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Sweden and the Sleeping Beauty of Europe: A theory testing case study of Sweden's path into, and current perceptions of, PESCO

Ackermann, Jonas LU (2026) STVM23 20261
Department of Political Science
Abstract
Sweden joined the EU defence framework Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) upon its inception at the end of 2017. With its tradition of scepticism towards EU defence integration and history of non-alignment this was a significant step for Sweden. This thesis will follow earlier analyses of the EUs defence cooperation and tests Sweden’s membership against the theory of Liberal Intergovernmentalism (LI). With data provided by elite interviews with politicians, civil servants and experts, supplemented by official documents, this theory testing case study analysis traces Sweden’s path into PESCO and its current engagement along the analytical framework of LI. National Preference Formation, Interstate Bargaining and Institutional Choice as... (More)
Sweden joined the EU defence framework Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) upon its inception at the end of 2017. With its tradition of scepticism towards EU defence integration and history of non-alignment this was a significant step for Sweden. This thesis will follow earlier analyses of the EUs defence cooperation and tests Sweden’s membership against the theory of Liberal Intergovernmentalism (LI). With data provided by elite interviews with politicians, civil servants and experts, supplemented by official documents, this theory testing case study analysis traces Sweden’s path into PESCO and its current engagement along the analytical framework of LI. National Preference Formation, Interstate Bargaining and Institutional Choice as well as the Outcomes are traced throughout the development, concluding that LI provides a strong but not all encompassing theoretical lens for the initial decision of Sweden's entry into PESCO. The framework struggles to explain the current engagements beyond the initial bargaining outcomes. Rival angles on European Integration were found to account for some of LIs explanatory weaknesses. Approaching single-country studies or European Defence Integration with a more holistic theoretical approach in the future might therefore more accurately capture the nuances of “high politics” better than LI can do on its own. (Less)
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author
Ackermann, Jonas LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVM23 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
PESCO, Sweden, Liberal Intergovernmentalism, Defence integration, Theory testing
language
English
id
9226786
date added to LUP
2026-06-16 14:51:55
date last changed
2026-06-16 14:51:55
@misc{9226786,
  abstract     = {{Sweden joined the EU defence framework Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) upon its inception at the end of 2017. With its tradition of scepticism towards EU defence integration and history of non-alignment this was a significant step for Sweden. This thesis will follow earlier analyses of the EUs defence cooperation and tests Sweden’s membership against the theory of Liberal Intergovernmentalism (LI). With data provided by elite interviews with politicians, civil servants and experts, supplemented by official documents, this theory testing case study analysis traces Sweden’s path into PESCO and its current engagement along the analytical framework of LI. National Preference Formation, Interstate Bargaining and Institutional Choice as well as the Outcomes are traced throughout the development, concluding that LI provides a strong but not all encompassing theoretical lens for the initial decision of Sweden's entry into PESCO. The framework struggles to explain the current engagements beyond the initial bargaining outcomes. Rival angles on European Integration were found to account for some of LIs explanatory weaknesses. Approaching single-country studies or European Defence Integration with a more holistic theoretical approach in the future might therefore more accurately capture the nuances of “high politics” better than LI can do on its own.}},
  author       = {{Ackermann, Jonas}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Sweden and the Sleeping Beauty of Europe: A theory testing case study of Sweden's path into, and current perceptions of, PESCO}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}