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
