Along the waterfront near Stockholm's opera house, a magnificent flock of swans were feasting happily, nudging their way serenely past a few dozen scruffy ducks. Unlike their counterparts elsewhere, these birds didn't have to fight over scraps but ate from large, flat trays that had been laid out for them by the local authorities.
As an expression of the folkhem, or "people's home" - as Sweden's fabled welfare state is known - it was a little extreme. But Swedes are so determined to preserve their gentle way of life from any exterior threat that they prefer to take a back seat in the drive towards European integration.
As Sweden assumes the EU presidency for the first time since it joined the Union six years ago, the tension between its government's ambition to play a bigger international role and its people's innate conservatism is becoming ever more pronounced. Like Ireland, Sweden opposed a proposal at last month's Nice summit to extend qualified majority voting to some areas of tax policy.
But unlike Ireland, Sweden's primary motive in blocking the move was the fear that greater harmonisation of tax could somehow lead to an erosion of its own welfare system. The country's environment minister, Mr Kjell Larrsson, sighs wearily as he explains that he must accept his government's policy on tax harmonisation. But he makes no attempt to disguise his displeasure.
"I am not perhaps the best defender of the government's decision. It's always easier to defend something you believe in," he says.
Sweden has identified three focal themes for its six-month presidency - enlargement, employment and the environment - known rather tiresomely as the three Es. As Stockholm basks in unseasonably warm sunshine this week, Mr Larsson knows that the issue of climate change will be at the top of the environment agenda.
But he also knows that the most effective step the EU could take - the introduction of a Europe-wide carbon dioxide tax - has been made more unlikely by his government's insistence on preserving the requirement of unanimity for all tax issues.
Around the corner at the defence ministry, Mr Bjoernorn Sydow, is in more cheerful spirits. Although Sweden is among the four EU member-states that do not belong to a military alliance, the development of a European security identity has raised barely a whisper of protest.
Indeed, although more than 60 per cent of Swedes reject the idea of joining NATO, a recent opinion poll showed that 62 per cent support Sweden's involvement in the new European Rapid Reaction Force.
Like his Prime Minister, Mr Goeran Persson, the defence minister believes that it is no longer meaningful to describe Sweden as a neutral country. But Mr von Sydow insists that there is still no question of his country joining the Western alliance.
"As members of the EU, we will show solidarity with the Common Foreign and Security Policy commitment. We are partners with NATO in the Partnership for Peace but we will not apply for NATO membership," he said.
Mr von Sydow acknowledges, however, that the new culture of secrecy that has been introduced into the EU by its closer links to NATO sits uneasily with Sweden's tradition of openness and transparency. Under Swedish law, all official documents are registered and, even if they are classified, the public has a right to know what documents exist.
Since joining the Partnership for Peace, Stockholm has introduced a system whereby the government publishes brief details of even the most secret documents and the defence minister believes that this model could be adopted elsewhere in the EU.
"We haven't had any complaints from NATO as yet," he said.
Mr Persson's minority Social Democrat government, which depends on parliamentary support from the Greens and the Left Party - both Eurosceptical - hopes that Sweden's presidency will remind its people of the benefits of EU membership. Over lunch at the foreign ministry, however, the boyish new Justice Minister, Mr Thomas Bodstroem, admits that close contact with the EU could work both ways.
"While the presidency is actually going on, I can imagine a lot of people complaining about the cost and about all those black limousines driving through the streets. But by the time it's over, we'll have learnt much more about the EU and that can only be good for the political debate here," he said.
