Sweden became an outlier among the Nordic countries in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Nordic countries have historically shared a social democratic welfare state regime, with strong cooperation and harmonization of social policies, their responses to the pandemic showcased fundamental differences to that of Sweden. In particular, Sweden’s prioritization of individual civil liberties over social rights diverged from the more coercive approaches of Finland and Norway, which placed greater emphasis on public health and social welfare. This study examines the media framing surrounding the contrasting Swedish approach and highlights the dichotomy between statist individualism/autonomy and welfare paternalism/interdependence that has been an inherent part of the Swedish welfare state framing. Employing interpretive policy analysis, the study explores the media narratives used by policy actors to frame their pandemic response in terms of individual autonomy and governmental paternalism. We identified two contrasting perspectives on governance regarding the COVID-19 policy strategy. One framing perspective backed the strategy, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding individual autonomy and minimizing central control. The other viewpoint demanded a lockdown and criticized the Swedish response as too lenient. This deviated from usual Swedish political alignments and created a polarized and lively debate around the core values of individual autonomy, agency, and central governmental paternalism. 

Democratic decision-making upholds local government legitimacy, institutionalising participation, debate, and decisions. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated online meeting formats to maintain these democratic processes. This shift allowed for a natural experiment to study the effects of online local meetings on councillors’ floor time. This paper develops a method to analyse the transition from onsite to online meetings and its effect on floor time distribution, and we here analyse the effects on floor time among different age groups. Using video analysis of onsite and online meetings in two Swedish municipal councils, our results showed that age may not significantly predict floor time, contrary to digital divide theories. We suggest that Sweden’s high digital literacy and robust municipal IT support mitigated age-related differences in floor time. Future research should explore varying council sizes to broaden the context.

This study explores the adaptation to automation in social services, focusing on organizational challenges and skill dynamics to enhance workforce competencies. Using a sociotechnical systems perspective, it examines social workers’ responses to implementing robotic process automation for decision-making. The analysis highlights a shift towards high-skilled labor, requiring advanced digital and interpersonal skills that can lead to job polarization and routine task automation. Key organizational challenges include resistance to automation, ethical considerations, and the need for effective communication and training. These findings emphasize the complexity of integrating automation in the public sector, necessitating transparent and inclusive strategies to build trust among employees and clients. Additionally, the study highlights competence challenges in ‘shrinking’ municipalities, pointing to the need for continuous skill development and organizational restructuring amidst technological advancements.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine interrupted the processes of digital reformation of the state which had been started after 2014 in favor of European integration and further democratic development. Nevertheless, nationwide digitalization had not slowed down in 2022-2023, and the Ukrainian government continued the path of digital transformation of public services. Blackouts and infrastructure damage created significant barriers, but simultaneously, the government's inability to refer to new challenges immediately activated civil society. Civic activists started cooperating to help local authorities deliver services to citizens, especially those which could not meet their new needs related to the war, such as the formation of databases of new vulnerable groups’ needs and the creation of platforms for mutual help. The paper considers how the processes of digital services provision were changed in times of war, highlighting the new role of civil mobilization by using technology, and discusses implications for research and peaceful practice.

The governments of the Western Balkan (WB) countries, like all other European governments, arerequired to adapt to the challenges that have emerged in the digital era. Digital citizenship, as rightsand responsibilities, has become integral to a democratic state in this era, necessitating policies andinstitutional designs focused on inclusive digital welfare.

The following paper examines the role of digital inclusion in the WB, utilizing the framework of researcher Jan van Dijk1 for understanding digital inclusion, to assess its influence on digital citizenship. Using the EU’s Digital Society and Economy Index, the Balkan Barometer, and a professional training program, the analysis reveals a discrepancy between high internet access and low digitalinclusion, particularly in digital competence and public digital service usage. Notable variationsamong the WB countries are also explored, alongside EU and regional collaboration. The paperhighlights policy measures for improving digital inclusion, thereby fostering inclusive digital citizenship in the WB. Key policy recommendations include conducting national and regional surveys,establishing citizen centers to support digital inclusion, and designing inclusive, user-friendly public digital services.

Den här rapporten är ett av resultaten i ett forskningsprojekt om smarta städer och smart teknik i utsatta bostadsområden. Den presenterar resultat från en forskningsöversikt inom projektet Hur smarta är egentligen smarta städer, byggnader och boenden? Vad kan vi lära oss av forskning och kunskap på fältet, samt vad fattas? (Formas bidrag: 2022-00015). Vi tackar Forskningsrådet Formas för möjligheten att genomföra denna studie.