En förändrad erkännandepolitik - En komparativ fallstudie mellan Sveriges erkännande av Kroatien och Kosovo

The aim of this thesis is to explain the Swedish foreign policy change regarding to the recognition of new states between 1991 and 2011. Traditionally the Swedish policy on recognition of new states is based on the legal criteria for statehood; a state must possess a permanent population; cover a defined territory and be presided over by an effective government. In this thesis a descriptive study has been used as well as a comparative within case study. The cases are the Swedish decision to recognize Croatia and Kosovo. The comparative research applies foreign policy analysis which includes a theoretical perspective that analyzes both international and domestic conditions using different levels of analysis. The purpose of the comparison is to explain which factors and under which conditions that did affect the changing Swedish policy on recognition. The conclusion with regard to the descriptive study is that the Swedish policy on recognition has been changed. The conclusion of the comparative within case study is that the Swedish policy change is explained by several factors. The Swedish security interest, the coordination of a collective decision on foreign policy with the members of the EU and the beliefs of leaders