  A model for the infrared sector of SU(2) Yang-Mills theory, based on magnetic
vortices represented by (closed) random surfaces, is presented. The model
quantitatively describes both confinement (including the finite-temperature
transition to a deconfined phase) and the topological susceptibility of the
Yang-Mills ensemble. A first (quenched) study of the spectrum of the Dirac
operator furthermore yields a behavior for the chiral condensate which is
compatible with results obtained in lattice gauge theory.
