Madam, - I happened to be in Brussels at a meeting when news of Anna Lindh's death filtered through. The shock and deep sorrow, particularly among those who knew her well, was palpable. At one meeting after another throughout Thursday in the Commission, Council and Parliament silence was observed in her memory.
It was a reminder that those who work in the EU's policy process, frequently engaged in tedious negotiations, build up ties of friendship and mutual respect. Anna Lindh was comfortable working across different political systems - the national, the European and the international. She represented Sweden but also felt herself to be part of a wider European process. Her murder is a tragedy for her family, a political loss for Sweden, but also a loss for Europe. - Yours, etc.,
BRIGID LAFFAN, Director, Dublin European Institute,
Jean Monnet Professor of European Politics, UCD, Dublin 4.