Swedish Social Democratic Youth League Sveriges socialdemokratiska ungdomsförbund
Chairperson	Mattias Vepsä (temporary until congress 2007)
Secretary General	Mattias Vepsä
Founded	1917
Headquarters	Ringvägen 100 A, Stockholm
Mother party	Swedish Social Democratic Party
International affiliation	International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY)
European affiliation	ECOSY - Young European Socialists
Website	www.ssu.se

The Swedish Social Democratic Youth League (Sveriges Socialdemokratiska Ungdomsförbund, abbreviated SSU) is a social democratic youth organisation in Sweden, affiliated with the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the Swedish Trade Union Confederation. Image File history File links SSU-logo. ... Year 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ...   (IPA: ; UN/LOCODE: SE STO) is the capital of Sweden, and consequently the site of its Government and Parliament as well as the residence of the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf. ... The Swedish Social Democratic Party, officially the Social Democratic Workers Party (Swedish: ), contests elections as Workers Party - Social Democrats (Arbetarepartiet-Socialdemokraterna), commonly referred to just as the Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterna); is a political party in Sweden. ... The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) encompasses socialist, social democratic and Labour Party youth organizations from more than 100 states of the world. ... ECOSY - Young European Socialists is an association of socialist and social democratic youth organisations in the European Union. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... A Youth organization is a formal organization aimed at children and adolescents for education and socialization. ... The Swedish Social Democratic Party, officially the Social Democratic Workers Party (Swedish: ), contests elections as Workers Party - Social Democrats (Arbetarepartiet-Socialdemokraterna), commonly referred to just as the Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterna); is a political party in Sweden. ... LO logo The Swedish Trade Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen i Sverige or LO) is an umbrella organisation for sixteen Swedish trade unions that organise blue collar workers. ...

History

The Social Democratic Youth League was formed in 1917, after the previous social democratic youth organization, Socialdemokratiska Ungdomsförbundet (SDUF, Social Democratic Youth League) broke with the party and formed Sveriges Socialdemokratiska Vänsterparti (Social Democratic Left Party of Sweden), that would (after several splits and name changes) eventually become the Left Party of today. Year 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Young Left (Ung Vänster) is the youth organisation of the Swedish Left Party. ... The Left Party (Vänsterpartiet) is a political party in Sweden. ...

Many Swedish Social Democratic politicians have started their political career in the organisation, including Olof Palme, Ingvar Carlsson, Bosse Ringholm and Anna Lindh. Younger politicians that have followed their path from the youth league into the Cabinet are Morgan Johansson, Lena Hallengren and Ibrahim Baylan. Sven Olof Joachim Palme ( ) (January 30, 1927 – February 28, 1986) was a Swedish politician. ... Ingvar Carlsson (born 9 November 1934 in BorÃ¥s, Västra Götalands län, Sweden), is a Swedish politician, former Prime Minister of Sweden (Mar 1986–Oct 1991; Oct 1994–Mar 1996) and leader of the Social Democrat Party (Mar 1986–Mar 1996). ... Image:Bosse Ringholm. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Ibrahim Baylan (born 1972) is a Swedish Social Democratic politician. ...

Organization

The members form local clubs, but also belong to a municipal organisation (SSU-kommun) that are grouped together in regional organisations, in general following the county subdivisions, with the exceptions Stockholm County (two districts) and Västra Götaland County (five districts). The Municipalities or Kommuner represent the local level of self government in Sweden. ... A county, or län, is an administrative and political subdivision of Sweden. ... Stockholm County, or Stockholms län, is a County or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. ... Västra Götaland County, or Västra Götalands län is a County or län on the western coast of Sweden. ...

Every second year, the national organisation holds a congress, adopting policy documents and electing a national Board. The national head office is situated in Södermalm in central Stockholm. Houses of Södermalm, facing Riddarfjärden Small street on Södermalm. ...   (IPA: ; UN/LOCODE: SE STO) is the capital of Sweden, and consequently the site of its Government and Parliament as well as the residence of the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf. ...

The Swedish Social Democratic Youth League belongs to the European socialist youth organisation Ecosy, as well as the International Union of Socialist Youth. ECOSY - Young European Socialists is an association of socialist and social democratic youth organisations in the European Union. ... The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) encompasses socialist, social democratic and Labour Party youth organizations from more than 100 states of the world. ...

Districts

• SSU Blekinge
• SSU Bohuslän
• SSU Dalarna
• SSU Gotland
• SSU Gävleborg
• SSU Göteborg
• SSU Halland
• SSU Jämtland
• SSU Jönköping
• SSU Kalmar län
• SSU Kronoberg
• SSU Norra Älvsborg
• SSU Norrbotten
• SSU Skaraborg
• SSU Skåne
• SSU Stockholm
• SSU Södra Älvsborg
• SSU Sörmland
• SSU Uppland
• SSU Värmland
• SSU Västerbotten
• SSU Västernorrland
• SSU Västmanland
• SSU Örebro län
• SSU Östergötland
• Stockholm Läns SSU-distrikt

Political Development

SSU has worked hard in forming public opinion and introducing new ideas within the motherparty. In recent years SSU made the party adopt feminism as a base for society analysis and the organisation have also been successful in its campaign to make the parliament give homosexuals the right to get married and adopt children. Feminism is a collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies largely motivated by or concerned with the liberation of women from subordination to men. ...

Being a radical socialist force within the Swedish labour movement, strongly influenced by Marxism, SSU formed many new ideas of how to achieve socialism with democratic, parliamentarian means during the seventies and eighties. During this period SSU's support for radical freedom movements in the third world, like those in South Africa and Nicaragua, were huge, and the organisation has always had very good international contacts. The labour movement (or labor movement) is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and political governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labor relations. ... Marxism refers to the philosophy and social theory based on Karl Marxs work on one hand, and the political practice based on Marxist theory on the other hand (namely, parts of the First International during Marxs time, communist parties and later states). ... For the Jamaican reggae band, see Third World (band). ...

In the beginning of the nineties the right wing gained in influence, taking inspiration from New Labour and Gerhard Schröder, and took a firm grip of the organisation using its funds to oppress the left wing. The right wing's ideas, influenced by Antony Giddens, are pro-market economy and are more socialliberal in their analysis of society and the world. During the peak of the right-wing rule, socialism was almost completely erased from the organisation's program. Although SSU has always positioned itself as radical in issues of environment, anti-racism, gay rights and women's issues. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Left-Right politics. ... The Labour Party has been, since its founding in the early 20th century, the principal political party of the left in the United Kingdom. ...   [] (born April 7, 1944), German politician, was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. ... Anti-racism refers to beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. ...

After the congress in 2005, where the factions split the power and the right-wing majority allowed a more socialist program there is hope that the faction clashing now will cease.^{[citation needed]}

Conflict and Controversy

With more than claimed 20,000 members (the organisation had more than 100,000 members during its height in the 1950s), the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League is the country's largest political youth organisation. During the spring of 2005, however, a number of scandals revealed systematical cheating with membership figures in a numerous districts. Some districts, for example in Södermanland, had to cut their membership number in half. This scandal has spread all the way up to the cabinet - ministers like Ibrahim Baylan, Lena Hallengren as well as finance minister Pär Nuder have served in SSU at the time of alleged frauds. This is very serious, as different governmental organisations fund political groups like SSU based on its membership. Many millions SEK may have been fraudulently obtained over the years. Malpractices have also been revealed in other youth leagues. One of the governmental organisations, the Swedish Youth Board (Ungdomsstyrelsen), have recently reported both the SSU and Ung Vänster to the police. (frequently shortened to Sörmland in Sweden, particularly locally) is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. ... A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ... A minister or a secretary is a politician who heads a government ministry or department (e. ... Ibrahim Baylan (born 1972) is a Swedish Social Democratic politician. ... The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government. ... Pär Nuder Pär Anders Nuder (born February 27, 1963) is a Swedish Social Democratic politician. ... Young Left (Ung Vänster) is the youth organisation of the Swedish Left Party. ...

The scandals are also connected to the fierce rivalry between SSU's right and left wing. The right-wingers are more reform-minded and positive towards the EU, while the left-wing is more traditionally socialist. The right-wing also tends to be more loyal to the mother party, which generally is more moderate than SSU. Inflated membership figures have been used by districts, like the right-wing one in Norrbotten, to obtain more deputies to the congress, giving more say over policy and positions. Norrbotten lost almost half of its members when the scandal went public, overall many districts lost a serious amount of members who falsely were kept in the membership lists. Many believe that the right-wing will be the minority when the affair is all cleared out because the left-wing, of idealistic reasons, were not so found of cheating. Altogether the organisation went from 29.000 members to 19.000 and the number may drop further in January 2006 and 2007. Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ... Norrbotten is the name of an unofficial Province (landskap) in Sweden, originally a part of Västerbotten, which gradually grow apart from Västerbotten after the creation of Norrbotten County in 1810. ...

This rivalry was the source of some controversy during 2004 and 2005 as it was revealed that the chairman, the reformer Ardalan Shekarabi, had used funds from an integration project to finance his leadership campaign. Eventually he had to resign, and after that there have been signs of reconciliation. At the congress in 2005 a deal was made which gave the leadership to the right-wing while the left-wing got the secretary position. The opposition's success in the polls during much of 2005 has also unified SSU, as its members have sought to defeat the opposition outside their party rather than within it.

On January 29, 2006, SSU was once again hurt by controversy as chairman Anna Sjödin was arrested by the police outside the club Crazy Horse in Stockholm. According to the bouncer, a drunk Sjödin first insulted the bouncer, and then snuck up behind him and somehow managed to get a strangling hold on him. The bouncer also claimed that Sjödin used derogatory words - alluding to the fact that he was an immigrant - as well as stating that he was "just the kind of immigrant we don't want in this country".^{[citation needed]} Sjödin, however, claims that the bouncers assaulted her and her friends and has filed a lawsuit against the bouncer for physical abuse (repeated hitting with baton), insulting (calling her "fucking cunt" and "fucking bitch") and false accusations (that he in his lawsuit against her claimed that she had called him a "fucking darkie").^{[citation needed]} Sjödin has been released from custody. January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Anna Sjödin Photo: Martin Adolfsson Anna Sjödin (born 1976 in Enköping) is a Swedish Social Democratic politician, and was elected president of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League in August 2005. ...   (IPA: ; UN/LOCODE: SE STO) is the capital of Sweden, and consequently the site of its Government and Parliament as well as the residence of the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf. ... Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause pain, injury, or other physical suffering or harm. ...

Presidents

• Harry Svensson (1917-1919)
• Bertil Eriksson (1919-1922)
• Rickard Lindström (1922-1928)
• Adolf Wallentheim (1928-1934)
• Torsten Nilsson (1934-1940)
• Ossian Sehlstedt (1940-1943)
• Bertil Johansson (1943-1946)
• Frans Nilsson (1946-1952)
• Bertil Löfberg (1952-1958)
• Curt Ward (1958-1961)
• Ingvar Carlsson (1961-1967)
• Bosse Ringholm (1967-1972)
• Lars Engqvist (1972-1978)
• Jan Nygren (1978-1984)
• Anna Lindh (1984-1990)
• Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson (1990-1995)
• Niklas Nordström (1995-1999)
• Mikael Damberg (1999-2003)
• Ardalan Shekarabi (2003-2005)
• Anna Sjödin (2005-2006)
• Secretary Mattias Vepsä leads SSU until the congress 2007

Bertil Johansson (born 22 March 1935 in Gothenburg) was a Swedish football striker and football manager. ... Ingvar Carlsson (born 9 November 1934 in Borås, Västra Götalands län, Sweden), is a Swedish politician, former Prime Minister of Sweden (Mar 1986–Oct 1991; Oct 1994–Mar 1996) and leader of the Social Democrat Party (Mar 1986–Mar 1996). ... Image:Bosse Ringholm. ... Lars Engqvist (born August 13th, 1945) is a Swedish politician. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Anna Sjödin Photo: Martin Adolfsson Anna Sjödin (born 1976 in Enköping) is a Swedish Social Democratic politician, and was elected president of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League in August 2005. ...

Secretaries

• Karl Hovberg (1928-1931)
• Joel Ljungquist (1931-1935(until 1/4))
• Folke Thunborg (1935(1/4)-1940)
• Bertil Johansson (1940-1943)
• Hilding Färm (1943-1948(until feb))
• Essen Lindahl (1948(6-7/3)-1949)
• Bertil Löfberg (1949-1952)
• Frans Nilsson (1946-1952)
• Bertil Löfberg (1952-1958)
• Oskar Lindkvist (1952-1955)
• Sture Hollman (1955-1958)
• Rune Molin (1958-1962(31/7))
• Sven Hulterström (1962(from 31/7)-1964)
• Thage Pettersson (1964-1967)
• Bo Toresson (1967-1969(until 31/7))
• Ulf Karlsson (1969(from 21/4)-1972)
• Christer Lindström (1972-1975)
• Håkan Bystedt (1975-1981)
• Bo Bernhardsson (1981-1984)
• Leif Linde (1984-1988(until 1/10))
• Anders Teljebäck (1988(from 1/10)-1990)
• Lars Ericson (1990-1994)
• Carin Jämtin (1994-1995)
• Pernilla Mobeck (1995-1999)
• Lena Hallengren (1999-2002(until 21/10))
• Caroline Waldheim (2002-2003(until aug))
• Sara Helge-Vikmång (2003-2005)
• Mattias Vepsä (2005-)

Bertil Johansson (born 22 March 1935 in Gothenburg) was a Swedish football striker and football manager. ... Bo Bernhardsson Bo Bernhardsson, born 1949, is a Swedish social democratic politician, member of the Riksdag 1991–1995 and then again in 2002. ... Carin Jamtin Carin Jämtin (born 1964 in Stockholm) is a Swedish Social Democratic politician. ...

External links

• Official site (in Swedish)

The parliament building from outside. ... The Moderate Youth League (Moderata Ungdomsförbundet, abbreviated MUF) is the youth organization of the Swedish Moderate Party. ... The Young Christian Democrats (Swedish: , KDU) is the youth organization of the Christian Democrats in Sweden. ... The Centre Party Youth (Swedish: , CUF) is the youth organization of the Center Party in Sweden. ... The Liberal Youth of Sweden (Liberala ungdomsförbundet, abbreviated LUF) is the youth wing of the Swedish Liberal Peoples Party. ... Young Greens of Sweden (in Swedish: Grön Ungdom) is the youth organization of the Green Party in Sweden. ... First congress of SDUF, in 1905 Young Left (Ung Vänster) is the youth organisation of the Swedish Left Party. ... The parliament building from outside. ... Sweden Democrat Youth (Sverigedemokratisk Ungdom, SDU) is the youth league of the minor Swedish political party Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna). ... National Democratic Youth (Swedish: , NDU) is the youth organization of the Swedish political party National Democrats (Swedish: ). // NDU was formed during spring 2002 and early became notable as one of Swedens most radical youth organisations against multiculturalism, communism, homosexuality and feminism striving for a nation characterized by Nordic culture... Revolutionary Communist Youth (Revolutionär Kommunistisk Ungdom, abbreviated RKU) is the youth organization of the Swedish Communist Party. ... Young Communist League of Sweden (Sveriges Kommunistiska Ungdomsförbund) is the youth wing of the Communist Party of Sweden (SKP). ... Young Pirate(Ung Pirat) is the youth organisation of the Swedish Pirate Party. ...

Young European Socialist Full Member Organisations
SJ Austria | VSStÖ Austria | Animo Belgium | MJS Belgium | BSM Bulgaria | ELMA Bulgaria | FM SDP Croatia | NEOS Cyprus | MSD Czech Republic | DSU Denmark | Noored Sotsiaaldemokraadid Estonia | Demarinuoret Finland | SONK Finland | MJS France | Jusos Germany | SJD – Die Falken Germany | Neolaia PASOK Greece | FiB Hungary | Labour Youth Ireland | Sinistra Giovanile Italy | FGS Italy | JSS Latvia | LSDJS Lithuania | JSL Luxembourg | LYF Malta | JS Netherlands | FMS Poland | FMUP Poland | JS Portugal | TSD Romania | MSD Slovakia | MF SD Slovenia | JS Spain | S-studenter Sweden | SSU Sweden | Young Labour United Kingdom | Labour Students United Kingdom ECOSY - Young European Socialists is an association of socialist and social democratic youth organisations in the European Union. ... Image File history File links Logo_ecosy. ... The SJ Austria (SJÖ) is a socialist youth organistion. ... The Socialist Students of Austria (German: Verband Sozialistischer StudentInnen Österreichs, VSStÖ) is a socialist and social democratic student organization at Austrian universities. ... Danmarks Socialdemokratiske Ungdom (Social Democratic Youth of Denmark), the youth wing of the Social Democrats (Denmark). ... Logo of Estonian Young Social Democrats Young Social Democrats (Estonian: Noored Sotsiaaldemokraadid; colloquially noor-sotsid) is the youth wing organisation of the Estonian Social Democratic Party. ... Jungsozialistinnen und Jungsozialisten in der SPD (Young Socialists in the SPD), generally called Jusos, are the youth organization of the German Social Democratic SPD. Generally far more left-wing in their approach to current events than their mother party, they tend to criticise leading politicians whatever their affiliation. ... Labour Youth Logo Labour Youth (LY) is the youth wing of the Irish political party the Labour Party of Ireland, representing a radical youth democratic socialist voice within the Irish Labour Party. ... The Dutch “Jonge Socialisten in de PvdA” (JS) is a left wing organisation that promots the full participation of young people in society. ... Social Democratic Students of Sweden (sv:Socialdemokratiska studentförbundet, S-studenter) is a social democratic student organization affiliated with the Swedish Social Democratic Party. ... Young Labour is the name for the youth wings of the British Labour Party and New Zealand Labour Party, and is also used to refer to the youth sections of Labour parties in general. ... Labour Students, often referred to as NOLS (from National Organisation of Labour Students, the former title), is an independent student organisation affiliated to the British Labour Party. ...
Young European Socialist Associated Member Organisations
Agonas Cyprus | JUSO Switzerland | SZIM Hungary | AUF Norway | MS Poland | OPTD Romania ECOSY - Young European Socialists is an association of socialist and social democratic youth organisations in the European Union. ... Arbeidernes Ungdomsfylking (Workers Youth League) is the youth wing of the Norwegian Labour Party. ...
Related articles: Party of European Socialists The Party of European Socialists (PES) is a European political party whose members are 33 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well as Norway. ...