BISTÅNDETS BALANSGÅNG: IDEALISTISKA NORMER KONTRA REALPOLITISKA INTRESSEN En kvalitativ studie om förändring i svensk biståndspolitik

Abstract

This thesis examines whether Swedish foreign aid policy has shifted from a primarily idealist, norm-based policy towards a more realist, interest driven policy during the period 2018-2025. Previous research has through the years described Sweden as an exception among donor countries, maintaining a strongly idealist aid policy even though the global trend has been moving towards a more security and interest-based aid. However recent geopolitical developments, particularly Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, raises the question on whether this idealist characterization still holds regarding Swedish foreign aid policy. The study applies a qualitative text analysis of central Swedish policy documents, including aid strategies, budget bills and foreign policy declarations. Using theoretical perspectives on idealism and realism, the analysis focuses on how aid is politically motivated and which goals are emphasized over time. The findings show that Swedish aid policy between 2018 and 2022 to a large extent reflects the idealist framework, with strong emphasis on human rights, gender equality and poverty reduction. In contrast, the period 2022-2025 is characterised by a clearer focus on security, geopolitical interests and national self-interest. The foreign aid is increasingly framed as a foreign policy instrument linked to security, migration, and regional stability. This is particularly clear in the relation to the war in Ukraine.