Government formation in Sweden: Riksdag to vote on Magdalena Andersson on Thursday

A month after the Riksdag election, Sweden still has no new government. On Tuesday, Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson declared her exploratory talks a failure. Riksdag Speaker Andreas Norlén is nevertheless proposing her as prime minister: on Thursday, 15 October, at 12 noon, parliament will vote on a single-party Social Democratic government under her leadership. According to SVT, Andersson herself expects to lose the vote.

What happened on Tuesday

Andersson had been tasked by Norlén with exploring whether a government could be formed that the Riksdag would at least tolerate. On 13 October she presented her report to him. She then told the press that the conditions for such a government were currently lacking. As the reason, she cited “incompatible positions” among the parties on the question of government. There had been progress, she said, but the process was so deadlocked that she did not want to ask for more time.

According to the Riksdag, Norlén put Andersson forward as a candidate for prime minister on the same day. The proposal is for a government made up solely of Social Democrats. According to Norlén, it had been agreed from the outset that a vote would take place even if the talks failed.

Background: A stalemate in the centre-left bloc

In the election on 13 September, the centre-left bloc won 176 seats, according to The Local, while the outgoing government bloc around Ulf Kristersson of the Moderates, which also includes the Sweden Democrats, won 173 seats. Despite its narrow majority, the opposition is struggling to form a joint government.

The sticking point lies between two parties in the bloc: the Left Party will only support a Social Democrat-led government if it receives ministerial posts itself. The Centre Party, on the other hand, rejects any government that includes the Left Party. According to Andersson, neither position has shifted. Talks with Kristersson and Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch also produced no opening, she said. A first exploratory mandate, which Andersson had received on 18 September, had already been returned without result at the end of September.

How the vote works

In the Swedish system, a prime minister does not need an active majority. A candidate is considered elected as long as no more than half of the 349 MPs vote against. Several media outlets, including The Local and Göteborgs-Posten, nevertheless expect that Andersson will not survive the vote. More on the rules can be found in our overview of Sweden’s political system.

The Speaker has a total of four attempts to get a candidate through. If the fourth also fails, a new election must be called.

What happens next

After the vote, Norlén intends to reassess how to proceed. According to SVT, he plans to step up the pace and in future phone the party leaders rather than inviting them to meetings in his office. Ulf Kristersson, who currently heads a caretaker government, is seen as a possible next candidate. According to The Local, Norlén described him as a “natural candidate” but did not want to commit himself yet. Andersson herself said, according to SVT, that she was in favour of Kristersson receiving the next exploratory mandate. He, for his part, would depend on at least one opposition party supporting him or at least not voting against him.

Little changes in everyday life in Sweden for the time being: the caretaker government remains in office until a new prime minister is elected. We most recently reported on the inconclusive red-green leaders’ meeting.

Sources

• Sveriges riksdag: Talmannen har lagt fram Magdalena Andersson (S) som förslag till statsminister
• SVT: Magdalena Andersson (S): Saknas förutsättningar att bilda regering
• The Local: ‘Incompatible positions’: No end in sight to Sweden’s political stalemate a month after election
• Göteborgs-Posten: Riksdagen kommer rösta ner Magdalena Andersson