Patric Lindgren

Patric Lindgren is affiliated with the Department of Political Science within the Faculty of Social Sciences at Linnaeus University. He is associated with the Swedish Network for European Studies (SNES/LNU), which focuses on research related to European democracies and political developments.

Dr. Lindgren's research centers on security policy, particularly examining how small states like Sweden navigate geopolitical transitions following major world conflicts. His work employs a theoretical framework combining realism and idealism with actor-structure perspectives to analyze foreign policy decisions.

His primary scholarly contribution is a 2019 doctoral thesis analyzing Sweden's security policy adaptation after three major 20th century conflicts (World War I, World War II, and the Cold War). This research examines specific policy decisions including Sweden's Åland intervention, accession to international organizations, and defense decisions across these historical periods.

His research demonstrates that small states face both limitations and opportunities in foreign policy, with Sweden showing a historical tension between idealistic and realistic approaches that has evolved over time, with idealism gaining increased importance in recent periods.