Sweden's Andersson fails in second bid to form government; parliament to vote on Thursday

Sweden's political deadlock deepened on Tuesday, 13 October, after Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson said her second attempt to form a government had failed.

Andersson told reporters that progress had been made in talks with the three other parties in the centre-left bloc, but that the conditions were not yet in place to form a government parliament would tolerate. She described the positions of two of those parties as incompatible for now.

The sticking point

The centre-left opposition narrowly won the 13 September election, taking 176 seats against 173 for outgoing Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's right-wing bloc, which includes the Sweden Democrats. But the bloc is split. The Centre Party has said it will oppose any government that gives cabinet posts to the Left Party, while the Left Party will back only a left-wing government in which it holds ministerial seats.

Andersson had earlier given up a first round of talks on 28 September, ten days after the Speaker first asked her to explore forming a government.

What happens next

Parliament Speaker Andreas Norlen said a vote on whether to make Andersson prime minister will go ahead on Thursday, 15 October, although he acknowledged she is likely to lose. Under Swedish rules, a candidate becomes prime minister unless a majority of lawmakers votes against them.

If the vote fails, Kristersson, who leads a caretaker government, is expected to be the next to try, though Norlen said he would not commit too early. Kristersson would need at least one opposition party to support him or abstain. The Speaker has four attempts to propose a prime minister, and if all four fail, a fresh election must be called.

Long talks are not unusual

Lengthy negotiations are not new in Sweden: coalition talks took 37 days after the 2022 election and 134 days after the 2018 vote. Andersson said there could be more room for progress after Thursday's vote, suggesting the parties may keep talking even if her candidacy is rejected. Until a new prime minister is approved, Kristersson's caretaker government remains in office.