Sweden: Left-Wing Leader Fails for Second Time to Form Government
Theo Al Jazeera
Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson says her attempt to form a government has failed, extending Sweden's political deadlock a month after the parliamentary election. Speaker Andreas Norlen plans to hold a confirmation vote on Thursday, which Andersson is expected to lose, after which caretaker Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson may get the next chance.
Swedish Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson has said her effort to form a government has failed, prolonging the political deadlock a month after the parliamentary election.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Andersson said negotiations with three other parties in the country's left-wing bloc had reached an impasse.
Although progress had been made, she said she did not believe the conditions were ripe to "form a government that can be accepted by parliament".
This is the second time she has failed to form a government since the parliamentary vote on September 13.
Shortly after the announcement, Speaker Andreas Norlen, who had tasked Andersson with assessing the conditions for forming a government, said a vote on appointing her prime minister would be held in parliament on Thursday. He acknowledged that Andersson was likely to fail the vote.
Under Sweden's system, a prime minister can take office as long as a majority of parliament does not vote against them.
Sweden's centre-left opposition bloc narrowly defeated the right-wing bloc of incumbent Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in last month's election, winning 176 seats to the right-wing bloc's 173. However, Andersson's bloc has struggled to form a government because of competing conditions set by some of its members. The Centre Party has said it will oppose a government that gives cabinet posts to the Left Party, while the Left Party insists it will only support a left-wing government of which it is a member.
If Andersson fails in Thursday's vote, Norlen is expected to ask Kristersson, who currently heads a caretaker government, to open negotiations with other parties.
Speaking to reporters, Norlen said he saw Kristersson as the next potential candidate, but the speaker did not want to commit too early and said he would "respect the process".
To succeed, Kristersson needs to persuade an opposition party to back him or at least not vote against him.
The speaker has four chances to nominate a prime minister for parliament to vote on. If the fourth attempt fails, an early election must be held.
After Sweden's 2022 election, government formation talks lasted more than a month, and the negotiations after the 2018 election dragged on for more than four months.
