INGET GRÖNT FOLKHEM UTAN EU - En kvalitativ textanalys av Socialdemokraternas miljöpolitik

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to contribute with a deeper understanding of the connection between European integration and the environmental policy of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, through a qualitative text analysis. Therefore, I will study whether the Swedish membership in the European Union has affected the environmental policy of the Swedish Social Democratic Party. To do so I will study the political party documents by the Swedish Social Democratic Party between the years of 1975-2014. The framework of green ideology theory, as well as previous research on the effects of European integration, is used to analyze the findings from the chosen political party documents. The results and analysis for this thesis has found that the Swedish membership in the European Union has affected the environmental policies of the Swedish Social Democratic Party. The environmental policies that are presented by the Social Democratic Party after the membership in the European Union are for the most part formed in a way so that the policy proposals can be pursued in the European Union. The European Commission has used environmental legislation as a method to increase the European integration and by doing so, it has also affected the environmental policies of the Swedish Social Democratic Party.