Sweden

Current situation & recent developments

The conscription law remains the same, meaning that all citizens (male and female) turning 18 are required to provide the Swedish Defence Recruitment Agency (Plikt-och prövningsverket) with information, and to muster for military training if required to do so.^[1] In 2010, 7,310 individuals were enrolled for military service, representing an increase of 1,727 over the previous year. Of the 7,310, 84% were called up in accordance with the conscription law; the remaining 16% enlisted voluntarily. Of the total of 102,286 18-year-olds who responded to the 2023 enlistment document, 36,425 (36%) were eligible and could be summoned to muster; of there 59% (21,537) had not answered negatively regarding their interest and motivation to undergo military training. Women generally had a less positive attitude towards military service than men.^[2]

According to the Swedish Defence Recruitment Agency, in 2023 138 conscripts were reported to the prosecutor’s office for breach of the general law of military service by failure to report for military selection muster sessions. Furthermore, the Agency reports that in 2023, 94 conscripts applied for weapons-free status – all applications except one were accepted. Additionally, twelve individuals who had completed military training and had been allocated to a wartime placement applied for reclassification as weapons-free status; thus in total there were 106 such applications in 2023, compared with 107 in 2022.^[3]

Those who receive weapon-free status can be called for civil conscription into placements within the civil defence. Civil conscription has not taken place since 2010, but as of 21st December 2023 the government has decided to activate civil service obligations in municipal emergency services and the electricity supply sector, which implies that individuals with relevant training will be subject to such obligations from January 19th 2024. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap, or MSB) is tasked with undertaking training for civil service obligations within municipal emergency services; the hope is that some 300 individuals can undergo such training within 2024. The government has allocated a total of 60 million SEK for civil defence obligations in 2024. For 2025, an increase in funding is proposed, suggesting an expansion in the number of individuals subject to such obligations.^[4]

According to the current defence decision, the number of youths called for conscription will increase to 8,000 by 2025. However, there is political unity that this is not enough as both the previous and the present government have indicated that more youths should be prepared to perform military service. For example, the government has argued that the number called for conscription each year should increase to 10,000.^[5] As numbers increase, relying solely on those who have expressed a positive attitude towards undergoing military training with conscription will no longer be sufficient to meet the demand. This implies that in the future an increasing number of individuals who may not be motivated to serve will need to be called for conscription. A selection process is now under way to identify individuals who best meet the prerequisites for completing basic training under conscription. Those who are deemed to best meet the criteria will be called up irrespective of the individual’s will and motivation. Media reported during autumn 2023 and again early in 2024 that the number of youth being forced to muster is increasing. They estimate that in 2024 between 6,000 and 8,000 individuals who answered that they are negative towards performing military service, but in other ways meet the requirements, will be called to muster against their will.^[6] The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society takes this very seriously and stands up for the right to refuse participation in the military system.

Sweden’s NATO application raises new questions about conscription, and if and how conscripts can be used for military operations outside Sweden in the future as a member of NATO. The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society has investigated the issue in a new report,^[7] launched in January 2024, and concludes that conscripts could be affected by NATO membership and could be sent abroad for one of three reasons.

1. Participation to a greater extent than already takes place in joint exercises and training within the framework of military cooperation.
2. In peacetime, participation in NATO troop deployments for the purpose of guarding NATO territory as a part of NATO’s deterrence strategy.
3. In wartime, to fight for NATO, article 5 having been invoked. There are uncertainties as to whether it would be possible under the current legislation to force people to participate abroad in military operations abroad on behalf of NATO; the law states firmly that conscripts are to be used to defend Sweden. However the investigation showed that as operational military units within the armed forces rely heavily on conscripts it seems very likely that were article 5 to be invoked, conscripts would be used.

The fact that those who have already enlisted or been deployed were not able at the time of enlistment or conscription to consider the risk of being sent abroad on behalf of NATO raises questions about the democratic basis and transparency of the process. The report concludes that there is a pressing need for a broader public debate surrounding the implications of sending conscripts abroad within the NATO framework. The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society is pushing for such a debate, and for a clear statement that no one can be sent abroad as part of NATO troops against their will.

– As reported by SWEFOR (the Swedish branch of IFOR)^[8]:

The Swedish government decided in 2023 to update the school curriculum for upper secondary school/college (10th–12th grade) by including “knowledge about NATO and the concept of total defence”, obviously connected to the new – more militaristic – situation. In practice it will enter into force in 2024. The same change seems to be about to be made also for the lower grades, we are awaiting such a decision this year.