Förändringar i svensk biståndspolitik 2016 - 2023 : Realismens förklaringskraft i ett biståndspolitiskt skifte

Sammanfattning

This study examines the changes in Swedish development aid between 2016 and 2023. It aims to answer: How are realist ideas expressed in the 2016 Policy Framework?, How are realist ideas expressed in the 2023 Reform Agenda?, How can the changes in Swedish development aid policy between 2016 and 2023 be understood through realist theory? The research questions are addressed through a theory-driven qualitative content analysis of the Policy framework 2016/17:60 and the Reform Agenda 2023. The theoretical basis of the study draws on Or Rosenboims definition of realism combined with Kenneth Walt’z neorealist adaptation. The purpose is to investigate whether Swedish development aid policy shifted from a liberal orientation toward a realist one between 2016 and 2023. The findings indicate a noticeable shift in development aid policy during the period. The Reform Agenda 2023 contains extensive realist expressions including an increased emphasis on Swedish security and the use of development aid to advance state interests. In contrast, the 2016 Policy Framework, contains only limited realist expressions, indicating a significant redirection of policy. This suggests that the previously more liberal consensus surrounding Swedish development aid has been replaced by a policy more strongly influenced by realist ideas, reflecting changed state priorities.