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| Ambassador Margareta Winberg |
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| She was a politician for several years in the highests posts of the Swedish government, including as Minister of Agriculture of Sweden, Mrs. Margareta Winberg took her first post as Ambassador, here in Brazil. And with the feminine strength, years of experience in politics and much will, Ambassador Margareta Winberg has been increasing the trade and the cultural exchange between Brazil and Sweden. On the Swedish National Day, the Ambassador talked to THE GUIDE a little about the National Day celebrations, the bilateral affairs between the two countries, her life and her plans as Ambassador. |
| THE GUIDE How long have you been in Brazil? |
| Ambassador Margareta Winberg I came to Brazil last year, in February. |
| THE GUIDE And how do you like Brasília so far? |
| Ambassador Margareta Winberg I like it very much. It is my first post, I was a politician before, I was Deputy Prime Minister in the Swedish government and I was Minister for nine years and congresswoman for thirteen years before that. So my background is as a politician. So, this is the first time that I am an ambassador and I admit being wondering about it, first because I didn't know all the details of the position and second because of the distance from home, because it was a whole other culture, different climate and so on. But now I like it very much! My job, I like the people very much and the climate, of course, is lovely compared to the Swedish climate, except in Easter time when it snows in Sweden and must go home to my cottage in the mountain, to see the snow, go skiing… But Brazil is a marvellous country and the people are great. People here are so kind! For example, when you are on the street, looking confused, even when they don't know you they will kindly try to help. And also the staff of the Embassy is absolutely helpful. I had to learn many things about the role of Ambassador and both the Swedish diplomats assigned here in Brasília and the Brazilian employees of the Embassy assisted me in a very good way. |
| THE GUIDE Have you come with your family to Brazil? |
| Ambassador Margareta Winberg No, I am on my own here, my family stayed in Sweden . My husband comes and goes and my three children come when they can. They were all here during Christmas. But I also divide my vacation period and one week to go home from time to time, and then another one, and then another… But it is quite expensive. |
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| THE GUIDE In some countries in Europe , the parents raise their children so that they will leave home when they are seventeen, eighteen years old to live an independent life. Does that happen in Sweden as well? Has this custom influenced your family now that you took over this post so far from home? |
| Ambassador Margareta Winberg Yes, my children became very independent. In fact, one of my daughters lived in Brazil , in Londrina , for one and a half year when she was nineteen, before me, my son is in Canada right now and my other daughter lived in Spain also for one and a half year. The three of them are following their own path, but we still are very close. We swap e-mail messages all the time; we talk over the phone or through Skype, on the Internet... So, I think we can have the best of both, the freedom to travel and to live abroad and maintain close connections to the family. And when I am home it feels so good, we get together and enjoy as much as we can. I know my husband misses me a lot and I miss him too, of course, but we are used to it. He is a politician, I was a politician and we already spent a lot of time apart before. |
| THE GUIDE Have you been to other cities in Brazil? |
| Ambassador Margareta Winberg Oh, yes, especially in São Paulo but I have even visited Brazil before as a Minister and a Parliamentarian. It is a marvellous country. |
| THE GUIDE Is there much similarity between the people from Brazil and the people from Sweden? |
| Ambassador Margareta Winberg Actually, no! We have a lot to learn from each other. Brazilian people are much more open than us. We are much more quiet, a bit shy, we don't sing or dance on the streets, there is no carnival… The Swedish people are much more formal, much more strict, so Brazilian and Swedish people are very different. |
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| THE GUIDE Is there a lot of exchange in cultural influences and tendencies between Sweden and Brazil? |
| Ambassador Margareta Winberg Oh, yes, a lot! Last week, for instance, I went to the concert of one of the greatest Swedish Pop bands in Brazil , the “Eagle-Eye Cherry”, between two and four o'clock in the morning. It was wonderful! Last year I organized a music seminar in São Paulo with another very famous Swedish artist, Lisa Nilsson, who has very strong Brazilian influences in her work, for she spends much time in Rio de Janeiro , mixing Swedish and Brazilian perspectives. In October of 2005, she will be back. So we have strong bonds in music and other arts and I intend to make this interaction grow more. |
| THE GUIDE What is the foreign policy of Sweden? |
| Ambassador Margareta Winberg It is to be a country with much solidarity on the agenda. If you look back in the History of Sweden, you will see that Sweden has always been fighting against racism, against apartheid, against dictatorship, for peace and democracy. Sweden is a country with many, many immigrants from all over Europe and all over the world, including Brazil , and it is difficult to administrate that without affecting the social life of the people, we have had some difficulties to integrate these immigrants. But it turned out great with important influences in the Swedish culture, the music, the customs, and these immigrants, together with the Swedish people, built the welfare of the society, with their hands and their work. Now, Sweden is a good place to live also because of these people. We member of the European Union, which molds part of the strategy of our international policy, once there is a common policy of international relations inside the European Union. But even inside the European Union, we are trying to fight for democracy and fight of solidarity. Let me give you an example: I was the Minister of Agriculture back in Sweden for several years. As you know, agricultural matters tend to be very complicate and it is a great effort to struggle against these high tariffs for outside countries, little subsidies, lack of financers while the European farmers get great support. And that causes an overproduction and, later, what is known as “dumping” of products in countries of the Third World . It is something that Sweden opposes very much inside the European Union, we have to open the markets to other countries. |
| THE GUIDE How many Swedish citizens are there in Brazil nowadays? |
| Ambassador Margareta Winberg Not many. If we talk about the Swedish colony here in Brazil, we also include Brazilians married to Swedish citizens, but they really don't count many. They add up to one thousand and six hundred people. |
| THE GUIDE How is this day celebrated in Sweden? |
| Ambassador Margareta Winberg This year the National Day was declared a national holiday and, therefore, the people gave a very special attention to the National Day, inviting friends and the neighbourhood to have coffee and “bolas”, a traditional Swedish cake, the Royal family celebrated the day at Stockholm, as usual, attracting many people from all over the country to participate and many politicians promoted special cerimonies and manifestations. It is a very important day, June 6 th , in the history of Sweden . In 1523, the first king of the Vasa dinasty was elected, King Gustav Vasa. Then, in the year of 1809 we had the first modern constitution and in 1974, all on June the 6 th , the modern constitution was revised to its actual format. |
| THE GUIDE What about here in Brazil , how does the Embassy celebrate the Swedish National Day? |
| Ambassador Margareta Winberg I went to São Paulo on June 5 th , where the Swedish colony always organizes a big celebration. Of course they did not work either. As it was on Monday, went had a special mass in church on Sunday with a Swedish pastor and then lunch for about three hundred people. It was beautiful! In the mass we sung typical Swedish religious songs, just like the ones I used to sing when I went to church and later when I was a teacher, right after I first started working and we all sang these songs to welcome Summer in school, so I spent the day with very good feelings, lots of happy memories. |
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| THE GUIDE What are your expectations regarding your mission here in Brazil? |
| Ambassador Margareta Winberg Yes, once again this is a lovely country. The people are so kind, so nice and so helpful, to me and to each other so it is a great pleasure to me to be here during these few years. I hope its possible during these years to strengthen the links between our two countries in different areas, politics, trade, culture, techniques. I know I will go back to Sweden with a new experience, with new knowledge of life and a new person. |
| THE GUIDE congratulates the Embassy of Sweden for its National Day! |
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