NATO Today, Monday, the Hungarian parliament decided to approve Sweden’s NATO application. The application has thus been accepted by all member states. At the same time, there are still organizations in Sweden that warn of the risks of Swedish NATO membership.
Almost two years ago, in May 2022, Sweden’s application was submitted to NATO’s Secretary General. Of the organization’s member countries, at the beginning of 2024, only two had not approved the Swedish application: Turkey and Hungary. Turkey’s parliament voted for Swedish NATO membership in January, leaving only Hungary.
Today, Monday, the Hungarian Parliament voted on the issue. The answer was, as expected, yes, with 188 votes in favor and only 6 against.
Swedish criticism of NATO
However, Sweden’s decision to join NATO has been questioned from several quarters. When the Riksdag took the decision to apply for membership, all present members from the Left Party and the Green Party voted no. And there are also others who are critical of NATO.
– Our fear is that Sweden’s historically strong voice for peace and disarmament is being silenced. What we have been told during this process is that Sweden within NATO will be able to work for peace, diplomacy and disarmament. But so far we have only seen that the Swedish strategy is to give in to undemocratic demands, says Kerstin Bergeå, chairman of Svenska Freds, to Dagens Arena.
Kerstin Bergeå, chairman of Swedish Peace. Photo: Swedish Peace
The left party still opposed
The Left Party’s foreign policy spokesperson Håkan Svenneling also sharply criticizes the decision to apply for NATO membership.
– It is a historic decision that will have a major impact on Sweden. We have had 200 years of freedom of military alliance and will now be part of a very large military alliance. Of course, there are big risks with that, as we have seen during this process, where Erdoğan and Orbán have had to dictate the terms, he tells Dagens Arena.
Håkan Svenneling believes that Sweden must be careful going forward, to avoid being drawn into conflicts between other countries.
– The point is that NATO membership should provide security, but it also brings great uncertainty. It is important that we do not adapt too much; then we risk becoming a puzzle piece in the alliance. As a country, we must continue to maintain a good military and civil defence, he says.
Håkan Svenneling, foreign policy spokesperson for the Left Party.
