“We want the opposite of what the government of Sweden wants”
A group of business representatives from Malmö, Copenhagen and Hamburg wrote this op-ed as a reaction to the decision by the Swedish Parliament and Government to enforce ID checks between Sweden and Denmark.
Originally published in Swedish in 8till5/Sydsvenskan, this op-ed was signed by Hampus Jakobsson, Martin Thörnkvist, Jasenko Hadzic, Tine Thygesen, Thomas Madsen-Mygdal, Yasemin Arhan Modéer, Charlotta Tönsgård, Joel Larsson, Karsten Deppert , Dan Nilsson , Lars Buch, Maria Runeson, Mårten Öbrink, Martin Walfisz, Sofia Franzén, Jan Erik Solem, David Helgason, James Haliburton, Måns Adler, Carl Silbersky, Kajsa Bengtson, Matthias Weber, Kajsa Knapp, Anna Werntoft, Charlotta Falvin , Magnus Thure Nilsson, Klaus Nyengaard.
When a CEO says that the business is on its knees and resources are dwindling, a board has two choices — to invest or to downsize. The recent refugee crisis has created a similar situation in Sweden. While the influx of immigrants are straining Sweden’s resources, instead of investing in it’s own nation, “Sweden Corp.” is downsizing. From our horizon it would have been a better choice to pursue a different path — the path healthy and strong corporations take: invest in the current situation, both in the short and long term.
Fifteen years ago the Öresund bridge opened between Malmö and Copenhagen. A bridge is a symbol of connection. Infrastructure can be a tool for integration. And the Öresund bridge has so far not only been an economic integrator, but also a social connector of the regions. The Swedish parliament’s recent decision to institute identity checks make it more difficult to travel over the bridge (made famous by the TV series The Bridge). Photos of the wall that is being built will be spread across the globe. Images of the Hunger Games and the Berlin Wall enter into the the mind of Malmö residents. These appalling images, that we would have never allowed to transpire in our region, are now happening. The question we must ask ourselves is whether Malmö is perceived as an open or closed city after January 4.
We know that innovation depends on transparency, good education and talent. In 2013 US magazine Forbes ranked Malmö as the world’s fourth most innovative city, only trumped by Eindhoven, San Francisco and San Diego.
It‘s not easy to find a place on earth where you can afford to stay, bike to work and still find so much interesting innovation and talented people. Malmo offers of all these things. And we are convinced that the fact that you could easily get to Copenhagen, and soon Hamburg, make people in Malmö more open and the city a more attractive place to live and work in.
Furthermore, half of Malmö’s population is under 35 and the city is home to 177 different nationalities in the city. This means that Malmö is a unique city for innovation and diversity, but there is a risk that it can change.
Unfortunatley, international media has often covered Malmö for violent riots and antisematic attacks. But the citizens know that Malmö is more than that, so all work hard to show the world Malmö’s far more good sides. Enforcing ID checks at Copenhagen Airport (across the bridge in Copenhagen) sends a signal to the world that people aren’t welcome here, a signal that will of course again be picked of by media outlets all over the world. Do we want to send this signal to countries that we ourselves even deem as non-democratic, racist and violent?
This op-ed text does not claim to resolve the refugee crisis in Europe. It’s about highlighting the fact that the Swedish Parliament is cutting off the flow between two interdependent regions. We have employees, customers, jobs, relationships and suppliers on both sides of the the Öresund Strait and do not see the centuries-old national border as relevant at all. The price to pursue ID checks at the border from January 4 will be high, especially in the long term. Opportunities for our businesses will deteriorate.
IBM chose to establish themselves in Malmö, thanks to the city’s openness and great diversity. Apple chose Lund (5 minutes outside of Malmö) because of the great talent pool. Many companies have moved their headquarters in Malmo for its proximity to a good airport and it’s broad recruitment base. What happens now after the ID check system?
As human beings we are disgusted by the parliamentary decision on December 17. As business people, we are wondering if our cross-border region is the best place to grow. As parents we worry that our children will not see this as a home to be proud of, but as a place that you dutifully go to for Christmas.
We want to integrate our city more — both within the city and the region.
We want the opposite of what the government of the nation-state Sweden wants. We want more and faster trains. We want a common rail and underground systems, with a common map. We want to integrate our city more — both within the city and the region. We hope the Government will reverse their decision on the new identity check system. Let us not allow January 4 to become the day when Sweden closed the shop for new people, new ideas and new businesses.
The Swedish artist Emil Jensen sings: “You know that a wall is just a bridge put on its end”. Let’s take this opportunity and increase efforts to integrate our region.