Sweden

Kingdom of Sweden

From a great Baltic power of the seventeenth century to a Scandinavian social model, Sweden broke in 2024 with two centuries of non-alignment.

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Heritage

Christianised late, around the year 1000, Sweden adopted the Reformation from 1527 and made Lutheranism a national cement. The literacy imposed by the Church from the seventeenth century so that Scripture could be read directly explains the Nordic countries' lasting educational lead.

History

Viking expansion, turned eastward, founded trading posts that would give rise to Kievan Rus'. Christianisation, completed in the twelfth century, integrated the kingdom into Latin Christendom.

Gustav Vasa founded a modern state in 1523 and broke with Rome; a century later Gustavus Adolphus made Sweden the Protestant arbiter of the Thirty Years' War and the dominant Baltic power. Defeat by Russia in 1721 and the loss of Finland in 1809 ended that hegemony.

From 1814 Sweden knew no more war: neutrality, late but rapid industrialisation, then the construction of the welfare state in the 1930s. A member of the Union since 1995 without adopting the euro, it joined NATO on 7 March 2024 in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Milestones

1000 Christianisation

Christianisation of Sweden

The baptism of Olof Skötkonung anchors the kingdom to Latin Christendom and to writing.

1523 Renaissance and Reformations

Gustav Vasa

Break with Denmark and with Rome: the birth of the modern Lutheran Swedish state.

1632 Early modern period

Gustavus Adolphus at Lützen

Death of the “Lion of the North”, who had made Sweden the dominant Baltic power.

1766 Early modern period

First freedom of the press act

Sweden adopts the world’s first law guaranteeing public access to official documents.

1814 Early modern period

Beginning of neutrality

Sweden’s last war. Two centuries of non-alignment begin.

1905 Early modern period lead actor

Independence of Norway

The union with Sweden is peacefully dissolved after a massive referendum.

1949 European construction took part

Council of Europe

Ten states found in London the first European political organisation, matrix of the Convention on Human Rights.

1995 European construction

Accession of Sweden to the Union

With Austria and Finland, Sweden joins the EU; it will reject the euro by referendum in 2003.

1995 European construction took part

Nordic enlargement

Austria, Finland and Sweden bring the Union to fifteen members.

2015 European construction was affected

Migration crisis

More than a million asylum seekers arrive in a single year; Schengen is put to the test.

2024 Contemporary period

NATO accession of Sweden

On 7 March Sweden becomes the 32nd ally, ending two centuries of neutrality.

Political landscape

Results of the June 2024 European election and their translation into European Parliament groups.

S — Sveriges socialdemokratiska arbetareparti 5
M — Moderata samlingspartiet 4
MP — Miljöpartiet de gröna 3
SD — Sverigedemokraterna 3
V — Vänsterpartiet 2
C — Centerpartiet 2
KD — Kristdemokraterna 2

Distribution of European seats

Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) 6
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament 5
Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance 3
European Conservatives and Reformists Group 3
The Left group in the European Parliament — GUE/NGL 2
Renew Europe Group 2

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The state in numbers

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Public debt, % of GDP 34.9 % 0.2 % GDP per head (EU = 100) 111.1 0.5 Government spending, % of GDP 50.5 % 0.5 % Total tax burden, % of GDP 41.8 % 0.4 % Prisoners per 100,000 people 106.5 13.8