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Poll shows most Swedes oppose NATO membership

According to the survey’s results, 43% of respondents showed a negative attitude towards the idea of Sweden’s accession to NATO
Stortorget Square in the Old Town of Stockholm, Sweden AP Photo/Leif R Jansson
Stortorget Square in the Old Town of Stockholm, Sweden
© AP Photo/Leif R Jansson

STOCKHOLM, July 3. /TASS/. Most Swedish citizens oppose the country’s possible accession to NATO, the Novus research company said after conducting a poll commissioned by the SVT broadcaster.

According to the survey’s results, 43% of respondents showed a negative attitude towards the idea of Sweden’s accession to NATO. At the same time, 32% of those polled supported the possible accession, while 25% said they had no opinion on the matter. Thus, the number of those opposing Sweden’s NATO accession has grown by one percent in the past year, while the number of people supporting the idea has declined by three percent.

Supporters of center-right opposition parties (the Moderate Party, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals) stand for NATO membership, while those who usually vote for the Swedish Social Democratic Party, Green Party, Left Party, as well as for the Feminist Initiative party and the Swedish Democrats, oppose Sweden’s possible accession to NATO.

"As long as the Social democrats say ‘no’ and the majority of voters does not support the idea, it (NATO membership) will remain a dead issue," SVT analyst Mats Knutson pointed out.

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