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The turmoil of conflict and international crisis affects government as well as business interests. This article investigates how government–business relationships developed to tackle the potential problems of so-called peacetime crises that could adversely affect the country's steel and metal industries if the imports of alloy metals were disrupted in Sweden during the 1970s and 1980s. Based on extensive archival material and using an Advocacy Coalition Framework, we examine how this problem was negotiated between key stakeholders in Sweden during the period 1973–1987. We conclude that while the corporatist arrangements for negotiation were designed to build consensus, the state and business interests ultimately came into disagreement with each other. These results reflect recent research which emphasise that the relations between the state defence actors and business interests have been characterised by antagonism and contentions to a much larger degree than has been assumed in previous research.

This essay deals with how historical knowledge from a research project on economic defense and preparedness planning can inform the contemporary decision-making on the re-establishment of the Swedish civil defense. Among other things, we discuss the arguments regarding a reintroduction of the K-company system in the form it existed during the Cold War inrelations to the proposals by the public inquiry Utredningen om näringslivets försörjningsberedskap. To this end, we apply lessons learned and empirical-analytical conclusions drawnfrom a substantial research survey on business-government relations and the history of the war economy.

This article explores Sweden’s opposition to the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages. Despite broad support for minimum wage legislation across Europe, Swedish trade unions and employer organisations unanimously resisted the directive, fearing that it would undermine the autonomous collective bargaining model. Although the directive includes exemptions for countries with robust collective bargaining systems, concerns persist regarding potential EU overreach through judicial rulings. The article examines the complexities of Sweden’s response, including shifts in government positions and the implications for labour market autonomy. It highlights the collective resistance of Sweden’s social partners, their historical commitment to independent wage-setting and the challenges EU legislation poses to national labour market traditions. By analysing these dynamics, the article sheds light on broader tensions between European integration and domestic labour market policies, emphasising both the resilience and the vulnerabilities of Sweden’s collective bargaining framework.