Like Finland, Sweden has been firmly committed to its neutral posture since the end of the Second World War. Despite the proximity of first Soviet and then Russian forces, and the numerous tensions that have punctuated its history over the last decades, Stockholm has always tried to maintain a position that is certainly European, but open towards the East, while maintaining a remarkable defensive capacity for a country of only 10 million souls. However, the temptation is great, for certain Swedish political leaders, to move closer to NATO, and why not to join the Alliance, to align with its European neighbors and partners, and in particular Denmark and Norway. .
But this solution is not favored by the current Swedish government, as specified by the Swedish Minister of Defense, Peter Hultqvist, during a digital press conference held on April 7. According to him, NATO is not the only solution for defending Europe, and Stockholm intends to increase bilateral or multilateral links, on a European scale and beyond, to strengthen the cohesion of its defensive posture. Above all, the Swedish government obtained the green light from its parliament to increase defense spending by 40% over the 2021-2025 period, and reach € 10 billion by this date, or roughly 2% of its GDP.
The Swedish armies will thus increase from 60.000 men including 22.500 in active service and 35.000 reservists, to 100.000 men by 2030, or 1% of the population, and 4% of the eligible age group of 18 to 45 years, in making it one of the densest armies in Europe. Remember that the French Armies, for example, only field 210.000 men and an operational reserve of 60.000 men, for 68 million French people, i.e. a density of 0,5%, twice lower than that of its Scandinavian partner. In addition, the country maintains exceptional defense industrial activity, again relative to the size of the country. Thus, the Swedish air forces, the Flygvapnet, will soon receive the first of the 70 JAS 39 Gripen E ordered, new version of the Swedish single-engine fighter. They will evolve alongside some 74 JAS39 Gripen C and 24 Gripen D currently in service.
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[…] Swedish neutrality, stemming from an international position dating back to 1814, was one of the pillars of the country's international policy during the 19th and 20th century, allowing Stockholm to preserve peace on its territory […]