Abstract
This chapter explores Sweden’s engagement in the European integration process, both before and after joining the EU in 1995. It explores Sweden’s relationship with the integration process through three dimensions: economic, identity and political/security. The chapter finds that depending on the dimension explored, the awkwardness label sits somewhat uncomfortably however it also becomes clear that Sweden can indeed be an awkward partner in the European integration process, although the label fits better with some policy areas, and at certain points in the integration process, more than with others.
This chapter benefitted from presentations and discussions at the panels ‘Awkward States’ at the UACES annual conferences in Bilbao, September 6–9, 2015, and ‘Awkward Nordic Partners in the European Integration Process?’, UACES 46th Annual Conference, Queen Mary University, London, 5–7 September, 2016. I would also like to express my thanks to feedback from and discussions with my fellow collaborators in this project.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aggestam, Lisbet, and Adrian Hyde Price. 2016. “A Force for Good” Paradoxes of Swedish Military Activism. In The Oxford Handbook on Swedish Politics, ed. J. Pierre. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Andrén, Nils. 1967. Nordic Integration. Cooperation and Conflict 2 (1): 1–25.
Bengtsson, R. 2016. Sweden and the Baltic Sea Region. In The Oxford Handbook on Swedish Politics, ed. J. Pierre. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Berg, Linda, and Klara Bové. 2016. Identifikation med Europa och inställning till EU. In Ekvilibrium, ed. Jonas Ohlsson, Henrik Oscarsson, and Maria Solevid, SOM report 66. Göteborg: SOM-institutet, Göteborgs universitet.
Berg, Linda, and Frida Vernersdotter. 2015. Svenskar mer positiva till EU igen. In Fragment, ed. A. Bergström, B. Johansson, H. Oscarsson, and M. Oskarson, SOM rapport 63. Gothenburg: SOM Institute.
Bergquist, Mats. 1996. Foreword. In The European Union and the Nordic Countries, ed. Lee Miles. London: Routledge.
Bernitz, Ulf, and Anders Kjellgren. 2010. Introduktion till EU 3: e upplagan. Stockholm: Norstedts Juridik.
Berndtsson, Joakim, Ulf Bjerled, and Karl Ydén. 2016. Turbulenta tider – svenskarnas åsikter om försvaret, Ryssland, NATO och Islamska Staten. In Ekvilibrium, ed. Jonas Ohlsson, Henkrik Ekengren Oscarsson, and Maria Solevid. Göteborg: SOM-Institutet.
Bjereld, U., and U. Möller. 2016. Swedish Foreign Policy: Neutrality and Beyond. In The Oxford Handbook on Swedish Politics, ed. J. Pierre. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bjerström, Erika. 2008. europa Reportage för nyfikna européer. Stockholm: Pocketförlaget.
Brommesson, D., and Ekengren. A. -M. (2013) “What happens when a New Government Enters Office? A Comparison of Ideolgical change in British and Swedish Foreign Policy 1991–2011”. Cooperation and Conflict 45 (2): 224–244.
Brommesson, Douglas. 2016. The Europeanization of Swedish Foreign Policy and Beying. In The Oxford Handbook on Swedish Politics, ed. J. Pierre. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dinkelspiel, U. 2009. Den motvillige europén. Sveriges väg till Europa. Stockholm: Atlantis.
Eriksson, Arita. 2006. Europeanization and Governance in Defence Policy: The Example of Sweden. Stockholm: Statsvetenskapliga institutionen.
Gustavsson, Jakob. 1998. The Politics of Foreign Policy Change. Explaining the Swedish Reorientation on EC Membership Thesis. Lund: Lund University Press.
Hedling, Elsa and Douglas Brommesson. 2017. Security Through European Integration or Flexible Autonomy: Ambivalence in Sweden’s Position on the Eastern Partnership? Paper presented at Swedish Network for Foreign Policy 2–3 February 2017, Karlstad University.
Holmberg, Sören. 1996. Partierna gjorde så got de kunde. In Ett knappt ja till EU, ed. Mikael Gilljam, Sören Holmberg, Martin Bennulf, Peter Esaiasson, Per Hedberg, Niklasson Håkansson, Rutger Lindahl, Henrik Oscarsson, and Maria Oskarson. Stockholm: Norstedts Juridik AB.
Holmberg, Sören. 2014. Opinionsfallet för EU bromsar upp. In Mittfåra och marginal, ed. H. Oscarsson and A. Bergström. Göteborgs universitet: SOM-Institutet.
Johansson, Karl Magnus. 1999. ‘Inledning_ Sverige och det europeiska integrationsprojektet’ i Karl Magnus Johansson (red.) Sverige i EU. Stockholm: SNS Förlag.
Karowski, S. 2014. How I tackled Sweden’s Law of Jante. In The Local. http://www.thelocal.se/20140617/how-i-tackled-swedens-law-of-jante.
Michalski, A. 2013. Sweden: From Scepticism to Pragmatic Support. In The Member States of the European Union, ed. S. Bulmer and C. Lequesne. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Möller, Birger. 2013. Vad är EU … och vad kan det bli? Allt du behöver veta om EU. Stockholm: Santérus Förlag.
Oskarson, Maria. 1996. Väljarnas vågskålar. In Ett knappt ja till EU, ed. Mikael Gilljam, Sören Holmberg, Martin Bennulf, Peter Esaiasson, Per Hedberg, Niklasson Håkansson, Rutger Lindahl, Henrik Oscarsson, and Maria Oskarson. Stockholm: Norstedts Juridik AB.
Phinnemore, David. 1996. The Nordic Countries, The European Community (EC) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 1958–1984. In The European Union and the Nordic Countries, ed. Lee Miles. London: Routledge.
Rosén Sundström, M. 2016. Leading the European Union. In The Oxford Handbook on Swedish Politics, ed. J. Pierre. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Stegmann McCallion, Malin. 2014. “Lokala” val till Europaparlamentet. In Makt och missnöje Sockenidentitet och lokalpolitik 1970–2010, ed. Christer Ahlberger and Martin Åberg. Lund: Nordic Academic Press.
Stegmann McCallion, M. 2016. A ‘Europe of the Regions’—Swedish Regions as the Undead. 2016. L’Europe en formation no 379 Printemps 2016—(Spring).
Stegmann McCallion, M., and A. Brianson. 2017, forthcoming. How to Have Your Cake and Eat it Too: Sweden, Regional Awkwardness and the Baltic Sea Strategy.
Svensson, P. 2014. Sveriges Radio. Filosofiska rummet Berättelsen om Europa, May 25.
Vernersdotter, Frida. 2014. Svenskarnas attityder till EU. In Förhoppningar och farhågor – Sveriges första 20 år i EU, ed. Berg Linda and Lindhal Rutger. Göteborg: Kompendiet.
Widfeldt, Anders. 1996. Sweden and the European Union: Implications for the Swedish Party System. In The European Union and the Nordic Countries, ed. Lee Miles. London: Routledge.
Von Sydow, Emily. 1999. När Luther kom till Bryssel Sveriges första år i Bryssel. Lund: Bokförlaget Arena.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Stegmann McCallion, M. (2018). Swedish Awkwardness à La Carte? The Difference a Question Mark Can Make. In: Stegmann McCallion, M., Brianson, A. (eds) Nordic States and European Integration. Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57562-9_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57562-9_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-57561-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-57562-9
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)