Swedish PM calls for solidarity on Nat´l Day

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven appealed for solidarity on Tuesday as the country celebrated the National Day.

Citizens all over the country feted their blue and yellow flag. Lofven gave a speech at the open-air museum Skansen in Stockholm, Swedish public television broadcaster SVT reported Tuesday.

He started by referencing to the attack in Stockholm on April 7, when a man hijacked a truck and drove it down one of the city's busiest pedestrian streets, killing five people.

"I think all of us here share a very clear image of what we were doing, thinking and feeling that afternoon," he said. "It was as if we all wanted to say: this is our city, our country, and no terrorist can take that away from us. When I see the beautiful blue-yellow flag, I think of how we Swede help each other."

He paid tribute to citizens for their strong show of solidarity. "From the bottom of my heart. Thank you," the prime minister said.

Lofven also spoke about togetherness and fraternity, and how it is each Swede's responsibility to take care of one another, and to defend Swedish democracy.

"Anti-democratic voices shall never go unchallenged. Democracy must be defended, and we must do that together," Lofven said.

Swedish royalty also celebrated the national day. Speaking in Vaxjo, southern Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf said the Swedish flag is a self-evident symbol, for which he hopes all people in Sweden feel ownership, SVT reported.

"There are many who feel joy and pride when we see the blue-yellow colors. The Swedish flag stands for mutual connection that includes the entire country and it is my wish that everyone in Sweden will feel the flag belongs to them," he said.