Nuclear weapons

The party programme explicitly demands a ban on nuclear weapons on Swedish soil and work for a world completely free of nuclear weapons, and the election manifesto that Sweden sign the nuclear weapons convention. The plan also opposes militarization and arms race. The counter-proposal's demand for national legislation banning import, storage, and transit in both peace and war time is therefore precisely what the plan asks for.

• ban on nuclear weaponsdecisive»Vi vill se ett förbud mot kärnvapen på svensk mark« (party programme ↗)“We want to see a ban on nuclear weapons on Swedish soil”
• 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.”
• against arms race»Vi vänder oss emot militarisering och kapprustning.« (party programme ↗)“We oppose militarization and arms race.”
• no foreign bases»Vänsterpartiet vill att Sverige river upp värdlandsavtalet med NATO.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants Sweden to leave NATO.”

The party programme states that there shall be no nuclear weapons on Swedish territory, and the election manifesto condemns all threat of nuclear weapons and works for a world free from nuclear weapons. The counter-proposal's requirement for national legislation against import, storage and transit provides the same thing in binding form. The plan does not explicitly state the legislative route, but in substance supports the requirement.

• no nuclear weapons on territorydecisive»Inga kärnvapen på svenskt territorium.« (party programme ↗)“No nuclear weapons on Swedish territory.”
• 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 threat of nuclear weapons and continue to work for the only reasonable end goal: a world free from nuclear weapons.”
• disarmament tradition»Vi har en lång historia av att stå upp för folkrätten, solidaritet, nedrustning, demokrati och jämställdhet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We have a long history of standing up for international law, solidarity, disarmament, democracy and equality.”

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 explicitly requires a law banning nuclear weapons on Swedish territory, and the party programme establishes that Sweden should be a nuclear weapon-free zone in both peacetime and wartime. The counter-proposal's requirement for national legislation against import, storage and transit in peacetime and wartime is exactly these commitments. The plan also wants to ratify the nuclear weapons prohibition convention.

• law against nuclear weapons on Swedish territorydecisive»införa en lag som förbjuder kärnvapen på svensk mark« (2022 manifesto ↗)“introduce a law that bans nuclear weapons on Swedish territory”
• nuclear weapon-free zone in peace and war»Sverige ska vara en kärnvapenfri zon i både freds- och krigstid.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall be a nuclear weapon-free zone in both peacetime and wartime.”
• ratified nuclear weapons prohibition»ratificera konventionen om kärnvapenförbud och arbeta för ett totalförbud mot att använda autonoma vapensystem« (2022 manifesto ↗)“ratify the convention on the prohibition of nuclear weapons and work for a total ban on the use of autonomous weapon systems”
• no first use»Vi anser att Nato bör anta principen om no first use av kärnvapen och att Nato varken ska« (party programme ↗)“We believe that NATO should adopt the principle of no first use of nuclear weapons and that NATO neither should”

The plan's security policy line is to complete entry into NATO and strengthen defense powerfully, and the party programme states that détente cannot be assumed and that Sweden must be able to defend its territory. A national law prohibiting import and transit of nuclear weapons even in wartime locks in the defense capability and military cooperation the plan builds on. The nuclear weapons question is not, however, addressed explicitly.

• NATO membership completeddecisive»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 invest two percent of GDP in defense as soon as practically possible and join NATO.”
• realistic security perspective»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.”
• 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 establishes that security is created in alliances and that NATO is the absolutely most important cooperation organization for security and mutual defence. A national law banning the introduction, storage and transit of nuclear weapons in both peace and wartime would bind Sweden's freedom of action within the alliance and thus conflicts with the plan's direction. The plan also requires significantly increased defence capacity, not new limitations on defence cooperation.

• security in alliancesdecisive»I dag skapas trygghet i allianser, inte i allianslöshet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Today security is created in alliances, not in non-alignment.”
• NATO as cornerstone»Nato är den absolut viktigaste samarbetsorganisationen för säkerhet och« (party programme ↗)“NATO is the absolutely most important cooperation organization for security and”
• increased defence capacity»Sveriges nationella försvarsförmåga måste öka.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's national defence capacity must increase.”
• stronger military defence»Sverige behöver ett betydligt starkare militärt försvar än i dag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs a significantly stronger military defence than today.”

The plan establishes that NATO plays a decisive role in transatlantic security, that membership is an integrated part of Swedish security policy and that the armed forces shall be able to act as a deterrent. A national law prohibiting import, storage and transit of nuclear weapons even in wartime locks the freedom of action this line presupposes. The plan further requires capacity to meet nuclear threats.

• Swedish NATO commitmentsdecisive»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”
• deterrent defence»gruppering att den kan verka krigsavhållande vid säkerhetspolitiska kriser i närområdet.« (party programme ↗)“formation that it can act as a deterrent in security policy crises in the near region.”
• capacity against nuclear threats»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, have priority over”

The plan wants Sweden to be a full NATO member with high ambition and get the most possible benefit from membership. A national law that prohibits import, storage and transit of nuclear weapons in both peace and war would bind Sweden unilaterally and limit the deterrence that the plan's security policy rests on. The plan says nothing about such a law, but its NATO line carries the stance.

• most possible benefit from NATOdecisive»Sverige ska som medlem i Nato vara en säkerhetsproducent i vårt närområde och även få ut mesta möjliga effekt av medlemskapet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should as a NATO member be a security producer in our region and also get the most possible benefit from membership.”
• full NATO membership»Vi ska vara en fullvärdig medlem i Nato« (party programme ↗)“We should 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 goal is that Swedish defence should be war-deterring and deter a potential opponent 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 level of ambition for Sweden as a future NATO member.”

The plan's security policy line is based on a war-deterrent defense capability and on Sweden strengthening its security through defense alliances and bilateral agreements. A national law that prohibits import, storage and transit of nuclear weapons even in wartime binds Sweden's scope of action in precisely that deterrence. The plan does not address nuclear weapons explicitly, but its defense commitments speak against the counter-proposal's requirements.

• war-deterrent capabilitydecisive»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-deterrent defense capability with capacity to meet foreign aggression, but which can also assist society in crisis or turmoil.”
• security through alliances»Genom bilaterala- och internationella avtal, samarbeten och försvarsallianser såsom« (party programme ↗)“Through bilateral and international agreements, cooperation and defense alliances such as”
• heightened security situation»Rusta Sverige inför en ny säkerhetspolitisk situation i vårt närområde« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prepare Sweden for a new security policy situation in our region”
• defense as ultimate guarantor»Sverigedemokraterna ser det militära försvaret som den yttersta garanten för« (party programme ↗)“Sweden Democrats see military defense as the ultimate guarantor of”