Swedish contribution to NATO's forward presence in Finland

The election manifesto explicitly states that the party opposes Sweden's ever-deepening military cooperation with NATO and wants to restore non-alignment as well as tear up the host nation agreement. A Swedish contribution with armed forces to NATO's forward presence in Finland, including the role as framework nation, is precisely a deepening of that cooperation. The party programme furthermore points toward leaving NATO and opposes militarisation and arms race. The counter-proposal's demand that the proposal is not implemented therefore follows from the plan.

• opposition to NATO cooperationdecisive»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 opposes Sweden's ever-deepening military cooperation with NATO and the EU, and we are the only Riksdag party that consistently upholds and wants to restore Swedish non-alignment.”
• view to leaving NATO»med sikte på att lämna Nato.« (party programme ↗)“with a view to leaving NATO.”
• peace not militarisation»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 militarisation.”
• independence from great powers»Det är viktigt att Sverige kan agera självständigt från stormakter« (party programme ↗)“It is important that Sweden can act independently from great powers”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The election manifesto establishes that Swedish NATO membership is the best way for the country's security and that peace and freedom now require more cooperation with security guarantees. The party programme builds security in community with others, and the election manifesto highlights Nordic cooperation as central. The counter-proposal's demand that Swedish armed forces shall not participate in the alliance's operations thereby conflicts with the plan.

• NATO membership as security pathdecisive»Ett svenskt medlemskap i Nato är den bästa vägen för vårt lands säkerhet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish NATO membership is the best way for our country's security”
• security guarantees through cooperation»Men nu krävs ännu mer samarbete, med säkerhetsgarantier, för att trygga vår fred och frihet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“But now even more cooperation, with security guarantees, is required to secure our peace and freedom.”
• shared security»Säkerhet byggs bäst i gemenskap med andra.« (party programme ↗)“Security is built best in community with others.”
• Nordic security cooperation»Också det nordiska samarbetet är centralt, liksom samarbetet med de baltiska staterna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Also Nordic cooperation is central, as is cooperation with the Baltic states.”

The party programme assumes that Sweden is now a NATO member and establishes that a strong and credible total defence is crucial for stability in the region, whilst the party explicitly views favourably defence cooperation with like-minded democracies in the North. The plan's objections to NATO are targeted: nuclear weapons and permanent troops or bases on Swedish territory, not Swedish participation in the alliance's operations in a neighbouring country. The counter-proposal's demand that Swedish forces shall not participate at all therefore goes further than what the plan supports. The election manifesto's non-alignment rests on an assumption that no longer applies.

• defence cooperation with Nordic democraciesdecisive»Miljöpartiet ser positivt på ett försvarssamarbete med likasinnade demokratiska stater« (party programme ↗)“The Environment Party views favourably defence cooperation with like-minded democratic states”
• credible total defence within NATO»Samtidigt är ett starkt och trovärdigt totalförsvar« (party programme ↗)“At the same time a strong and credible total defence is”
• solidarity support to attacked countries»Miljöpartiet vill att Sverige hjälper länder som har blivit angripna i strid med folkrätten.« (party programme ↗)“The Environment Party wants Sweden to help countries that have been attacked in violation of international law.”
• military non-alignment 2022»Samtidigt vill vi att Sverige behåller sin militära alliansfrihet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time we want Sweden to retain its military non-alignment”

The election manifesto makes NATO membership and rapid rearmament a main priority and the party programme establishes that Sweden builds security in the North through close military cooperation with democracies in the region. The counter-proposal wants instead to keep Swedish forces outside the alliance's operations and reject the role as framework nation. This stands in direct conflict with the plan's commitment to complete NATO entry and strengthen defence capacity together with neighbouring countries. The plan provides no support for a peace-affirming role requiring abstention from the alliance's joint defence.

• complete NATO membershipdecisive»Centerpartiet vill rusta försvaret, stärka Sveriges civila beredskap och fullfölja inträdet i Nato.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Centre Party wants to strengthen defence, strengthen Sweden's civil preparedness and complete entry into NATO.”
• NATO entry as main task»Kommande mandatperiod kommer på många sätt att präglas av att föra Sverige in i Nato och höja vår försvarsförmåga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The coming mandate period will in many ways be characterised by bringing Sweden into NATO and raising our defence capacity”
• military capacity is needed»Vi kan inte förutsätta att avspänning och demilitarisering ska prägla vår värld.« (party programme ↗)“We cannot assume that relaxation and demilitarisation shall characterise 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.”

The election manifesto establishes that security is created through alliances and that Sweden within NATO shall especially contribute to the strategic depth for the defence of Finland and the Baltic. The counter-proposal instead requires that Swedish armed forces do not participate in the alliance's operations, which stands in direct conflict with that commitment. The party programme points the same way by more Swedes being made available for international operations under NATO auspices.

• contribute to the defence of Finlanddecisive»Sverige ska inom Nato särskilt kunna bidra med den infrastruktur som behövs för att skapa ett nödvändigt och strategiskt djup för försvaret av Finland och Baltikum.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall within NATO particularly be able to contribute the infrastructure needed to create a necessary and strategic depth for the defence of Finland and the Baltic.”
• security through alliances»I dag skapas trygghet i allianser, inte i allianslöshet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Today security is created through alliances, not through non-alignment.”
• joint defence with neighbouring countries»Vi är den tydligaste rösten för att Sverige aldrig ska tveka att tillsammans med demokratiska grannländer försvara demokratin.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We are the clearest voice for Sweden never to hesitate to together with democratic neighbouring countries defend democracy.”
• Swedes in international operations»Fler svenskar bör ställas till förfogande för internationella insatser« (party programme ↗)“More Swedes should be made available for international operations”

The plan establishes that NATO membership is an integrated and natural part of Swedish security policy and that an attack on another member state shall be regarded as an attack on Sweden. Refraining from contributing armed forces to the alliance's forward presence in Finland conflicts with this and with the commitment not to remain neutral if neighbouring countries are attacked. The plan moreover wants defence to be able to act as a deterrent during security crises in the region, which is precisely the force's purpose. The counter-proposal's demands are therefore rejected.

• NATO membership integrateddecisive»vårt medlemskap är en integrerad och naturlig del av svensk säkerhetspolitik« (party programme ↗)“our membership is an integrated and natural part of Swedish security policy”
• Article 5 solidarity»betraktar Sverige ett angrepp mot en annan medlemsstat som ett angrepp mot oss själva« (party programme ↗)“regards Sweden an attack on another member state as an attack on us”
• no neutrality under attack»Vi kan inte stå neutrala om våra grannländer anfalls.« (party programme ↗)“We cannot remain neutral if our neighbouring countries are attacked.”
• deterrent capacity in the region»den kan verka krigsavhållande vid säkerhetspolitiska kriser i närområdet« (party programme ↗)“it can act as a deterrent during security crises in the region”

The election manifesto wants Sweden to become an active NATO member and explicitly points out that Sweden should contribute concretely to the protection of allies, including through contributions to NATO battle groups. The counter-proposal instead wants Swedish armed forces not to participate in the alliance's operations and rejects the framework nation role. The plan moreover wants membership together with Finland to lead to deepened cooperation in the North, which is the same direction as a forward presence in Finland. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demands.

• contribute to NATO battle groupsdecisive»Sverige bör bidra konkret till skyddet av våra vänner i de baltiska länderna, exempelvis genom att överväga att skicka bidrag till Natos stridsgrupper eller att delta med vårt stridsflyg i Natos incidentberedskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should concretely contribute to the protection of our friends in the Baltic countries, for example by considering sending contributions to NATO battle groups or participating with our combat aircraft in NATO incident readiness.”
• deepened cooperation with Finland»Verka för att Sveriges Natomedlemskap tillsammans med Finland leder till ett fördjupat samarbete inom Norden och mellan Norden och Baltikum« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for Sweden's NATO membership together with Finland to lead to deepened cooperation within the North and between the North and the Baltic”
• full NATO membership»Vi ska vara en fullvärdig medlem i Nato« (party programme ↗)“We shall be a full member of NATO”
• war-deterring defence»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 potential opponent from attacking Sweden.”

The election manifesto explicitly commits to working for a defence union with Finland and emphasises the strategic and operational advantages of closer defence cooperation with the neighbouring country. The party programme establishes that security is strengthened through cooperation and defence alliances such as NATO, and the election manifesto wants to deepen Nordic defence and security cooperation. The counter-proposal requires that Swedish armed forces do not participate in the alliance's activities and that the framework nation role is rejected, which goes directly against these commitments. The plan therefore rejects the counter-proposal's demands.

• defence union with Finlanddecisive»Verka för ett försvarsförbund med Finland« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for a defence union with Finland”
• operational advantages with Finland»Tätare försvarssamarbete med Finland hade inneburit strategiska och operativa fördelar i den intressegemenskap som förenar länderna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Closer defence cooperation with Finland would have entailed strategic and operational advantages in the common interest that unites the countries.”
• defence alliances strengthen security»Genom bilaterala- och internationella avtal, samarbeten och försvarsallianser såsom« (party programme ↗)“Through bilateral and international agreements, cooperation and defence alliances such as”
• deepened Nordic defence cooperation»Fördjupa det nordiska försvars- och säkerhetssamarbetet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Deepen Nordic defence and security cooperation”