This wednesday, the Stockholm School of Economics had the pleasure of welcoming Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Sweden's Minister for Civil Defence, for a lunch lecture on "How do we build a resilient society in uncertain times?". The event was hosted by the Center for Security and Resilience (CfSR) in collaboration with Akademiska officersällskapet i Stockholm (AOS) and moderated by Professor Martin Carlsson-Wall.

In his talk, Minister Bohlin emphasized the urgent need for Sweden to rebuild its civil defence to meet today's rapidly shifting security environment. He highlighted how resilience must extend beyond the armed forces to include municipalities, regions, NGOs, businesses, and citizens alike.

Sweden, he noted, has moved between extremes - from having one of the strongest total defence systems during the Cold War to dismantling much of it in later decades. Rebuilding now requires striking a balance between military and civilian preparedness.

Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin during his lecture on building a resilient society. Photo: Edvin Landvik

Civil defence, Bohlin stressed, is among government's most complex responsibilities because it spans all of society. Modern conflicts blur the line between war and peace, with cyberattacks, disinformation, and hybrid threats targeting civilian infrastructure daily. To withstand such threats, the private sector must be a partner in preparedness.

Drawing parallels to Ukraine's resilience after 2014, he underlined that Sweden must act now to strengthen societal preparedness before facing a major crisis. Building resilience is not only about security in wartime, but also about ensuring society can adapt to and recover from disruptions such as natural disasters, cyber incidents, and future unknown crises.

The audience gathered at the Stockholm School of Economics for a lunch lecture with Carl-Oskar Bohlin. Photo: Edvin Landvik

A warm thank you to all who joined the lecture and contributed their perspectives on how Sweden can strengthen its preparedness in uncertain times.