The Prime Minister of Sweden resigns after acknowledging her defeat against the right-wing bloc in the legislative
The moderate conservative Ulf Kristersson celebrated the electoral triumph on Wednesday night from the bloc of right-wing parties in Sweden, which after a prolonged and very even count of votes finally obtained 176 seats, against the 173 obtained by the bloc of leftist parties. “To the Conservatives, to the parties on my side, we have been given the mandate for a change in this country,” he said after finishing the count. The result was so even that since Sunday, the day the elections were held, it had not been possible to determine the winner with total guarantee. “I am now beginning the work of forming a new government that is capable of action,” he continued. “The voters have had their say, now we will have a Sweden in order!”
The secretary of the Moderate Party, Gunnar Strömer, also commented that “it is clear that the Swedish people has voted for a change and for a change of government” and confirmed that the four parties have begun contacts. “The goal for us now is very clear. Now we will form a powerful government for all the citizens of our country », he confirmed.
That block of four parties includes Christian Democrats, liberals and the center-right Moderate Party, in addition to the Sweden Democrats (SD), right-wing populists, who have already announced that they will demand ministries in the negotiation to form a government. The other three parties, for their part, have given signs that they will try to avoid it. It will be difficult for them because, although it is a party subjected to a cordon sanitaire during the last legislatures, in last Sunday’s elections it was the second party with the most votes, after the Social Democratic Party of the former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, traditionally the most strong in Sweden and that remains with 30.4% of the votes. The Sweden Democrats, in second place with 20.6%, would mean a record result for Jimmie Åkesson’s party. For the first time, they surpass Ulf Kristersson’s moderates, who drop to 19.1%.
The numbers give, in theory, for nine scenarios, three of them true nightmares for Kristersson. But even though SD is the most voted party in the right-wing bloc, its leader is not expected to serve as prime minister. «No, it’s completely unlikely.», explains Viktor Barth-Kron, political commentator for ‘Expressen’, « in order to be appointed prime minister in Sweden, one must be accepted as such by a majority in parliament. Jimmie Åkesson has no way of approving such a vote, because a clear majority is absolutely against it.” During the election campaign, Sweden’s moderates, Christian Democrats, Liberals and Democrats announced their support for Ulf Kristersson, who thus has the support of 175 seats to be elected Prime Minister.
Andersson’s resignation
Andersson declared last night that he will present his resignation first thing on Thursday. “Will be a very tough and complicated legislature», he declared, already turning to the role of opposition and admitting his concern about the rise of SD populists. “This upsets many Swedes,” he said, “I see that upset and I share it.” He also asked the rest of the right-wing forces to know how to “set limits.”
The power shift can happen very quickly. Several conservative sources are confident that the Sweden Democrats will agree to stay out of government in exchange for the post of president, for example, which would allow the moderate right not to take responsibility for them and vice versa. Moderate and Christian Democratic sources offer the same version. They point out that SD has not even really wanted to sit in the Government and that everything else is pose for the galleries. Other sources suggest that the SD executive committee, in charge of the government negotiation process, has set its sights on the Spokesman post.
Prior to the government formation process, leading party members such as Henrik Vinge have stated in interviews that it will be Absolutely necessary a formal pact with the other government parties. Moderates and Christian Democrats have also expressed the desirability of specifying in the pact how the Sweden Democrats are expected to act with respect to government policies, if they are out of government. “It is important to tie them down, so that they cannot collect the raisins from the Government cake every day, behaving as if they were opponents,” explain sources from the Moderate Party, “we must be able to trust them so that each day does not end with a meeting of crisis”.
