Dependence on American military equipment

The plan's guiding principle is that Sweden should be able to act independently from great powers such as the USA and not be drawn into geopolitical conflicts, which supports the demand for reduced dependence on American military equipment. At the same time, the plan opposes militarization and deepened military cooperation within the EU, which makes support conditional and uncertain. The committee's reasoning about appropriateness for Ukraine's needs and existing export controls is not addressed in the plan.

• independent of great powersdecisive»Det är viktigt att Sverige kan agera självständigt från stormakter som« (party programme ↗)“It is important that Sweden can act independently from great powers such as”
• peace before militarization»Vänsterpartiet anser att Sverige ska vara en röst för fred och rättvisa, inte för ökad militarisering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party believes that Sweden should be a voice for peace and justice, not for increased militarization.”
• against deepened military EU cooperation»Därför är Vänsterpartiet motståndare till Sveriges allt djupare militära samarbete med NATO och EU, och vi är det enda riksdagspartiet som konsekvent värnar och vill återupprätta svensk alliansfrihet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore the Left Party is opposed to Sweden's increasingly deep military cooperation with NATO and the EU, and we are the only Riksdag party that consistently protects and wants to restore Swedish non-alignment.”
• against arms race»Vi vänder oss emot militarisering och kapprustning.« (party programme ↗)“We oppose militarization and arms race.”

The plan wants to see a strong and unified Europe that takes greater responsibility for its own security and stronger European defense cooperation, and emphasizes that a strong domestic defense industry increases security. Actively working to reduce dependence on American military equipment and offering European alternatives follows from this, while the plan requires that Sweden in all cases stands up for Ukraine.

• European security responsibilitydecisive»Ett starkt och enat Europa som tar ett större ansvar för sin egen säkerhet.« (party programme ↗)“A strong and unified Europe that takes greater responsibility for its own security.”
• European defense cooperation»Starkare europeiskt försvarssamarbete.« (party programme ↗)“Stronger European defense cooperation.”
• own defense industry»En stark inhemsk försvarsindustri ökar Sveriges« (party programme ↗)“A strong domestic defense industry increases Sweden's”
• continued support for Ukraine»Sverige måste i alla lägen stå upp för Ukraina och mot det ryska invasionskriget.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden must in all cases stand up for Ukraine and against the Russian war of invasion.”

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 requires that Sweden's NATO membership is reconciled with an independent foreign and security policy and that Sweden does not adapt its policy to other powers' demands. A reduced European dependence on a single supplier's military equipment follows from that line, as does the plan's requirement for increased self-sufficiency of critical goods. At the same time the plan stands behind military materiel support to a country attacked in violation of international law.

• independent security policydecisive»Sveriges medlemskap i Nato måste förenas med en självständig utrikes- och säkerhetspolitik.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's NATO membership must be reconciled with an independent foreign and security policy.”
• no adaptation to other powers»inte att Sverige ska anpassa sin utrikespolitik efter auktoritära staters krav för kunna att bli medlem i Nato och Sverige ska inte börja sälja vapen till Turkiet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“not that Sweden should adapt its foreign policy to authoritarian states' demands in order to be able to become a NATO member and Sweden should not start selling weapons to Turkey.”
• increased self-sufficiency»För att klara framtida krissituationer måste vi öka vår självförsörjningsgrad av viktiga och nödvändiga produkter - till exempel livsmedel, läkemedel, kritiska råmaterial och viktig teknologi.« (party programme ↗)“To manage future crisis situations we must increase our self-sufficiency rate of important and necessary products - for example foodstuffs, medicines, critical raw materials and important technology.”
• military support to attacked country»Att med militärt materiel solidariskt bistå ett land som blivit angripet är en del i att försvara folkrätten.« (party programme ↗)“To with military materiel supportively assist a country that has been attacked is a part in defending international law.”

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 election manifesto's overarching commitment on defence is to equip the military defence quickly, forcefully, and long-term, and the plan explicitly rejects protectionism in favour of free trade and international cooperation. To steer equipment supply away from a supplier on origin grounds is difficult to reconcile with both. The plan instead supports European and Nordic defence cooperation, which points in the opposite direction and makes the conclusion uncertain.

• quick and forceful rearmamentdecisive»Sverige ska försvaras. Vi vill rusta det militära försvaret snabbt, kraftfullt och långsiktigt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden must be defended. We want to equip the military defence quickly, forcefully, and long-term.”
• free trade before protectionism»Sverige behöver mer frihandel och internationellt samarbete, inte protektionism och stängda gränser.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs more free trade and international cooperation, not protectionism and closed borders.”
• European defence cooperation»bygger säkerhet i Norden, Europa och världen genom ett eget försvar samt genom nära militärt samarbete med« (party programme ↗)“builds security in the Nordic region, Europe, and the world through its own defence and through close military cooperation with”

The plan makes transatlantic cooperation with the USA the cornerstone of Swedish security policy and wants to defend Sweden together with the USA and our European neighbours. Actively working to reduce dependence on American military equipment goes against this line and against the plan's rejection of protectionism. The plan binds itself instead to Ukraine receiving increased support, without reservation regarding the supplier country.

• transatlantic cooperationdecisive»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.”
• defence together with the USA»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.”
• no to protectionism»Nationalism, protektionism och stängda gränser ska höra till historien.« (party programme ↗)“Nationalism, protectionism and closed borders shall belong to history.”
• increased support for Ukraine»En ny regering ska vara garanten för att Ukraina ges ökat ekonomiskt, politiskt och militärt stöd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A new government shall be the guarantor that Ukraine receives increased economic, political and military support.”

The plan requires defense material competence within the country and a domestic defense industry, and establishes that Sweden develops European defense cooperation as support for Swedish defense policy. That bears the counter-proposal's requirement for reduced dependence on a single supplier and European alternatives. That NATO is given a crucial role for transatlantic security qualifies but does not contradict the requirement.

• domestic defense industrydecisive»Som en följd av försvarets uppgifter krävs en försvarsmateriell kompetens inom landet, vilket förutsätter en inhemsk försvarsindustri.« (party programme ↗)“As a consequence of the defense's tasks, defense material competence within the country is required, which presupposes a domestic defense industry.”
• European defense cooperation»Genom ett europeiskt försvarssamarbete stöds också den svenska försvarspolitiken som syftar till fred och frihet.« (party programme ↗)“Through European defense cooperation, Swedish defense policy aimed at peace and freedom is also supported.”
• European defense capability»Vidare ingår Sverige i EU och är med och utvecklar det europeiska säkerhets- och försvarspolitiska samarbetet.« (party programme ↗)“Furthermore, Sweden is part of the EU and participates in developing European security and defense policy cooperation.”
• transatlantic security»Givet nämnda kriterier spelar NATO härvid en avgörande roll för den transatlantiska säkerheten« (party programme ↗)“Given the mentioned criteria, NATO plays a crucial role for transatlantic security”

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 builds security together with others in NATO and wants to intensify military cooperation in Europe and across the Atlantic, not reduce dependence on a central ally. Instead, it wants Swedish defence industry to benefit all NATO and for support to Ukraine to continue with weapons deliveries. According to the plan's logic, actively working for reduced dependence on American military equipment risks splitting Western unity.

• military cooperation across the Atlanticdecisive»Sverige behöver intensifiera det militära samarbetet i Europa« (party programme ↗)“Sweden needs to intensify military cooperation in Europe”
• Swedish defence industry in NATO»Verka för att Sveriges teknologiska kunnande och kompetenta försvarsindustri kommer hela Nato till del« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for Sweden's technological knowledge and competent defence industry to benefit all NATO”
• continued military support to Ukraine»Sverige ska helhjärtat stå upp för Ukraina, även med fortsatta vapenleveranser.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should wholeheartedly stand up for Ukraine, including with continued weapons deliveries.”
• unity in the West»Stora auktoritära länder ska inte kunna spela ut enskilda små västerländska demokratier mot varandra.« (party programme ↗)“Large authoritarian countries should not be able to set individual small Western democracies against each other.”

The plan requires that the Swedish defense industry be strengthened through investments in domestic defense technology and that the strategic interest of domestic suppliers be valued more clearly in weapons procurement, and that self-sufficiency in critical goods increases. The counter-proposal's requirement for reduced dependence on American military equipment and European alternatives is based on the same vulnerability analysis as the plan's warning about dependence on international supply chains. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's substance.

• domestic defense industrydecisive»Svensk försvarsindustri ska också stärkas genom att fortsatt satsa på inhemsk försvarsteknologi och att tydligare värdera det strategiska intresset av svenska leverantörer vid inköp av försvarsmateriel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish defense industry should also be strengthened by continuing to invest in domestic defense technology and more clearly valuing the strategic interest of Swedish suppliers in weapons procurement.”
• increased self-sufficiency»Öka den svenska självförsörjningsgraden av kritiska produkter och varor« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase Swedish self-sufficiency in critical products and goods”
• vulnerable supply chains»Den globala ekonomin, där leveranskedjor är beroende av internationell handel och import, gör oss utsatta även för kriser som kan inträffa långt från Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The global economy, where supply chains depend on international trade and imports, makes us vulnerable even to crises that can occur far from Sweden.”
• new security policy situation»Rusta Sverige inför en ny säkerhetspolitisk situation i vårt närområde« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Arm Sweden for a new security policy situation in our region”

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.