Andersson says ready to form Sweden government

TLE Desk: Sweden’s election winner, opposition leader Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats, said on Friday she was ready to try to form a new government after her bloc secured a narrow majority in parliament.

“I have informed the speaker that I am ready to try to build a new government,” Andersson told reporters after meeting parliament speaker Andreas Norlén. She said she wanted to lead Sweden “in a new spirit of cooperation” and seek broad political cooperation.

Andersson, 59, who served as Sweden’s first woman prime minister from 2021 to 2022, is expected to seek support from three other left-wing parties.

The four parties hold a three-seat majority in Sweden’s 349-member parliament following Sunday’s general election, according to the election results cited by AFP. The outgoing prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, leads a right-wing alliance that includes the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats.

However, forming a government could prove difficult because of significant ideological differences among the Social Democrats, Left Party, Greens and Centre Party.

The Centre Party has said it will oppose a government that gives cabinet positions to the Left Party, while the Left Party has insisted it will only support a government in which it participates.

Norlén was due to hold individual talks with all party leaders on Friday before announcing whom he would ask to form the next government. Kristersson submitted his resignation on Thursday after the final votes were counted.

If Andersson fails to form a government, Kristersson could be given an opportunity to seek a parliamentary majority.

Government formation in Sweden can take considerable time. Following the 2022 election, it took 37 days to form a government, while the process after the