SWEDISH anti-war organisation Svenska Freds has slammed the country’s bid to join Nato as undemocratic and a dramatic about-turn by the government, which opposed membership as recently as March.

"Many are upset, wondering what they can do. People feel that decisions were made without them,” spokeswoman Gabriella Irsten said in an interview with Svenska Dagbladet newspaper. 

“Even those who support Nato can see that this process lacks democratic roots. The Swedish people were deprived of the opportunity to hold a referendum,” she added.

Sweden abandoned centuries of neutrality when it submitted a bid to join the military alliance along with Finland in May, citing security concerns over Russian expansionism after its attack on Ukraine. 

But Ms Irsten dismissed the claims insisting that the country’s armed forces “made it clear that there was no direct threat to Sweden.”

She said the process had been rushed and may be related to elections which are scheduled for September 11. 

“On March 8, [Swedish Prime Minister] Magdalena Andersson said that Nato membership would only worsen the situation but just two months later, they filed to join,” Ms Irsten said. 

Membership of the alliance was no guarantee of peace, the anti-war activist warned. 

“Wars are still going on in the world. And it certainly did not stop Nato countries from engaging in war, only, perhaps, not on their own territory,” Ms Irsten said.

Sweden’s Nato bid could still be scuppered by Turkey, which has threatened to use its veto, despite signing a memorandum of understanding paving the way for its membership last month. 

Ankara has issued a set of demands including the extradition of individuals it insists are linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and supporters of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen. 

It has also insisted that an arms embargo is lifted and called for the respective governments to drop support for the Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria. 

Ms Andersson presides over a tightly balanced parliament with her government requiring the support of Kurdish MP Amineh Kakabaevh to pass legislation. 

Promises were made to the leftist parliamentarian over continued support for Kurdish forces in northern Syria as well as assurances that Sweden would not bow to Turkey’s extradition demands. 

Last week she hinted that she may trigger a vote of no-confidence in Sweden’s defence minister Anne Linde over the bid to join Nato and may withdraw her support for the Social Democratic government.