and became export oriented In response to the increasing demand on the part of workers communities and women for a share of the excess profits permitted by a capital labor state wage suppression agreement accumulated in an increasingly powerful capitalist sector Meidner created a proposal in 1976 published by the LO that called for requiring all companies above a certain size to issue new stock shares to workers so that within twenty years the workers would control 52 per cent of the companies they worked in This policy followed in Meidner s career long efforts to build a step wise peaceful institutionally supported transition to a socialist society whose carefully crafted incentive structure and culture would allow each member of society to work and contribute according to her or his capacity and receive social support according to her or his needs 5 Supported by important Swedish policy designer Walter Korpi Meidner s work was opposed by pro capitalist Social Democrats including the aggressively conservative Finance Minister Kjell Olof Feldt as well as Gosta Rehn proponent of active labour market policies and Olof Palme 5 The increasing ambitions and occasional militancy of the Swedish working class in conjunction with Meidner s careful progressive socialist institutional planning politicized the Swedish capitalist class via the Swedish Employers Association SAF who joined other countries capitalist classes ramping up their political efforts to destroy working class organizational bases and to promote the capital deregulation and mobility that began to come to crisis in the 2000s 6 The SAF s response was to model their political and policy strategies after the New Zealand capitalist class campaign which had successfully destroyed a labor movement of similar strength to the Swedish labor movement 5 The Rehn Meidner model resulted in Sweden having a very egalitarian wage system so that wage differentials between professions was very low fortifying a low Gini coefficient However in the absence of the socialist steps urged by Meidner in the 1970s the economic model resulted in capital concentration despite a very active social policy Sweden has one of the highest percentages of private ownership of capital in the world to the point where in the late 1970s 25 per cent of share capital was held by the top 0 1 per cent of shareholders and 75 per cent by the top 10 per cent For the time being the progressive taxation and pro middle class state institutions promoted by the model extensively ameliorate this capital concentration as can be seen in comparatively successful egalitarian outcomes 7 Notes EditReferences EditFootnotes Edit a b Erixon 2011 p 109 Erixon 2011 pp 110 117 In Memory of Rudolf Meidner 1914 2005 Regeringens beloningsmedaljer och regeringens utmarkelse Professors namn Regeringskansliet in Swedish January 2006 Archived from the original on 2021 11 02 Retrieved 2022 05 18 a b c Olsen Olsen Vogel Schmitt amp Zipperer 2006 Bibliography Edit Erixon Lennart 2011 A Social Innovation or a Product of Its Time The Rehn Meidner Model s Relation to Contemporary Economics and the Stockholm School PDF The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought 18 1 85 123 doi 10 1080 09672560903207653 ISSN 1469 5936 S2CID 153531915 Olsen Gregg The Struggle for Economic Democracy in Sweden Schmitt John Zipperer Ben 2006 Is the U S a Good Model for Reducing Social Exclusion in Europe The Post autistic Economics Review 40 1 Vogel David Fluctuating Fortunes Further reading EditEkdahl Lars 2001 Mot en tredje vag en biografi over Rudolf Meidner 1 Tysk flykting och svensk modell in Swedish Lund Sweden Arkiv ISBN 978 91 7924 147 6 2005 Mot en tredje vag en biografi over Rudolf Meidner 2 Facklig expert och demokratisk socialist in Swedish Lund Sweden Arkiv ISBN 978 91 7924 186 5 Greider Goran 1997 Rudolf Meidner skarvor ur ett nittonhundratalsliv in Swedish Stockholm Atlas ISBN 978 91 89044 03 6 Meidner Rudolf 1993 Why Did the Swedish Model Fail Socialist Register 211 228 Retrieved 25 August 2021 Newman Michael 2005 Socialism A Very Short Introduction Oxford University Press Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rudolf Meidner amp oldid 1162282487, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
