Is it okay for Sweden's military commander to advise companies?
Sweden is caught up in a debate about lobbying in the military-industrial complex. Micael Bydén, Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, has founded a consultancy firm for defence issues together with his fiancée Linda Staaf, the former head of the Swedish police's National Operations Department, and set it up at the headquarters of the Armed Forces. Sweden's press is less than enthusiastic.
Armed forces' credibility on the line
This affair is damaging the image of Sweden's armed forces, laments Dagens Nyheter:
“By calling on Swedes to be prudent in view of the serious security situation while behaving without restraint himself, he has not only jeopardised his own credibility but that of the entire armed forces. When the commander-in-chief calls on Swedes to buy wind-up radios at the same time as he registers his new consultancy firm, then we know: we're not well armed against lobbying.”
Stricter rules needed
Aftonbladet finds the move very suspect:
“How can we know that the prospect of a well-paid job or a big consultancy contract won't influence decisions? And how do we ensure that information from politicians or authorities is not misused? ... The case of our enterprising commander-in-chief shows that the rules need to be tightened. The country's top military officer should devote all his energy to planning the future of Sweden and the armed forces, not to starting a new career as a consultant in strategic market analysis for paying clients.”