Domestic Politics Analysis of Swedish Post-Cold War Neutrality Policy
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Domestic Politics Analysis of Swedish Post-cold War Neutrality Policy Dinda Claudia Eka Putri and Siti Rokhmawati Susanto Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Airlangga Keywords: Sweden, neutrality, reorientation, foreign policy, international politics Abstract: Sweden is known as a state which would not only play its role to pursue social welfare but also run its commitment to establish foreign policy with neutrality. These two sets of principle were not only valued by Swedish people and government but also known as Swedish character in international politics. Through the principle of neutrality, Sweden orientated its foreign policies of non-military engagement and non-alignment in conflicts. Swedish policy of neutrality itself has been consistently implemented for a long period before it came to a reorientation of post-Cold War foreign policy. Compatibility of neutrality with national interests and international objectives raised a question for Sweden's foreign policy because the collapse of Soviet Union and the end of bipolarization became a turning point for world politics which not only led to new conception of security but also challenge Sweden economic viability. Sweden's reorientation of foreign policy and the principles of neutrality relevance changes not were not only influenced by the end of Cold War itself, but also by various driving factors of Swedish domestic politics in pursuit of national welfare.. 1 INTRODUCTION relatively limited size consideration of Sweden, and the physical isolation of the continental Europe made Neutrality is one of the Swedish guidelines, alongside King Karl Johan declare that neutrality was the most the welfare system known as Folkhem. The effective way of maintaining Swedish political and combination of the principle of neutrality and social military autonomy in Europe. This neutrality is based welfare issues that dominate the domestic agenda on the geographical and strategic reality that King make both pillars of the Swedish national identity Karl Johan sees to defend national sovereignty and (Bassett 2012, 11). Despite facing challenges by borders and keep the Swedish economy under the potential conflicts or a tendency to engage in war, weight of war (Bassett 2012, 10). Although not Sweden has a long history of orienting its foreign included in the Swedish Constitution, a policy of policy toward peace and neutrality. As Hetmanchuk neutrality is used as a reference for foreign policy (2012, 1) states, Sweden has a foreign policy because it is believed to guarantee Sweden not to character that chooses freedom from alliances in engage in war in the future. This principle is peacetime with the aim of wartime neutrality. This supported by strong national defense to prevent a neutrality policy is a complex policy and involves a military conflict in the territory of Sweden (Global multidimensional phenomenon. Security t.t.). Historically, Sweden was one of the greatest Neutrality is a legal status that denotes a country's military forces of Europe in the 1700s and had abstention to participate in wars among other states, mastered Finland and Norway. However, after being maintains an impartiality attitude toward belligerents, involved in twenty-five wars in the span of three and recognition by those parties to abstention and hundred years, Sweden decided to abandon its impartiality (Encyclopedia Britannica 2012 in Bassett aggressiveness (Valentin 2014, 1). King Karl Johan 2012, 6 ). International law provides this legal status XIV's reign established the Swedish Constitution in of rights and obligations between neutral parties and 1809, followed by a change in Swedish foreign policy warring parties. According to Hopper (in from military involvement to neutrality not to engage Hetmanchuk 2012, 9), neutrality is a shortcut for in military contact in 1810. From 1814, Sweden did small countries in a balance of power. Through not participate in war nor join any alliance . The loss neutrality, a country like Sweden can not only of war from the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the maintain territorial unity and political independence 462 Putri, D. and Susanto, S. Domestic Politics Analysis of Swedish Post-cold War Neutrality Policy. DOI: 10.5220/0010278804620468 In Proceedings of Airlangga Conference on International Relations (ACIR 2018) - Politics, Economy, and Security in Changing Indo-Pacific Region, pages 462-468 ISBN: 978-989-758-493-0 Copyright c 2021 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved Domestic Politics Analysis of Swedish Post-cold War Neutrality Policy but can also act as a buffer state for conflicting country will consider the behavior of other countries parties. In addition to defending sovereignty, Sweden before adopting certain policies (Fearon 1987, 291). embodies the principle of neutrality by participating A country has a perception of the actions taken or will as an arbitrator in conflictual conditions. The be taken by other countries so that the state must give manifestation of active internationalist neutrality attention and response to the international became part of Sweden's foreign policy since 1834 in environment (Fearon 1987, 298). which King Karl Johan attempted to mediate Britain In contrast to systemic theory, domestic political and Russia at the end of the Napoleonic Wars (Agius theory does not regard the state as a single actor. This 2006 in Bassett 2012, 1). Sweden's efforts to become theory explains that the state is a non-authoritarian a neutral country in the resolution conflict continue actor and adds the conditions in which explanatory through contributions in various UN peacekeeping variables can operate or how those variables operate missions since 1948 (Government Offices of Sweden in theory. A country is described as choosing a 2015). Through active internationalist neutrality also, suboptimal foreign policy because it results from the Sweden plays a major role in providing humanitarian interaction of domestic actors. Domestic political aid and promoting human rights (Valentin 2014, 3-4). theories argue about the specific characters of the Sweden has upheld the principle of neutrality relevant state to explain the various policy options or from the 19th century to the end of the 20th century. certain political interactions that bring about the However, Sweden began to transcend the line diversity of policy implementation (Fearon 1989, between neutrality and post-Cold War political 291-2). Suboptimal policies are explained by affinity after the end of the Cold War and the collapse additions related to a country's point of view that are of the Soviet Union. Neutrality is deemed no longer not related to units involved in foreign policy relevant so Sweden begins to adopt policies that are formulation and decision-making, such as the not directly proportional to this principle. The applicable regime or the specific purpose of the reorientation of Swedish foreign policy can not only policy. For example, suboptimal policies can be be analyzed through the international system, but also traced from the underlying principles of foreign through the dynamics of domestic politics running the policy or from the decision-making chief's preference Swedish government. Political leadership, the to retain power (Fearon 1989, 299-300). meaning of national identity, and the diversity of Analysis of foreign policy through the level of national interest aspects explain why neutrality is no domestic political analysis becomes important longer considered relevant to Sweden and why because domestic politics causes a country to adopt a Sweden's foreign policy direction is shifting. suboptimal policy, both for the sake of its own country and for influencing the international 1.1 Domestic Politics Dynamics in environment. In addition, the level of domestic Foreign Policy Analysis political analysis is also important to understand how different political institutions, cultures, economic Foreign policy is a policy formulated and taken to structures, or goals of a country's leadership that are regulate the relations of a country with other not related to relative strength are relevant to explain countries. However, foreign policy can not be different foreign policy options (Fearon 1989, 302) . separated in relation to domestic politics. As Fearon Various country characters such as political culture, (1998, 298-90) points out, domestic politics has a values, national identity, and democratization can be crucial role in explaining the foreign policy of a the variables used to explain how domestic politics country. Foreign policy is an instrument for the influences the formulation and decision-making of realization of foreign policy, where foreign policy foreign policy (Fearon 1998, 307). itself is an extension of domestic politics that It can be seen that foreign policy is not only embodies the national interests and objectives. influenced by the international environment but also Therefore, the foreign policy of a country can be influenced by the dynamics occurring within the explored through the domestic political dynamics of country itself. Therefore, domestic politics can be the country itself. used as one level of analysis in analyzing foreign Fearon (1987, 291) describes two theories for policy. If the systemic level of analysis explains how understanding foreign policy: systemic theory and a country takes foreign policy to respond to the domestic political theory. Systemic theory views