Swedish NATO Support Reaches Record High as Gov't Promises Faster Membership Decision

The NATO debate in the historically non-aligned Scandinavian nations Sweden and Finland became especially charged in the wake of elevated security tensions in Europe, reaching its peak when Russia launched its military operation to demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine which, in the West, is portrayed as a threat.

The share of NATO-positive Swedes has risen to 57 percent in a new survey by the newspaper Aftonbladet and pollster Demoskop - the highest level reached in a country that has steered clear of military alliances for centuries.

According to the survey, the number of Swedes who want their country to join NATO has risen steadily during the spring, and the share of dissenters and the undecided has dwindled. In the recent survey, only 21 percent said No.

“The upward trend continues, as more and more people think that Sweden should be a member of NATO. A figure as high as 57 percent is remarkable,” Demoskop chief executive Karin Nelsson told Aftonbladet.

When asked why Sweden should join NATO, 64 percent said that Sweden lacked sufficient defence capabilities to go it alone, 43 percent believed NATO had a deterrent effect and 39 percent thought that Sweden belonged together with other NATO countries.

Remarkably, the survey revealed a shift of opinion among left-wing ruling Social Democrat and right-wing opposition Sweden Democrat voters, who previously were in favour of retaining the non-aligned status. Among the Social Democrat voters, NATO support jumped 12 percentage points in a single month, reaching 41 percent.

“There are more and more Social Democrats who believe that Sweden should be a member of NATO, so there is clearly a rapid turnaround. At the same time, there remains a split, with a third who are hesitant and a quarter who say no, so it will be a tough balancing act for [Prime Minister] Magdalena Andersson to keep pace with her voters,” Karin Nelsson said.

The NATO debate in Sweden and Finland has flared up in the wake of elevated tensions in Europe, peaking when Russia launched its military operation to demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine, which the West portrays as an “invasion”.

On Thursday 21 April, the Swedish government announced that it would accelerate the process of decision-making about a possible NATO application by two weeks. The security policy analysis will now be completed on 13 May instead of 31 May.

Announcing this move, Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde said how important Finland's next move is on this matter.

“If Finland ultimately decides to apply for membership, and everything points in that direction, especially after yesterday's parliamentary debate, it will of course be of great importance for our analysis”, Linde said.

Sweden and Finland have long been inching closer to the alliance through arms procurements, common drills and overseas operations. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned that Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO risks undermining stability in northern Europe.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that Finland and Sweden would turn themselves into “a new frontier of NATO's confrontation with Russia”.

“They will automatically find themselves on the NATO 'frontline'. Apart from this, membership in NATO actually implies that a member country will have to renounce part of its sovereignty while making decisions on defence and foreign policy”, she stressed.

Meanwhile Former President and Deputy Chairman of the of Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said Russia will have “more registered foes” if Finland and Sweden were to join NATO formally.