2 hrs ago
Sweden’s Kristersson Resigns After Narrow Centre-Left Election Victory
Sweden held an election to choose its lawmakers.
Two large groups of political parties competed.
The centre-left group won slightly more seats than the right-wing group.
It received 176 seats, while the right-wing group received 173.
Because his group lost, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he would resign.
Magdalena Andersson leads the centre-left Social Democrats.
She said voters wanted the country to take a new direction.
The parties still need to agree on how to form a government.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson resigned after his four-party right-wing bloc narrowly lost Sweden’s general election.
Magdalena Andersson’s four-party centre-left bloc won 176 of the Riksdag’s 349 seats, compared with 173 for the outgoing coalition.
The centre-left bloc’s victory margin was roughly 50,000 votes in a country of about 10 million people.
Andersson said voters had chosen a new direction, but she faces challenges uniting the Social Democrats, Left Party, Greens and Centre Party.
Kristersson said forming a new government would be complicated because statements made before election day could create obstacles.
- Who
- Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson resigned; Magdalena Andersson leads the centre-left bloc that won the election.
- What
- Kristersson requested to be relieved as prime minister after the centre-left bloc narrowly won the general election.
- Where
- Sweden, including the 349-seat Riksdag.
- When
- He announced his resignation on Thursday afternoon, following the general election.
- Why
- His four-party right-wing bloc lost to the centre-left bloc, which won 176 seats versus 173.
Centre-Left Bloc
Outgoing Right-Wing Bloc
Meaning of the result
Centre-Left Bloc
Magdalena Andersson said Swedish voters had chosen a new direction for the country.
Outgoing Right-Wing Bloc
Ulf Kristersson acknowledged the result through his resignation and pointed to the difficulty of forming the next government.
Forming a government
Centre-Left Bloc
The centre-left parties will begin work toward forming a government after Kristersson requests to leave office.
Outgoing Right-Wing Bloc
Kristersson said the task would be complicated because the parties’ statements before election day could create obstacles.
Key facts
- Election result
- The centre-left bloc won 176 Riksdag seats; the right-wing bloc won 173.
- Vote margin
- The centre-left victory margin was roughly 50,000 votes.
- Parliament size
- The Riksdag has 349 seats.
- Population
- Sweden has about 10 million people.
- Resigning prime minister
- Ulf Kristersson
- Centre-left leader
- Magdalena Andersson
- Government formation
- The speaker will lead the next stage of efforts to form a government.
Quotes
Ulf Kristersson
Sweden’s outgoing prime minister
“Now it is the speaker who will lead the next stage of the way to a new government. I am herewith requesting that I be relieved of the office of prime minister to allow that work to start immediately”
wionews.com
Sources
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