Murder of Olof Palme: thirty four years later

Abstract

The article is devoted to the results of the investigation of the murder of the Prime Minister of Sweden, W. Palme, which took place in 1986. The commissions investigating the case could not give a name or motive for the murder. It was not released until June 10, 2020. However, the Swedes, for the most part, remained unsatisfied with the conclusions of the investigation. The article presents various versions of this, according to the author, political murder. The very person- ality of O. Palme – a bold, popular and skillful politician caused sometimes sharp rejection in certain political circles both outside and inside the country. He was accused of violating the historical consensus between entrepreneurs and trade unions, which was the basis of the «Swedish model». Palme’s foreign policy irritated the ruling circles of a number of Western countries, as well as the leaders of closed right-wing international organizations. Thus, there were plenty of people interest- ed in eliminating Palme both in Sweden and abroad. The Commission’s conclusion that the crime was committed by a lone terrorist did not convince the public of the random nature of the incident. This case remains a symbol of political murder that resonates in today’s Europe.

Keywords

• o. palme
• murder of o. palme
• s. engstrom
• the organization «stay behind»
• in- ternational terrorism
• the swedish model
• «workers’ funds»