– When I was eighteen, I was a bit of a freak at first for the whole military operation, but in recent years it has grown on me, says 22-year-old Johannes Blom, who is doing military service at the Lifeguard regiment in northern Stockholm.
Before the Ukrainian war, interest among young people in doing military service decreased, according to the Swedish Armed Forces. The reason is unclear, but it is all the more clear that the downward trend was broken at the end of February.
A month later, in March, the percentage who showed an interest in basic military training such as conscription had almost doubled – from 16 percent in February, to 28 percent in March, according to figures from the Armed Forces.
Increased most in importance
The growing interest in conscription can be seen in several places. The analysis company Ungdomsbarometern has on several occasions examined opinions among young people in the 15-24 age range through a survey, most recently before the election.
Of the roughly 2,000 who responded to the survey, close to half have a positive attitude towards conscription. In November 2021, it was 1 in 3.
In the same survey, the young people have to decide whether the defense should be equipped or not, and here too a change is visible. In November 2021, 2 out of 5 wanted to upgrade the defense, now it is just over 3 out of 5.
The issue of rearmament is the one that has increased in importance according to the analysis company.
– One possible explanation is that Swedish youth’s willingness to defend themselves has increased due to the war in Ukraine, and that more people are therefore showing interest in conscription, says Christoffer Wedebrand, analyst at the Total Defense Research Institute, and continues:
– But it could also be the case that the will to defend is as high now as before, or even lower, and that what we are seeing is that those who already had a high will to defend are now only now seeing reason to work on their will to defend Sweden.
The war has affected more or less
Among the conscripts in the Lifeguard regiment, the war has had an impact to a greater or lesser degree.
– Nothing has changed like that, but it is clear that it has shed new light on the role here. You understand the seriousness, that it’s not really that far away, says 19-year-old Josef Lingvall.
– It is clear that you gained a different insight into the entire military operation, and how important it is that I do this and that everyone can do something, says Johannes Blom.