This article examines politics of states recognition. Despite the signifi- cance of the concept of recognition to international politics, only recently has international relations (IR) scholarship begun to appreciate its analyti- cal value. How states employ their prerogatives to grant or withhold recog- nition 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 im- portance 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.
Cite as: Badarin, Emile 2020. “States Recognition in Foreign Policy: The Case of Sweden’s Recognition of Palestine.” Foreign policy analysis 16.1: 78-97.
