Sweden and European Integration in the Field of Security

The thesis "Sweden and European Integration in the Field of Security" deals with the Swedish role in the military dimension of the EU"s Common Security Policy. The thesis applies the concept of "Integration Dilemma" that forms the basis of the theory of national integration policy formulated by Nikolaj Petersen. The thesis draws on Petersen"s premise that all states involved in integration sooner or later experience an integration dilemma constituted by difficult choices between preserving autonomy and exercising influence on other participants. According to Petersen the salience of the integration dilemma differs among states depending on their influence capability, stress sensitivity and degree of identification with ideological sources of integration. Petersen argues that to handle the dilemma, national governments will most likely use adaptive strategies typical for the "balancing policy" mode. Petersen also predicts that countries characterised by high stress sensitivity, limited influence capability and aloofness from the ethos of European integration will perceive the dilemma as highly salient. Petersen assumes that integration policies of those countries will also include strategies characteristic for the "acquiescent" or "quiescent" mode. Petersen"s hypotheses are tested in the analysis of..