Swedish foreign minister dies
Sweden’s foreign minister Anna Lindh has died, after being stabbed yesterday.
Ms Lindh was leading the Swedish pro-euro campaign – which has now been suspended.
The incident was not thought to have been politically motivated, but the Swedish prime minister, Goran Persson, has reportedly stated that he is calling off the ‘yes’ campaign that Ms. Lindh had been leading until this afternoon.
Ms Lindh suffered wounds in the chest, stomach and arms in the attack, and underwent emergency surgery – her condition deteriorating to ‘critical’ early this morning.
The attack took place while Ms Lindh – one of Sweden’s most well-known and popular politicians – was shopping. An unidentified tall attacker dressed in a combat jacket and peaked cap approched and stabbed her.
The anti-euro campaign has also suspended its activities.
Sweden is one of only three EU member states that is not in the euro-zone. Denmark and the UK are the other countries to have stayed out of the economic union, and the governments there are likely to scrutinise the results of the referendum that begins on Sunday.
As with Denmark and Britain, the Swedish polls show that the weight of public opinion is balanced against the single currency.
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