Sweden’s Andersson says she cannot form government after election

Swedish Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson said on September 28 that she would inform the speaker of parliament that she was unable to form a government under the current circumstances, after an election earlier this month gave her centre-left bloc a narrow majority.

Her decision followed the Left Party’s announcement over the weekend that it would support a candidate from the rival Moderate Party for parliament speaker. Andersson said the move had undermined her efforts to form a government, Reuters reports.

“Of course, I take the Left Party's message seriously, and based on that and the conversations I have had, I can conclude that there is currently no possibility for me to form a government,” she told a press conference.

The centre-left bloc won 176 seats in the election, compared with 173 seats for the incumbent right-wing bloc.

The vote was widely viewed as a test of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s plans to form a coalition with the right-wing Sweden Democrats.

The parliamentary speaker will now decide who should be given the task of seeking support to form a government, with Kristersson among the possible candidates.

By Sabina Mammadli