Nuclear weapons

The party programme demands outright a ban on nuclear weapons on Swedish soil and works for a world completely free from nuclear weapons. The counter-proposal wants to legislate against nuclear weapons here instead of settling for an assessment that can be changed, which is the same thing in substance. The election manifesto furthermore wants Sweden to sign the nuclear weapons convention and terminate the host nation agreement.

• statutory ban on nuclear weaponsdecisive»Vi vill se ett förbud mot kärnvapen på svensk mark och arbetar för en« (party programme ↗)“We want to see a ban on nuclear weapons on Swedish soil and work for a”
• nuclear-weapons-free world»värld helt fri från kärnvapen.« (party programme ↗)“world completely free from nuclear weapons.”
• sign the nuclear weapons convention»Sverige ska öka biståndet, stärka FN och skriva under kärnvapenkonventionen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall increase aid, strengthen the UN and sign the nuclear weapons convention.”
• terminate the host nation agreement»Vänsterpartiet vill att Sverige river upp värdlandsavtalet med NATO.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants Sweden to terminate the host nation agreement with NATO.”

The election manifesto binds the party to work for a world free from nuclear weapons and the party programme makes military disarmament a fundamental task, including a convention prohibiting nuclear weapons. A legislated ban on nuclear weapons on Swedish soil, in line with other Nordic countries, is therefore in the plan's direction. That the plan prioritises NATO membership argues for deepened cooperation but not against a national nuclear weapons ban.

• nuclear-weapon-free worlddecisive»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 for the only reasonable ultimate goal: a world free from nuclear weapons.”
• military disarmament»Militär nedrustning är en fundamental uppgift för det internationella samarbetet.« (party programme ↗)“Military disarmament is a fundamental task for international cooperation.”
• leading role against weapons of mass destruction»ledande roll i det internationella arbetet för avspänning, nedrustning och icke-spridning.« (party programme ↗)“leading role in international work for relaxation, disarmament and non-proliferation.”
• NATO membership for security»Ett svenskt medlemskap i Nato är den bästa vägen för vårt lands säkerhet och Sverige har därför lämnat in sin medlemsansökan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish membership in NATO is the best way for our country's security and Sweden has therefore submitted its membership application.”

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 explicitly requires a law prohibiting nuclear weapons on Swedish territory, which is exactly what the counter-proposal calls for instead of an assessment that can change. That the plan also wants to ratify the convention on nuclear weapons prohibition and work for elimination of nuclear weapons reinforces the conclusion. The plan's reasons for continuing military non-alignment are precisely to be able to work against nuclear weapons and for disarmament.

• legislate against nuclear weaponsdecisive»införa en lag som förbjuder kärnvapen på svensk mark.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“introduce a law prohibiting nuclear weapons on Swedish territory.”
• ratify the nuclear weapons prohibition»ratificera konventionen om kärnvapenförbud och arbeta för ett totalförbud mot att använda autonoma vapensystem.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“ratify the convention on nuclear weapons prohibition and work for a total ban on the use of autonomous weapon systems.”
• eliminate nuclear weapons»Vi vill se en avveckling av kärnvapen och andra massförstörelsevapen.« (party programme ↗)“We want to see an elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.”
• non-alignment against nuclear weapons»Samtidigt vill vi att Sverige behåller sin militära alliansfrihet för att kunna fortsätta arbeta mot kärnvapen, för nedrustning och kunna bedriva en självständig utrikespolitik där vi står upp för mänskliga rättigheter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time we want Sweden to maintain its military non-alignment to be able to continue working against nuclear weapons, for disarmament and to conduct an independent foreign policy where we stand up for human rights.”

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 plan does not mention nuclear weapons. The closest commitment is to arm military defence quickly and forcefully, spend two per cent of GDP and complete NATO accession, and the party programme establishes that détente and demilitarisation cannot be assumed. Legislation that in advance binds Sweden's hands in the defence cooperation the plan is built on therefore gets no support, even though the plan does not state itself on the question. Low certainty because the conclusion is derived.

• rearmament and NATO membershipdecisive»Sverige ska försvaras. Vi vill rusta det militära försvaret snabbt, kraftfullt och långsiktigt. Sverige behöver satsa två procent av BNP på försvaret så snart det är praktiskt möjligt och gå med i Nato.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall be defended. We want to arm the military defence quickly, forcefully and long-term. Sweden needs to spend two per cent of GDP on defence as soon as it is practically possible and join NATO.”
• complete NATO accession»Centerpartiet vill rusta försvaret, stärka Sveriges civila beredskap och fullfölja inträdet i Nato.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Centre Party wants to arm defence, strengthen Sweden's civilian preparedness and complete accession to NATO.”
• no automatic détente»Vi kan inte förutsätta att avspänning och demilitarisering ska prägla vår värld.« (party programme ↗)“We cannot assume that détente and demilitarisation will characterise our world.”
• 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 says nothing about nuclear weapons on Swedish territory. The closest applicable principle is that Sweden within NATO particularly shall be able to contribute with the infrastructure needed to create strategic depth for the defence of Finland and the Baltic states, and that security is created in alliances. A national law that in advance limits what the alliance may do on Swedish territory does not follow from this.

• Swedish infrastructure for the alliancedecisive»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 particularly be able to contribute within NATO with the infrastructure needed to create necessary and strategic depth for the defence of Finland and the Baltic states.”
• security in alliances»I dag skapas trygghet i allianser, inte i allianslöshet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Today security is created in alliances, not in non-alignment.”
• 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 party programme makes open and close cooperation with Nato a natural part of Swedish security policy and demands a defence that can be deterrent, as well as capacity to meet attacks including with nuclear weapons. That legislation prohibits nuclear weapons on Swedish territory locks in advance a question that the programme instead leaves to independent Swedish decisions on participation and conditions. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demand for legislation.

• close cooperation with Natodecisive»med NATO bör, givet nämnda kriterier, vara en naturlig del av svensk säkerhetspolitik« (party programme ↗)“with NATO should, given the aforementioned criteria, be a natural part of Swedish security policy”
• deterrent defence»kan verka krigsavhållande vid säkerhetspolitiska kriser« (party programme ↗)“can be deterrent in security policy crises”
• capacity against weapon threats»möta angrepp från internationell kriminalitet, terrorism, cyberkrigföring, biologiska vapen, kemiska vapen« (party programme ↗)“meet attacks from international crime, terrorism, cyber warfare, biological weapons, chemical weapons”
• independent Swedish decisions»självständigt få ta ställning till deltagande i ett eventuellt gemensamt territorialförsvar« (party programme ↗)“independently be able to take a position on participation in a possible joint territorial defence”

The plan wants a high level of ambition in NATO, extract maximum value from membership and have a war-deterring defence that deters a potential attacker. Legislating away the possibility of nuclear weapons on Swedish soil restricts freedom of action in that cooperation. The plan at the same time states that the state's hard core can never be negotiable, which is Sweden's own basis for setting conditions.

• full value from NATOdecisive»Moderaterna vill sätta en hög ambitionsnivå för Sverige som blivande Natomedlem. Sverige ska som medlem i Nato vara en säkerhetsproducent i vårt närområde och även få ut mesta möjliga effekt av medlemskapet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Moderates want to set a high level of ambition for Sweden as a future NATO member. Sweden as a NATO member should be a security producer in our region and also extract maximum value from the membership.”
• war-deterring defence»Målet är att det svenska försvaret ska vara krigsavhållande och avskräcka en eventuell motståndare från att angripa Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The goal is for Swedish defence to be war-deterring and deter a potential adversary from attacking Sweden.”
• deepened military cooperation»Sverige behöver intensifiera det militära samarbetet i Europa« (party programme ↗)“Sweden needs to intensify military cooperation in Europe”
• sovereignty and own conditions»Statens hårda kärna får aldrig vara förhandlingsbar.« (party programme ↗)“The state's hard core can never be negotiable.”

The plan does not speak of nuclear weapons, but its core defense commitment is a war-deterring defense capacity and a deepened defense and security cooperation in a deteriorated security situation. To bind Sweden by law against nuclear weapons on Swedish soil would impose a new restriction on precisely that cooperation the plan wants to deepen. Derived from the commitment to a credible, war-deterring total defense, the plan rejects the counter-proposal's requirement, but the foundation is weak because the question is never addressed.

• war-deterring defense capacitydecisive»Ett trovärdigt totalförsvar är en garant för Sveriges nationella suveränitet och frihet. Målet är en krigsavhållande försvarsförmåga med kapacitet att möta främmande aggressioner« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A credible total defense is a guarantee for Sweden's national sovereignty and freedom. The goal is a war-deterring defense capacity with capacity to meet foreign aggression”
• deepened defense cooperation»Det är vår mening att försvars- och säkerhetssamarbetet behöver fördjupas ytterligare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is our view that defense and security cooperation needs to be deepened further”
• response to deteriorated security situation»Rusta Sverige inför en ny säkerhetspolitisk situation i vårt närområde« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Equip Sweden for a new security policy situation in our surrounding area”
• restored total defense»Sverigedemokraterna vill återupprätta totalförsvaret och att Sverige ska ha förmåga att möta potentiella angripare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to restore total defense and that Sweden has the capacity to meet potential attackers.”