The Swedish Parliament voted in favor of joining NATO

The Swedish Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of NATO membership on Wednesday, approving the necessary laws. 349 Riksdag members voted in favor of joining NATO, while 269 voted against and 43 were not present. The parliamentary vote represents the last domestic obstacle for Sweden to join the 30-member military alliance.

Six of the eight parliamentary parties had previously voted in favor of joining NATO. Sweden and Finland submitted a NATO membership application in May 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The application requires ratification by all member states.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated last week that his government would proceed with the ratification of the Finnish application, potentially leading to Finland’s accession to NATO before Sweden’s. Foreign Minister Tobias Billström described NATO membership as “the best way to protect Sweden’s security,” marking an historic event and a significant security policy decision for the nation.

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