Anna Lindh

Swedish Foreign Minister, she was stabbed while in a department store in Stockholm on September 10th, 2003 at 16.10 in Stockholm. She died the following day, September 11, 2003 at 5:29 AM in Stockholm, according to newspaper sources.

Lindh was pro Euro and was killed just before the Swedish Parliament voted on whether to adopt the new currency. It was not passed.

The generally popular politician began her career in 1977 as a member of the Enkoping Municipal Council, until 1979. Concurrently and until 1980 she was the Chairperson of the Uppsala district of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League. From 1981-83, she was the Chairperson of the National Council of Swedish Youth Organizations. She served one year as Court Clerk of the Stockholm City Court, from 1982-1983, and became a member of the Riksdag (Swedish parliament,), Committee on Taxation from 1982-1985. Throughout the 80s and 90s, she served in a variety of municipal and national positions, including heading up the Stockholm City Culture Committee from 1991-1994, while, at the same time, serving as Chairman of the Committee for Home Affairs in the Party of European Socialists. In 1998, she became a member of the Riksdag and became Minister and head of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs from 1998 until her death.

During her stint as Foreign Minister she earned the reputation for competence and consistency and her negotiating skills were notable. She was sometimes unconventional in her approach, quoting Bob Dylan in a speech to the united Nations and speaking her mind. She was openly critical of Ariel Sharon's Israeli policies and a few days before her death, she blamed the US and Israel, as well as Yasser Arafat for the continued violence in the Mid East. Her colleagues and her voters praised her integrity and openness after her death. She was often described as honest and loving.

She graduated from Uppsala University with a Bachelor of Law in 1982. She and her husband have two children.