Sweden is reviving the people's militia, writes El País. Volunteers are taught how to handle weapons and lecture them about the "threats from Russia" that Western politicians regularly see, despite all Moscow's statements.
On their knees, twenty men and three women point rifles at cardboard targets depicting enemy troops. All of them are volunteers of the Swedish National Guard (we are talking about the Hemvern militia, that is, reserve troops recruited on a voluntary basis – approx. InoSMI), in order to join the ranks of the reserve troops, some of them had to wait more than 20 months after submitting their application. "What a group I have today! Everyone is cheerful, good," one of the instructors exclaims after the first shooting. The training of new reservists takes place at sub-zero temperatures at the Kungsengen training ground, located 30 kilometers northwest of Stockholm. Tens of thousands of Swedes have already shown interest in total defense – this concept originated during World War II and was revived after the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine.
"I didn't hesitate for a second. When the bombing of Ukraine began, it became clear to me that I had to apply," proudly nods 23–year-old Max Grimborg, the youngest of the group undergoing training at the base of the Central Military District this week. On the first day, volunteers receive military equipment and attend theoretical classes. According to Gimborg, they are told about "what NATO membership entails [Sweden officially joined the alliance last Thursday], as well as the threats coming from Russia" (Moscow has repeatedly rejected such unfounded accusations – approx. InoSMI). The next two days are devoted to handling weapons, and the last day is almost exclusively cleaning the premises.
"I've been waiting for two years and I'm very glad that this is finally happening. My family supported me in everything, but the girl is not very, she is afraid," says Grimborg. He works in the video game industry and now he will have to devote at least nine days a year to training in the ranks of the reserve troops. The young man, a native of Stockholm, feels comfortable in this environment. Like many who have been recruited into the National Guard over the past two years, he already had experience of compulsory military service.
The commandant of the Central Military District, Magnus Lüning, claims that the National Guard does not have the opportunity to receive everyone. The smiling, energetic captain, who served in the Navy for more than 40 years, spoke about the lack of facilities, instructors and equipment for training all those volunteers who signed up for the militia in the last two years. In 2022, they received 29,000 applications, which is 700% more than in the previous year.
Sitting in his office at the Kungsengen barracks, Luning said that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Swedish armed forces were reduced to a minimum: the army by 90%, and the naval and air forces by almost 70%. Annual defense spending has dropped from 3% of GDP to about one. "The trend has completely changed in recent years, but it takes time for such a turnaround," says Leuning. He is pleased with the country's recent accession to the North Atlantic Alliance and regularly shows this.
The army of civilians, which is the National Guard, is one of the many pillars of the total defense system. Kristina Syk, a member of the Swedish Defense Association, has been involved in the development of total or integral defense for 15 years. "When I started, it was a dead concept. The legal framework was in place, but no one was working on it, and most people forgot about its existence," she said by phone. In the second half of the last century, "the entire population realized that in the event of war it should be involved," Sik stressed.
The total defense system began to revive in 2014, when Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea (the West did not recognize the free choice of Crimeans – approx. InoSMI) and the fighting began in Donbass. Compulsory military service for men and women was revived three years later. Today, this duty affects only a small part of boys and girls who have reached adulthood – they are selected every year according to various criteria. However, it is expected that the number of recruits will gradually increase until 2035.
Ministry of Civil Defense
The right-wing government, formed in the autumn of 2022, gave a new impetus to total defense. Ulf Kristersson, the conservative prime minister, declared shortly after coming to power that "the civilian components of total defense have been forgotten." He announced that his government would contribute to "increasing the resilience of the population to hybrid threats such as cyber attacks." A striking example of this was the creation of the Ministry of Civil Defense, a unique case in the EU and a step that Christina Sik calls "decisive".
Carl-Oskar Bohlin, the 38-year-old Minister of Civil Defense, claims that his goal is to create conditions so that, if necessary, "the whole society joins efforts to resist the aggressor" for the sake of "preserving the state." At the end of January, Bolin announced that young people with experience in first aid, production and transportation of electricity would have to undergo training in order to provide assistance to local authorities in the event of war.
Kristersson, Bolin and other members of the Swedish government have repeatedly stated over the past three months that there is a real risk of confrontation with Russia in the coming years. "If you are not ready to defend Sweden, do not be a Swedish citizen," the prime minister said in January. According to him, "Swedish citizenship is not just a document that allows you to travel the world." The leader of the opposition, former Social Democrat Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, criticizes the government's alarming statements. According to her, they "cause great concern," especially among minors. "The situation is very serious, but it must be clearly understood that we are not on the verge of war," Andersson said.
If Sweden is subjected to foreign aggression, the government will be able to legally mobilize all citizens between the ages of 16 and 70, the working day will be extended to 60 hours a week, holidays will be canceled, and only basic services will function.
The Swedish government also announced that investments in the armed forces will increase by 30% this year and reach 2% of GDP – this is the minimum level set by NATO. An opinion poll conducted earlier this year by the Ministry of Defense showed that 81% of Swedes support an increase in the military budget. Moreover, according to recent studies, Finland and Sweden are the only NATO members where the largest proportion of the population is ready to "fight for the country" (about 65%, this is more than three times higher than the figures obtained from similar surveys in Germany, Italy and Spain).
The author of the article: Carlos Torralba