World leaders honour Lindh

September 19, 2003 7:47 AM

A memorial service was held today for Anna Lindh, the Swedish foreign minister that was murdered last week. The swedish police have arrested a suspect. The man, a neo-nazi, was filmed on video, moments before the murder.

The service was broadcast live on television in Denmark Finland, Norway and Sweden.

An odd twist in the story is that the man had met crown princess Madeleine in a bar and that they hang out in the same social circles in Stockholm (last link in swedish).
posted by hoskala (17 comments total)

In the UK it would be an odd twist if royalty didn't hang out with Nazis.
posted by niceness at 8:31 AM on September 19, 2003

"...35-year-old violent neo-Nazi and football hooligan who beat his mother but who nevertheless has a charming side."

He charms the hell out of me, and his mom too!
posted by a3matrix at 8:39 AM on September 19, 2003

Is there any new information re motive? Didn't see any in the links.
posted by widdershins at 8:50 AM on September 19, 2003

No. The man denies the charges.

They haven't yet published the results of the DNA-tests, but it probably matches, because the suspect was imprisoned today.-> He is going to be charged with the murder.
posted by hoskala at 9:05 AM on September 19, 2003

no word about motive yet, he might just be a nutcase.

Is he neo-nazi or not? There's contradicting stories, for example his ex-girlfriend says he's not ( and she's 'dark' as she put it). Oh and now another nutcase is chasing the crown princess - at least she gets guards (swedish with image). I guess we need to keep our royal ribbon cutters safe, unlike our Foreign Ministers.
posted by dabitch at 9:08 AM on September 19, 2003

met crown princess Madeleine in a bar

I am so there. [Quits job, buys plane ticket.]
posted by nicwolff at 9:50 AM on September 19, 2003

yikes.
I didn't realize the suspects name has been released. In this iol.co.za news story has his name, though you will not find it in any Swedish paper. Oh, same link there's a little more about the crown princesses security problems, in anglais.
posted by dabitch at 9:55 AM on September 19, 2003

Per Olof Svensson

How much more typical could a swedish name be? There is even a member of the Swedish parliament, riksdagen, with the same name.
posted by hoskala at 10:27 AM on September 19, 2003

hehe, yeah there's 115188 Svenssons and 175531 "Per" in Sweden. Only 1370 are named "Per Olof" though, according to scb.
posted by dabitch at 10:33 AM on September 19, 2003

The man, a neo-nazi, was filmed on video, moments before the murder.

You can't film on video. You record on video.

-- Mr. Pedantic
posted by jpburns at 10:40 AM on September 19, 2003

I think that might be a literal translation, in Swedish you "film" someone even when it's on video, meaning he was caught on tape. (I'm just helping nicwolf with the language he'll need to know in order to impress Madde...)
posted by dabitch at 10:53 AM on September 19, 2003

In the UK it would be an odd twist if royalty didn't hang out with Nazis.

But it ain't the royals fault, all that inbreeding makes their minds feeble.
posted by jonmc at 11:21 AM on September 19, 2003

It was a very solemn and beautiful memorial service. In Denmark everybody I know was horrified by the assasination and I hope the suspect is in fact the murderer. I think it is too early to speak of motive, though. It would be guesswork at best.

BTW, HRH Crown Princess of Sweden is the beautiful Victoria. The even prettier Madeleine is merely Princess of Sweden.

Off Topic, I think Victoria should marry HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. That would be a nice manifestation of the bond between the two countries.
posted by cx at 12:22 PM on September 19, 2003

What, a woman who conceived a child out of wedlock with a convicted drug dealer isn't good enough for your Crown Prince? You Danes are just so picky...
posted by widdershins at 1:05 PM on September 19, 2003

But it ain't the royals fault, all that inbreeding makes their minds feeble.

"You're a plumber? What on earth is that?" [/Izzard]
posted by scody at 5:09 PM on September 19, 2003

Victoria denies that she or any of her siblings know the man, according to the fourth link.
posted by spazzm at 5:58 PM on September 19, 2003

What does the royal family think of the whole euro or not situation? Have they spoken out one way or another?
posted by amberglow at 6:13 PM on September 19, 2003