Swedish Prime Minister Resigns After Narrow Election Loss
Ulf Kristersson's right-wing bloc was narrowly defeated by the center-left opposition, leading to his resignation.
Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced his resignation Thursday, following a narrow electoral defeat of his right-wing bloc by the center-left opposition. The announcement came after preliminary election results showed approximately 50,000 votes separating the two blocs in the nation of about 10 million people.
Opposition parties, spearheaded by Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats, appear poised to secure 176 seats in the 349-seat Riksdag, Sweden's parliament. Kristersson's conservative bloc is projected to win 173 seats, according to data from the Swedish Election Authority.
The results are subject to formal certification in the coming days, with finalization expected this weekend. In Sweden's political landscape, which features distinct right and left blocs, coalition and minority governments are common.
Andersson has begun discussions with other opposition parties, including The Left Party, The Centre Party, and The Green Party, regarding the formation of a new government. However, these negotiations could be protracted due to significant policy differences on issues such as taxation.
Historically, government formation in Sweden has sometimes taken considerable time. Following the 2022 election, it took 37 days to establish a government, and in 2018, the process extended to 134 days. Kristersson had governed with support from the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats (SD), having promised them cabinet positions if his bloc won the election.