New Swedish government vows to cut role of state in economy

Sweden's new government, September 2006, plans to reduce the state's role in the economy substantially, and will sell off government stakes in some of the country's best known companies, including SAS, the airline, and Nordea, the Nordic region's largest bank. In a shift in economic direction, it has pledged to spin off holdings in unlisted state-controlled firms and to open large parts of the economy to private sector competition.