Sweden: Last day for Löfven to secure support for a new government

Stefan LöfvenPhoto: Erik Simander / TT / NTB

On Monday, former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven must announce whether he has managed to secure a base for a new government. Löfven can also ask for more time.

He needs the support of 175 representatives in the Swedish parliament (Riksdag) and can get the support he needs if all the representatives in both the Center Party and the Left Party vote in favor of the goverment, along with the Social Democrats and the Green Party.

According to the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, the Center Party agreed to vote for Löfven as prime minister this weekend. On Monday morning, Swedish Radio also reported that the Social Democrats had convened the party leadership for a meeting at 11 AM. A possible vote in the Riksdag could take place on Wednesday.

Support from the Center

Löfven is faced with several challenges. Among these, the fact that the Center Party does still not want to cooperate with the Left Party remains a problem. 

Löfven has said that he will resign if his government does not manage to secure enough budget support for the autumn.

The Left Party’s leader Nooshi Dadgostar has also announced that the party is ready to vote for Löfven as the new prime minister after the Center Party dropped the demand for the liberalization of rental prices for new homes. 

Due to the rent issue, the Left Party supported the no-confidence motion against Löfven’s red-green government, together with three right-wing parties, two weeks ago. 

One week later, last Monday, Löfven announced his resignation.

Kristersson first

After Löfven announced his resignation, the Speaker of the Riksdag, Andreas Norlén (equivalent to President of the Storting in Norway), had to ask various party leaders to find out whether they could gather enough parliamentary support for a new government.

Norlén first gave the task to Ulf Kristersson, leader of Sweden’s largest conservative party, Moderaterna. But Kristersson gave up the attempt after two days. Then Löfven took over the baton.

Norlén can give the government assignment to various party leaders four times. If no one succeeds in securing a parliamentary majority, he must call new elections. Löfven is now leading a transitional government with a very limited mandate until a new government is in place.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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