December 17th – In a speech, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden stressed that the Swedish people have suffered “great pain” due to the coronavirus, and many people have lost their lives. The move was interpreted as criticizing the government’s inadequate response to the epidemic.
According to the Russian satellite news agency on the 17th, the 74-year-old King Karl XVI Gustav of Sweden made 2020 a terrible year in his recent speech to the people of the whole country, stressing that Sweden has failed to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.
Swedish state television quoted its speech as saying, “I believe we failed. It’s terrible that many of us have died.
This is the suffering we all have experienced together. Gustav added: “The Swedish people have suffered greatly under difficult conditions. You can imagine what a heavy and painful experience it is to meet all those who can’t say goodbye to their deceased family members.”
According to the report, the Swedish monarch has traditionally not participated in politics since he ascended the throne in 1973. Its statement is surprising, and many people interpret it as criticism of the government.
Henrik Wenander, a professor of public law at Lund University, said that according to the Constitution, the role of the monarch is to become a symbol, not a politician, “it is obvious that this speech will have an impact”.
The editor-in-chief of a local magazine also said that Gustav’s statement as head of state made such a “surprising” that it would be interpreted as a reprimand against the current government that is ultimately responsible for the strategy.
However, Gustav’s comments coincide with the first interim report of the co-founded “Coronavirus Response Committee”, which was established this summer to assess the Swedish government’s efforts to stop the spread of infection.
According to the report of the committee, the elderly care industry has long had significant structural deficiencies and is “under-equipped” in responding to the pandemic.
The Swedish Radio reported that the committee pointed out that the Swedish government has so far been ultimately responsible for the failure of the strategy to protect the elderly. In addition, the country has no national planning of municipal preparedness for the pandemic, and the state government has not tried to obtain a comprehensive plan.
The report said that the measures taken by the Swedish government and its agencies in the spring are too late and insufficient.
Sweden has reportedly a population of just over 10 million, and the country has confirmed nearly 350,000 coronavirus cases and 7,802 deaths. Of the deaths, 90% of the patients are over 70 years old, and half of them live in elderly care institutions.
According to the report, until November, the Nordic country responded to the novel coronavirus in a laissez-faire manner without any restrictions. As COVID-19 became the country’s third leading cause of death after cancer and cardiovascular disease, the Swedish government introduced new restrictions at the end of November, changing the relevant recommendations to an explicit ban.
