Sweden’s left-wing opposition leader begins efforts to form government

Parliament Speaker Andreas Norlén has formally asked Magdalena Andersson to investigate whether she can assemble a new government after the left-wing bloc secured a slim majority in last week’s general election. Andersson, head of the Social Democrats, said she will approach the task with humility and seek to put national interests ahead of party tactics.

The left-wing grouping holds 176 of the Riksdag’s 349 seats, giving it a majority of only three MPs. To reach a viable administration, Andersson is expected to court support from three other parties on the left: the Greens, the Centre Party and the Left Party.

Tensions among those potential partners could complicate coalition-building. The socialist Left Party has indicated it will demand cabinet positions for some of its MPs as a condition of support, while the liberal Centre Party has stated it would not back a government that accommodates such demands. Those conflicting positions mean Andersson will need to bridge policy and personnel differences to secure a working majority.

Andersson has until September 28 to present a government. If she cannot form one by that deadline, the outgoing prime minister Ulf Kristersson — whose centre-right bloc won 173 seats — would have the next opportunity to try. Sweden’s political system frequently results in coalition or minority governments, and the last post-election government-formation process in 2022 took more than a month to complete.