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Article: Six delightfully dull Swedish months; Modest Sweden at the EU 's helm.(Europe)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- January 6, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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STEADY, efficient, unadventurous. Goran Persson, Sweden's stolid Social Democratic prime minister, does not actually use such words to describe how he wants his country to portray itself during its six-month presidency of the European Union, which started on January 1st. But it is what the rest of the EU expects; and if it sounds a bit dull, Sweden has often accepted its image with good grace. Moreover, after the bad blood that characterised the end of France's period at the EU 's helm, the club's 15 members may rather welcome a spell of cool Nordic modesty.
The Swedes say their presidency will concentrate on "three E s": enlargement, environment and employment. ...