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Sveriges Natoansökan Balancing eller Bandwagoning

Hansson, Felix LU and Luani, Behar LU (2026) STVA23 20252
Department of Political Science
Abstract (Swedish)
Sweden’s decision to apply for Nato membership in 2022 represents a significant shift in its longstanding security policy of military non alignment. This text examines whether Sweden’s NATO application can be explained through the neorealist concepts of balancing and bandwagoning. Using a theory testing case study design, the analysis is based on official government documents, strategic doctrines, and news concerning the subject. Drawing on neorealist theory the study operationalizes balancing and bandwagoning as analytical ideal types in order to assess Sweden’s security strategy in response to the changed security situation following Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The findings indicate that Sweden’s decision is best understood as a form of... (More)
Sweden’s decision to apply for Nato membership in 2022 represents a significant shift in its longstanding security policy of military non alignment. This text examines whether Sweden’s NATO application can be explained through the neorealist concepts of balancing and bandwagoning. Using a theory testing case study design, the analysis is based on official government documents, strategic doctrines, and news concerning the subject. Drawing on neorealist theory the study operationalizes balancing and bandwagoning as analytical ideal types in order to assess Sweden’s security strategy in response to the changed security situation following Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The findings indicate that Sweden’s decision is best understood as a form of external balancing aimed at countering a perceived security threat from Russia. At the same time, the analysis reveals that Sweden also uses some elements of bandwagoning, as Sweden aligns itself with the dominant military power in Europe and accepts binding commitments in exchange for collective security guarantees. The study argues that these strategies are not mutually exclusive, but rather that bandwagoning can function as a means through which balancing is achieved. Overall, the thesis demonstrates that neorealist theory provides explanatory power for understanding Sweden’s NATO application. While also highlighting the complexity of the case. (Less)
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author
Hansson, Felix LU and Luani, Behar LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVA23 20252
year
type
L2 - 2nd term paper (old degree order)
subject
keywords
Sweden, Nato, Balancing, Bandwagoning
language
Swedish
id
9217799
date added to LUP
2026-01-26 16:48:41
date last changed
2026-01-26 16:48:41
@misc{9217799,
  abstract     = {{Sweden’s decision to apply for Nato membership in 2022 represents a significant shift in its longstanding security policy of military non alignment. This text examines whether Sweden’s NATO application can be explained through the neorealist concepts of balancing and bandwagoning. Using a theory testing case study design, the analysis is based on official government documents, strategic doctrines, and news concerning the subject. Drawing on neorealist theory the study operationalizes balancing and bandwagoning as analytical ideal types in order to assess Sweden’s security strategy in response to the changed security situation following Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The findings indicate that Sweden’s decision is best understood as a form of external balancing aimed at countering a perceived security threat from Russia. At the same time, the analysis reveals that Sweden also uses some elements of bandwagoning, as Sweden aligns itself with the dominant military power in Europe and accepts binding commitments in exchange for collective security guarantees. The study argues that these strategies are not mutually exclusive, but rather that bandwagoning can function as a means through which balancing is achieved. Overall, the thesis demonstrates that neorealist theory provides explanatory power for understanding Sweden’s NATO application. While also highlighting the complexity of the case.}},
  author       = {{Hansson, Felix and Luani, Behar}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Sveriges Natoansökan Balancing eller Bandwagoning}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}