Abstract
Sweden officially joined the European Union on January 1st, 1995. Since then, Sweden has been a part of the European Union, but it is said to be one of the most Euro-sceptical members of the Union. What are the causes for this strong Swedish Euro-scepticism? Is it linked to the special social structure of Sweden, characterized by the well-known universal welfare state, and the Social-Democrat dominated state, and linked to the importance of the trade unions in Sweden, as Sweden has approximately 80 percent of Union members? So we can wonder what the consequences of Sweden's entrance in the European Union were, and focus mainly on its economic aftermath. To what extent can the roots of the Swedish Euro-scepticism be found in the Swedish model? Are the doubts over Europe linked to the economic and social results of the European Union membership?
