Sweden's Parliament to vote on NATO membership on Wednesday

On Wednesday, the Swedish Parliament will hold a debate and vote on the country's accession to the North Atlantic Alliance.

This was reported by the Swedish TV channel SVT.

The debate will take place in the morning, and the vote on the report of the Foreign Affairs Committee recommending membership is scheduled for about 17:00 Kyiv time.

All indications are that the parliament will say "yes" to Swedish membership in NATO today. This means that the government will formally receive the green light for Sweden to join the defense alliance when all NATO countries ratify its application.

The vast majority of political forces support this decision. Only the Left Party and the Green Party oppose it. Both parties have made proposals to legislate that nuclear weapons cannot be deployed in Sweden if it joins NATO.

The decision would entail several changes to the law. Among other things, it is proposed that in the event of war or a threat of war, the government will be able to independently, without a parliamentary decision, ask NATO for military support.

The government will also have the right to ask NATO for military support to prevent violations of the integrity of Swedish territory in both wartime and peacetime.

Author - Olena Madiak, 22/03/2023