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Sweden aide quits over bar furore | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The Swedish PM's top aide, Ulrica Schenstroem, has resigned after media reports of an apparently drunken evening in a bar with a TV reporter. | |
The reports had sparked intense debate over the appropriateness of the aide's behaviour, in view of her role of alerting ministers to emergencies. | |
Neither Ms Schenstroem nor Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt have said whether she was on duty that evening. | |
Photos of her drinking with and kissing the reporter appeared in a local paper. | Photos of her drinking with and kissing the reporter appeared in a local paper. |
The previous Swedish government was accused of being slow to respond to the devastating 2004 Asian tsunami. | The previous Swedish government was accused of being slow to respond to the devastating 2004 Asian tsunami. |
A top aide to former Prime Minister Goeran Persson resigned after an official investigation into the government's handling of the disaster, in which some 543 Swedes were killed. | A top aide to former Prime Minister Goeran Persson resigned after an official investigation into the government's handling of the disaster, in which some 543 Swedes were killed. |
'Under the influence' | 'Under the influence' |
There have been negative media reports about Ms Schenstroem since pictures of her drinking with the television reporter were published in the daily Aftonbladet last week. | There have been negative media reports about Ms Schenstroem since pictures of her drinking with the television reporter were published in the daily Aftonbladet last week. |
The photos showed the pair apparently kissing, but the aide and the journalist, named as Anders Pihlblad, have both denied that they were romantically involved. | The photos showed the pair apparently kissing, but the aide and the journalist, named as Anders Pihlblad, have both denied that they were romantically involved. |
In a statement after her resignation, Ms Schenstroem apologised for her behaviour, saying she regretted being "engaged in conversation with a journalist and drinking wine in that context". | |
Mr Pihlblad told his own TV channel that Ms Schenstroem was "clearly under the influence of alcohol". | |
Mr Reinfeldt and other leaders of his centre-right coalition are refusing to comment on the resignation until after prime minister's questions. | Mr Reinfeldt and other leaders of his centre-right coalition are refusing to comment on the resignation until after prime minister's questions. |
The coalition has been hit by three ministerial resignations since it won the 2006 election, ending 12 years of rule by Mr Persson's Social Democrats. | The coalition has been hit by three ministerial resignations since it won the 2006 election, ending 12 years of rule by Mr Persson's Social Democrats. |