Alcohol policy and local democracy in Sweden

Abstract

Aims Europeanisation has led to an elevated role for Swedish local government in the field of alcohol policy, as the national government has been deprived of many of its previous policy instruments. Municipalities are now responsible for handling the social effects of political liberalisation on the national and European level. But are the municipalities and local democracy ready to take this responsibility? This article investigates whether the fundamental prerequisites for democratic processes in the field of alcohol policy are in place in Swedish local government. Is the field politicised and are the ideological dimensions of the field mirrored by political parties, providing the local citizens with political alternatives on Election Day? Methods The data comes from a survey to 1,388 local councillors in 49 municipalities. Results Issues of alcohol policy are indeed politicised in Swedish local politics, with a clearly identifiable ideological dimension in the attitudes of local councillors. This dimensionality is partly mirrored in the councillors’ party affiliation, and their ideological views on alcohol can to a certain extent be explained by their social attributes. Conclusion The fundamental prerequisites are in place for Swedish local representative democracy to handle the field of alcohol policy.