Swedish Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson said she would return the mandate to explore forming a government because she could not do so in the current circumstances. She cited the Left Party’s support for Andreas Norlén as speaker. The Left Party says it still backs Andersson for prime minister. Re-elected speaker Norlén will choose who next tries to form a cabinet.
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Andersson returns the formation mandate
Swedish Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson said on September 28 that she would return the parliamentary speaker’s mandate to explore forming a government. She said she could not put together a cabinet from the four-party centre-left bloc in the current circumstances. Reuters and Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported her statement at a press conference that day. Speaker Andreas Norlén had given her the task on September 18. Andersson’s withdrawal does not select a new prime minister; the next person to attempt government formation has yet to be named.[1], [2]
Left Party backed Norlén for speaker
Andersson pointed to the Left Party’s decision to back Norlén in the speaker election as decisive for ending her current attempt. SVT reported that she read the vote as a sign of a new parliamentary alignment. The Left Party offered a different position: its leader, Nooshi Dadgostar, said it still supported Andersson for prime minister. The speaker vote alone therefore does not establish how that party would vote on Andersson in a future prime ministerial ballot. Reuters reported that Norlén was re-elected speaker and would decide who receives the next exploratory mandate.[1], [2]
Election majority has yet to yield a coalition
In Sweden’s September 13 election, the four centre-left parties won 176 of the 349 parliamentary seats, against 173 for the outgoing centre-right side. That narrow majority has yet to yield agreement on a common cabinet. Reuters identified Moderate Party leader and outgoing Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson as a possible next recipient of the mandate, but Norlén has made no such appointment. The speaker can submit candidates for parliamentary approval. If four are rejected, another election follows. Monday’s definite step was Andersson’s withdrawal from her mandate; no new cabinet composition has been announced.[1]
