Media Reaction - Inauguration of President Medvedev

UNCLAS STOCKHOLM 000343 SIPDIS SECSTATE FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/PPD, EUR/NB, EUR/PA, EUR/FO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO PINS PHUM PREF EUN SW SUBJECT: Media Reaction - Inauguration of President Medvedev On May 8, the conservative Stockholm morning daily "Svenska Dagbladet" editorialized on "Putin's Russia a State in Decay:" "The Bolshoi ballet had not been able to do a more rehearsed performance...Everything went according to Putin's plan. After eight years as president he can now continue to control the country as prime minister and leader of the largest political party.... "It is easy to understand the (growing) concern in the countries within Russia's sphere of interest. In the short run developments are unpredictable...and in the long run they are even more obscure. Official Sweden prefers to close its eyes to what happens, but the truth is that we now have a neighboring country with big power ambitions from both an economic and military point of view. A country that is both authoritarian and frail. Re-armed, but fragile in a crisis situation." WOOD