Despite the Turkish blockade, Sweden has not given up its intention to join NATO at the same time as Finland. The Swedish government has presented the bill that will allow membership of the Alliance, which it has described as the biggest change in security policy in 200 years. It will mark the end of the neutrality adopted in 1812 after a disastrous loss of territory to Russia during the Napoleonic Wars.
According to the prime minister, the moderate Ulf Kristersson, the new law will be approved by Parliament in the next 15 days to advance at the same pace as the Finns, who adopted theirs last week. "In this way, we are moving forward at exactly the same speed as Finland," Kristersson said at a joint press conference with Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general. Stoltenberg stressed the importance of Sweden joining the Alliance because "Vladimir Putin is not preparing for peace, but for more war."
When the Swedish deputies approve the law, all that remains is for Turkey and Hungary to accept the accession of the two Nordic countries, an essential step that has become a serious obstacle due, above all, to the reluctance of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which considers that Sweden is hosting Kurdish refugees related to "terrorist organizations" on its territory, as well as Turkish exiles allegedly involved in the 2016 coup attempt.
For the Swedish Foreign Minister, Tobias Billström, also a moderate, the new law will be a historic milestone: "This is the biggest change in security policy in 200 years. When Parliament ratifies this decision, we will have radically changed the conditions of our defense for the foreseeable future. For the better, of course, since we will be protected as members of a military alliance."
"With this proposal we take the last steps to join the North Atlantic Treaty and become members of NATO together with Finland," Billström said. The project contemplates that the Government be allowed to request military support from the Alliance in the event that Sweden is at war or in danger of war, as well as to prevent violations of its territory.
The Swedish government wants the process to be as quick as possible, so it wants the so-called motion period to be shortened to five days instead of the normal 15 so that Parliament can make a decision as soon as possible. Then it will have to wait for the go-ahead from Turkey and Hungary.
Although the situation still seems far from being resolved, the fact that the talks between the Swedes and the Turks resume this Thursday has been interpreted by Kristersson as a positive sign: "It is always good that we speak again, especially after a couple of weeks problems in which the negotiations were paralyzed".
While Kristersson was meeting with Stoltenberg, a Hungarian government delegation was visiting the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Andreas Norlén. "We have made it clear that, in Hungary, the government, the president, the prime minister and the majority of the deputies unequivocally support Sweden's entry into NATO," said Csaba Hende, a spokesman for the group.
Hende, however, also left a warning: "Of course, it would be desirable that certain Swedish politicians, based on completely false facts, not indicate or insinuate that there is no rule of law in Hungary."
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