Sweden’s Parliament Ousts Prime Minister Lofven

Löfven and Linde attending UN General Assembly

Swedish PM Stefan Lofven. Image: Wikipedia

Sweden’s parliament has ousted Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, making him the first prime minister ever to have been shown the door by opposition MPs. He has a week to resign or call snap elections.

THE vote against Prime Minister Lofven, called by the nationalist Sweden Democrats, comes just 12 months before a general election.

Lofven’s minority Social Democrat-Green coalition was propped up by support from two small centre-right parties and the formerly communist Left party, which withdrew its backing over plans to ease rent controls on new apartments.

The motion, voted on by all 349 MPs despite Covid restrictions, needed 175 votes to pass and got 181. The Sweden Democrat leader, Jimmie Akesson, told parliament Prime Minister Lofven’s government was historically weak and “should never have come to power”.

According to The Guardian, “Three scenarios now look possible: Lofven could resign, leaving the parliamentary speaker with the job of finding a new majority; a snap election could be called, even though the 2022 poll must proceed as planned; or a political compromise could allow the government to stay on in a caretaker capacity.

“However, with the two main left and right wing blocs still deadlocked in parliament and evenly balanced in opinion polls, it is not clear how a new administration could be formed or whether fresh elections would resolve the situation,” the newspaper added.


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Deirdre Tynan

Deirdre Tynan is an award-winning journalist who enjoys bringing the best in news reporting to Spain’s largest English-language newspaper, Euro Weekly News. She has previously worked at The Mirror, Ireland on Sunday and for news agencies, media outlets and international organisations in America, Europe and Asia. A huge fan of British politics and newspapers, Deirdre is equally fascinated by the political scene in Madrid and Sevilla. She moved to Spain in 2018 and is based in Jaen.

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