The Swedish left is already thinking about leaving NATO – 2024-05-09 21:17:25

Illustration image. HENRIC WAUGE, EPA / AOP

In Sweden, the left-wing party (Left Party) has always opposed NATO membership and now the party is considering what the resistance will look like when Sweden’s NATO membership is official. On Wednesday, the party started a five-day party meeting, where the party’s line will be decided. Dagens Nyheter reported on the matter.

– We are working for Sweden to be a counterweight to that which instead builds better defense cooperation and whose goal is to leave NATO, the updated party program states.

The program did not specify what is meant by better defense cooperation. Acting as the leader of the party program Jens Börjessonin however, Nordic defense cooperation would be a natural idea.

– Many have felt that NATO membership is necessary to respond to existing concerns. Then we have to be able to show that we can solve the problem with a better alternative, he said, according to Dagens Nyheter.

However, some party activists demand sharper and more precise lines.

– We are working to leave the military alliance NATO, the Malmö local chapter’s proposal states.

Local branch representative Anders Neergaardin opinions about NATO membership changed quickly when the war between Ukraine and Russia broke out.

– Then it is important that we can offer a clear security policy alternative for both Sweden’s security and world peace. And it’s not NATO, Neergaard said, according to a Swedish newspaper.

Sweden became the 32nd member of the military alliance NATO on March 7, 2024.

Ero ME:sta?

The Left Party is also discussing EU membership. The party’s current program says that “the left-wing party is pushing the demand for Sweden’s exit from the EU”. Now it is proposed in the party program that this would be just one of several action options.

– The decisive question is whether it is possible to practice left-wing politics or whether the EU agreements and the way of operating prevent it. We do not see leaving the EU as a goal in itself. One possibility is to renegotiate our membership and demand an exception for Sweden, Börjesson said.