Swedish Peace Sees Surge in Membership Amidst NATO Application Debate
Since Monday, Swedish Peace’s membership has experienced a sharp increase. Typically, the association receives an average of 6-7 new members per day. However, this week, around 600 people have joined the organization, which advocates against military rearmament and was opposed to Sweden’s NATO application.
Karin Wall Härdfeldt, the secretary general of Swedish Peace, stated that many people have questions about what membership entails and whether everything is ready now. She believes that the debate on the NATO process has been unbalanced. The majority of expert voices given the opportunity to express themselves have been positive, leaving little room for public opinion and education.
Härdfeldt argues that the discussion around the potential negative consequences of NATO membership has not been given enough space. One of these consequences, she claims, is the promises signed between Sweden and Turkey. In order for Turkey to support Sweden’s NATO application, an increased security cooperation and commitments against terrorism were agreed upon. Additionally, Sweden promised to support Turkey’s membership in the EU and reopened arms exports to the country.
Swedish Peace has warned about the risks of aligning militarily with authoritarian states, as exemplified by the relationship with Turkey. Härdfeldt argues that this problem will not disappear once Sweden becomes a full NATO member.
After NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Monday evening that Turkey will proceed with Sweden’s NATO application, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s messages have been unclear. No date has been set for when the Swedish application will be approved, creating uncertainty that Härdfeldt believes opens the door to continued pressure.
According to Swedish Peace, NATO membership and participation in a nuclear weapons alliance will hinder Sweden’s efforts to work for peaceful conflict management and disarmament worldwide. Härdfeldt highlights that the suspension of the Swedish military’s freedom of alliance contradicts Sweden’s perception as a peaceful nation. This is one of the reasons why Swedish Peace is experiencing an influx of new members, incoming phone calls, and interview requests.
“With Sweden’s decision to apply for NATO membership, we received a huge number of new members. We have witnessed the same trend throughout the year with new information on the application process,” said Karin Wall Härdfeldt.