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13 May 2020 – Articles

The political impact of COVID-19 through the eyes of a former Prime Minister

Former Swedish Prime Minister and co-chair of the European council on foreign relations Carl Bildt shares his view on the political impact of COVID-19 and the recent policy responses on Nordic Summit 2020.

Through Nordic Summit 2020 - this year transformed into a series of virtual sessions - Danske Bank sheds light on the current COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences for the global economy and the society as a whole.

The session with Carl Bildt is moderated by Thomas Harr, Global Head of FIC Research in Danske Bank, and Jakob Ekholdt Christensen, Chief Analyst and Head of International Macro and Emerging Market Research in Danske Bank.


Watch a recap



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Key-take aways from Bildt

  • Even in the best scenarios, the world economy will be in an extremely fragile state in 2021. The possibility of trade tensions and trade wars escalating clearly risks making things substantially worse.
  • No country or EU in itself can be self-sufficient on medical equipment – we need open borders.
  • We can’t wait for COVID-19 to disappear, we need to find ways for our society to live with the virus.

About Carl Bildt

  • Former Swedish Prime Minister (1991-94)
  • Co-chair of the European council on foreign relations • Leader of the Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, and served as Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs from October 2006 to October 2014.
  • As Prime Minister of Sweden, he led the government that negotiated and signed Sweden’s accession to the European Union, reformed and liberalized the Swedish economy, and modernized its welfare system.
  • He has served on various boards, including of the Centre for European Reform, on the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, the European Council on Foreign Relations and as the first non-U.S. member of the Board of Trustees of the RAND Corporation.

Carl Bildt on Twitter

Nordic Summit - what you need to know

  • A recurring annual event for Danske Bank’s corporate and institutional clients, where we share a Nordic perspective on the most critical topics and megatrends.
  • The event includes a series of keynote speeches and panel debates with leading international experts, politicians and industry leaders on these subjects.
  • Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided to transform this year’s event into a series of virtual sessions all focusing on COVID-19. We are making the insights from the day available for everyone here on our website.