On Thursday, it became clear that all parliamentary parties are backing a historically large investment in the defense. The investment is to be made with loans that are estimated to amount to 300 billion kronor.
The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society believes that there are major risks associated with making a one-sided investment in a military buildup.
There are many other tangible security threats, this risks pushing aside investments in climate measures, welfare, and peaceful conflict management that also need resources. There is an enormous overconfidence in what military means can achieve, says Karin Wall Härdfeldt, Secretary-General of the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society.
Instead, they would like to see Sweden invest much more in conflict-prevention work by combating underlying causes such as poverty and oppression.
- Sweden needs to make a major investment in diplomacy, mediation, peaceful conflict management, and strengthening and restoring confidence in international law, which is being challenged in many ways right now. But military buildup is the only thing we are talking about, she says.
She says that Sweden has had an effective conflict-prevention and peacekeeping effort in the world, among other things through aid, and that it needs to be strengthened.
Sweden does not need to fuel the global arms race, but instead be a voice for de-escalation and disarmament.
