Sweden discovered helpless

Chief of Staff ensures that his army would a week in case of invasion. Worried about the Russian rearmament, voices calling for the accession of the Kingdom to NATO.

The enemy General Sverker Göranson, Chief of Staff of the Swedish army, is in the numbers: he regularly denounces cuts in the defense budget Swedish. Also, while discussions on the budget starting in 2014, he wanted to convey a strong message. He said last week in a Swedish newspaper that the case of "limited attack" Sweden "could not defend one week" before falling. Worse, it ensures that if simultaneous attack on two fronts, the country could not resist. Not even a few days.

The statement aroused fears among Swedes who had disappeared with the end of the Cold War. Pressed to respond by the media, the Swedish Minister of Defence, Karin Enström, is due very reassuring. She recalled that the level of preparedness of the army corresponded to the "current threat level and credibility of an attack" against Sweden, the latter being, in her non-existent. "Our neighbors have the same capabilities as us," she added.

Tradition of neutrality

However, for some right wing political parties, yet the coalition government, this level of protection is not enough. They protest against the use of the army, since the end of the Cold War, as an adjustment variable of the Swedish budget. Compulsory military service was abolished in 2010. In twenty-five years, the number of battalions fighters from 116 to 7, these cash 20,000 professional soldiers. In the summer of 2012, General Göranson is was already to lower budgets for the armed forces, suggesting to remove, in the years to come, a branch of the defense: Navy, Army or Army of the air.


"I think a neutral country should have greater ambitions. No politician can not rule out the possibility of a military attack, "commented Allan Widman, spokesperson of the defense within the Liberal Party, the main criticism of the Minister of Defence, in an interview with radio Swedish public. This is the main argument of those in favor of strengthening the army. Sweden is free of any military alliance, apart from an informal pact signed with the other Nordic countries. In case of attack, is alone.

"We can not say that the world is safe. There is a growing level of uncertainty, just look at what is happening in Russia, "slips Allan Widman, which refers to the rearmament of course, the giant Russian. Hence the emergence of a debate, long ignored in the country: Should Sweden join NATO? More of Swedish politicians see it as a way to defend their country in case of attack. The Swedish army has led in recent years, joint maneuvers with the transatlantic organization. Remains to convince the Swedes to bury a tradition of military neutrality.