Silence is golden

Date: 24/04/1997

One of the earliest lessons children learn is that they should never tell tales on others - it will only lead to trouble.

Unfortunately, the European Commission's bureau chief in Stockholm, Linda Steneberg, forgot this valuable lesson and decided to tell on some annoying Swedish MPs who had been making noises about the scale of earnings of EU officials, in particular the generous remuneration received by the head of the Stockholm office.

It was just unlucky that the speaker of the Swedish parliament Birgitta Dahl was unsympathetic towards Steneberg's letter and promptly sent photocopies to the very MPs she had named.

The result has been an outcry over what is seen as a Commission plot to stifle political debate.

Now Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson has become embroiled, accusing Steneberg of a “serious error” and demanding at the very least a grovelling apology.

What Steneberg's bosses in Brussels think of her brand of diplomacy is a closely guarded secret.

Steneberg herself is saying nothing more, having clearly heeded another of life's valuable lessons - when you are in a hole, stop digging.