Eurocommissaris Wallström genoemd als mogelijke nieuwe premier van Zweden (en)

The Swedish European Commissioner for the environment Margot Wallström is favourite to follow Prime Minister Göran Persson when he decides to step down.

A survey reported by the news agency TT showed that 20 of 26 Social Democrat Party districts throughout Sweden hold Margot Wallström as the favourite candidate to the post.

2003 was the worst of all his years in politics, Mr Persson revealed in an interview to Dagens Nyheter.

He admits to have been so depressed in October that he had severe difficulties in mastering the job as Premier.

The assassination of foreign minister Anna Lindh was the worst and changed plans of Mr Persson to let her some day take over as Premier, becoming the first female to do so.

"I get back to it constantly. Lately I was reminded in Brussels the other week, when Joschka Fischer said he is expecting to see Anna every time he sees me", Mr Persson told Dagens Nyheter.

Now a shift in Sweden's leadership is expected at the earliest in 2006.

"I am sitting to the end of this period and possibly even longer", says Mr Persson to Dagens Nyheter.

"I must make up my mind at the party congress in 2005. If I am going for a new period, then I will remain the leader of the party and then follows that I am also the prime minister candidate of the party," says Mr Persson.

The year 2003 was also darkened by defeat in the euro referendum. Mr Persson has still no clear analyses explaining what went wrong and wonders why the public opinion went against him.