Death of a better age

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Olof Palme, the Prime Minister of Sweden. He was gunned down in a Stockholm street as he walked home from an evening at the cinema with his wife at his side. She was shot but survived. At the time, it was shocking news. Sweden - indeed, the whole of Scandinavia - had been seen as a bastion of civilised democracy, where its politicians and leaders could walk or cycle freely through the streets of their cities without requiring bodyguards. Ordinary citizens could talk to their leaders in the supermarket. It was an age of innocence - all of which was violently brought to an end by un unknown killer.

Palme as he could often be seen in Stockholm

Palme was not without his enemies - he was outspoken on a number of important issues. He was a fearless critic of the US over Vietnam; of Russia; of Spain's General Franco (who he called 'a damn murderer'); of Chile's General Pinochet and of South Africa's apartheid regime. He was not afraid to criticise the hypocrisy of western leaders and was famously derided by the US for meeting Fidel Castro. The mystery surrounding his death has led some to speculate that he was killed by the CIA.

Palme meets Castro - to the consternation of the US

But Palme was more than just a man of integrity on the world stage. At home, he introduced constitutional changes that swept away the remaining powers of the swedish monarchy, revolutionised the health care system to make it the envy of the world, and was an advocate of gender equality and environmental responsibility long before it was fashionable (he warned of the dangers of fossil fuels).

Memorial to Olof Palme on the Stockholm Street where he was assassinated

With his death, leaders across the world put away their bicycles and the age of innocence was over. No longer would exalted politicians move freely among their people. The barriers went up and they are never likely to come down again. I remember his death and I lament its consequences. The world had become a colder and more frightening place and politicians like Olof Palme are now few and far between. As far as I am concerned, if he upset the likes of Henry Kissinger, then he obviously did something right.

Olof Palme - Died 28 February 1986