Abstract

The principle of self-government in Sweden has a long tradition that dates back to the first centuries A.C. Indeed, the very first form of self-government consisted in so called thing, that is to say local councils that had specific tasks related to the delivering justice. By the Middle Ages, the system of local self-government was well developed both in rural and in urban areas. Counties were formally established in 1634 and later in 1862 municipalities were established as a consequence of local government reforms. Ecclesiastic and secular affairs were separated and elected county councils (landsting) with a broad range of powers at regional level were established. Currently, Swedish local self-government is still based on both counties and municipalities, however, a new regional entity (Regioner) has emerged as a consequence of a globalized economy and EU membership in 1995. The paper discusses whether a «regional awareness» has been developed alongside the new regional entity.