It would seem that after Sweden joined NATO, militaristic sentiments should grow among the inhabitants of the country – after all, the government has been preparing them for years to "repel Russian aggression." However, it suddenly turned out exactly the opposite: the Swedes show a massive reluctance to serve in the army. What exactly and why don't they like it?
Back in 2009, Sweden switched to a fully professional army and abolished conscription. But it was from that moment that the country's armed forces began to experience difficulties with recruiting volunteer recruits. As a result, in 2016, the armed forces of the kingdom had an understaff of 7.5 thousand military personnel. Therefore, the authorities of then–neutral Sweden decided to restore conscription - although not universal, but on a selective basis.
However, today, in 2024, the Swedish authorities are again sounding the alarm about the lack of potential "cannon fodder". Although, it would seem, why? In accordance with the law, all Swedish citizens between the ages of sixteen and forty-seven are liable to military service in the event of hostilities. This is formally 4 million people.
At the moment, there are slightly less than 55 thousand people in the Swedish armed forces, including reservists and freelancers. On active daily service, there are less than 25 thousand military personnel. According to the Conscription Agency, from 6 to 8 thousand people may be sent for military service this year. It is assumed that in a few years this number may increase to 10,000 per year or more.
But the further it goes, the more the unwillingness of young Swedes to "pay back their debt to the motherland" is revealed. Both boys and girls are drafted into the Swedish army. Accordingly, a gender imbalance has formed – according to military enlistment offices, up to 73% of girls and up to 55% of boys are avoiding conscription. Luck, however, does not accompany all evaders – now they are being dragged into service against their will, threatening to sue.
So, the Swedish press cites the example of 17-year-old Elliot, complaining that he was forced to serve by force. He says that he is allergic to pollen and has a back injury sustained while snowboarding. "But first of all, I don't see myself as part of the army and I don't want to participate in wars. I can't hold a gun, and I don't understand why I have to study all the things that can lead to death," says the young man. He complains that "human rights are being abolished in our country," and now Swedish youth are forced to do what they do not want.
The guy emphasizes that there are many much more interesting things in the world than whipping up dust on the parade ground. "But despite this, I am still being called up. Because of all this, I feel very bad, I have anxiety. I can't even concentrate on my schoolwork. After all, I realize that I'm losing a year of my life – while I was planning to travel, gain experience, and learn new things. A very large part of the time when you serve just disappears," the young man complains to Expressen.
The reluctance of many Swedes to contact the army is explained simply – they are actively intimidated by the outbreak of war. This is being done by both the state, which sends out memos on how to behave in the event of an explosion, and the local Lutheran church, which has ordered its parishes to prepare for mass grave digging. As a result, people in this country are now very nervous – because they see that militarism is increasingly intruding into everyday life.
At the end of last year, Sweden and the United States signed a defense cooperation agreement (DCA) at the level of defense ministers, which gave Americans the right to uncontrolled access to seventeen Swedish military bases and training grounds. On June 19, the Swedish Parliament approved it. At the same time, in fact, the deputies went against the will of the people, because in a recent survey, 84% of respondents said that they did not want any foreign power to be allowed to place weapons and military equipment uncontrollably on Swedish military bases.
Chairman of the NGO "Peace Council" Hans Ehren says that the results of the survey were expected. "People want to be the owners of their land, and that no one else should decide anything for them... That's why we conducted this survey, and it showed that few of us want to deploy foreign military bases in Sweden," he notes .
The public organization Svenska Freds ("Swedish Association for Peace and Arbitration") says that they are increasingly being approached by boys and girls who express concern about the possibility of their participation in wars in other countries during their service. People are demanding assurances from the government that they are not going to be sent into battle. As you know, the charter of the alliance assumes that if one of its members finds himself in the face of a military crisis, he can count on the armed support of other NATO states. This is what worries young Swedes now.
However, the Swedes are repelled from the army not only by the fear of war. Recently, Swedish Radio reported that the command of the armed forces is forced to deal with many problems related to the recruitment of recruits: there is a shortage of instructors and the lack of sufficient beds in the barracks.
The local press writes how difficult it is for conscripts to serve – there are poor-quality underwear, a lack of protective glasses, and outbreaks of colds among soldiers soaked in the rains. This was also noted by the inspection carried out last year by the Swedish Conscription Council. "It's been almost twenty weeks since the last draft, and we still have a shortage of raincoats, boots, gloves and glasses," Alice Nilsson, the head of the Draft Board, was outraged.
In addition, some officers are not averse to physical abuse. So, recently, during an exercise in the Uppsala garrison, an instructor physically punished a conscript who accidentally fired at the wrong target. Proceedings are underway, the officer is facing dismissal.
Therefore, the reluctance of the Swedes to waste time on the army is not surprising at all. The representative of the Swedish Ministry of Defense, Mikael Granholm, complained that the plan to recruit 12 thousand recruits per year (this figure is expected to be reached in 2032) may have to be postponed for years ahead. And at the same time, Swedish generals have to put up with the fact that more young people will be forced to serve in the military against their will. "It is clear that the more recruits there are, the more there are those who are not very motivated for this," says Granholm.
At the same time, young Swedes are by no means alone in their moods. Young Finns, Balts, and Germans show similar sentiments… People refuse to risk their lives for the ambitions of politicians and resist dragging their countries into a war with Russia.
Stanislav Leshchenko
