Sweden’s opposition has won the parliamentary election by 176 seats to 173, according to public broadcaster SVT, prompting Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to submit his resignation on Thursday.
The result gives the opposition parties a three-seat advantage in the 349-member Riksdag after a count that lasted for several days. SVT’s election results showed the Social Democrats with 99 seats, the Left Party with 30, the Centre Party with 25 and the Greens with 22.
The governing Tidö parties and the Sweden Democrats secured 173 seats between them. The Moderates won 70 seats, the Sweden Democrats 62, the Christian Democrats 22 and the Liberals 19, according to SVT.
The close result followed Sunday’s election and days of counting late advance votes and other ballots. The balance had shifted between 175-174 and 176-173 as the final districts reported.
Kristersson asked the speaker of parliament to relieve him of his duties after the result became clear, SVT reported.
“Now it is the speaker who will lead the coming steps on the path towards forming a new government,” Kristersson said in a statement
Kristersson said the election had produced difficult conditions for forming the next government because parties had ruled out several coalition arrangements before polling day.
His government will remain in place in a caretaker capacity until a successor takes office.
Former prime minister Magdalena Andersson leads the Social Democrats, which remain Sweden’s largest party. The party received about 28 per cent of the vote, according to SVT’s figures. The Moderates finished second with about 19.9 per cent.
The result ends the parliamentary majority held by the Tidö parties during the previous term, but the opposition’s 176 seats do not provide a straightforward route to a new government.
The Centre Party sits on the opposition side but has ruled out joining a government with the Left Party. At the same time, cooperation between the Centre Party and the outgoing governing bloc faces another obstacle because the Centre Party has opposed cooperation with the Sweden Democrats.
Under Sweden’s parliamentary system, the speaker now leads consultations aimed at finding a candidate for prime minister who the Riksdag will tolerate.
The election margin was 50,359 votes, according to SVT.
Kristersson said parties would need to approach the negotiations with “constructive openness” to break the deadlock and establish a government capable of securing support for its budget.
The new Riksdag is due to convene on 28 September, when members will elect a speaker.
HT
