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

Against the backdrop of strong local self-government, this article analyses how local autonomy in Sweden has been affected by the implementation of the European Social Fund (ESF) and the ‘partnership principle’. Guided by theories on collaborative governance, the authors analyse three empirically-derived forms of organizational collaborative arrangements: top-down decision- making, bottom-up regional initiatives, and horizontal local collaboration. The article illustrates how the implementation of ESF in Swedish municipalities enables local autonomy but also limits the influence of local public actors in formal and informal decision-making processes.