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Från Neutralitet till NATO: Slutet på 200 Års Militär Alliansfrihet

Eriksson, Ida LU and Ohlson, Johanna LU (2025) STVK04 20242
Department of Political Science
Abstract
This thesis analyzes Sweden's decision to apply for NATO membership in the spring of 2022, making a historic shift from 200 years of military non-alignment. The study uses Jakob Gustavsson's theoretical model for foreign policy change to examine three main factors: international and national dynamics, as well as the role of the individual decision-maker, in this case being former prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. The findings reveal that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine was the primary driver behind Sweden's decision. This was further influenced by Finland's simultaneous NATO application and a shifting domestic public opinion. At the same time, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s leadership and strategic rationality played a... (More)
This thesis analyzes Sweden's decision to apply for NATO membership in the spring of 2022, making a historic shift from 200 years of military non-alignment. The study uses Jakob Gustavsson's theoretical model for foreign policy change to examine three main factors: international and national dynamics, as well as the role of the individual decision-maker, in this case being former prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. The findings reveal that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine was the primary driver behind Sweden's decision. This was further influenced by Finland's simultaneous NATO application and a shifting domestic public opinion. At the same time, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s leadership and strategic rationality played a pivotal role in navigating the political process and building consensus within the Social Democratic Party. The study is based on a qualitative case study design, utilizing data from conducted interviews, official documents, and previous research. This approach highlights how external and internal factors intertwined to enable a foreign policy shift of such magnitude. This thesis contributes to the understanding of how national security decisions are made during crises and underscores the importance of leadership and political dynamics in an evolving security context. (Less)
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author
Eriksson, Ida LU and Ohlson, Johanna LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVK04 20242
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
NATO, utrikespolitisk förändring, militärallians, alliansfrihet, Sverige
language
Swedish
additional info
Vi vill rikta ett stort tack till alla som har bidragit till denna uppsats och gjort den möjlig. Först och främst vill vi tacka de experter och nyckelpersoner som ställt upp på intervju och delat med sig av sina insikter och erfarenheter: Benjamin Dousa, Mirja Räihä, Morgan Johansson, Oscar Stenström, Paula Carvalho Olovsson, Per Westerberg, Peter Sandwall. Er tid och ert engagemang har varit ovärderligt för att ge djup och nyanser till vår studie.

Vi vill också uttrycka vår tacksamhet till vår handledare, Jakob Gustavsson, för hans stöd, expertis och värdefulla arbete under processen. Dina råd och din uppmuntran har hjälpt oss att forma och utveckla detta arbete till vad det är idag.

Era samlade bidrag har varit ovärderliga för att möjliggöra slutförandet av denna uppsats, och för detta är vi innerligt tacksamma.

Ida Eriksson & Johanna Ohlson
id
9179317
date added to LUP
2025-03-04 12:54:12
date last changed
2025-03-04 12:54:12
@misc{9179317,
  abstract     = {{This thesis analyzes Sweden's decision to apply for NATO membership in the spring of 2022, making a historic shift from 200 years of military non-alignment. The study uses Jakob Gustavsson's theoretical model for foreign policy change to examine three main factors: international and national dynamics, as well as the role of the individual decision-maker, in this case being former prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. The findings reveal that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine was the primary driver behind Sweden's decision. This was further influenced by Finland's simultaneous NATO application and a shifting domestic public opinion. At the same time, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s leadership and strategic rationality played a pivotal role in navigating the political process and building consensus within the Social Democratic Party. The study is based on a qualitative case study design, utilizing data from conducted interviews, official documents, and previous research. This approach highlights how external and internal factors intertwined to enable a foreign policy shift of such magnitude. This thesis contributes to the understanding of how national security decisions are made during crises and underscores the importance of leadership and political dynamics in an evolving security context.}},
  author       = {{Eriksson, Ida and Ohlson, Johanna}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Från Neutralitet till NATO: Slutet på 200 Års Militär Alliansfrihet}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}