This study analyzes Swedish threat construction between 2015 and 2024, specifically the construction of the Hybrid Threat. The study utilizes Framing theory and Securitization through Johan Eriksson’s work, combining Snow and Benford’s framing theories, securitization, and crises studies.
The results show the NATO membership application changed the conditions enabling the Russian armed attack frame as the primary threat. The new security situation warrants replacing it with the Hybrid Threat frame. The framed solution to crises or war, the Total Defense concept, was integrated with NATO after Sweden’s accession – but remained as the framed solution. The motivational frame was actively transferred between threat frames to maintain a distinctive and anchored frame throughout the period.
The study also shows that Swedish politicians as securitizing actors actively strive to achieve the conditions put forth by Eriksson by assigning antagonists to threats, institutions to solutions and provide real-world examples to attain saliency for the constructed threat frames.