Welcome to FES Nordic Countries

More information

Female friends having dinner at back yard on sunny day — Creator: Maskot,1350227247, Getty Images

The FES Nordic Countries

Combining social security with economic performance, the ”Nordic model” still inspires a wide range of European societies. Gender equality, inclusive social security, economic growth and social integration seem to be more successfully implemented in the Nordics than in any other parts of the world. What are this welfare model’s strengths and what challenges does it face? What can be learned from this model from a German perspective? In which way can the Nordic countries profit from German experiences? And, which common challenges do these individual societies face in the future?

Map of Europe, with focus on Sweden. Various graphic elements in the image representing public service media — Creator: FES

Democracy and the Welfare State
Publication

Monday, 23.02.2026

What is the state of public service media in Sweden?

This paper looks at the current state and future challenges of Swedish Public Service Media (PSM).

An image with graphic elements, a book, and a computer — Creator: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

Publication

Wednesday, 17.12.2025

Media and Information Literacy and its Response to Disinformation and Propaganda

New report on how Finland, Europe’s media and information literacy frontrunner, turns strategy and collaboration into resilience against disinformation.

Thursday, 20.11.2025

You are not born an East German, you become one

Talk | 35 years after reunification. What does it mean to be (East) German today? Authors Valerie Schönian and Peggy Mädler will talk about East German identity, belonging, and memory in a conversation moderated by Christiane...

News

Friday, 17.10.2025

100 Years of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

In 2025, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) celebrates its 100th anniversary. As the oldest political foundation in Germany, we stand in the tradition of the workers’ movement and are guided by the core values of social...

All activities

Our Topics

Social Democracy

Renowned for their innovative social policies and for the high standards of their democratic institutions and their focus on equality and inclusiveness, the Nordic countries are a synonym for modern democratic welfare states.

Professional Heavy Industry Engineer - Worker Wearing Safety Uniform and Hard Hat Uses Tablet Computer. — Creator: Gorodenkoff, AdobeStock

Decent Work and Fair Economy

The Nordics are famous for their high-tech exporting economies, boasting high productivity and innovativeness. This success relies on a long tradition of social partnership with strong trade unions with a level of membership.

Quit Frontier — Creator: Patrick Chin_DTS

Peace and Security

The Nordic countries with a strong track-record on supporting multilateral organisations initiatives, are situated in two regions of increased geopolitical interests and heightened security tensions: The Arctic circle and the Baltic Sea.