The formation of a new government in Stockholm has descended into such public sparring among the various left-wing parties vying for influence that the head of the election-topping Swedish Social Democrats has said she sees no clear path to come to a workable coalition agreement.
Less than two weeks after the four left-wing parties were found to have won a narrow victory over the governing conservative bloc, former PM Magdalena Andersson, the leader of the Social Democrats, the largest party in the Riksdag, threw her hands up in exasperation on Monday, relinquishing her mandate to form a government and opening the door to other parties to build a governing coalition.
This came shortly after the socialist Left Party (V) surprisingly broke ranks with the broader left coalition during the selection of the Speaker of the House on Monday, backing Andreas Norlén of the centre-right Moderate Party (M) and Prime Minsiter Ulf Kristersson.
The Left Party defended its actions, saying per SVT that the formation of a new government may take time, and that since Norlén had previously presided over similar circumstances, he would be a steady hand at the wheel in the Riksdag, and therefore they chose to side with the right-wing bloc and against the Social Democrats’ candidate Johanna Haraldsson.
Andersson raged over the Left supposedly breaking protocol, arguing that the largest party in parliament should have the right to the Speakership, the country’s supreme political position, which technically even outranks the Prime Minister.
At a press conference on Monday, the Social Democrat leader said that “there is currently no possibility for me to form a government” and returned the exploratory assignment to the Speaker, thereby opening the door for other parties to form a government. Perhaps slightly tongue-in-cheek, Andersson said a new political “constellation” may emerge between the socialist Left Party and the centre-right Moderates, while insisting her decision was not mere political brinksmanship.
“This is not about a game of increasing pressure, but I can only state that the Left Party has made a choice. They have chosen to cooperate with the Moderates in this. Then I can draw conclusions from that. Together with the other conversations we have had,” she said, according to Svenska Dagbladet.
While the Left claimed its support for a Moderate over a more closely aligned Social Democrat for Speaker was altruistic and driven by concern for the country’s political stability, observers have noted that power politics are likely at play.
Indeed, the far-left party is currently engaged in a battle over representation in a potential Social Democrat-led government. Although the Left Party is set to be the second-largest left-wing party, its radical positions have been declared a deal-breaker for the liberal Centre Party, which has ruled out entering a coalition with the Social Democrats if the Left is granted cabinet positions and a seat at the table in a new government. Thus, the Left appears willing to play hardball politics to demonstrate their own power in the situation.
There also appears to be little love lost between the two left-wing factions, with Left Party deputy leader even going so far as to brand the Social Democrats “fucking cunts” on Sweden’s public broadcaster.
The breakdown in Andersson’s coalition talks could potentially open the door for Prime Minsiter Kristersson to cling onto power despite his Tidö faction falling short at the polls. The clearest path forward would be for Kristersson to come to an agreement with the liberal Centre Party. Although party leader Hannes Hervieu has said that his party would favour a Social Democrat-led government, he has not shut the door to a partnership with the Moderates.
Yet, like with the Left Party, the Centrists have ruled out working with any right-wing government that includes the populist anti-mass migration Sweden Democrats. It would thus be incumbent upon Jimmie Åkesson and his Sweden Democrats party to remain outside the government as a support party to prevent the left from taking power. However, it remains to be seen what other demands the liberal Centre Party would make in prospective coalition talks and whether the other right-wing parties would find them acceptable.
Should four attempts to find a new prime minister fail, Swedish voters will be told to go back to the polls to break the deadlock.
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