PAO India

International partners: Socialists and centre-right movements
Swedish organisations: Olof Palme International Center in cooperation with Jarl Hjalmarson
Foundation

India is unique in its part of the world. Not only due to its size, but also due to having a democracy that is so deeply rooted and stable, 60 years after independence was gained. At the same time, there is much to indicate that India’s democracy must face new challenges. There is increasing pressure from neighbouring countries marked by political instability and violence. The undemocratic Maoist movement, the so-called Naxalites, are winning new ground. Increasingly more Indian voters are turning their backs on their old national parties in
favour of regional parties, negating many former assumptions about Indian democracy.

Th e overall objective of the joint party project in India is to develop closer contact with and support to ideologically based parties. In India political parties are based on a scale running from secular to religious rather than from left to right. The initial activities of 2007 were very well received in India and the Swedish social democrats and moderates are now cooperating on establishing a programme for exchange of experience and education.