As every year, also this December SVT will broadcast the documentary "Året med kungafamiljen" (The Year with the Royal Family) a part of which will of course deal with the Covid-19.
This morning SVT Morgonstudion showed a clip which is discussed since CG has openly criticized the Swedish strategy for the pandemic, apparently showing a different line from the government and aligning himself with the Corona-commission (I do not know how it is called in Swedish and if this is the right word).
Here you can see the video and the article
https://www.expressen.se/...orona-vi-har-misslyckats/Another article from SD:
https://www.svenskdam.se/...mot-stefan-lofven/7155787"
In SVT's program "The year with the Royal Family" the King is critical.
- I think we have failed, there is a large number who have died in quite simply way, and it is terrible- he says in SVT's program "The year with the royal family".
There, the King expresses himself critically about how Sweden has handled the corona pandemic and calls it a "failure".
- You think of all the family members who have happened to be unable to say goodbye to their deceased family members. I think it is a heavy and traumatic experience not to be able to take a warm farewell- he says to SVT.
The king tells SVT that 2020 has been a terrible year:
- The Swedish people have suffered enormously in difficult conditions, says King Carl Gustaf.
Reactions after the King's words about the corona
Henrik Wenander, professor of public law at Lund University, says that this type of criticism is very unusual.
- It is startling because it is unusual for the king to speak in this way. He should not express himself politically in a way that can be perceived as having a different opinion than the current government. At the same time, he should be a symbolic leader, even in crises. So he may also need to comment on what has happened- he says in "Morgonstudion".
Johan T Lindwall, editor-in-chief of Svensk Damtidning, says that it is exceptional that he is so critical.
- It is really a giant mark against the current government- he says to SVT.
Joakim Nergelius is a professor of law at Örebro University. He does not think that the statement is outside the scope of how the king is allowed to express himself but says that it is a stronger formulation than expected.
- It is unexpectedly sharp: "We have failed". He could have said "It's tragic" or something more general that everyone agrees on. At the same time: who are "we"? He can hardly refer to the government where he is not included- says Joakim Nergelius.
Infection was detected in November
King Carl Gustaf was isolated with the Queen and the Crown Princess couple at the end of November after Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia tested positive for covid-19.
In "The Year with the Royal Family", the king is asked about his concern about becoming infected. He then replies that it feels more and more obvious, as it has crept closer and closer.
Asked about mouth protection
Since the start of the pandemic, the royal couple has largely lived in quarantine. In October, however, the isolation for a visit to Karolinska University Hospital was broken, which Dagens Nyheter reported on.
During the visit, Queen Silvia raised the issue of the use of mouth masks:
- I think many people want to know why we are not recommended to wear them, because there are requirements for them in so many other countries.-
She received the answer that the Public Health Agency's assessment does not provide sufficient protection, that on the contrary, mouth masks are difficult to use.
The King answered - I do not think it seems that anyone can explain it so that we actually understand- and then shook his head, according to DN. "