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New poll finds majority of Swedes in favour of joining Nato
For the first time since Nato's foundation, a slim 51 percent majority of Swedes now backs joining the security alliance, according to a new poll.https://www.thelocal.se/20220304/new-poll-finds-majority-of-swedes-in-favour-of-joining-nato/
The poll, carried out by the Demoskop opinion research company for the Aftonbladet newspaper, showed the highest level of support for joining the security alliance ever recorded among Swedes, and follows a poll last week in neighbouring Finland which also showed public opinion shifting in favour of joining.
Both Sweden and Finland have historically been non-aligned, with Sweden remaining neutral through both world wars. “These are the highest numbers ever, but it is to be expected that we would see opinion shift,” Karin Nelssson, the polling company’s chief executive, told Aftonbladet.”Our own security situation has been affected and people see what happened to Ukraine, which was also not part of Nato.”
According to the poll, 27 percent are against Sweden joining the alliance, while 22 percent are still uncertain. In the company’s January poll, only 42 percent were in favour, while 37 percent were against. The poll came a week after a poll carried out for Finnish state broadcaster Yle found that 53 percent of Finns were now in favour of joining the alliance, up from just 19 percent when the broadcaster last polled on the question in 2017.
When the respondents to the Demoskop poll who were in favour were asked why, several said they did not want to be a strategic element in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plans to attack the west. Many of those who were against joining were afraid that Putin might attack Sweden if Sweden did join.
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"Do you think that Sweden should or should not be a member of the NATO defence alliance?"
Source: Demoskop • The survey includes 1,017 interviews during the period 25 February - 1 March 2022 and was conducted via a web survey.
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Finland, Sweden to receive enhanced access to NATO intel over Ukraine
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine extends Moscow’s military power to the borders of several NATO members, NATO partners Finland and Sweden can be part of an intensified exchange of information and NATO’s strategic communication.
https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-and-security/news/finland-sweden-to-receive-enhanced-access-to-nato-intel-over-ukraine/
“Sweden and Finland may, if they so wish on a case-by-case basis, participate in enhanced contacts with NATO, enhanced information exchange and coordination, information on operations and strategic communications,” Finnish President Sauli Niinistö confirmed to reporters after a virtual NATO summit on Friday (26 February). NATO partners Finland, Sweden and the EU were also invited to participate.
“It is not in itself something revolutionary, but it should be noted that all countries see this as the right arrangement,” Niinistö said, adding this would not equal the possibility of Finland joining NATO. In practice, this means that the two countries could participate in enhanced intelligence-sharing and strategic communications on a case-by-case basis.
Based on the arrangement, Finland could, for example, request confidential information from NATO or vice versa, while the respective holder of the information would decide whether to provide the information. According to diplomatic sources, NATO leaders on Friday discussed the special role of both since “they need to be fully informed because of their strategic position for Russia”.
Finland and Sweden are two of six countries known as ‘enhanced partners’, largely due to their contributions to NATO operations. As such, they have options when it comes to cooperation. In recent months, NATO has stepped up cooperation focusing on security in the Baltic Sea region, which includes political consultations, exchanges of information on hybrid warfare, and joint exercises.
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these are some of the military/defence groups we (Sweden, plus Finland) are in
There seems to be a vast misunderstanding here by some who think Finland and Sweden are all alone, twisting in the wind, simply because we are not full NATO members. I can assure all that that is not the case, AND we both cooperate deeply with NATO already.
Nordic Defence Cooperation
Nordic Battlegroup
National participation in the principal European and trans-Atlantic defence arrangements
NATO Relations with Sweden
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_52535.htm
NATO and Sweden share common values, conduct an open and regular political dialogue and engage in a wide range of practical cooperation. NATO and Sweden actively cooperate in peace-support operations, exercise together and exchange analysis and information. An important priority is to ensure interoperable capabilities, maintaining the ability of the Swedish Armed Forces to work with those of NATO and other partner countries in multinational peace-support operations.
Sweden to join NATO Response Force and exercise Steadfast Jazz
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_104086.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_NATO#Sweden
In 1949 Sweden chose not to join NATO and declared a security policy aiming for non-alignment in peace and neutrality in war. A modified version now qualifies non-alignment in peace for possible neutrality in war. As such, the Swedish government decided not to participate in the membership of NATO because they wanted to remain neutral in a potential war. This position was maintained without much discussion during the Cold War.
Since the 1990s however there has been an active debate in Sweden on the question of NATO membership in the post–Cold War world. Sweden joined Partnership for Peace in 1994. These ideological divides were visible again in November 2006 when Sweden could either buy two new transport planes or join NATO's plane pool, and in December 2006, when Sweden was invited to join the NATO Response Force. While the governing parties in Sweden have opposed membership, they have participated in NATO-led missions in Bosnia (IFOR and SFOR), Kosovo (KFOR), Afghanistan (ISAF) and Libya (Operation Unified Protector).
The Swedish left wing, including the Social Democratic party, the Green party and the Left party have remained in favour of non-alignment, along with the nationalist Sweden Democrats. The right wing, including the Moderate Party, the Centre party, the conservative Christian Democrats, the Liberal party make up the Swedish parties with representation in the parliament today that are in favour of NATO membership. Former prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt stated on 18 September 2007 that Swedish membership in NATO would require a "very wide" majority in Parliament, including the social democrats, and coordination with Finland.
Sweden signed in 2014, and ratified in 2016, a host country agreement with NATO allowing for NATO forces to conduct joint training exercises on Swedish soil and for NATO member states' forces to be deployed in Sweden in response to threats to Sweden's national security. In October 2014, an opinion poll found for the first time more Swedes in favour of NATO membership (37%) than opposed (36%).
snip
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine extends Moscow’s military power to the borders of several NATO members, NATO partners Finland and Sweden can be part of an intensified exchange of information and NATO’s strategic communication.
https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-and-security/news/finland-sweden-to-receive-enhanced-access-to-nato-intel-over-ukraine/
“Sweden and Finland may, if they so wish on a case-by-case basis, participate in enhanced contacts with NATO, enhanced information exchange and coordination, information on operations and strategic communications,” Finnish President Sauli Niinistö confirmed to reporters after a virtual NATO summit on Friday (26 February). NATO partners Finland, Sweden and the EU were also invited to participate.
“It is not in itself something revolutionary, but it should be noted that all countries see this as the right arrangement,” Niinistö said, adding this would not equal the possibility of Finland joining NATO. In practice, this means that the two countries could participate in enhanced intelligence-sharing and strategic communications on a case-by-case basis.
Based on the arrangement, Finland could, for example, request confidential information from NATO or vice versa, while the respective holder of the information would decide whether to provide the information. According to diplomatic sources, NATO leaders on Friday discussed the special role of both since “they need to be fully informed because of their strategic position for Russia”.
Finland and Sweden are two of six countries known as ‘enhanced partners’, largely due to their contributions to NATO operations. As such, they have options when it comes to cooperation. In recent months, NATO has stepped up cooperation focusing on security in the Baltic Sea region, which includes political consultations, exchanges of information on hybrid warfare, and joint exercises.
snip
these are some of the military/defence groups we (Sweden, plus Finland) are in
There seems to be a vast misunderstanding here by some who think Finland and Sweden are all alone, twisting in the wind, simply because we are not full NATO members. I can assure all that that is not the case, AND we both cooperate deeply with NATO already.
Nordic Defence Cooperation
Nordic Battlegroup
National participation in the principal European and trans-Atlantic defence arrangements
NATO Relations with Sweden
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_52535.htm
NATO and Sweden share common values, conduct an open and regular political dialogue and engage in a wide range of practical cooperation. NATO and Sweden actively cooperate in peace-support operations, exercise together and exchange analysis and information. An important priority is to ensure interoperable capabilities, maintaining the ability of the Swedish Armed Forces to work with those of NATO and other partner countries in multinational peace-support operations.
Sweden to join NATO Response Force and exercise Steadfast Jazz
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_104086.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_NATO#Sweden
In 1949 Sweden chose not to join NATO and declared a security policy aiming for non-alignment in peace and neutrality in war. A modified version now qualifies non-alignment in peace for possible neutrality in war. As such, the Swedish government decided not to participate in the membership of NATO because they wanted to remain neutral in a potential war. This position was maintained without much discussion during the Cold War.
Since the 1990s however there has been an active debate in Sweden on the question of NATO membership in the post–Cold War world. Sweden joined Partnership for Peace in 1994. These ideological divides were visible again in November 2006 when Sweden could either buy two new transport planes or join NATO's plane pool, and in December 2006, when Sweden was invited to join the NATO Response Force. While the governing parties in Sweden have opposed membership, they have participated in NATO-led missions in Bosnia (IFOR and SFOR), Kosovo (KFOR), Afghanistan (ISAF) and Libya (Operation Unified Protector).
The Swedish left wing, including the Social Democratic party, the Green party and the Left party have remained in favour of non-alignment, along with the nationalist Sweden Democrats. The right wing, including the Moderate Party, the Centre party, the conservative Christian Democrats, the Liberal party make up the Swedish parties with representation in the parliament today that are in favour of NATO membership. Former prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt stated on 18 September 2007 that Swedish membership in NATO would require a "very wide" majority in Parliament, including the social democrats, and coordination with Finland.
Sweden signed in 2014, and ratified in 2016, a host country agreement with NATO allowing for NATO forces to conduct joint training exercises on Swedish soil and for NATO member states' forces to be deployed in Sweden in response to threats to Sweden's national security. In October 2014, an opinion poll found for the first time more Swedes in favour of NATO membership (37%) than opposed (36%).
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