The legacy of Palme

Almedalsveckan – the ancester for democracy festivals with up to 500.000 participants The tradition of the democracy festivals can be traced back to 1968 when Olof Palme, Sweden’s minister of education at the time, held a speech standing in the back of a flatbed truck. Several hundred people gathered to listen. Most likely these people — including Palme — had no idea they had changed history, influencing the whole Nordic-Baltic region. 50 years later, democracy festivals are a vital part of the DNA of people living in the North. One-by-one all the nations in the Baltic-Nordic region have set up their own festivals, where each summer people can spend a few days, discussing how to improve their countries. Civil society activists, entrepreneurs, government officials, ministers and the general public sit together and talk about how to make their country a better place for everybody. The legacy of Palme is stronger than ever!

Democracy Festivals