Introduction to special section: from Nordic exceptionalism to a third order priority – variations of “Nordicness” in foreign and security policy

Abstract

This introduction presents the rationale for studying Nordicness in Nordic foreign and security policy with an overview of the renaissance of the Nordic dimension in research on Nordic foreign policy. The introduction also includes an analytical framework on Nordic security culture, developed from Jepperson, Wendt and Katzenstein [1996. Norms, Identity, and Culture in National Security. In P. J. Katzenstein (Ed.), The Culture of National Security: Norms and Identity in World Politics (pp. 33-75). New York: Columbia University Press.]. This framework is used throughout the special section.

Successful Public Policy in the Nordic Countries

“…It would be a strong exaggeration to say that the policy of neutrality returned in its Cold War version, but some of the objectives of that policy did reappear. Combining different cooperative arrangements with a more autonomous stance on (further) European integration, Sweden started to pursue a more flexible security policy (Brommesson 2018a(Brommesson , 2018bHedling and Brommesson 2017), indeed pursuing what has been called a policy of 'post-neutrality ' (Mo ¨ller and Bjereld 2015). At the same time, all centre-right parties in the Swedish parliament promoted a NATO option, that is, the option to seek membership in NATO if the conditions should require so.…”

‘Nordicness’ in Swedish foreign policy – from mid power internationalism to small state balancing?

“…The second axis concerns the relationship between the actors and the environment. More specifically, it captures the degree to which the states are constructed by the environment (Brommesson, 2018;based on Jepperson et al, 1996, p. 40). This axis goes from low, where actors are understood as being defined by their intrinsic properties, to high, where their properties are understood to be endogenously given.…”

Need to have or nice to have? Nordic cooperation, NATO and the EU in Norwegian foreign, security and defence policy

“…At the same time, a controversial U.S. President has put the credibility of the collective security guarantee into question. This situation of strategic uncertainty has also instigated renewed interest in Nordic foreign, security and defence cooperation among Nordic states, especially in non-NATO members Sweden and Finland (Ojanen & Tapio 2018, Brommesson 2018. One assumption would be that Nordic cooperation adds an extra layer of security cooperation, in addition to NATO and the EU, that is attractive in times of uncertainty.…”

“…Inspired by Jepperson, Wendt and Katzenstein (1996), the degree of Nordic-ness in Norwegian foreign and security policy can be examined along two axes; one concerning the degree of cultural and institutional density of the Nordic environment, and one concerning the relationship between the actors and the environment and, more specifically, how important the Nordic environment is for 'the construction of the units' (here states), or vice versa. Based on various combinations of how they score along these two axeshigh/low degreethe Nordics can be placed in a four-byfour table (see Brommesson 2018, this special issue). In the upper left quadrant, we have Denmark, who understand the Nordic environment as having a low degree of cultural density (e.g.…”

“…shared norms, identity) and who conceive of the Nordic environment as having little impact on the construction of Danish foreign policy (see Wivel 2018). States who envision the Nordic environment as having a high degree of cultural density and a high impact on the construction of their foreign policies are found in the lower right quadrant (Sweden, Finland, see Brommesson 2018;Ojanen and Tapio 2018). Regarding Norway, this article argues that Nordic values and norms are embedded in its conception of its foreign policy role and mission, and Norway often votes with the Nordic bloc in multilateral institutions and participates in the Nordic institutions and Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO).…”