SWEDEN: SWEDES VOTING ON EURO REFERENDUM AND MOURN MURDERED FOREIGN MINISTER ANNA LINDH
Record ID:
319198
SWEDEN: SWEDES VOTING ON EURO REFERENDUM AND MOURN MURDERED FOREIGN MINISTER ANNA LINDH
- Title: SWEDEN: SWEDES VOTING ON EURO REFERENDUM AND MOURN MURDERED FOREIGN MINISTER ANNA LINDH
- Date: 14th September 2003
- Summary: (U4) STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (SEPTEMBER 14, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF CENTRAL STOCKHOLM WITH HARBOUR 0.03 2. WIDE OF STOCKHOLM SKYLINE 0.08 3. WIDE OF FERRY CROSSING 0.13 4. WIDE OF EXTERIORS OF OSTRA REAL GYMNASIUM (BEING USED AS A POLLING STATION)/ PEOPLE ARRIVING TO VOTE 0.18 5. SMV 'YES' CAMPAIGNER DISTRIBUTING LEAFLETS. 0.23 6. SMV WOMAN PICKING UP BALLOTS 0.30 7. SLV VOTERS FILLING IN PAPERS IN THE BOOTHS 0.35 8. SMV BALLOT BEING CAST INTO BOX 0.38 9. SMV PEOPLE REGISTERING TO VOTE 0.43 10. SCU GIRL AT THE REGISTRATION DESK 0.46 11. SMV ELECTION OFFICIAL/ VOTING PAPER BEING PUT INTO BALLOT BOX 0.52 12. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE VOTER, SAYING: "I think there are so many problems in many countries in Europe, especially in these new members in Eastern Europe. I think we need to stabilise the economy more before we enter the eurozone." 1.06 13. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED MALE VOTER, SAYING: "I voted 'Yes' because we are part of Europe. We have a legal obligation to introduce the Euro. It will make life a lot easier for people who travel in Europe. It will also help to integrate our economy even better with the other European countries." 1.24 14. VARIOUS , ELECTION WORKERS GOING THROUGH ENVELOPES WITH POSTAL VOTES 1.39 15. VARIOUS ,FORMER SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER CARL BILDT CASTING HIS BALLOT (3 SHOTS) 1.48 16. SCU SOUNDBITE (English) FORMER SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER CARL BILDT, SAYING: "It has been a campaign where the 'No' side has been in the lead I think most of the time and I think that we were heading toward the 'No' victory by Wednesday (September 10). Then came that very tragic murder and what kind of impact it had since? We have virtually ceased all campaign activities - I do not know. I do not think anyone knows." 2.08 17. CLOSE OF ANNA LINDH PICTURE AMID FLOWERS OUTSIDE THE NK DEPARTMENT STORE IN CENTRAL STOCKHOLM 2.13 18. SLV CHILDREN PLACING FLOWERS 2.18 19. SMV WOMAN WITH CHILDREN 2.23 20. CLOSE OF CANDLE 2.28 21. SCU WOMAN CRYING 2.36 (W5) NYKOPING, SWEDEN (SEPTEMBER 14, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 22. PHOTO OF ANNA LINDH AT ENTRANCE OF SAINT NICOLAI CHURCH / PAN TO CHURCH INTERIOR WITH CEREMONY IN HONOUR OF LINDH IN PROGRESS 2.47 23. SLV WOMAN VICAR SPEAKING ABOUT ANNA LINDH 2.57 24. VARIOUS OF CONGREGATION STANDING 3.05 25. CLOSE OF CRUCIFIX IN CHURCH 3.10 26. CLOSE OF YES AND NO BALLOTS AT POLLING STATION 3.13 27. VARIOUS, HAND PICKING UP BALLOT, WOMAN WALKING INTO POLLING STATION 3.23 28. SLV MAN CARRYING BABY, WALKING INTO BOOTH 3.27 29. CLOSE OF HAND HOLDING BALLOT 3.32 30. SLV FAMILY HANDING BALLOT TO OFFICIALS 3.36 31. VARIOUS, OFFICIAL REGISTERING, PAN TO FAMILY 3.42 32. CLOSE OF HAND CASTING BALLOT 3.45 33. SLV COUPLE LEAVING POLLING STATION 3.49 34. SMV (SOUNDBITE) (English) 26 -YEAR-OLD TEACHER ANNA ABERG ANSWERING QUESTION IF THERE ARE LIKELY TO BE MANY SYMPATHY VOTES, SAYING: "It might have, I think so. She thought we should join, popular woman." 4.10 35. WIDE OF PEOPLE LEAVING POLLING STATION 4.14 36. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Swedish) 83-YEAR-OLD RETIRED AIRFORCE OFFICER REHOLD NILOSSON, SAYING: "There are many, especially in Nykoping, because she was a well-known and much liked person in this town. So there will be many people who will vote with their heart." 4.29 37. WIDE OF CLOSED OFF STREET LEADING TO LINDH'S HOUSE 4.34 38. CLOSE OF FLOWERS AND CANDLES OUTSIDE HOUSE 4.39 39. SMV POLICE OFFICER TALKING TO BO HOLMBERG, LINDH'S HUSBAND 4.45 40. SLV POLICE WALKING AWAY, HOLMBERG WALKING TOWARDS HOUSE 4.50 41. WIDE OF POLICE TAPE OUTSIDE HOUSE 4.55 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 29th September 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: STOCKHOLM AND NYKOPING, SWEDEN
- Country: Sweden
- Reuters ID: LVADQ2ZNMIMSEU77A08XRH62PYZ9
- Story Text: Swedes vote on whether to join the 12-member euro
zone.
Swedes voted on Sunday (September 14) on whether to
adopt the euro currency of 12 other European countries
after sympathy for murdered pro-euro Foreign Minister Anna
Lindh eroded a long "No" lead in opinion polls.
Election officials said the majority of votes would be
counted by 2030 GMT and there would be no official word on
voter turnout until polls in the vast but sparsely
populated Scandinavian country closed at 1800 GMT on
Sunday.
Sweden had looked likely to vote a resounding "No" to
joining the euro zone until the 46-year-old Lindh, who had
been tipped as the next prime minister, was stabbed while
shopping on Wednesday (September 10) at a Stockholm
department store.
Her killer remained at large on Sunday, evoking painful
memories of the 1986 assassination of Prime Minister Olof
Palme. Palme's gunman also has not been found.
The broadly EU-sceptic Nordic nation would become the
first European Union state to endorse the euro at the
ballot box since the currency's launch in 1999. A "No"
would keep Sweden outside with Britain and Denmark.
Voters outside one Stockholm polling station remained
divided.
"I think we need to stabilise the economy more before
we enter the eurozone," one voter said.
"It will make life a lot easier for people who travel
in Europe. It will also help to integrate our economy even
better with the other European countries," another voter
said.
The Danes rejected the euro in a September 2000
referendum, which the "No" side won by 53-47 percent.
Britain has no firm plans as yet to set a vote on the
currency.
"I do not know. I do not think anyone knows," former
Prime Minister Carl Bildt, who is in favour of the euro,
told reporters after casting his ballot.
Some opinion polls taken after the murder showed a
surge in support for the "Yes", which has lagged the "No"
since April.
On Saturday, a Gallup poll gave the "Yes" side, led by
Prime Minister Goran Persson and supported by the political
establishment and big business, a 43-42 percent lead. But a
Temo poll saw the "No" camp, with the support of the left,
Greens and many women, winning by 46-40 percent.
Turnout in Swedish referendums is traditionally around
80 percent. In the capital Stockholm, polling station
officials said early turnout was light. Some seven million
people are eligible to vote nationwide.
Until the slaying of Lindh, debate had focused on
whether the euro would hinder Sweden's relative economic
advantages over the euro zone, which has higher
unemployment and lower growth, and what it would mean for
Sweden's cherished cradle-to-grave welfare state, funded by
some of the world's highest taxes.
"There will be many people who will vote with their
heart," said Rehold Nilosson, an 83 year old retired
airforce officer.
Police hunting Lindh's killer circulated security video
pictures of a dark-haired man in a baseball cap and grey
hooded sweatshirt.
Politicians suspended all campaigning after Lindh died
early on Thursday (September 11) and a wave of emotion
swept the nation. Flowers, notes and children's drawings
piled up outside the store where Lindh was attacked and
teary-eyed Swedes paid their respects.
All parties have vowed to respect the vote's result,
which in the case of a "Yes" result would mean Sweden
switching to euros for all transactions in 2006 at the
earliest.
After getting the job as the Foreign Minister in
1998 Anna Lindh had never moved to Stockholm where she held
the office.
Instead she chose to stay in the picturesque provincial
town of Nykoping, about 100 km south of Stockholm, to give
her children as normal a life and upbringing as was
possible. Residents in Nykoping, including her husband
attended a
church ceremony in her honour before casting their votes.
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