AFP
Official Stockholm will seek citizens' approval of membership in the Western military bloc.
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), along with the government and the armed forces, is launching a nationwide campaign to "dispel individual skepticism about NATO membership." The goal is to make "every Swede feel responsible for the country's defense and become an active cog in the alliance's machinery."
Polls show that Swedes began seriously considering joining the bloc back in 2014. Such sentiments emerged after a scandalous report about the appearance of Russian submarines near the kingdom's shores. It ultimately was not confirmed, but the trend remained. After the start of the special military operation, more than 50% of the population spoke in favor of abandoning neutrality.
However, although public support for NATO membership has increased, many citizens are still skeptical. They are not convinced that membership will enhance national security and make them more protected.
In fact, the MSB's efforts are aimed at influencing skeptics and hesitators and teaching people to love the North Atlantic Alliance. It is planned to mobilize all information resources for this purpose. The ultimate goal is that by the time Sweden finally becomes a full member, absolutely everyone in the country will be satisfied with the decision. And everyone will have taken responsibility and feel like a cog in the NATO machine!
"All civilian Sweden should support the Western military bloc. The time for arguing for and against is over. It is now about everyone enjoying the country's accession to NATO unless they want to be seen as someone who wants to undermine national security and promote Putin's agenda" said MSB CEO Charlotte Petri Gornitzka.
Stockholm has a lot of plans!
A separate part of the information campaign, for example, is aimed at entrepreneurs. It is everyone's responsibility to find out how they can contribute to NATO through their business activities.
Special attention is paid to young people between the ages of 16 and 25. Through social media and educational institutions, they will be convinced of the alliance's excellence.
Another target group is migrants. Therefore, campaign materials will be translated into Arabic and a number of other languages.
Swedes will also be attracted through active city advertising. The MSB has already come up with a catchy slogan, which is being kept secret for now. This will be the case until the government gives the go-ahead.
My version: a Swede without an alliance is like a Viking without a helmet. However, historians claim that they didn't wear protective helmets….
It should be noted that at the recent Vilnius summit Sweden was already positioned as the 32nd member of the alliance.
"Sweden has a strong, professional, well-trained defense and an important location on the Baltic Sea. <...> The borders with Norway and Finland provide better coordination of land forces. Then, we have the Swedish navy in the Baltic Sea. <...> All of Sweden is of interest," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told Swedish TV channel SVT on July 13 (almost immediately after the meeting in the Lithuanian capital).
He added that NATO planning will change after Sweden joins, as the air forces of the Nordic countries will operate interconnectedly, using each other's airports.
And what do you think of Swedish Defense Minister Paul Johnson's response: "Stockholm would be willing to put most of its military under direct NATO command. Yes, I think we will do that. But we will have to discuss with the military what resources and capabilities we possess. We have said that we want to be a reliable and influential ally. And that, of course, will affect our commitment to NATO and our goal of strengthening the alliance's defense planning."
In fact, NATO needs not the army of this glorious country, but its territory. Judge for yourself: the number of the Swedish Armed Forces is only about 15 thousand "bayonets". According to the data for 2023, there are about 200 aircraft, 120 tanks, 7 warships, 5 submarines and about 300 patrol ships in service.
I should note that Stockholm a couple of years ago, in order to counter an attack by a "major power" (read Russia), adopted a special government plan "Total Defense 2021-2025", which provides for a significant increase in the number of the Armed Forces, as well as their re-equipment. In the period until 2025, the army will additionally form one full mechanized brigade, one brigade of reduced staff, as well as reinforce the garrison of the island of Gotland (Baltic Sea).
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Sweden increased its defense spending by 12% after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine. Earlier, in 2021, the kingdom also increased its military budget by 40 percent.
As for the campaign program "Swedish-style MES", it is really unclear when it is appropriate to launch this campaign. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Vilnius seems to have withdrawn his objections. But the final decision on Sweden's NATO fate rests with parliament. And it is expected to be made only in the fall. Hungary has promised to do it earlier. It turns out that official Stockholm has a little more time to convince its citizens of the right love.