Join us March 11th for a Swedish fika coffee hour and conversation with H.E. Urban Ahlin, Ambassador of Sweden to the U.S. RSVP today.
Global democracy has hit an all-time low, according to the 2024 Global Democracy Index. At the same time, U.S. relations with Europe are strained, with some saying that the souring transatlantic relationship could jeopardize the future of global democracy.
As these issues come to a head, we are thrilled to be joined by H.E. Urban Ahlin, Ambassador of Sweden to the U.S. As a global economic and cultural powerhouse and NATO's newest member, Sweden is ranked the world's third strongest democracy.
Ambassador Ahlin was previously the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament and is one of the founding members of the first pan-European think-tank, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).
After enjoying a traditional Swedish fika coffee social, we’ll discuss Sweden’s role in the world, the transatlantic relationship, and the state of democracy globally.
The Details
When: Tuesday, March 11 | 5:00pm – 7:00pm ET
5:00PM Fika social | 6:00PM Conversation
Where: World Affairs Council of CT | 1049 Asylum Ave, Hartford, CT
Tickets: $25 Member | $35 General Admission
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About the Ambassador
His Excellency Urban Ahlin has served as the Ambassador of Sweden to the United States since September 2023. Ambassador Ahlin most recently served as Sweden's Ambassador to Canada. Prior to that, he was a member of the Swedish Parliament, representing the Social Democratic Party. Following the 2014 parliamentary election, Ambassador Ahlin was elected Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Sveriges Riksdag, for the period 2014-2018. Ambassador Ahlin first became a member of Parliament in 1994. Since then, he has worked on foreign policy in numerous capacities. He was Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs between 2002 and 2006, and later Deputy Chair from 2006 to 2014. He has also been a member of the War Delegation, the Swedish Defence Commission, and a member of the Committee on European Affairs.
As part of his work for the Social Democratic Party, Ambassador Ahlin served as the party’s Foreign Policy Spokesperson and has also been a member of the party’s Executive Board. In addition, Ambassador Ahlin is one of the founding members of the first pan-European think-tank, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), which was established in 2007. Ambassador Ahlin is a teacher and graduated from the University of Karlstad with a Master of Science. He is married and has two daughters.
