När EU kom till byn : LEADER II - ett sätt att styra landsbygdens utveckling

Sammanfattning: The aim of this thesis is to analyse changes in political and territorial organisation that followed the introduction and implementation of the EU initiative for rural development, LEADER II, in Sweden. Focusing on the actors involved, the LEADER process is analysed from three perspectives: local democracy; the construction of regions; and the political capacity to act. Governance is the conceptual framework that guides the analysis. The main empirical material consists of 85 interviews conducted with people who actively participated in LEADER II. The LEADER programme is aiming at transgressing existing boundaries between societal sectors. It is done through the creation of partnership organisations and new regions. Viewed from a governance standpoint, the inclusion of actors from the private and non-profit sectors promises higher efficiency in delivering political goods through added resources and increased local knowledge. However, even if governance indicates that new forms for political implementation can be experimented with there are limits to what can be achieved. In the LEADER case, it is clear that the public sector retained its power over resources, means and ends.