Archive · 18 Sep 2026
Swedish PM Kristersson Resigns After Narrow Centre-Left Election Win
Sweden held an election to choose its lawmakers.
Two large groups of political parties competed.
The centre-left group won 176 seats, while the centre-right group won 173.
The difference between the groups was only 50,359 votes.
Because his group lost, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson resigned.
Magdalena Andersson, a former prime minister, wants to try to form a new government.
She must bring together the Social Democrats, Left Party, Greens and Centre Party.
Sweden’s parliamentary speaker will help guide the talks, which may take weeks.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson resigned after his four-party centre-right bloc narrowly lost Sweden’s general election.
The centre-left opposition won 176 of the Riksdag’s 349 seats, compared with 173 for the right-leaning coalition.
The two blocs were separated by 50,359 votes in the preliminary count.
Magdalena Andersson invited the Left, Centre and Green parties to begin talks on forming a government.
Sweden’s speaker, Andreas Norlén, will lead the next stage of proposing a prime minister after consultations with the parties.
- Who
- Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson resigned, while Magdalena Andersson leads the centre-left group seeking to form a government.
- What
- Kristersson requested to be relieved as prime minister after the centre-left opposition narrowly won the election.
- When
- Kristersson announced his resignation on Thursday after the preliminary count was completed; the election was held on Sunday.
- Where
- Sweden and its 349-seat Riksdag.
- Why
- The centre-left bloc won 176 seats, three more than the right-leaning bloc’s 173.
Centre-Left Opposition
Outgoing Centre-Right Coalition
Meaning of the election
Centre-Left Opposition
Magdalena Andersson said voters had chosen a new direction, unity and an end to division, with priorities including climate policy, schools, healthcare, elderly care and immigration.
Outgoing Centre-Right Coalition
The centre-right coalition, supported by the Sweden Democrats, lost its parliamentary majority and Kristersson resigned.
Forming a government
Centre-Left Opposition
Andersson has invited the Left, Centre and Green parties to begin talks on forming a government.
Outgoing Centre-Right Coalition
Kristersson said forming the next government could be complicated because statements made by the parties before election day might create obstacles.
- Election result
- Centre-left parties won 176 Riksdag seats; right-leaning parties won 173.
- Vote margin
- The two blocs were separated by 50,359 votes.
- Parliament
- Sweden’s Riksdag has 349 seats.
- Resigning prime minister
- Ulf Kristersson, leader of the Moderates.
- Government-forming candidate
- Magdalena Andersson, leader of the Social Democrats.
- Next step
- Speaker Andreas Norlén will consult the parties and propose a prime minister.
- Coalition challenge
- Andersson must bridge differences among four centre-left parties.
