Retrospective on Irene (LaBarca) Battaglia “The Öresund Region: Sweden’s Bridge to the World” from Sweden: The Model Welfare State Meets the Future Perspectives on Business and Economics, Volume 22, 2004 Irene (LaBarca) Battaglia ‘04 is now a Senior Engineering Analyst at Van Cleef Engineering Associates, LLC. . Has the Öresund Crossing increased in popularity since the article’s publishing in 2004? Since 2004, the Öresund Crossing connecting Sweden and Denmark has gained significant popularity and is used by about 5.8 million vehicles every year (Øresundsbron). Its popularity is largely due to the implementation of season passes, commuter-specific passes, and group rates which differ in price and provide better deals. However, like much of the transportation sector, the Öresund Crossing was significantly negatively impacted due to the Coronavirus pandemic and attempts to mitigate the spread. “Road traffic on the link declined by 69 per cent in weeks 12–13 compared to the corresponding weeks last year…. Passenger car traffic declined by 74.8 per cent… while lorries exceeding 9 metres declined by 4.5 per cent. Leisure customers stayed home on the orders of the authorities and commuters worked from home due to the closure of workplaces” (Øresundsbron 2020). Since then, the bridge and its respective countries have been slowly attempting to recover. While Sweden has lifted its entry restrictions, traffic volume is nowhere near what it was in 2019 before the pandemic. Since 2004, have Sweden and Denmark collaborated to create a more cohesive system for taxation? Sweden and Denmark are currently using the tax systems they have had for decades. The systems in place lack coordination. For example, Sweden’s social security contributions make up about 10% of GDP, but Denmark does not impose social security contributions to fund social programs (Asen 2021). Additionally, both countries still maintain their own high personal income tax rates without regard for rates in the other. Finally, neither country has yet elected to adopt the euro. Although not much has changed on coordinating taxation or currency, it nevertheless appears that other factors have improved the two countries’ integration across the Öresund Region. Has the Öresund Crossing increased regional integration and economic growth as predicted by the article? The construction of the bridge has fostered economic growth on both sides due to, simultaneously, substantially increased commuting and lower commuting expenses. Additionally, “90% of commuters have helped ease the skills shortage in some sectors, generating an additional EUR 6 billion of value added in the region since the Öresund Bridge opened in 2000” (Aulnette 2018). However, there has yet to be any notably increased regional integration aside from those commuting to and from work. References Asen, Elke. (2021). Insights into the Tax Systems of Scandinavian Countries. Taxfoundation.org/ Scandinavian-countries-taxes-2021/ Øresundsbron. (2020). Coronavirus Crisis Impacts Q1-Bridge Traffic Declined 69 Per Cent in Weeks 12–13. [Press]. www.oresundsbron.com/en/info/ press/coronavirus-crisis-impacts Øresundsbron. (n.d.). Traffic Statistics 2022. www.oresundsbron.com/en/traffic-stats Retrospective by Sidney Jankanish ’23, Political Science and International Relations Martindale Retrospectives 4 June 2023
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