Sweden: Caretaking PM asked to try to form a new government

Sweden’s caretaking Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has been tasked with trying to form a new government, hours after the head of the center-right opposition Moderates party said he failed to secure enough support from lawmakers on his side to do so

Sweden Politics

Sweden’s caretaking Prime Minister Stefan Lofven was tasked Thursday with trying to form a new government, hours after the head of the center-right opposition Moderates party said he failed to secure enough support from lawmakers on his side to do so.

Parliament speaker Andreas Norlen said that Lofven must answer by Monday whether he can find enough support in the 349-seat Riksdag assembly to form a Cabinet

Lofven, 63, lost a no-confidence vote on June 21 called by the right-wing populist Sweden Democrats party. The move succeeded because the Left Party, a government ally, had withdrawn its support for Lofven’s administration over proposed legislation to tackle a housing shortage.

Lofven had headed a minority government composed of a coalition between the Social Democratic and the Greens His party holds 100 seats out of 349 in parliament.

Lofven, who has served as Sweden's head of government since 2014, will remain caretaker prime minister until a new government is established.

Sweden’s next general elections are set for Sept. 11. 2022.