The King attends the Folk och Försvar national conference in Sälen and listened on Sunday to the speech where the Prime Minister said that there is no war in Sweden, but neither is there peace.
That's exactly what it's about. Unfortunately, there is no peace anywhere. We thought we had entered a calmer period, but unfortunately, it's not so, and wars are breaking out in many places around the world. It creates a general sense of unease, of course, says the King to TT.
Obvious awareness
He notes that interest in defense issues has grown and that awareness of the situation is obvious.
The public wants to know more and also wants to know what they can do, how they can help, to create this sense of unity in total defense, says the King.
How does the King view the willingness to defend in Sweden?
It has clearly increased considering the global situation. We had a huge influx to the Home Guard when the war in Ukraine broke out. It was a spontaneous mobilization, individual people wanted to do their part and help.
As time has passed, it may have lost some momentum, but it's still there. If it were to get even worse, you know that there would be many who would step up and want to be involved.
"Should take the chance"
As a result of the security situation, the number of conscripts will increase.
I think many should take the chance. You learn a lot, you learn respect and camaraderie for each other, and you also learn to work in groups and help each other, says the King.
He continues:
In many other contexts, I don't think there's always a sense of teamwork, it's just about me, me, me. Here, it's about working in groups, and that's the strength.
