The ex-minister: An immoral political game to keep power
This is a debate article. It is the writer who stands for the opinions presented in the text, not Aftonbladet.
Published 2024-01-18 06.00
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fullscreen SD runs its campaign about the internal enemy, the immigrants, who threaten the whole society. What is more logical then for an M that is losing voters to bring out the external enemy that wants to crush the whole Swedishness with cultural canon and everything, writes Carl Tham. In the picture Ulf Kristersson and Carl-Oskar Bohlin at this year’s People and Defense in Sälen. Photo: Anders Deros, TT
DEBATE. What does the government know that we don’t? asks Professor Peter Wallensten, internationally recognized peace researcher. Implied: what has recently happened in the immediate area that motivates the rhetoric of war?
The answers have not been forthcoming. What then lies behind these threatening images, that Sweden can be at war at any time and it is necessary to hurry up and bunker sardines in the pantry and, above all, pour enormous sums of money on the military?
That high-ranking officers are firing – led by ÖB dressed in camouflage uniform to be able to run out and hide in the bushes at any time – is not surprising. This has always been the case even during the days of the Cold War. Remember, for example, the military inflammatory rhetoric in connection with the alleged submarine violations in the 80s and 90s.
Today’s ÖB seems to have a particularly hard time sticking to its role – military, not agitator.
But how was it now – wasn’t the main argument for NATO that membership would reduce the risk of war for Sweden? NATO would make a single Russian attack on Sweden even less likely than it already was. And NATO’s nuclear umbrella and the nuclear deterrent would ultimately prevent a major European war in which Sweden would also be drawn into.
The thesis could be disputed but was not unreasonable, and it was eagerly promoted by all the accession parties – and that was almost all of them.
But now it seems that NATO is no longer included in Kristersson’s excited threat images. NATO or not NATO, it doesn’t matter, we have to prepare for war here in Sweden.
So what happened? The answer should probably not be sought in an astonishing analysis of the world around us or a reassessment of NATO membership, but rather in the domestic opinion polls, which all show a strong decline for the Moderates and Kristersson.
These are unpleasant numbers for M and it is easy to imagine that the moderate inner circle pondered over the weekends how to make up for the loss. And then the Seal performance seems politically logical; People and defense is an excellent stage for political play precisely because it pretends to be apolitical.
The Sweden Democrats run their fascist campaign about the internal enemy, the immigrants, who threaten the whole society. What is more logical than that the Moderates bring out the external enemy who wants to crush the whole Swedishness with cultural canon and all?
Here are all the ingredients that can appeal to the old right that still exists: Russia, the arch-enemy, the threat of war, the military in power, be ready, classic patriotism, die for your country, Sven Duva.
It can, Kristersson hopes, strengthen the party, perhaps bring back voters from SD, voters who think that the external threat is perhaps more dangerous than the internal one, and in any event make SD slightly less dominant in political opinion formation.
Note SD’s long silence – and when Åkesson finally opens his mouth, it is to bring attention back to the immigration issue. Here I am, he shouts, do not forget the enemy within.
Playing with the threat of war as part of the political campaign is immoral but who is surprised? The moderates have already shown that they are ready for anything as long as they remain in power.
It may not be ineffective either. Combined with promises of tax cuts which, like the defense billions, may also have to be paid for with loans, perhaps the threats of war can lift Kristersson’s party.
I would like to hope that foolish political games of this kind will not pay off. But we’ll see.
Carl Tham, former ambassador to Germany, former minister (S)
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