The Nordic Countries and the European Security and Defence Policy

THE DOMESTIC BACKGROUND 109and defence cooperation would be to support some sort of ‘variable geometry’,to use an old term. Such a position would ensure that Sweden could opt out ofsecurity cooperation but not stand in the way of others who want to act. Thetrouble is that this, the most comfortable solution in domestic political terms,would mean a break with Sweden’s efforts since 1999 to avoid ‘singularization’,to claim a place in the EU’s security ‘hard core’ and, in general, toavoid creating ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’ groups in security and defence cooperation.In short, the domestic factors discussed here suggest that, as regards securityand defence cooperation, the pattern that the Nordic countries display vis-à-visadoption of the euro might be a guide to their engagement in the ESDP. Finlandparticipates fully and, at least as regards binding collective defence obligationsin the foreseeable future, Sweden is on the sidelines. Denmark must formallyremain on the outside until Danish voters have reversed their decision on thedefence opt-out. Sweden can be expected to continue to be an active supporterof the Petersberg Tasks and a proponent of the further development of crisisintervention and management capabilities.