2023-07-11 14:34:03
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s approval of Sweden’s request to become a member of NATO, which was met with great relief in this Scandinavian country, paves the way for rapid accession after months of obstruction, although an exact timetable has not yet been set.
Despite the obstacles that have arisen in the past months, public support in Sweden to join NATO remains broad, as about two-thirds of Swedes still support it, according to the latest opinion polls.
“It’s a relief that we’re joining NATO, that we’re welcomed there and have a united front against Russia,” Sarah Lindblom, 30, told AFP.
But the geopolitical negotiations over the accession process, with interlocutors such as Erdogan or Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, have also raised an unease about the risks of compromising Sweden’s “moral superpower”.
For his part, Jan Hivem, a 67-year-old businessman, said, “It’s difficult. I don’t know if Swedish politicians are ready to confront Turkey in this way.”
Camilla Hair-Salka, a 52-year-old consultant, said that the agreement reached Monday with Turkey, which provides in particular for supporting the resumption of Ankara’s accession process to the European Union, “seems appropriate, at least for the known parties.”
The operation has also raised internal tensions, with anti-Erdogan and NATO activists doubling down on provocations, such as the burning of a copy of the Koran.
This sparked outrage across the Muslim world, with police fearing an attack.
Sweden (10.5 million people, 528 thousand square kilometers) ends with its accession to NATO a break that lasted more than two centuries with military alliances, although it had already officially ended its neutrality in the nineties of the last century.
The Scandinavian country largely refrained from investing militarily after the end of the Cold War, but changed its position after Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, re-establishing, for example, military service. Its army has the latest equipment, such as dozens of fighter jets and three submarines.
Experts say that its accession to NATO, with Finland joining since early April, is a guarantee that the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) will be better protected while strengthening the “wing” of Northeast NATO.
Sweden, with a dynamic defense industry, also avoids its status as the only country in the north, or bordering the Baltic Sea, that has not joined NATO, with the exception of Russia.
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