Kristersson steps down after Sweden election as the left wins a narrow majority

Ulf Kristersson has announced his resignation as Sweden’s prime minister after the vote count in the general election was completed and the center-left bloc secured a narrow majority.

The decision paves the way for Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson to begin negotiations on forming the next government.

Final preliminary results show that the left-wing opposition parties won 176 seats, three more than the right-wing governing coalition, known as the Tidö coalition and supported by the Sweden Democrats (SD).

After the result was announced, Andersson said that Swedish citizens “voted for a new direction for the country, for unity and against divisions.”

She cited climate, education, healthcare, elderly care and immigration policy as some of the main areas on which she would focus.

Kristersson, who leads the Moderate Party, made his departure public on Thursday, after four years at the head of the government. In his resignation letter, he explained that responsibility for leading the process of forming the new cabinet would pass to the speaker of Parliament.

Describing the situation created after the election as “complicated,” he urged the parties to show “constructive openness” in reaching an agreement that would make it possible to form a stable government.

Parliament Speaker Andreas Norlén is expected to consult representatives of all political forces and then propose the name of the candidate for prime minister.

The election also brought a significant change for the Sweden Democrats, the right-wing party that has supported Kristersson’s government.

For the first time since its founding, the SD saw its support decline in a general election, falling from being the country’s second-largest political force to the third-largest.

The Social Democrats remain Sweden’s largest party, although their result was the weakest in the history of their participation in elections.

Negotiations to form the new cabinet are expected to be difficult. Andersson has invited the Left Party, the Centre Party and the Greens to the initial discussions.

A major obstacle could be cooperation between the Centre Party and the Left Party. The Centre rejects the possibility of governing jointly with the Left, while the latter wants to be included in the government as a condition for its support.

The parties also hold differing positions on taxes, nuclear power and economic policies. The Greens, the Social Democrats and the Left Party are seeking tax increases in some sectors, while the Centre Party supports lowering them.

Andersson, who served as prime minister from November 2021 to October 2022, is expected to seek a broad agreement with one or more opposition parties. In Sweden, forming a minority government is also considered a familiar possibility.

The Social Democrats are expected to seek a review of policies on immigration, integration and the climate, although some of their positions have taken a more right-wing direction in recent years, particularly on immigration and crime.