Polls: Swedes, Finns in favor of NATO membership

Swedes and Finns are increasingly in favor of their countries joining NATO following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is putting pressure on the leaders of the two northern European countries to change the decades-long political neutrality that followed Stockholm and Helsinki.

According to a poll published on Friday, 51% of Swedes and 48% of Finns now agree with joining the North Atlantic Alliance. This is the first time that a majority of Swedes have a positive view of NATO membership, while in a previous poll the Finns also appeared more than 50% positive in a membership.

The Swedish and Finnish authorities are in no hurry to take action, knowing that Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened “military and political repercussions” in the event of such a move.

Finland has the longest border country of the European Union with Russia (1,300 km), while southern Sweden is adjacent to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Four Russian warplanes violated Swedish airspace east of the Baltic island of Gotland on Wednesday in a move that “coincided” with a joint exercise by Swedish and Finnish forces around the island.

In a survey by the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, 51% of respondents supported NATO membership, compared to 27% who oppose such a move. In January, only 42% answered positively.

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has repeatedly rejected such a prospect, noting the need for no heated decisions. In the country’s parliament, however, parties that now support NATO membership control more than 40% of parliamentary seats.

According to a similar survey by Finland’s largest newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, 48% of Finns support membership, + 20% compared to January.