Anna Lindh, Sweden’s popular Foreign Minister, has died today following the stab wounds she sustained to her abdomen when she was attacked by an unknown assailant Wednesday evening. Her death has shocked a nation that has long prided itself on the accessibility of its politicians. As Sweden mourns and tries to come to terms with the loss of a rising star, one thing remains certain; Anna Lindh’s legacy will live on.
Born in Enskede, a suburb of the capital, Stockholm, in 1957, Lindh studied law at Uppsala University. She became a municipal councilor in 1977, and in 1982 she earned a seat in parliament. From 1984 to 1990 she was president of the Social Democratic Youth League, following in the footsteps of many leading Social Democrats. Lindh was a favorite on Swedish political talk shows as a representative of young people. She was seen as a consistent, solid performer whose career had no upsets. From 1986 to 1990 she presided over a government council on alcohol and drug policy and from 1987 to 1989 she was vice chairwoman of the International Union of Socialist Youth.
In 1991 Lindh, who spoke English and French, graduated to the heavyweight policy-making executive committee of the Social Democrats. She gained her first cabinet post in 1994 when she became environment minister, a post involving extensive work with the United Nations and the European Union. She headed the ministry for four years until she was appointed foreign minister in 1998. Voted one of Sweden's most admired women in a survey by Sifo, Lindh was considered one of the ruling Social Democratic party’s top three members and was tipped as a possible successor to Prime Minister Goran Persson. ``She's the most important political figure in Sweden, with the exception of Persson himself,'' said Toivo Sjoeren, head of research at pollster Sifo.
Anna Lindh grabbed the international limelight during Sweden's 2001 presidency of the European Union, when she toured the world's hotspots with senior European Commission diplomats. She had a reputation for competence and consistence and won plaudits for her negotiating skills. Always enthusiastic about the European Union, she was at the heart of the government's campaign in promoting Swedish membership of the euro, a highly controversial issue on which a referendum was due to be held on Sunday.
Anna Lindh was outspoken on several international issues, voicing her opposition to the recent war in Iraq and urging the Israelis and Palestinians to both stop their violence and start negotiating. Her commitment and unwavering dedication to reach a just solution to the Middle East conflict made her an admired figure for Palestinians. Commenting on the Palestinian struggle for independence, Anna Lindh said, “For many Swedes social justice at home, and international justice abroad are parts of the same struggle. Perhaps that is why the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has captured the imagination of so many Swedes. Because this conflict is fundamentally about justice; the right of the persecuted and dispossessed to a homeland, to self-determination, to security and to freedom. For that, you can count on our support.”
Always showing sensitivity to the volatile nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, rather than following suit and pointing the finger squarely at President Arafat for Mahmoud Abass’ resignation, she instead stated that the United States and Israel bore some responsibility for the crisis, saying Abu Mazen had been given "the kiss of death" when they decided to deal only with him and not with Arafat. "We (the EU) have all along agreed that this U.S.-Israeli policy of trying to exclude Arafat was very dangerous for Abu Mazen, and that there was a risk it could lead to Abu Mazen's fall. That is what we have seen now," she told reporters.
Lindh also garnered a reputation as a fierce and dedicated proponent of human rights, visible through her criticism of Israeli treatment of Palestinians which lead her to state that “Israel is a democracy balancing on a thin line.” Moreover, she recently remarked that “Israel must abide by international law and conventions and stop humiliating the population in the occupied territories. The walls, both of barbed wire and of suspicion, must come down.”
As Ordinary Swedes left red roses at the hospital and the store where she was killed, Prime Minister Goran Persson summed up the sentiments felt across Sweden when he said, “Anna Lindh has left us. The family has lost a mother and wife. Social Democracy has lost one of its most skilful politicians. The government has lost a competent politician and a good working colleague. Sweden has lost its face against the world.”
We, at MIFTAH, mourn her loss with the Swedish people and reach out to her husband Bo Holmberg and her two sons, Filip and David, and express our extreme sorrow and condolences.
