Swedes are in a right muddle
With no clear majority, there is uncertainty on who will take charge
Sweden is headed for a period of uncertainty after legislative elections saw the far-right make gains, raising three questions: Who won? Who will govern? And with whom? The prime minister is usually the leader of the party with the most votes, but Sweden’s fragmented political landscape after Sunday’s election makes it impossible to guess who will form the next government.
As expected, neither the centre-left nor the centre-right bloc obtained a majority, and the farright Sweden Democrats solidified their position as the country’s third-biggest party, albeit with a lower score than they had expected.
There are few other alternatives to form a government.
Social Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Lofven’s “redgreen” left bloc enjoys a razorthin one-seat lead over the centre-right opposition Alliance, with nearly 200,000 ballots from Swedes who voted abroad to be counted on Wednesday.
But the Social Democrats won 28.4% of votes, down 2.8 points from the 2014 elections, their worst score in a century.
Acknowledging the parliamentary deadlock, he extended an invitation to the opposition.
“This election marks the death of bloc politics. We need a cross-bloc co-operation,” he told his party supporters.
But the four-party Alliance rejected his invite, calling on Lofven to step down and make way for them to build a new government.
Lofven is seeking a new fouryear mandate, but with whom could he govern? He has categorically ruled out any co-operation with the far right.
He could try to build the same government he formed in 2014: a minority coalition with the Greens that relies on the informal support in parliament of the ex-communist Left Party.
But it would then be under constant threat from the Sweden Democrats, ready to block any attempt to pass legislation and topple it at the first opportunity, such as the autumn budget bill.
Lofven could also extend an invitation to the Centre and Liberal parties to join the negotiating table.
Despite their differences – notably on immigration policy – the Alliance parties, which ruled Sweden from 2006 to 2014, have agreed to form a government together.
But that is no easy task. The Alliance would need the far-right’s support to win a majority in parliament, and would have to either make policy concessions in exchange for the Sweden Democrats’ support or offer key positions on parliamentary committees that draft legislation.
This election marks the death of bloc politics Stefan Lofven
Prime Minister