Sweden’s PM Resigns After Centre-Left Bloc Wins Slim Majority In Election

Sweden’s centre-right prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has stood down, clearing the way for Magdalena Andersson, the Social Democrats leader, to attempt to form a government.

In a victory speech on Thursday, Andersson said the Swedish people had “voted for a new direction for our country, voted for unity and against division”.

She added: “The Swedish people have voted to take Sweden forward and I will realise the new direction that you have voted for.”

Among the priorities she named were the climate crisis, schools, healthcare, elderly care and immigration policy.

Andersson spoke as the preliminary count for Sunday’s election was finally completed, with 176 seats for the left-leaning opposition parties – a narrow three-seat majority over the right-leaning ruling Tidö coalition supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD). There were 50,359 votes between the two blocs.