Sweden’s Parliament has rejected Magdalena Andersson as prime minister, with 248 MPs voting against her and just 99 in favour on Thursday 15 October. The result confirms that the Social Democratic leader has yet to secure a parliamentary agreement more than a month after Sweden’s general election.
The vote was the first formal attempt to appoint a new prime minister since the election on 13 September. No MPs abstained, while two were absent.
The result was expected. Andersson had already acknowledged that she could not form a government supported by the four parties that together won a narrow parliamentary majority. Nevertheless, Speaker Andreas Norlén decided to put her candidacy to a vote as part of the process of breaking the political deadlock.
Only the Social Democrats voted for Andersson
All 99 MPs from the Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterna) supported Andersson’s nomination. Every other MP present voted against it, including members of the three parties that had previously identified her as their preferred prime minister.
The proposal concerned a government composed exclusively of Social Democratic ministers, rather than the broader coalition Andersson had been trying to negotiate.
As SVT reported during the parliamentary debate and vote, both the Left Party (Vänsterpartiet) and the Green Party (Miljöpartiet) opposed that arrangement because neither would receive ministerial posts.
Left Party parliamentary group leader Samuel Gonzalez explained that the party was rejecting the proposed government despite continuing to support Andersson as a candidate to lead a broader coalition.
“Not because we want to, but because we have to.”
Gonzalez argued that the party had made commitments to its voters and could not abandon its demand for government participation.
The Centre Party (Centerpartiet) also voted against Andersson, although its position was different. The party has indicated that it could accept a single-party Social Democratic government, provided there is a negotiated political programme.
Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist said those conditions had not yet been met.
The parliamentary majority remains divided
The rejection makes clear the central contradiction that has shaped Sweden’s government negotiations since September.
The Social Democrats, Left Party, Centre Party and Greens together hold 176 of the Riksdag’s 349 seats, three more than the four outgoing Tidö parties.
But although all four have identified Andersson as their preferred prime minister, they have been unable to agree on who should participate in her government.
The Left Party insists on receiving ministerial posts. The Centre Party refuses to accept a government that includes the Left. Meanwhile, the Greens have also demanded direct participation in the next cabinet.
These disagreements have already caused Andersson to abandon two rounds of exploratory talks.
On 13 October, she informed Norlén that, despite some progress, there were still no conditions for forming a government that Parliament would tolerate.
The Speaker subsequently submitted her nomination for a single-party government, even though the proposed arrangement had not been the focus of her previous negotiations.
During Thursday’s debate, Moderate Party (Moderaterna) parliamentary group leader Mattias Karlsson criticised the four parties for failing to reach an agreement despite their combined majority.
Social Democratic parliamentary group leader Lena Hallengren defended the process, arguing that difficult negotiations and unsuccessful parliamentary votes are not unusual in a fragmented political system.
Andersson expects more votes before Sweden gets a government
Andersson was not surprised by the result.
Speaking to SVT before the vote, she said the complicated parliamentary situation had made it clear since election night that more than one attempt to appoint a prime minister would probably be needed.
After her defeat, she reiterated that view.
“It is a difficult situation in Sweden’s Riksdag. It will take a number of votes before we have a new government in place.”
Andersson also suggested that Ulf Kristersson, leader of the Moderates and Sweden’s outgoing prime minister, should now have an opportunity to explore forming a government.
She argued that allowing the second-largest party to test its prospects could help clarify which parliamentary alternatives are viable.
The Centre Party has expressed a similar preference, while some Liberal politicians have argued that Andersson should continue trying to form a government.
The decision belongs to Speaker Norlén, who is expected to resume consultations with the party leaders before announcing the next step.
Three more attempts before a possible new election
Under Sweden’s system of negative parliamentarism, a candidate for prime minister does not need an absolute majority voting in favour. Instead, the candidate is rejected if at least 175 of the 349 MPs vote against.
Andersson’s proposal was therefore defeated by a substantial margin.
According to the Riksdag’s rules on government formation, the Speaker can submit up to four proposals for prime minister. If all four are rejected, an extraordinary election must be held within three months.
Thursday’s defeat was the first of those four possible votes. Three opportunities remain before an extraordinary election becomes mandatory.
In the meantime, Kristersson continues to lead Sweden’s caretaker government, which has remained in office since he submitted his resignation on 17 September.
More than a month after the election, neither of the two parliamentary groupings has demonstrated that it can form a government.
The vote has not changed that balance. It has, however, formally ruled out Andersson’s first proposed government and moved the process to its next stage.
The next decision is Norlén’s. Whether to give Kristersson a chance to test another parliamentary arrangement or allow Andersson to resume negotiations once again.
