Alliansfrihet eller Nato-medlemskap: En kvalitativ studie om strategiska narrativ i Sveriges riksdag 2014-2023

Sammanfattning: Studies on how small states act within the international system are usually performed using the major theories in international relations. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Sweden applied for a membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato). This thesis’s purpose is to gain knowledge on how strategic narratives were used to legitimize policy changes in a nation that has been defined as either neutral or non- aligned for a great part of modern history. The purpose is also to explain why the political elite did not react similarly in 2014 after the Russian annexation of Krim as they did after the invasion in 2022. The study uses strategic narratives as both a theoretical approach as well as a base for the methodological structure of the paper. Using strategic narratives, the thesis will examine how the Swedish political elite has used a clear purpose, prospects of success, consistency and a lack of strong counternarratives in order to gain public support for the sudden shift in foreign policy. The thesis examines foreign policy debates in the parliament from 2014 - 2016 and 2021 - 2023 using a qualitative text analysis. The paper’s main conclusion is that in 2014, all four aspects of a successful strategic narrative were not met to the same extent as they were in 2022. The study also shows that national values are especially important to the narrative on both non- alignment and Nato-membership. Furthermore, the current shift in the international power balance, the tension between east and west and the public opinion will be discussed as a possible explanation for the sudden change of policy.