The UN Convention on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

The election manifesto explicitly states that Sweden should sign the nuclear weapons convention. The counter-proposal's requirement that Sweden immediately signs the UN convention on the prohibition of nuclear weapons is thereby exactly what the plan requires. The party programme reinforces the line with a ban on nuclear weapons on Swedish soil and work for a world completely free from nuclear weapons.

• sign the nuclear weapons conventiondecisive»Sverige ska öka biståndet, stärka FN och skriva under kärnvapenkonventionen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should increase aid, strengthen the UN and sign the nuclear weapons convention.”
• nuclear weapons-free world»Vi vill se ett förbud mot kärnvapen på svensk mark och arbetar för en värld helt fri från kärnvapen.« (party programme ↗)“We want to see a ban on nuclear weapons on Swedish soil and work for a world completely free from nuclear weapons.”
• disarmament»Världen behöver gå mot fred, nedrustning och färre vapen i cirkulation.« (party programme ↗)“The world needs to move toward peace, disarmament and fewer weapons in circulation.”
• voice for peace, not militarization»Vänsterpartiet anser att Sverige ska vara en röst för fred och rättvisa, inte för ökad militarisering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party believes Sweden should be a voice for peace and justice, not for increased militarization.”

The plan's stated path on disarmament is driving work for non-proliferation and reciprocal international disarmament, not unilateral signature of the ban convention. The election manifesto at the same time establishes that NATO membership is the best way for Sweden's security, which argues against immediately committing to the convention. The goal of a world free from nuclear weapons is shared, but the plan points to a different instrument.

• reciprocal international disarmamentdecisive»Pådrivande arbete för avspänning, icke-spridning och en ömsesidig internationell« (party programme ↗)“Driving work for disarmament, non-proliferation and a reciprocal international”
• NATO membership as security path»Sverige ska gå med i Nato. Ett svenskt medlemskap i Nato är den bästa vägen för vårt lands säkerhet och Sverige har därför lämnat in sin medlemsansökan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall join NATO. Swedish membership in NATO is the best way for our country's security and Sweden has therefore submitted its membership application.”
• world free from nuclear weapons»Vi fördömer allt hot om användning av kärnvapen och fortsätter verka för det enda rimliga slutmålet: en värld fri från kärnvapen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We condemn all threats of nuclear weapons use and continue to work toward the only reasonable end goal: a world free from nuclear weapons.”
• no nuclear weapons in Sweden»Inga kärnvapen på svenskt territorium.« (party programme ↗)“No nuclear weapons on Swedish territory.”

The election manifesto explicitly promises that Sweden shall ratify the nuclear weapons ban treaty, which is exactly what the counter-proposal demands. The party programme tightens the line further: nuclear weapons shall be dismantled and prohibited and Sweden shall be a nuclear-free zone in both peace and wartime. The plan furthermore demands a national law against nuclear weapons on Swedish soil.

• ratify the nuclear weapons ban treatydecisive»ratificera konventionen om kärnvapenförbud« (2022 manifesto ↗)“ratify the nuclear weapons ban treaty”
• nuclear-free zone»Sverige ska vara en kärnvapenfri zon i både freds- och krigstid.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall be a nuclear-free zone in both peace and wartime.”
• national nuclear weapons ban»införa en lag som förbjuder kärnvapen på svensk mark.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“introduce a law that prohibits nuclear weapons on Swedish soil.”
• raised thresholds against nuclear weapons»Vi anser att Nato bör anta principen om no first use av kärnvapen« (party programme ↗)“We believe that NATO should adopt the principle of no first use of nuclear weapons”

The election manifesto's decisive commitment is to strengthen defence and complete accession to NATO, and the party programme establishes that détente and demilitarization cannot be assumed and that Sweden builds security through its own defence and military cooperation with democracies. To immediately sign the UN convention on the prohibition of nuclear weapons is difficult to reconcile with that line. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demand.

• NATO membership completeddecisive»Centerpartiet vill rusta försvaret, stärka Sveriges civila beredskap och fullfölja inträdet i Nato.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Centerpartiet wants to strengthen defence, strengthen Sweden's civil preparedness and complete accession to NATO.”
• no unilateral disarmament»Vi kan inte förutsätta att avspänning och demilitarisering ska prägla vår värld.« (party programme ↗)“We cannot assume that détente and demilitarization will characterize our world.”
• increased defence spending»Sverige behöver satsa två procent av BNP på försvaret så snart det är praktiskt möjligt och gå med i Nato.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs to spend two per cent of GDP on defence as soon as practically possible and join NATO.”
• own territorial defence»Sverige måste därför kunna försvara sitt eget territorium.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden must therefore be able to defend its own territory.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan makes NATO the cornerstone of Swedish security policy and establishes that security is created in alliances, not in non-alignment. Signing the UN convention on the ban on nuclear weapons is incompatible with fully participating in a nuclear alliance whose deterrence the plan relies on. The convention is not mentioned in the plan, but the NATO line carries the position.

• NATO as security foundationdecisive»Nato är den absolut viktigaste samarbetsorganisationen för säkerhet och ömsesidigt försvar i Europa, och är hörnstenen i det transatlantiska samarbetet mellan Europa och USA.« (party programme ↗)“NATO is the absolutely most important cooperation organization for security and mutual defence in Europe, and is the cornerstone of transatlantic cooperation between Europe and the USA.”
• security in alliances»I dag skapas trygghet i allianser, inte i allianslöshet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Today security is created in alliances, not in non-alignment.”
• Swedish NATO membership»Därför ska Sverige gå med i Nato och tillsammans med USA, Kanada och våra europeiska grannar försvara både Sverige och vår del av världen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore Sweden shall join NATO and together with the USA, Canada and our European neighbours defend both Sweden and our part of the world.”
• cooperation with democracies»Grunden för Sveriges säkerhetspolitik ska vara samarbete med andra demokratier.« (party programme ↗)“The foundation for Sweden's security policy shall be cooperation with other democracies.”

The plan states that NATO plays a decisive role for transatlantic security and that membership is an integrated and natural part of Swedish security policy, with requirement for ability to meet nuclear weapons threat. To immediately sign a convention that prohibits nuclear weapons is difficult to reconcile with that foundation. The plan's will to disarmament and peaceful methods does not outweigh the security policy line.

• NATO decisive for securitydecisive»Givet nämnda kriterier spelar NATO härvid en avgörande roll för« (party programme ↗)“Given the mentioned criteria NATO plays a decisive role for”
• Swedish NATO commitments»Sveriges åtaganden inom NATO bidrar till att stärka säkerheten i vår del av« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's commitments within NATO contribute to strengthening security in our part of”
• ability against nuclear weapons threat»cyberkrigföring, biologiska vapen, kemiska vapen och kärnvapen.« (party programme ↗)“cyber warfare, biological weapons, chemical weapons and nuclear weapons.”
• peaceful methods first»Vid konflikter har fredliga metoder, såsom diskussion och förhandling, företräde framför« (party programme ↗)“In conflicts, peaceful methods, such as discussion and negotiation, take precedence over”

The plan builds security policy on full NATO membership and on a war-deterring defence that deters an attacker. Signing the UN Convention on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is incompatible with fully participating in the deterrence that the alliance rests on. The plan also sets a high ambition level for Sweden as a NATO member, which speaks against a unilateral Swedish commitment of this kind.

• Swedish NATO membershipdecisive»Vi välkomnar därför att Sverige ska gå med i Nato, en fråga vi drivit under 20 års tid.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We therefore welcome Sweden joining NATO, a question we have driven for 20 years.”
• full NATO membership»Vi ska vara en fullvärdig medlem i Nato« (party programme ↗)“We shall be a full member of NATO”
• war-deterring deterrence»Målet är att det svenska försvaret ska vara krigsavhållande och avskräcka en eventuell motståndare från att angripa Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The aim is that Swedish defence shall be war-deterring and deter a possible adversary from attacking Sweden.”
• high ambition in NATO»Moderaterna vill sätta en hög ambitionsnivå för Sverige som blivande Natomedlem.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Moderate Party wants to set a high ambition level for Sweden as a future NATO member.”

The plan's defence line is based on a war-deterring capacity and on Sweden rearming in the face of a worsened security situation in the near region, with deepened alliances and a hard line toward Russia. Immediately signing the UN convention on the prohibition of nuclear weapons would bind Sweden in a way that stands in tension with the war-deterring ambition and alliance affiliation. The plan does not address the convention directly, but its security policy principles speak against the counter-proposal's demand.

• war-deterring defence capacitydecisive»Målet är en krigsavhållande försvarsförmåga med kapacitet att möta främmande aggressioner, men som också kan bistå samhället i kris eller oro.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The goal is a war-deterring defence capacity with capacity to meet foreign aggression, but which can also assist society in crisis or unrest.”
• rearmament in new security situation»Rusta Sverige inför en ny säkerhetspolitisk situation i vårt närområde« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Arm Sweden in the face of a new security policy situation in our near region”
• hard line toward Russia»Sverige bör verka för tydliga sanktioner mot Turkiet, Belarus, Ryssland och andra länder med en negativ utveckling.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should work for clear sanctions against Turkey, Belarus, Russia and other countries with negative development.”
• security through defence alliances»Nato, stärker vi vår säkerhet och värnar Sveriges försvars- och säkerhetspolitiska« (party programme ↗)“Nato, we strengthen our security and safeguard Sweden's defence and security policy”