STOCKHOLM, Sweden (Reuters) -- Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, who was stabbed in a Stockholm department store Wednesday, was a popular politician and active campaigner for Sweden to join the euro.

Lindh, 46, who has held the post since October 1998, rose swiftly in the ruling Social Democratic Party and was tipped as a possible successor to Prime Minister Goran Persson.

Always enthusiastic about the European Union, she played a high-profile role in promoting Swedish membership of the euro, a highly controversial issue on which a referendum is due to be held on Sunday.

She also spoke out forcefully in EU forums on human rights, a traditional Swedish concern. She dubbed U.S. President George W. Bush a "lone ranger" for going to war in Iraq and criticized Italy's current European Union presidency, saying Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi did not enjoy wide support.

"She has been a very popular and skilled foreign minister," said Peter Eriksson, head of the Green Party which has fought successfully against the government's pro-euro campaign.

"She has raised Sweden's profile overseas in the European Union, she has a reputation for competence and as a good negotiator," Eriksson told Reuters after the attack.

Born on June 19, 1957, in Stockholm, Lindh studied law at Uppsala University.

She became a municipal councilor in 1977, and in 1982 she earned a seat in parliament, about the time she started work as a court clerk in Stockholm. She was a member of parliament's Standing Committee on Taxation.

Lindh followed a traditional career path in Sweden's main political party, and was soon marked out as a rising star. From 1984 to 1990 she was president of the Social Democratic Youth League, following in the footsteps of many leading Social Democrats.

Bespectacled and blonde, Lindh was once a favorite on Swedish political talk shows, partly because of her appearance and as a representative of young people. She was seen as a consistent, solid performer whose career had no upsets.

From 1986 to 1990 she presided over a government council on alcohol and drug policy and from 1987 to 1989 she was vice chairwoman of the International Union of Socialist Youth.

In 1991 Lindh, who spoke English and French, graduated to the heavyweight policy-making executive committee of the Social Democrats.

She gained her first cabinet post in 1994 when she became environment minister, a post involving extensive work with the United Nations and the European Union. She headed the ministry for four years until her promotion to the foreign ministry.

Lindh, who enjoyed theater and the arts, traveled widely in both ministerial jobs, and both personal and professional travels took her to Asia and to Japan, in which she was particularly interested.

She was married to former Swedish civil affairs minister Bo Holmberg and had two sons, Filip and David.

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