Elections in Sweden: External and Internal Security Challenges

Speakers:
Patrik Oksanen, journalist, columnist at Svenska Dagbladet and other local media, senior fellow at security thinktank Frivärld; security advisor for green liberal thinktank Fores and strategic advisor for Centre of Total Defence and Societal Security at Swedish Defence University. Member of Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences and Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences.

Anne-Cathrine Jungar is an associate professor in political science at Södertörn University in Stockholm. Her research focuses on Nordic politics and the radical right parties.

Background:
Sweden holds general elections on 11 September 2022. The country has been witnessing two parallel security challenges and debates: internal and external. The former encompasses gang wars and one of the highest murder rates in Europe, the latter addresses a radical turn in its foreign policy: from neutrality to NATO membership. While the former is often related to Sweden’s difficulties in integrating different flows of migrants and refugees, the latter results from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Which issues are of primary concerns for the voters and politicians?

Concept and Moderation:
Mirjana Tomić, fjum