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Cohesive Capitalism Event

Ralph Miliband Programme

Is a democratic economy possible? Lessons from history, horizons for the future

Isabelle Ferreras (Louvain-la-Neuve)

Monday 30 March 2026 18:30 - 20:00

Many of our seminars and public events this year will continue as in person or as hybrid (online and in person) events. Please check our website listings and Twitter feed @STICERD_LSE for updates.

Unless otherwise specified, in-person seminars are open to the public. Please ensure you have informed the event contact as early as possible.

Those unable to join the seminars in-person are welcome to participate via zoom if the event is hybrid.

About this event

Fifty years after powerful labour movements launched radical plans to democratise the economy and gain control of large businesses, what is the legacy of these efforts and what are the prospects for economic democracy today?

Join us on the anniversary of the "Meidner plan", a famous moment in the history of socialism when Swedish unions tried to take ownership of all large companies there. As a report for the Spanish government brings renewed attention to the possibilities for economic democracy, how can we learn from the ambitions and failures of projects like this? What should plans for economic democracy look like today? And what is the best way to pursue projects for economic democracy in practice?

Meet our speakers and chair

  • Isabelle Ferreras is a Research Director (Directrice de recherches) of the Belgian National Science Foundation. She is professor of sociology at the University of Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium). 
  • Mathew Lawrence is Common Wealth’s Founder and Director.
  • Neil Warner  is an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow at the European Institute. He is a political economist and historical sociologist.
  • Robin Archer is the director of the Ralph Miliband Programme and director of the postgraduate programme in political sociology at LSE. 

How to attend
This event is a public lecture and open to all. For more information about how to attend please click here

This lecture is jointly organised with the Programme on Cohesive Capitalism and the Alternatives to Capitalism group within the Programme on Cohesive Capitalism.

Related

This event is organised by the LSE Programme on Cohesive Capitalism

Some events will be invitation only, while others will be public events. Please visit the link for each event, to view details of how to attend.

For further information please contact Lubala Chibwe by email: l.chibwe@lse.ac.uk.