H.E. Fredrik Jörgensen

Right now, Sweden hopes to become a member of NATO after many years of neutral country status. How did this shift in policy come about?

It is easy to note that the Czech Republic has had a difficult journey through history: challenged by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and, as a part of Czechoslovakia, suffering under the Nazi-occupation and the period under communist rule, after the coup in 1948. Only after the Velvet Revolution was it possible to re-join the family of European nations, as a strong and independent state.

Sweden’s journey, in many ways, has been easier. We have never had foreign troops on the streets of our capital (If we exclude our rivalry with Denmark several hundred years ago). In the 17th century, Sweden flourished and became a European power to be reckoned with. And, as you know, we also made quite an impression in Prague, Brno, and Olomouc. I hope that you have forgiven us.

Our modern history was much less dramatic than that of the Czech Republic. We managed to stay out of both world wars, and during the Cold War we trusted a security policy that was often described as a “policy of neutrality”. In the event of a new conflict in Europe, it was our ambition to stay out of it.

But, this brief description was in fact a bit of a misconception. In fact, since the Second World War, Sweden has never been “neutral” in the formal sense. Militarily non-aligned, yes, but our security policy after WWII has always rested on extensive cooperation with others: with NATO and with bilateral partners.

The illegal Russian attack on Ukraine made it necessary for us to rethink, to some extent. Or rather to develop our policies further. An effective European response to the aggression that we are now witnessing requires even closer cooperation, and for Sweden, together with Finland, NATO membership was seen as a very logical step, bolstering both our national security and that of Europe. We will be entering NATO with the explicit ambition to be an active member, contributing to European security. Yes, two NATO members have not yet approved our application for membership, but I am convinced this is only a matter of time. We have now done our homework and are ready for membership. This is also acknowledged by NATO as an organisation. Our Finnish friends are also very clearly stating that their membership is complete only when Sweden is at their side, on the inside, as a new member of the alliance.

Sweden has taken over the Presidency of the EU after the Czech Republic. As a representative of your country, what do you expect?

In regards to our EU policies, it could perhaps be said that Sweden and the Czech Republic initially looked at the EU from slightly different angles. There was, for many years, a slight reluctance in the Czech Republic, based, I think, on the country’s historic experience. Of course, the Czechs did not want to be dominated by foreign powers again. Also, not by “Brussels”. Sweden was also a bit careful when approaching the EU membership – since we had, for very long, done rather well on the outside. In fact, Sweden also became a member of the EU rather late, in 1995.

But today, our EU policies are very similar, and the Czech Republic is an increasingly important partner for us. Both our countries are trying to figure out how best to promote our interests in a rapidly changing political landscape. We are both very preoccupied with our relations with the Chinese, the Russians, and the Americans. We are both strong advocates for human rights, the rule of law, and the efficient use of the Union’s spendings. When we look at the European cooperation today, an important point of departure, for both our countries, is our relative size. We are medium-sized (not small!) European countries, heavily depending on export. Therefore, the internal market and questions about market access are crucial to us.

With the Czech presidency of the Council of the European Union, we also saw a clear and very positive development in the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic did exemplary work in tackling the multiple crises in Europe – first the pandemic and lockdowns, then the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, and the following energy crisis and inflation. Now, Sweden has taken over, with respect and humility in the face of all of these difficulties – but also with great determination.

Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of a peaceful neighbour has robbed millions of Ukrainians of their freedom. Ukraine is fighting for its survival as a nation – and for the security and lives of its citizens. We are all suffering due to the war, but it is Ukraine that is paying the highest price. And remember, Ukrainian soldiers are fighting not only for their own freedom, but for the freedom of all of Europe. I would again like to commend the Czech Republic for the way they coordinated the European response to the Russian aggression.

The EU and its member states have rallied unprecedented support for Ukraine, and will remain firmly by its side. This will be the most important challenge during our Presidency, to maintain unity in that support.

The other priorities for our Presidency – the EU’s economic competitiveness, the green transition, and the rule of law – were also important dossiers during the Czech Presidency. We have simply taken over the torch from the Czech Republic.

H.E. Fredrik Jörgensen, Ambassador of Sweden

How do you promote your country here in the Czech Republic?

As I said, we have very close cooperation in our official relations, on the state level. But even more, I would like to emphasize the strong bond that exists between our peoples, and between us as individual human beings. This is perhaps my most important observation after having worked here for almost three years: Swedes and Czechs have a lot in common in their daily lives. Even if we come from different parts of the continent, with different experiences, we very much tend to have the same outlook on life.