16/02/2006 3:21:18 pm
Rasmussen Speaking Clearly. In an interview with the English version of Der Spiegel, the Danish Prime Minister speaks clearly about the weak Swedish political leadership in the current battle about the freedom of the press:

SPIEGEL: Haven′t you also made mistakes?

Fogh Rasmussen: I do not think that we could have done anything differently. Even now there is still a rumor that the government refused to meet with a delegation of 11 Islamic ambassadors. That′s not true. Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller met with them way back in November. This is normal. However, the ambassadors demanded that I take legal action against the paper. And I advised them that a democratic Danish government could not and would not do that.

SPIEGEL: Then why did your Swedish colleague Goran Persson criticize you and say he would have never underestimated such a situation?

Fogh Rasmussen: First, he is not in my situation. Second, I would never get involved in any domestic issue in Sweden. And third, I am especially honored to be attacked by the Swedish Social Democrats - it is a sign that our policies are the correct ones.