They were neutral for over 200 years, through European wars and world wars. In AP's words, "It was a stance that kept peace at home and contributed to the country becoming a prosperous welfare state and humanitarian superpower."
It all ended Feb. 22, 2022.
The invasion “had a shock effect on Swedish political life,” said Henrik Ekengren Oscarsson, a political scientist at the University of Goteborg. He analyzed polling data showing that support for NATO membership surged from 35% in 2021 to 64% after the invasion.
“It was the largest and fastest shift in opinion that has so far been measured in Swedish political history,” Ekengren Oscarsson wrote.
