A month after winning Sweden’s general election, the centre-left still cannot form a government. Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson said on October 13 that her second attempt had failed, because “conditions are not in place” for a government that parliament could tolerate. A vote on her candidacy for prime minister is still expected this week — and she is widely expected to lose it.
Key takeaways
- The centre-left bloc won the September 13 election by 176 seats to 173.
- The Centre Party refuses to back a government that gives cabinet posts to the Left Party.
- The Left Party will only support a left-wing government it is part of.
A win that has not translated into power
On paper, the opposition bloc defeated outgoing Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s right-wing bloc. In practice, the parties that make up the centre-left disagree sharply on who should sit in government. The liberal Centre Party has drawn a red line at Left Party ministers, while the Left Party insists on a seat at the table in exchange for its votes.
How Sweden picks a prime minister
Under Sweden’s system of “negative parliamentarism,” a prime ministerial candidate takes office unless an absolute majority of the 349-member Riksdag votes against them. Speaker Andreas Norlén proposes candidates and has up to four attempts. If all four fail, a snap election must be called.
Sweden’s rules are designed to make governments possible even without a majority — but they cannot overcome parties that refuse to tolerate one another.
What happens next
- The vote: If Andersson is rejected, Norlén is expected to turn to Kristersson, who remains caretaker prime minister.
- Kristersson’s path: He would need at least one opposition party to support him or abstain.
- Snap election risk: Repeated failures would push Sweden toward its first extra election in decades.
History suggests patience
Lengthy talks are not unusual in Sweden. Negotiations after the 2022 election took more than a month, and after the 2018 vote they lasted more than four months. Meanwhile, the caretaker government continues to run day-to-day affairs, including preparing positions on the EU’s next long-term budget.
Follow developments in our Politics section.