A Convincing Finnish Move: Implications for State Identity of Persuading Sweden to Jointly Bid for NATO Membership

Author: Stefan Lundqvist (Swedish Defence University)

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This article examines the consequences for Sweden’s state identity by the decision of Finland and
Sweden to apply for membership in NATO. Taking its starting point in Sweden’s shattering loss of its
easternmost provinces in the 1809 Treaty of Fredrikshamn, it explores Sweden’s initial formulations of a
policy of neutrality and its evolution until the end of the Cold War. The article then directs attention to
how Social Democratic leaders managed to institutionalise a Swedish “active foreign policy”, exerting a
lasting, formative influence on Sweden’s state identity. It also addresses the rapprochement of Finland
and Sweden after the end of the Cold War and the consequences of the bilateral dynamics that
characterised their EU-membership applications. The article critically discusses how Sweden
reformulated its concept of neutrality into a nebulous concept of nonalignment and adopted a security
policy rooted in a cooperative security approach. Based on key findings drawn from this historical
account, this article addresses the processes that lead to Finland and Sweden unexpectedly deciding on
jointly applying for NATO membership. It concludes with a forward-looking assessment of how a Swedish
NATO membership will ultimately stabilise Sweden’s adaptable state identity and its implications for the
Nordic countries’ regional military strategy.

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