PM Lofven ousted by parliament
STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s prime minister lost a vote of confidence in parliament yesterday after an election earlier this month stripped him of his majority.
Stefan Lofven, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, will continue in a caretaker role until a new government that has the command of the Riksdagen can be formed.
Lawmakers voted 204-142 against Mr Lofven, while three abstained. The vote was mandatory after the Sept 9 general election delivered a hung parliament.
Though Mr Lofven remains optimistic that he may be able to form a government, the vote means Sweden faces weeks of political uncertainty. Both main political blocs in the parliament have refused to cooperate with the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats, which made great strides in the election.
Neither the leftleaning bloc led by the Social Democrats nor the Moderates-led centre-right opposition managed to secure a majority in the 349-seat parliament.
Andreas Norlen, a member of the centre-right Moderates who was elected on Monday as speaker, is charged with trying to find someone in parliament who may be able to command a majority and to form a government. He alone decides which of the party leaders can begin these talks.
Mr Lofven remained optimistic he could form a governing coalition. He ruled out having any contacts with the Sweden Democrats, saying “time after time, their connections to racist and Nazi organisations have been exposed”.