Swedish PM quits, warns against snap polls amid pandemic
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
STOCKHOLM • Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven resigned one week after he lost a vote of no confidence, leaving it up to the Speaker of Parliament to begin the search for a replacement.
He told a press conference yesterday a snap election was "not what is best for Sweden", pointing to the situation the Covid-19 pandemic posed, coupled with the fact that the next general election - which would go ahead regardless - is a year away.
"With that starting point, I have requested the Speaker to relieve me as prime minister," he said.
The Social Democrat leader - a master of consensus for some, a dull, visionless man for others - had seven days after the no-confidence vote to try to secure a parliamentary majority for a potential reforming of his government.
The 63-year-old, a former welder and union leader, guided the Swedish left back to power in 2014, and hung on by moving his party closer to the centre-right after the 2018 elections.
He finally fell out with the Left Party propping up his government, becoming the first Swedish government leader to be defeated by a no-confidence vote.
The confidence motion was filed by the far-right Sweden Democrats, after the Left Party said it was planning such a motion itself in protest against a plan to ease rent controls.
On the left, the proposal for "market rents" - which would potentially allow landlords to freely set rents for new apartments - is seen as being at odds with the Swedish social model and a threat to tenants' rights.
The conservative Moderate Party and Christian Democrats were quick to back the motion, which was passed by 181 MPs in the 349-seat Parliament. Last-ditch efforts to appease the Left Party, holding 27 seats, failed.
Critics have described the constellation that joined forces against Mr Lofven as an "unholy alliance" of parties at opposite ends of the political spectrum.
It will now be up to Speaker of Parliament Andreas Norlen to open negotiations with parties to find a new prime minister.
The process took four months the last time, but Mr Norlen has already signalled that he would not let it take as long this time around.
Mr Lofven's government will stay on to handle routine tasks until a new administration is formed.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE