SWEDISH MILITARY DEPLOYMENT IN THE EU. WHAT MOTIVES LIE BEHIND? A realist explanation how Sweden represented EU military missions in order to maintain relative power.

Abstract

In the last few years security and defence policy has been increasingly prioritized in the EU and military collaborations are developing in different ways to deal with and adapt to the threats that the circumstances of the modern world present. The EU and many of its member states have more than twenty years of experience in joint military missions. Sweden is seen as one of the most peaceful countries in the world but has at the same time contributed to almost all the EU military missions. Using framing analysis, Sweden’s representation of the three EU-missions that had the highest ambitious level, ALTHEA, CHAD and ATALANTA is presented and analysed from a realist perspective to better understand motives behind Sweden’s military contributions to the EU. The Swedish government’s different proposals to the mission are examined through three categories that explain the representation of problem, cause and solution. The answers are later examined from a realist perspective where examples are stated that explain motive. The result show that answers of the Swedish motives can be found through Realism and Sweden contributes in order to: Gain political influence/ Maintain relative power, develop its military intermobility and reinforce a sense of internationalist commitment.