The Social Democrats have quickly changed the tone regarding a Swedish NATO application.
From categorically rejecting such proposals, a "dialogue" has now been initiated within the party.
At a press conference in April this year, Tobias Baudin announced that the Social Democrats will discuss the issue with party members around the country - and it will go quickly.
As early as May 12, the districts must have taken a position, and thereafter the party board must make a decision.
But the party leadership already seems to have decided that the party should advocate a Swedish NATO membership, says Karin Pettersson, cultural director at Aftonbladet.
She believes that this leads to a decision with weak legitimacy.
- I get the definite impression that the decision has already been made, on grounds that we as citizens do not know, she says.
- At the same time, you have a process, a kind of sham process, where you invite to different conversations and pretend that you collect views for the citizens.
Criticism from several quarters
She is not the only S-labeled voice that has criticized the process around the NATO issue.
Leif Pagrotsky, who has held several ministerial positions in S-governments, and the former party secretary Lars Stjernkvist have also expressed criticism that the decision is being hastened.
Karin Pettersson also criticizes that S "acts in panic" - and that the only reasonable explanation is that there should be a serious threat to Sweden even in the short term.
- In such cases, it is something that has not been brought forward and that we citizens do not know, she says.
Baudin: "No decision made"
The current party secretary Tobias Baudin does not comment on Pettersson's speculation:
- I can not comment on that, I absolutely do not have that information.
We have other grounds for this, including the process in Finland and the fact that the war is now raging.
D
"We have made the assessment that we must keep a high pace on this issue," he says.
Baudin also turns to the image of a sham process.
- We have not made any decision, we have made the decision that we should have this security policy dialogue.