King Carl Gustav on the crown in Sweden

In an interview with the Swedish SVT, the King of Sweden, Carl Gustaf, leveled harsh criticism of the country’s handling of the crown. He noted in particular the death toll in the country.

– I think we’ve just failed, and that’s terrible. The Swedish people have suffered enormously, Carl Gustaf told the channel Thursday morning.

The statements are part of an interview on “The Year with the Royal Family,” which is shown every year around Christmas time. On the show, various members of the royal family look back to the past year.

– Speak for me

Blame it on the British crisis

During a press conference Thursday, the country’s state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell was asked about the king’s remarks, but declined to comment on the criticism.

– It is obvious that the number of deaths is regrettable, and we will definitely have to work to try to understand how we can improve to prevent it from happening again. Whether we call it a failure or not, I think we should leave it to those who investigate this issue in the future, Tegnell said during the press conference.

An Expressen reporter asked Tegnell the following questions:

– So, is it wrong for the king to say he has failed?

– I have no opinions on what the king says or wants to say, but I speak for myself and for the public health authorities, he says.

Not criticize

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Johan T Lindwall, editor-in-chief of Svensk Damtidning, is one of those criticizing the king’s statement, according to Expressen.

– He should not criticize in his role as head of state, he said in SVT’s “Morning Studio”.

“It really is a giant brand against the current government,” he said.

– It must refer to the question

SVT asked Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven about the king’s statement during a press conference on Thursday. Löfven says, however, that he cannot respond to the criticism, because he does not know what question the king was asked during the interview.

– I interpret the king’s response as a confirmation of what we have said, which is that so many people have died. But a fairly simple way to get an answer to the question is to show what questions were actually asked of the king. Then we clarify what the king has answered, he says.

When Expressen asked Löfven if he knew what the king wanted to say beforehand, he repeated that he had not heard the question.

– Again, I don’t know what question the king answered, but the king says exactly what we have done. I want to confirm that it is clear that the fact that so many have died is a failure. But I don’t know exactly what question the king answered.

– A terrible year

During the interview, King Carl Gustaf was also asked if he himself was concerned about being infected.

– Lately it has been noticed more, it has gotten closer and closer. That’s not what you want, he said.

Describes last year as “different.”

– It probably covers everything, I think it has been terrible considering all the people who have passed away, and the pain and frustration in many families and all companies that have come to their knees. It is a terrible year that has affected us and Sweden, he said.

He defended himself from criticism

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On Tuesday, the Swedish Crown Commission released its first interim report on how authorities and politicians have handled the pandemic and the effect it has had on the elderly. The report claims that well-known structural deficiencies, which could have been remedied before the pandemic, have led to the highest number of sick and dead in elderly care during the crown situation.

State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell believes, however, that the risk has been clear and defended himself from criticism Wednesday.

– Now we are not the ones who supervise, it is other authorities and the activities themselves that do it. We made it very clear that the elderly were vulnerable and that all actors must work hard to improve that situation, so that they are not exposed to the spread of infection, he said in an interview with P1 Morgon.