A Nato Flag and a Swedish Flag
Russia’s escalating aggression since 2014 marked a turning point and led to Sweden officially joining NATO. March 18, 2024. | Photo: © picture alliance / Xinhua News Agency | Wei Xuechao

Sweden’s Accession to NATO: What Is behind the Decision?

Russia’s war against Ukraine has echoed in Northern Europe and in the Arctic, where Russia is one of the most influential actors. The region’s security landscape has been significantly transformed after Finland and Sweden, two countries that had previously preferred cooperation with NATO over full membership, joined the Alliance. Because Finland shares a common land border with Russia, its decision was met internationally with reserved understanding. Sweden, however, is in a comparatively unthreatened region, thus for actors outside Northern Europe it was an unexpected move. So, was Stockholm’s decision really surprising? Why did it happen, and what are the potential consequences?

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Debate in the EU parliament
The EU is currently discussing foreign interference as a serious challenge. | Photo: © European Union 2021 – Source: EP | CC-BY-4.0

Debating Foreign Interference in a Multipolar World: Is the EU Becoming Illiberal?

The ways in which foreign interference by China, Russia and others are currently discussed in Brussels indicate that the EU is considering moving away from liberal principles in the area of international civil society support and the foreign funding of NGOs in particular. Based on a co-authored comment in the Heidelberg Journal of International Law, this blog post argues that it is helpful to read the current EU debate on foreign interference in the light of the ongoing, conflict-ridden transformation of the global order.

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Treppen im Europäischen Parlament und zwei Personen, die sich in unterschiedliche Richtungen bewegen
The EU might pave the way for measures that do more harm than good to democracy. | Photo: European Parliament via flickr | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Responding to Foreign Interference in the EU: Beware of Unintended Consequences

The EU’s emerging response to foreign interference, as it is currently debated in the EU Parliament, contains striking similarities to arguments put forth by some governments around the world seeking to justify harsh restrictions on foreign funding and “foreign agents.” This risks producing serious ramifications for civic spaces and international civil society support—both within and beyond the EU.

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Vladimir Putin's Face on a TV-Screen
September 21, 2022, Vladimir Putin, Delivers a Speech on Russian TV, Photo: Adrien Fillon, picture alliance | ZUMAPRESS.com

Putin’s Mobilisation, Annexation and Nuclear Threats: Last-Ditch Effort or More of the Same?

Just as leaders from across the world gathered in New York to address challenges to global peace and stability, the Russian president Putin declared mobilisation in Russia for the third time in its history. This step, which had formerly was ruled out by Russian officials, indicates that the Kremlin does not have any viable options but to escalate. Even though Putin still prefers to call the war a “special military operation”, he has virtually introduced martial laws across the entire spectrum of Russian economy and society, doubling down on the only gamble that he thinks can still pay off.

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