Sweden PM Kristersson quits after left bloc win
SCMP · 3 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson resigned on Thursday after preliminary election results showed his right-wing bloc had lost its parliamentary majority to a four-party centre-left opposition alliance. The opposition, led by Magdalena Andersson’s Social Democrats, won 176 of 349 seats, leaving Kristersson’s alliance on 173 seats and setting up potentially difficult coalition talks.
Key Points
- Kristersson said in a statement to parliament’s speaker that he wanted to be relieved of his duties immediately so government-formation talks could begin.
- Preliminary results from all 6,626 electoral districts gave the four opposition parties 49.6 percent of the vote and 176 seats in parliament
- Kristersson’s right-wing bloc won 48.8 percent and 173 seats, meaning the left held a majority of three seats in the 349-seat Riksdag.
- The opposition grouping consists of the Social Democrats, Left Party, Green Party and Centre Party, with the Social Democrats remaining largest on 28 percent and 99 seats.
- Andersson said voters had chosen “a new direction” and “unity and against division”, but policy splits on taxation, sick-pay deductions and nuclear power may complicate talks.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the immediate issue is not only who won, but whether Sweden can quickly assemble a workable government after such a razor-thin result. If Andersson cannot bridge differences inside her bloc, negotiations could drag on for weeks and Kristersson could still get another chance to try to build a majority