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Sweden can be seen as an easy target for Turkey and Hungary.
That’s according to Professor Johan Strang at the University of Helsinki, who believes that Sweden – unlike Finland – has a reputation for pursuing a moralistic foreign policy “both on the right and on the left”.
Finland is expected to soon be a full member of the NATO defense alliance when Turkey ratifies the country’s membership application. At the same time, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M) is no longer “completely convinced” that Sweden is a member of this summer’s summit in Vilnius.
Instead, he has “high hopes” that this will happen. The change of wording comes after Hungary ratified Finland’s application on Monday. Sweden’s, in turn, receives no Hungarian ratification due to, for example, “lack of respect” and “moral superiority”, according to a statement from the Hungarian government.
Johan Strang, professor of Nordic studies at the University of Helsinki, says that historically, Sweden is small-state idealistic and Finland small-state realistic.
– In Finland, there is a tradition that you prefer to conduct foreign policy by being as quiet as possible, without provoking anyone at all, being friendly and jovial with everyone, says Strang.
“Shouted both to the right and to the left”
The former president of Finland, Urho Kekkonen, is the main symbol of this. Internationally, it went by the name of “Finlandization” – that you adapt a little too much to a big neighbor. In Sweden, the mindset has been that small states have a responsibility to stand up for what is right in world politics, according to Strang.
– In Sweden, you had Olof Palme who ran a more small-state idealistic line where you shouted both to the right and to the left and stood up for the right values and said what you thought on various issues.
In an interview with EPN, Strang says that Sweden has for a very long time stood for a moralistic foreign policy – and now it is locked in the situation that has arisen, despite having taken the same steps as Finland.
Easy target
Strang believes that there may still be something left of this, and therefore the NATO process is more difficult for Sweden.
– It may happen that it is a matter of Sweden being held hostage by its own reputation. That you have become an easy target for both Hungary and Turkey, who think it is easy to complain about Sweden because it has the reputation of being a bit moralistic on the international level.
Finland does not have quite the same reputation, according to Strang. Despite the fact that there are “executions” of Erdogan puppets in Finland as well, it does not cause an uproar – it does not bother anyone.
– Our reputation is not as inflamed as the Swedish one.
Facts
Sweden’s NATO process
Sweden and Finland were invited to NATO in the summer of 2022.
Earlier in March, it was clear that Finland will be the first to join the defense alliance.
On Monday, Hungary voted yes to Finland’s NATO application. Turkey is also expected to ratify Finland very shortly.
There is no information on when Sweden can be ratified by the two countries, which are the only ones remaining.
The government’s hope is that Sweden can be welcomed as a full member at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July.
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