Security through European integration or flexible autonomy: ambivalence in Sweden’s position on the Eastern Partnership?

Hedling, Elsa; Brommesson, Douglas

doi:10.1080/23340460.2017.1416308

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…At the same time, Sweden implemented the EU solidarity clause from the Lisbon treaty and presented them as complementary. Hedling and Brommesson (2017) argue that 'this choice aligns with Sweden's history of "twin faces" in relation to European integration, whereby elite enthusiasm offset by public caution has led to balancing active and passive roles of EU integration' (see also Jerneck, 1993;Lindahl & Naurin, 2005). In this context, Nordicness in Swedish foreign policy seems to be an expression of a more cautious role, one that emphasizes more traditional security actions.…”

Section: Nordicness As the Cautious Road In Times Of Tensionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The paradoxical conclusion is that a very far-reaching integration effort by the EU in the field of security policy, together with the goal to remain within the core of the EU (Hedling & Brommesson, 2017), resulted in new momentum for Nordic cooperation, especially among the post-neutral Nordic states of Sweden and Finland, who could not rely on NATO structures to the same degree as the other three Nordics (cf. Möller & Bjereld, 2015;see, also, Lödén, 2012).…”

Section: Europeanization and Nordicness As A Second Prioritymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, today, these 'Nordic norms' are less relevant for defining a Swedish role in foreign and security policy. Rather, Sweden seems mainly to approach the norm structure from an autonomous position based on strategic calculation (Hedling & Brommesson, 2017). Hence, Nordicness becomes associated with national security rather than internationalism.…”

Section: Conclusion: From Nordicness As Internationalism To Nordicnesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘Nordicness’ in Swedish foreign policy – from mid power internationalism to small state balancing?

Brommesson

2018

Global Affairs

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This paper focuses on Nordicness, i.e. the perception and recognition of a Nordic role in Swedish foreign policy. Based on a framework about security cultures, it identifies and analyses Nordicnessdefined in terms of role perceptionsin Swedish foreign and security policy. The analysis identifies three roles: internationalist leader during the period of active foreign policy in the latter part of the Cold War, Europeanized follower during the height of reorientation towards the EU and today's Nordic balancer. The analysis reveals how Nordicness recently began reappearing in a security environment characterized by increasing levels of tension. Compared to the Cold War period, shared Nordic norms and identity are less apparent today. Instead, the material security environment has become increasingly important. Recent increases in Nordicness in Swedish foreign policy have taken place in the context of a tenser security situation and have been associated with national security rather than a shared mission of internationalism. The article concludes that, in addition to internationalism, Nordicness has become a source of considerably more materialistic concerns.

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Section: Nordicness As the Cautious Road In Times Of Tensionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Europeanization and Nordicness As A Second Prioritymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conclusion: From Nordicness As Internationalism To Nordicnesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘Nordicness’ in Swedish foreign policy – from mid power internationalism to small state balancing?

Brommesson

2018

Global Affairs

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“…As the smaller countries do not have full autonomy, they need to be very careful when adopting a position towards new initiatives and when the environment changes profoundly (cf. Hedling and Brommesson 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A small state’s anticipation of institutional change: effects of the looming Brexit in the areas of the CSDP and internal market

Weiss

2019

European Security

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Small state's anticipation of institutional change: Effects of the looming Brexit in the area of the CSDP and internal marketBrexit will change the balance of power in the European Union. All countries will have to adjust it, but the issue is more pressing for small member states that are more dependent on international organisations than big states. This article studies how the institutional setting affects a small state's preparations for Brexit in the area of common security and defence policy and internal market. Contrary to the theoretical expectations, it shows that the Czech Republic, the small state under scrutiny, has invested more effort into a preventive adjustment in the supranational internal market policy than to the CSDP. This result is explained by the existence of alternative institutional frameworks that are expected to mitigate the impact of Brexit on EU's security and defence policy. It also suggests that while small states profit from the existence of strong institutions, they also face the risk of unmitigated impact when these institutions change.

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“…For Norway and Denmark, the experience of invasion and occupation has led them to see the NATO alliance as critical to their security (Graeger, 2005): Nordic defence cooperation is, at best, a way of drawing Sweden and Finland closer to NATO in order to overcome the fragmentation of strategic space in the region which complicates effective defence planning. Sweden, on the other hand, has a security culture shaped by nearly two centuries of successful neutrality and nonalignment: even though it can no longer defend itself, has now committed itself to the defence and security of its Nordic and EU partners (Hugemark, 2012), and bases its security policy on an ability to give and receive military aid, it is still unwilling to draw the logical conclusion and shed its pretensions to military non-alignment (Dalsjö, 2012;Hedling & Brommesson, 2017). Finland's security culture reflects its vulnerable geopolitical location and its difficult history with Russia, which severely constrain its foreign and security policy options (Forsberg & Vaahtoranta, 2001;Möller & Bjereld, 2010).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Epilogue: “Nordicness” – theory and practice

Hyde‐Price

2018

Global Affairs

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This epilogue offers a critical reflection on the key findings of the six articles in this special issue on "Nordicness" in foreign policy. It engages with the theoretical issues in studying regional security communities, both in terms of the utility of role theory and the implications of the literature on strategic culture for the concept of security culture which this study of Nordicness uses. The main argument developed here is the need to combine analysis of material and ideational factors in order to fully understand the dynamics of Nordicness in security policy. The article also identifies the key dilemmas and ambiguities of Nordic defence cooperation, and the pivotal role of Sweden in determining the future evolution of a shared Nordic foreign policy identity.

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Security through European integration or flexible autonomy: ambivalence in Sweden’s position on the Eastern Partnership?

Cited by 6 publications

References 20 publications

‘Nordicness’ in Swedish foreign policy – from mid power internationalism to small state balancing?

‘Nordicness’ in Swedish foreign policy – from mid power internationalism to small state balancing?

A small state’s anticipation of institutional change: effects of the looming Brexit in the areas of the CSDP and internal market

Epilogue: “Nordicness” – theory and practice

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