Polls close in Swedish euro vote

Lindh's death is expected to galvanise voters

Swedes have finished voting in a referendum on whether to join the European single currency, following the shock death of pro-euro Foreign Minister Anna Lindh.

Throughout the hard-fought campaign, opponents of the euro were leading and looked almost sure to win.

But after the death of Ms Lindh, who was stabbed at a Stockholm department store on Wednesday, some opinion polls showed gains for the Yes side.

Preliminary results of the vote are expected at 2130 (1930 GMT).

Opinion polls published on Saturday gave conflicting signals about voter intentions.

Outside a polling station: Swedes tell how they voted - and why

In pictures

A Temo poll conducted on Thursday after Lindh's death for the Dagens Nyheter daily gave the No side a 46%-40% win.

That poll also suggested 14% of respondents had still had not made up their minds, against 10% in the previous Temo study.

But for the first time in months, another poll, by Gallup, suggested the Yes side could just win by 43% to 42%, with some 15% undecided.

Welfare state

Out of respect for the murdered foreign minister, politicians suspended all campaigning after Ms Lindh died.

Election day is usually a festival day and it feels terrible that a killer can change this Liberal Party leader Lars Leijonborg

The main political parties all favoured a Yes-vote.

If they get the result they want, Sweden could join the eurozone as early as 2006.

The No camp has stressed that Sweden has higher growth and lower unemployment than the eurozone, and suggested that euro membership would threaten the country's generous welfare state.

Suspect's pictures

On Sunday, Swedish police released a new picture of a dark-haired man in a baseball cap whom they say they are anxious to question.

Sombre mood in Stockholm Swedes vote for democracy

The image was from a security camera in the Stockholm department store where Ms Lindh was stabbed to death.

"We have not identified the man in the pictures but we think we will find him," police spokesman Stina Wessling said on Sunday.

She added that police had received thousands of tips since the picture was released, but had made no breakthrough.

There are a number of known criminals, including two "special names", that the police are looking for to help them with their inquiries.

A mound of flowers and candles has continued to grow outside the shop where Lindh was stabbed.

The BBC's William Horsley says the people of Sweden went to vote in a state of deep distraction, amid a mood of national catastrophe.

"Election day is usually a festival day and it feels terrible that a killer can change this," said Liberal Party leader Lars Leijonborg.