Local autonomy and the partnership principle: Collaborative governance in the European Social Fund in Sweden

IMPACTThis article analyses the democratic autonomy of local public actors in collaborative organizational arrangements within context European Social Investment Fund (ESIF). The authors outline three different ways that collaborations materialize and analyse how these influence a municipality’s capacity to set policy priorities decide upon matters. study shows varies partnerships depending on degree formalization collaboration; inclusion government actors; extent which are predetermined by regulation.ABSTRACTAgainst backdrop strong self-government, this Sweden has been affected implementation (ESF) ‘partnership principle’. Guided theories governance, empirically-derived forms arrangements: top-down decision-making, bottom-up regional initiatives, horizontal collaboration. illustrates ESF Swedish municipalities enables but also limits formal informal decision-making processes.