The Social Democratic Party made a historic NATO decision on Sunday. The party is seeking to continue its disarmament work from within NATO.
STOCKHOLM The Swedish Social Democrats made a historic decision today. The party is in favor of applying for NATO membership.
The position of the Social Democrats is crucial in Sweden’s NATO decision. Now the parliament has a majority of pro-NATO parties from left to right, ranging from the Social Democrats to the Swedish Democrats.
A broad mix of parties is needed for support to be considered strong enough from the people to support the application.
The Environment Party and the Left Party still want a permanent defense union outside Sweden.
Huge change in line
The change in NATO’s position is enormous for the Social Democrats, as military non-alignment has been a central part of the party’s ideology for decades.
During the Vietnam War, the party grew strong opposition from the United States, which included peace marches and global work to advance disarmament.
The party and especially its long-term chairman Olof Palme places Sweden among the great powers as a country that cared for the voice of the Third World.
It was only after the Cold War that it was revealed to the Swedes that the country had agreed to provide military support to the country in a crisis situation.
This identity as a bridge builder also spread to Swedish society, from which it only began to subside with the country’s EU membership.
In the Social Democrats, the teeth of the nail have been held to this tradition.
The party wants to change NATO from within
Until two months ago, the chairman Magdalena Andersson said Sweden’s NATO membership would destabilize the security situation in Europe.
One of the biggest topics of discussion in the Social Democrats in the final meters of the NATO decision has been how Sweden can still act as an opponent of dictatorships and a mediator in peace if the country is in a defense alliance with Turkey, for example.
The party has decided that this work will continue within NATO. The intention is to try to change NATO together with the other Nordic countries.
Finland is the biggest factor in changing the position of the Social Democrats.
Sweden would have become the only non-NATO Nordic country. It would have been not only strange but also dangerous. The long coast of Sweden, and Gotland in particular, would have been in a very vulnerable position.
The party’s change of line has been facilitated by the fact that the Social Democrats have been making a similar decision in Finland as the Prime Minister’s party. Also the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg the social democratic background has relieved many in the membership.
Sweden was last in the war from 1808 to 1809, when it lost Finland to Russia. For a moment, Sweden considered trying to recapture Finland, but decided to give up.
Military non-alignment has lasted since those days. Now it is coming to an end, 81 days after Russia invaded Ukraine.