Full name:

Ylva Anna Maria Lindh

Date and place of birth:

19 June 1957, Stockholm, Sweden

Date and place of death:

11 September 2003 (aged 46), Stockholm, Sweden

Education:

• She remained active in politics throughout her time at the University.
• In 1982, she graduated from Uppsala University and obtained a law degree.

Career:

• Since age 12: She has been involved in politics after joining a local branch of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth. She became its chairman when she was 13 years old.
• 1982: After graduating, she worked at a district court for 6 months. She also won her first seat in parliament for Social Democrats.
• 1984: She became the first female chair of the Social Democratic Youth. Her six-year presidency was defined by her commitment to international affairs and her opposition to the arms race which characterized the Cold War.
• From 1991 to 1994: She was Commissioner of Culture and Environment and the Deputy Mayor of Stockholm.
• 1994: She was appointed as Minister for the Environment by the Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson.
• 1998: Lindh was appointed as Minister for Foreign Affairs by the Prime Minister Göran Persson. During her political career, Anna was considered a straight talker. She was known for criticizing other countries, including Sweden's allies, especially when it came to human rights.
• During her political career...
  • She severely criticised Russian actions in Chechnya.
  • She supported the two-state solution in the Middle East (Dividing historical Palestine into an Arab state and a Jewish state to find lasting peace).
  • She strongly opposed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's policy towards the Palestinians.
  • She opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq because the United Nations had not sanctioned it.
  • She criticized the United States while in Washington for its treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

Contribution to Europe:

• Enhancing Sweden's EU Influence: She increased Sweden's presence in the European Union while leading foreign ministers' meetings during the Swedish presidency of the EU in 2001 (despite the country's occasional EU skepticism).
• Unifying EU Policy in Crisis: In 2001, when conflict loomed in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (now North Macedonia), as Europe's chief envoy, Anna Lindh played a crucial role in unifying the EU's usually divided foreign policy.
• Sweden's Euro Adoption: She played an important role in Sweden's adoption of the euro in September 2003. She dedicated most of her time to working on the campaign trail and she convinced her counterparts from Greece and Germany to support the pro-euro campaign.

Her tragic death:

• 10 September 2003: She was assassinated while shopping, days before the voting of Sweden's adoption of the euro took place. In the end, Sweden rejected the euro with 55,9% voting against adopting the currency.
• Mijailo Mijailović confessed to the murder in 2004, claiming it was a "random act" and not politically motivated. Sentenced to life, he was deemed mentally ill at the time of the murder and was transferred to a psychiatric ward.

Vision for Europe:

• Anna Lindh's vision for Europe centered around a unified continent that embraced democratic values, human rights, and social justice. She sought a Europe where nations worked together harmoniously, encouraging mutual respect.
• She aimed to advance Sweden's role in the EU. Her efforts as Europe's chief envoy highlighted her vision for a more united EU foreign policy focused on preventing additional conflicts.

The Foundation of Anna Lindh:

• Anna Lindh Foundation

Useful links:

• The official site of EU
• Her life - PDF document
• Wikipedia
• Anna Lindh - quotes

Image References:

• Profile picture
• First Image
• Second Image
• Third Image