Svensk säkerhetspolitik: från neutralitet till (dubbel) solidaritet

Abstract

The foreign policy change that took place in Sweden during the post-cold war era is well known. Sweden then went from a foreign policy based on the principle of “non-alignment in peace, aiming at neutrality in the event of war” to embrace international cooperation within the field of foreign- and security politics as well as signing two declarations of solidarity; one with the EU and one with the Nordic countries. By implementing a role-theory based analysis this thesis aims to explain how and why this policy change took place. The analysis stretches from 1990 until 2014 and examines Sweden’s foreign policy role conceptions and role change throughout a qualitative case study research of the yearly Statements of Government Policy in the Parliamentary Debate on Foreign Affairs. Finally, this thesis suggests that foreign policy roles matters in the process of foreign policy change. This thesis also argues that Sweden’s foreign policy change from neutrality to solidarity would not be possible without changes in the foreign policy role conceptions.