FALCON POWERS- A new study conducted by the Swedish military to gauge Swedes’ acceptance of the idea of defending Sweden showed a disparity between the idea of defending Sweden and the idea of fighting for Sweden. While the majority of Swedes find it important to defend Sweden, when the word “fighting for Sweden” is mentioned, the majority of Swedes do not want to fight.
The study revealed the following:
- 90 percent find it important for all Swedes aged 16 to 70 to participate in the defense of Sweden in the event of war.
- 81 percent of participants are willing to take on non-combat roles without risk to life.
- 51 percent are willing to contribute to a non-combat role that involves some risk to life, such as support and assistance.
- 25 percent of Swedes are willing to participate in actual combat in the event of war or military threat.
Michael Malmqvist from the Defense Forces said, “It is necessary for everyone to be aware of the basic knowledge of the concept of defense and fighting in the event of wars, as this information is very important for building a culture around the concept of defending Sweden. The delay resulting from not knowing what is expected can have dire consequences.”
