“When you are holding on to power with one seat, it’s a cause of instability,” said Eric Adamson, a Stockholm-based project manager at the Atlantic Council’s northern Europe office. “This may make it harder for Sweden to take on a leadership role in northern Europe, in the E.U. or in NATO.”
Whatever the outcome, the race has already reshaped political discourse, pushing anti-immigrant and tough-on-crime rhetoric into the political mainstream and deepening fears here about the polarization — or “Americanization” — of Swedish politics.
“There is concern here that we are becoming more like America with polarization and intense rhetoric,” said Adamson, of the Atlantic Council. “Where every battle becomes an existential one.”
Further reading
Fri, May 13, 2022
Why Finland and Sweden can join NATO with unprecedented speed
New Atlanticist By Christopher Skaluba, Anna Wieslander
Both have put in the prescient and painstaking work to make a potential transition from partner to member so straightforward.
Thu, May 12, 2022
FAST THINKING: Why Finland and Sweden are feeling secure about NATO membership
Fast Thinking By
How did the two countries arrive so quickly at this juncture? And what opportunities and dangers lie ahead? Our experts in Helsinki, Brussels, and Washington have the answers.
Wed, Mar 30, 2022
All security is local: Arctic defense policies and domain awareness
Report By
This report maps Arctic allies' and partners' defense strategies and domain awareness capabilities to make recommendations for enhancing Arctic security.