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Thu 11 Sep, 2003 07:45 am
Now what? Violence has attacked Sweden and one of their best politicians again!
It made me very sad to hear the news yesterday, and read about Anna Lindh's death this morning, GMT. It angers me endlessly that this can happen in my little peaceful country, and it makes me wonder if politicians never learn! 17 yeras after the assassination of then Prime minister of Sweden, Olof Palme, another lone(?) killer strikes another popular social democratic leader. In broad daylight!!! Without her secret service bodyguards!!!
Swedish Foreign Minister Dies After Stabbing
By Stephen Brown
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's Foreign Minister Anna Lindh died on Thursday after being stabbed by a mystery attacker, but her government declared her killing would not prevent a euro referendum from going ahead on Sunday.
The 46-year-old, tipped as a future prime minister, had been a leading campaigner for Sweden to adopt the European Union (news - web sites)'s single currency. Polls had shown voters were likely to reject it but analysts said the government might now reap a sympathy vote.
One of Sweden's most popular politicians, Lindh was stabbed repeatedly in the chest, stomach and arms in a Stockholm department store on Wednesday by an man who then fled.
Surgeons at Karolinska hospital struggled all night to save her life, but she died of massive bleeding at 5.29 a.m.
Police said Lindh's killer appeared to have been acting alone. Described as tall and "Swedish-looking," he dumped his army jacket and knife near the scene.
It was not clear whether the attack was linked to the euro vote, in which Lindh's pro-euro side is trailing in polls. Prime Minister Goran Persson said the referendum had to go ahead as planned.
The head of the anti-euro Green Party, Peter Eriksson, agreed. "It's of the utmost necessity. We can't let some violent madman rule our democratic process," he said.
Persson announced a demonstration on Friday "for democracy, against violence."
Swedish EU Commissioner Margot Wallstrom called for a big referendum turnout "to honor" her close friend. Analysts debated whether this would mean more "Yes" votes or blank votes.
"The entire nation is in a state of shock. In earlier times of national trauma people have tended to close ranks behind the government and the leadership," said Ulf Bjereld, a political science professor at Gothenburg University.
But campaign rallies were called off, polls canceled and televised debates likely to be canned, depriving Persson of his final chance to dispel public doubts about entrusting EU bureaucrats with an economy that upholds a cradle-to-grave welfare system.
"NOT AGAIN!"
Sweden was reminded of the unsolved assassination of Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986. "My first thought when this happened was 'Not again!'," said Stockholm shopkeeper Malin.
Except for Persson, Swedish politicians rarely have bodyguards and prefer close contact with the public. Persson however quickly increased security around King Carl XVI Gustaf, top politicians and public buildings after Lindh's stabbing.
Leaders at home and abroad offered warm tributes to the murdered foreign minister.
"Her family has lost a mother and a wife. Social Democracy has lost one of its most gifted politicians. The government has lost a skilled politician and a good colleague. Sweden has lost its face toward the world," Persson said.
People left red roses at the shop where she was attacked, at the hospital and at her ministry, where a flag few at half mast.
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and U.N. chief Kofi Annan (news - web sites) hailed a "great European," France's Dominique de Villepin praised her "enthusiasm, freshness and dynamism" and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana remembered her "beauty."
Reminded of U.N. envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello's killing in Iraq (news - web sites) last month, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the "world was poorer for the loss" of people like them.
Lindh was a forceful voice on human rights who dubbed President Bush (news - web sites) a "lone ranger" for the war in Iraq.
Fischer said he hoped her killer would get "his just punishment." German parliament speaker Wolfgang Thierse interrupted a debate with the news and Britain's Minister for Europe Dennis MacShane called the death an "incalculable" loss to European politics.
"She would have been a very big figure, I think a future prime minister of Sweden, a big figure on the European and international stage," he said. "Everybody loved her."
Married with two children, Lindh became foreign minister in 1998 after a stellar career in the Social Democratic party which has ruled Sweden for six of the last seven decades.
I can somehow relate to how a public person sometimes wants to be a "private" person, and tell their security personnel to leave them alone for a day. Damn, if I had to have security, I'd use them, all day!
Now you, please
Bigdice67
On the news yesterday, they said she's been stabbed in the arms, and was OK.
And, they said it didn't appear to be politically motivated.
Terrible.
Tragic. Tragic for the loss of life, and tragic that anyone could think this is an effective solution to anything.
At least here in Europe it was known yesterday that MrsLindh, suffered injuries to the chest, stomach and arms in the attack on Wednesday.
Our Swedish relatives are literally shocked: they see (and obviously most Swedish as well)the attack as an attack on democracy and the Swedish way of life.
This is shared all over Europe and elsewhere:
Tributes have flooded in from around the EU and beyond.
In Brussels, following a minute's silence, a heartbroken Margot Wallström (Commissioner for the environment) struggled through a short statement to commemorate her friend and former colleague.
"Outstanding was the word for Anna; Outstanding as a mother, outstanding as a
political leader - because she was so courageous and straight forward and she
was honest, and outstanding as a friend".
"She was the best of us
the words Anna and death do not fit together".
Commission President Romano Prodi described her as "very committed and very courageous".
French President Jacques Chirac telephoned Swedish PM Göran Persson to express his "great sadness and consternation".
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw paid tribute to his "good friend" both as a Foreign Secretary but also as a mother. He told reporters that she had "dropped everything" at a meeting of Foreign Ministers last weekend to attend to one of her children who had locked himself out of the house.
Germany's foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, said: "We are shocked by the terrible news of Anna Lindh's death. We have lost a great European, a great foreign minister and a great friend."
In a separate written statement, he said he was sad about the "cowardly murder" and expressed hope "that the murderer will meet his just punishment".
UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, said, "Sweden has lost a successful and a great Foreign Minister, a great Swede and a great European. I have also lost a close friend and so has the United Nations".
Frontpage of today's Aftonbladet, the biggest newspaper in Sweden, the second biggest in the Nordic countries (obviously publishe as an Extra, when doctors still where fighting for her life).
Unbelievable.
Unbelievable that this tragedy could happen in Sweden, which in my mind seems so peaceful. Also unbelievable that this crime was NOT politically motivated.
A sad day for freedom lovers everywhere.
I was stunned by the attack, too - and also thought not again.
Our politicians wander round unguarded, too, when not on official business - except the Prime Minister, one would have thought. I have often seen our Foreign Minister at the shops, for instance.
Sigh.
That was a first edition Billboard, the way it looks, prolly printed around 4 this morning.
It's actually not only an attack on freedom, but also on normal daylife in Sweden.
What do you mean, Big D? Because it was in the middle of the day? Because it will change things?
This assassination could very well fit into the US NSC 'strategy of tension' that terrorised European countries, during the previous Bush and Reagan administrations. The murder of Palme was clearly tracable to the CIA, as were other horrendous acts in European countries.
Ancient ghosts are haunting our free world again.
Educate yourself, George.
It's so hard to imagine this happening in Sweden, although..I do recall the Olaf Palme assassination.
Poliitcally motivated - or just a nutter - the effect is tragic!
The unexplained murder in Sweden during the Bush 41 governments is just as stunning as the horrendous slaughtering of dozens of innocent shoppers in Belgium during the same period. Common denominator was the involvement of
security agencies in all events.
wolf wrote:This assassination could very well fit into the US NSC 'strategy of tension' that terrorised European countries, during the previous Bush and Reagan administrations. The murder of Palme was clearly tracable to the CIA, as were other horrendous acts in European countries.
Ancient ghosts are haunting our free world again.
I dont think Sweden would bomb another country like USA did after their horrible 11 sept.
The first reaction had to be, Olaf Palme again?
Then horror that a community of people who have managed to have private, normal lives even though they're in public life (unlike the restricted, policed US), are subject to this kind of violence now.
Then the same fear many others seem to have felt, that this could have been a "message."
I sympathize with that, and recognize the same maffia style execution as against the UN headquarters in Baghdad. Poppy rules with an iron fist. And so many weep.
>Piffka-- what I meant was that it's almost normal to see "hi"profile persons out in public, without or little security surrounding them. And that won't happen that soon, I'm afraid.
>wolf-- I'm not sure that Mrs. Lindh had the same clout as Mr. Palme. I think this(the murder of Anna Lindh) was an act of a single maniac, who didn't know his victim and only out for the thrill. believe me, Sweden may be politically nice and all, but we have our share of lunatics too.
> Roger-- I <sigh> with you... or should I say "george" now?
I heard about this on NPR this morning. Very sad. Not just because of the loss of a fine politician for Sweden and Europe, but also because of the "loss of innocence" in Sweden's political landscape.
bigdice67 wrote:>Piffka-- what I meant was that it's almost normal to see "hi"profile persons out in public, without or little security surrounding them. And that won't happen that soon, I'm afraid.
Oh, I see. Thanks for explaining what you meant. It is unusual to have so few security guards and I suppose it will have to change. I'm really sorry! It seems like a sign of the times -- just a lot of violence and the anxiety that goes with it. Littlek is right. It's a loss of innocence that's touching us all.
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