Russia's invasion war against Ukraine has forced the government into several political retreats.

The opposition demanded early on that the Defense Committee be called in to discuss the deteriorating security situation.

The government initially said no, but then changed its position and chose to convene the committee.

Then it was a matter of sending weapons to Ukraine, something the opposition demanded, but where the government was at first skeptical and mostly talked about all obstacles to such deliveries.

Even there, they then changed and chose to send 5,000 armored shots.

Thursday's announcement that Sweden will increase defense funding to two percent of GDP as soon as possible is another change of position that is made after Russia's attack on Ukraine.

The Social Democrats have previously been outspoken opponents of setting a percentage target for defense appropriations.

However, it is a demand driven by the opposition on the right.

The government does not want to be a brake

That the government is now changing is mainly about adapting to the new situation that has arisen in Swedish politics after the invasion of Ukraine.

The government does not want to appear as a brake, but is trying to take the political initiative again through Thursday's announcement.

Despite the government's changed position, however, there is unlikely to be agreement on the defense issue.

The Moderates, the Christian Democrats and the Center Party want the Swedish defense appropriations to be increased to two percent of GDP by 2025, the Liberals want to get there already in 2024. The government's message is much more vague.

As soon as possible, the Prime Minister's message was on Thursday.

Another question is how the defense investment is to be financed.

Minister of Finance Mikael Damberg talks about a special "contingency tax" or that Sweden should stop paying off the central government debt and instead use this money for defense.

Which path the government chooses is still unclear, but given how the tax debate is usually conducted in Sweden, the bourgeois parties are not likely to be interested in, for example, reintroducing a special defense tax.

On the other hand, an opportunity may open up for the Social Democrats to get through their demand to drop the surplus target.

The NATO issue will be part of the discussion

Negotiations on the increased defense appropriations will now be conducted in the Defense Committee.

At the same time, the NATO debate continues.

The Prime Minister has been criticized both in Sweden and abroad for his statement the other day that a Swedish NATO membership would "destabilize" the security situation in northern Europe.

At the same time, the government has rejected demands from the opposition that the NATO issue be discussed in the new security situation.

Now the tone is less categorical and everything suggests that the NATO issue will also be part of the discussion when the parliamentary parties will soon begin a supplement to Sweden's security policy analysis.