Sweden: Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson given two weeks to try and form a government
The speaker of Sweden’s parliament said on Tuesday that he had given the leader of the conservative Moderate party, Ulf Kristersson, a mandate to explore whether he can form a new government within the next fortnight.
Acknowledging that it will be extremely difficult, Ulf Kristersson said that he “would do everything in his power to form a government of the centre-right Alliance.”
Speaker Andreas Norlén announced that he had given the Moderate party leader his mandate after holding a second round of talks with the leaders of the eight parties in parliament.
Norlén explained his decision by saying that, although Stefan Löfven of the Social Democrats represents the biggest party of the biggest traditional block in parliament, Kristersson is part of the ‘bigger group’ in parliament that last week voted against Löfven continuing as prime minister. Norlén said that ‘there is a logic to give the person who has ousted a government the chance to try to take over’.
The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, with 62 seats, have said they will not support an Alliance or a centre-left government without gaining influence over policy.
Related links from around the North:
Canada: Quebec Elections: Centre-right CAQ takes province including Arctic Ungava riding, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Finnish PM concerned by far-right party’s results in Swedish elections, Yle News
Russia: Russia’s resources minister to open new Arctic office, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Swedish parliament ousts Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, Radio Sweden
