ABSTRACT

Although the Finnish–Swedish cooperation in national security seems to build upon a strong identification-based and historically institutionalised sense of reciprocal trust, reinforced by their shared Nordic values and a sense of interdependence, there appears a curious element of suspicion rooted into this otherwise benevolent and trustful relationship. In this chapter, we examine this mistrust having its roots in October 1990 when Sweden announced its plans to apply for the European Community (EC) membership without consulting Finland properly, causing notable resentment in Helsinki. We use qualitative and deductive textual analysis to study the remarks, oral and written alike, of the members of Finnish foreign policy elite where the current situation is frequently seen analogous to 1990, with the exception of Sweden this time applying for NATO membership. Theoretically, combining elements from both social and psychological understandings of trust and differentiating the concepts of mistrust and distrust, we underscore how historical experiences of misplaced trust can turn into narratives of betrayal, suspicion, and unreliability, yet still not implicating a fully-fledged distrust towards the other.