Death may swing vote on the euro
London Times
SWEDEN yesterday committed itself to holding its euro referendum on Sunday as planned, despite the murder of Anna Lindh, the most energetic government champion of the single European currency.
Political analysts were speculating on how her death may change the dynamics of the referendum. “It could well lead to a sympathy vote for the ‘yes’ camp,” one senior Western diplomat said.
Indeed, there was a political undertone to the mourning, with “yes” buttons clipped to many of the roses laid in front of the Stockholm department store where the minister was fatally stabbed. Before announcing the death of Ms Lindh, dubbed “the Queen of Yes” by the tabloid press, Göran Persson, the Prime Minister, consulted his closest advisers to determine the impact on the referendum timetable. “It was never seriously considered to cancel the vote,” one government insider said, “but we could have delayed it for a week until after the funeral.”
However, the Prime Minister, who has choked back tears in two press conferences since the murder, clearly decided that any kind of delay would be a concession to the killer and to political violence.
“The attack against Anna Lindh was an attack against the society we have built up and the society in which we want to live,” he said.
All campaigning has been stopped. The “yes” camp briefly opened its wooden cabin in Stockholm’s shopping precinct on Segelstorg to tell passers-by about Ms Lindh. “The democratic process has to go on,” Lillemar Lundberg, a Moderate Party campaigner, said. As she spoke, two men asked her for directions to the nearest post office so that they could cast their votes in advance.
The referendum is technically unstoppable, murder or no murder. The election cabin, however, soon closed and other campaign stunts — tabloid papers had been briefed to expect a “blondes against the euro” crusade, for example — were quietly shelved.
One of the last opinion polls was published yesterday, with the SIFO research organisation confirming a strong lead for the “no” camp, polling 49 per cent, against 39 per cent for the “yes” camp and 12 per cent undecided. That would suggest having to convert about 70,000 Swedes to the “yes” cause each day before Sunday. Under normal circumstances that would be almost impossible, but a single dramatic event can trigger dramatic political changes.
Most undecided voters are women, and as Ms Lindh enjoyed very high sympathy ratings among women, there could be a shift in favour of the “yes” campaign. If “no” lobbyists are blamed for overpersonalising the campaign and its political players, the swing could be towards “yes”.
Ms Lindh was described yesterday by Lena Mellin, the influential woman columnist, as “Sweden’s lost prime minister”. In the media at least, she is being presented not only as brave and talented, but as having essentially the right ideas for Sweden’s future. As a result, Swedes may vote “yes” to honour her memory.
The gap between “no” and “yes” had appeared to have become unbridgeable this week, despite the energy of Ms Lindh, who criss-crossed the country pleading her case. Now, in death, she might win the argument.
Even so, the “no” camp may benefit from a higher turnout on Sunday. It seems certain that Swedes will vote in force, if only to show that they are not intimidated by political violence. The “no” supporters have always feared that a low turnout would hurt their vote. Now those who oppose the euro may go to the ballot box rather than stay at home. |
