Sweden's Political Stalemate Deepens as Andersson Fails Second Bid to Form Government

Magdalena Andersson, the leader of Sweden’s Social Democratic Party, has announced that her attempts to form a government have been unsuccessful, extending the political deadlock that has persisted for a month following parliamentary elections. At a press conference on Tuesday, Andersson stated that negotiations with the three other parties within the country’s left-wing bloc had reached an impasse. While acknowledging some progress, she expressed doubt that the current conditions were sufficient to “form a government that can be tolerated by parliament”. This marks her second failure to assemble a government after Sweden’s parliamentary vote on September 13.

Following her announcement, the speaker of the Swedish parliament, Andreas Norlen, who had tasked Andersson with assessing the feasibility of forming a government, confirmed that a vote on her potential premiership would proceed in parliament on Thursday. Norlen acknowledged that Andersson was unlikely to secure enough support to pass the vote. In the Swedish political system, a prime minister can be appointed as long as a majority in parliament does not vote against them.

Sweden’s centre-left opposition bloc had narrowly defeated outgoing Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s right-wing bloc in the election last month, securing 176 seats compared to the right-wing bloc’s 173. However, Andersson’s bloc has encountered difficulties in forming a government due to conflicting demands from its constituent parties. The Centre Party has indicated it would oppose any government that includes cabinet positions for the Left Party, which, in turn, has insisted on being part of any left-wing government it supports.

Should Andersson fail in Thursday’s vote, Norlen is expected to approach Kristersson, who currently leads a caretaker government, to initiate negotiations with other parties. Speaking to reporters, Norlen identified Kristersson as a potential candidate but emphasized his intention to “respect the process” and avoid premature commitments. To succeed, Kristersson would need to secure the support of, or at least neutrality from, an opposition party. The speaker of parliament has up to four opportunities to propose a prime minister for a parliamentary vote. If all four attempts fail, a snap election must be called. Historically, government formation negotiations in Sweden have been lengthy, with the process following the 2022 election taking over a month, and the negotiations after the 2018 election extending beyond four months.