Sweden’s interim leader tapped to form new government

Stefan Lofven hoping to build coalition this week after parliamentary vote

Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Andreas Norlen and Sweden's interim prime minister Stefan Lofven hold a news conference in Stockholm. Reuters

Sweden's interim prime minister Stefan Lofven has received the parliamentary speaker's approval to form a new coalition government and could do so by the end of this week.

Mr Lofven, the Social Democratic party leader, will face a vote in the 349-seat Riksdag on Wednesday and could present the new Cabinet by Friday.

“Stefan Lofven has a solution that can be tolerated by the Riksdag,” Andreas Norlen, the Speaker of Parliament said. “I will therefore appoint Stefan Lofven as prime ministerial candidate.”

Monday’s development means two groups, the Centre Party and the Left Party, will abstain from voting against Mr Lofven and the Social Democrats and the Greens will vote for him. This would give him 175 lawmakers in the Riksdag — the exact number of seats needed to secure a majority.

In Sweden, prime ministers can govern as long as there is no majority against them.

Neither the centrists nor the left are part of the caretaker government but it did receive their support.

Mr Norlen earlier asked right-wing leader Ulf Kristersson to become prime minister, but attempts to win enough support failed and the speaker on Monday turned to Mr Lofven.

The vote looks set to be close in the fragmented Parliament, where no party has an absolute majority, and a snap general election may be needed if Mr Lofven does not secure enough votes.

"Even if the situation is difficult, Sweden still needs a strong and forceful government," Mr Lofven said.

"The Swedish people don't want a snap election. They want stability and security as far as that is possible during the pandemic."

Lofven, 63, lost a June 21 no-confidence vote called by the right-wing populist Sweden Democrats party. The move succeeded because the Left Party, a government ally, withdrew its support for Mr Lofven’s administration over proposed legislation to tackle a housing shortage.

Until then, Mr Lofven headed a minority government made up of a coalition between the Social Democratic and the Greens. His party holds 100 of 349 available seats.

Mr Lofven, who has served as Sweden’s head of government since 2014, remains caretaker prime minister until a new government is established.

Sweden’s next general election is scheduled for September 11, 2022.