The Swedish people said no to NATO

Despite a hot NATO debate is public opinion in the matter still. A majority oppose continued Swedish participation in the alliance, showing DN / Ipsos.

- Issue shares all parties except V, says David Ahlin, opinion director at Ipsos.

Despite a worsening security situation in Sweden's neighboring low-NATO debate long fallow.
During the eight years of the Alliance government was the only Liberals who pursued the issue actively. Moderates, formally favored Swedish membership, did not want to talk about NATO. The cause was under the then party leadership that there is no popular support for entry.

When Fredrik Reinfeldt left the scene lifted the Conservatives return their old demands for NATO membership. Even in the other bourgeois parties, it happened things. Both the Christian Democrats and the Centre Party swung and after the General Meeting in the fall sympathetic to Swedish NATO membership.

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The Centre Party's case it is subject to the condition that an entry must be accompanied by Finland. The changes mean that the setting in the NATO question now follows the block boundary, unlike in the past when the S and C usually had a large consensus in defense matters.

The alliance parties noticeable change of course is nothing in the opinion.Of respondents in DN / Ipsos believes 34 percent for Sweden to join NATO. Half, 50 percent, think that Sweden should stay outside. Any difference compared to 2014 is within the statistical margin of error.

- We saw a shift in 2014 with a reduced NATO Resistance and in 2015 the debate has been lively. But NATO Proponents have failed to win over the hesitant for a Swedish yes, says David Andersson.

It remains to be seen whether the political parties reversal will affect voters in 2016. Events in our world is, however, a more important factor than the politicians' stance, says David Andersson.

- I think that leading politicians can influence public opinion, but it is shaped primarily by the security situation in our region, he says.

Alliance parties and the Sweden Democrats' voters are more positive towards NATO than the red-green voters. But in none of the parties has a majority of NATO membership.

- NATO issue shares all parties except the Left Party. Among bourgeois parties are almost four out of ten against joining. Among the MP and S-voters was fifth for NATO membership, says David Andersson.

NATO issue is highly topical turned out not least in Thursday's Dagens Nyheter, then 25 defense commentators - which twelve ambassadors - argued for a membership.