States Recognition in Foreign Policy: The Case of Sweden's Recognition of Palestine

Abstract

This article examines politics of states recognition. Despite the significance of the concept of recognition to international politics, only recently has international relations (IR) scholarship begun to appreciate its analytical value. How states employ their prerogatives to grant or withhold recognition has received less attention in IR. The article extends this discussion by shedding light on politics of recognition in contexts of contested states and territorial conflicts. It does so by scrutinizing Sweden's recognition of the Palestinian statehood in October 2014. The findings underline the importance of foreign policy and recognition narratives for explaining and critically evaluating recognition in such contexts; therefore, the analysis of foreign policy needs to be integrated more consistently into the study and theorization of the problem of contested states' recognition.