2023-07-11 03:20:33
After lifting Turkey’s veto on the Swedish candidacy this Monday, on the eve of the Vilnius Summit, Stockholm is one step closer to ending more than 200 years of military non-alignment that began at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1814. .
After meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Lithuanian capital today, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson spoke of a “historic day for Sweden.” The head of government was sure that Hungary, the only country along with Turkey whose Parliament has not ratified Swedish membership so far, will not be an obstacle to getting the Nordic country to become NATO’s 32nd member state.
Monday’s deal means Sweden commits to intensify the fight against terrorism and increase cooperation with Turkey on terrorism and security. The latter can be questioned, especially in the Swedish debate. Turkey is a country that is repeatedly criticized for its democratic weaknesses, violations of the rule of law, and lack of respect for human rights. It also means that Sweden’s promise to support Turkey in moving closer to the EU can be perceived as controversial. Turkey’s development in an authoritarian direction has meant that several EU countries do not want Turkey in the community club, and even among Swedish parliamentary parties there has long been strong criticism of events in Turkey.
In any case, the unlocking of Sweden’s accession to the EU was welcomed by most political parties in Stockholm. The Social Democratic leader, Magdalena Andersson, who as prime minister presented the formal application for membership a year ago, considered the news “an important and welcome message for our country.”
From the third party of the Nordic country, the far-right Swedish Democrats (SD), parliamentary partners of the current center-right government, its foreign policy officer, Aron Emilsson, was on public television SVT “cautiously positive about a historic decision in a historic summit.
“It has been important that the terms of the trilateral agreement are fulfilled and that it does not imply new commitments on the Swedish side that mean new changes in Swedish law on top of those already made,” added Emilsson.
Meanwhile, for the liberal leader and Minister of Integration and Labor, Johan Pehrson, he praised the “good work of the Government” and that of the previous Executive “for a historically important request at a difficult time.” “Freedom must be defended. Together ”, he writes he on Twitter.
Along the same lines, Ebba Busch, the leader of the Christian Democrats, also members of the tripartite led by Kristersson, expressed herself: “Now Sweden is strengthening NATO!”
From the opposition Center Party, its top leader, Muharrem Demirok, hails the “good news from the Vilnius Summit.” “Erdogan backs down and Turkey will approve Sweden’s entry into NATO. Welcome and long awaited. Sweden belongs to NATO and NATO becomes more secure with Sweden as a member. Thanks to the Swedish people who so clearly supported the process, ”he adds in a Twitter message.
The dissenting note comes from the Left Party, whose leader, Nooshi Dadgostar, insisted on his well-known position that “Sweden should not have joined NATO.” “We have always respected that there is a majority between the parties in the ‘Riksdag’ [Parlamento] for NATO membership. The process of becoming a member could have been handled better and show how badly NATO works, ”she laments.
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