Question 8 from UPSC CSE 2025 - Current Affairs (Internati onal Relations)

Question

Consider the following countries:
I. Austria
II. Bulgaria
III. Croatia
IV. Serbia
V. Sweden
VI. North Macedonia
How many of the above are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. Only four

Strategy: To answer, rapidly recall each country's status with NATO as of 2024. Sweden's recent admission marks a notable development; Finland and Sweden both joined in quick succession, widely reported. Bulgaria, Croatia, and North Macedonia are long-standing NATO members. Austria and Serbia have maintained a policy of neutrality and are not members. Therefore, exactly four of the listed countries—Bulgaria, Croatia, Sweden, and North Macedonia—are NATO members. This targeted recall and elimination yields option B.

Key Info: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance formed in 1949 by the North Atlantic Treaty (Washington Treaty). It serves as a collective defense organization, primarily among Europe and North America. Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.

- Sweden: Officially became NATO's 32nd member in March 2024 after ratification by all existing members, ending its historic neutrality.
- Bulgaria: Joined NATO in 2004 in the alliance's largest post–Cold War expansion (seven Eastern European countries joined that year).
- Croatia: Became a NATO member in 2009 alongside Albania.
- North Macedonia: Admitted to NATO in March 2020, following resolution of the naming dispute with Greece.
- Austria: Maintains a constitutionally enshrined neutrality adopted after World War II; it is not a NATO member and participates in the Partnership for Peace program instead.
- Serbia: As a Western Balkan state, Serbia also pursues military neutrality and is not a NATO member, though it engages in dialogue via Partnership for Peace.

NATO's expansion since its 12 founding members has occurred in 10 rounds, often centered on Central and Eastern Europe after the Cold War. Notable non-member European states with neutrality policies include Switzerland, Austria, and Ireland. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine accelerated Sweden and Finland's bids; Finland joined in 2023, Sweden in 2024.

Answer

Option A: Only three

Answer

Option C: Only five

Answer

Option D: All six

Consider the following countries: I. Austria II. Bulgaria III. Croatia IV. Serbia V. Sweden VI. North Macedonia How many of the above are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?

Consider the following countries:
I. Austria
II. Bulgaria
III. Croatia
IV. Serbia
V. Sweden
VI. North Macedonia
How many of the above are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?