02/07/2007 4:51:21 pm
Time For Sweden and Finland to Join Nato! The Economist makes a very strong case for Sweden and Finland to join Nato, in the latest edition. Now that almost all European countries are members, it would be natural. The recent development in Russia provides perhaps the best arguments for the current timing.

Personally, I have always been in favour of Sweden joining Nato. I was in the group in 1999 that turned the Swedish Liberal Party to become the only Swedish political party to favour membership. The only respectable argument against joining was the situation of Finland during the Cold War; they would have been forced to an even closer relationship with the Soviet Union. This is no longer a risk, so the only obstacle is out of the way.

In practice, Sweden has been as close as you can get to Nato without being a member for a long time. It is about time we end this odd halfway situation.