1971–1972: Assuming the Role of the Realist

Following the breakthrough in the Berlin Question, Olof Palme publicly invoked ‘Sweden’s responsibility as a European nation’. These words are a useful expression of Sweden’s slow opening towards the CSCE between September 1971 and November 1972. During this time, Palme’s active foreign policy gathered pace. How did it express itself in the European sphere? It is important to recognize the hierarchy of priorities established by the Swedish government and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs during the final phase of multiple bilateral preparations before we can understand the search for balance between national security interests and solidarity in Sweden’s approach to