The appeal of the Swedish authorities to their citizens about the fact that they should be ready for war caused an ambiguous reaction. In prosperous Sweden, people were morally unprepared for such speeches, so most of the society felt denial and did not take these words seriously. Some accused the authorities of inciting panic, others of political manipulation. What actually caused such a loud statement?
The first to resort to such rhetoric were two high-ranking officials, and both of them belonged to the security sector:
– Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Mikael Buden;
– Minister for Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin.
They both enjoy public trust and authority in their country, and the rare speeches of persons of this rank make citizens pay close attention to the statements of the military and defenders.
No joke
Minister for Civil Defense Bohlin noted that the situation has become serious, and he is concerned that the pace of modernization of civil defense is not keeping up with the speed with which new challenges are emerging. He calls on the citizens of Sweden to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities now.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Buden thinks so. He noted that there is no time left for procrastination; it is necessary to move from words to real actions. Buden knows what he is talking about because, in December 2023, he visited the eastern front of Ukraine, where he assessed the fighting forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine directly at the positions. He was also interested in the processes taking place in the lives of civilian Ukrainians in current realities.
According to Buden, the more society prepares for war, the stronger the entire country will be, and this opinion is correct. But did the Swedes hear her?
Political games
The fact is that Sweden has not yet become a member of NATO, and not all citizens even now support this idea. Of course, with the start of the war in Ukraine, the Swedes also realized the threats and risks, but the first shock has passed, and now society no longer has the same level of support for joining the Alliance as in 2022. Each reminder of the probability of an attack, in turn, increases the level of support for the NATO course in society.
But membership in NATO and even the path to it requires significant expenses, and taxpayers do not always understand why they are needed if they do not directly affect the standard of living and infrastructural and social development. Reminders of the possibility of war from the lips of high-ranking officials of this level acted like a cold shower. This was the reason for accusations that such statements have only one goal – to manipulate public opinion towards supporting NATO accession.
