Sweden’s ruling Social Democrats will decide on Sunday whether to support their country’s historic NATO bid to protect itself from Russia, they said.
The party will announce its position on May 15said toAFP Julia Grabe, spokeswoman for the Social Democrats.
Support for membership, which would be a major reversal of Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s previous party line, would pave the way for a bid in Sweden, analysts said.
With the support of Social Democrat MPs, the large majority will be able to convince the Swedish Parliament to apply, a fortiori in the event of the formalization of the candidacy of neighboring Finland, which is expected in the coming days.
Sweden and Finland have not been in military alliances for decades. And the Swedish Social Democrats have been, since the foundingNATO in 1949 the main political force opposed to a membership, a line re -enacted at their last congress in November.
But public opinion and many political leaders favored the membership, due to concerns caused by Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
The government and the parties represented in Parliament are due to present a new strategic review on Friday aimed at clarifying the choice inNATO.
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö is due to present his personal position in a candidacy on Thursday, while the position of the Finnish Social Democrats, who are also in power, is expected on Saturday.
Officially neutral during the Cold War, Sweden and Finland remained out ofNATO after the collapse ofUSSRbut closer to the US -led alliance since 1990. Both countries are members of Cooperation for Peace of ‘NATO and regularly participate in joint training.
The general secretary ofNATONorwegian Jens Stoltenberg, said that the two countries are the two closest non -member countries to the alliance and they will be accepted according to him with open arms in the case of application.
Russia has warned several times in recent weeks against political and military consequences of Finnish and/or Swedish application.
Source: Radio-Canada
