Bildt rose without trace from an aristocratic background in Halmstad to become Swedens first right-wing prime pinister in six decades back in 1991. He immediately dedicated himself to securing EEC membership in 1995 and presided over an economic crisis but, to his credit, reforms he instigated did create the conditions for recovery. The combative Swede then turned his attention to foreign policy, initially taking on various EU and UN roles in the former Yugoslavia. In the Balkans, Bildt managed to unite all parties - against him. Croats remember him accusing their former President Franjo Tudjman of war crimes and Serbs recall his subsequent fervent support for Kosovan separatism, a concept he is now viciously opposed to in Ukraine. He was initially sympathetic to the Bosnian Serb position before he managed to ingratiate himself with US officials and suddenly changed tack. So detested was Bildt in Croatia that, in 1995, their government declared him persona non grata. It was also around this time that he became friendly with the Clintons and assumed the role of Americas favorite European useful idiot. Despite his subservience to Washington, the feeling wasnt mutual as Wikileaks revealed in 2010. Indeed, classified diplomatic documents showed US diplomats describing him as stubborn, arrogant and having limited diplomatic skills. They also revealed that former President George W Bush had been told to play on Bildts desire to operate at a high level and to feign respect for his previous international assignments. In 2012, the Stockholm tabloid Expressen claimed that Wikileaks had proof that Bildt has worked as a US spy since the 1970s. Given that no evidence has emerged this report was likely erroneous. Now its time to say “adjo” to Carl as the Swedish public decide that they have had enough of both his antics and the Moderate Party. My bet is that, like a bad smell, he wont go away completely and will find roles in various US-sponsored think tanks, a time-honored retirement tradition for Washingtons Euro patsies. However, on September 14, Swedish voters are certain to elect a center-left government and Bildts veneer of democratic legitimacy will be gone. Bad news for European neo-con movements but excellent news for the safety of civilians everywhere, especially in Ukraine. He wont be missed. However, as Stojanovic added in his poem: Even if you are alone, you wage war with yourself. rt/op-edge/182600-bildt-swiss-far-right-ukraine/
Posted on: Wed, 27 Aug 2014 10:18:17 +0000
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