La socialdemócrata Magdalena Andersson renuncia a formar Gobierno en Suecia

Magdalena Andersson, leader of Sweden's Social Democratic Party, has announced on Monday that she will not attempt to form a government, just ten days after being given the mandate. This decision followed her allies from the Left Party supporting the conservative candidate for the position of Speaker of Parliament. The progressive bloc, headed by Andersson, narrowly won the legislative elections held on the 13th with 176 seats against 173 seats, seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's promise to form a coalition with the far-right.

The victory of the center-left has been marked by internal divisions: while the Left Party demands to be part of the Executive, the Centrist Party opposes any government option that includes the Social Democrats. The Speaker of Parliament will now decide who is tasked with forming the Executive. Current acting Prime Minister Kristersson is seen as the person likely to be chosen to handle contacts, though he does not have a majority behind him.

However, Andersson's departure does not necessarily mean she will not become Prime Minister again; she could still have her chance if Kristersson or other candidates fail to gather a majority around them. In Sweden, the Prime Minister does not need the support of the majority of deputies, but must ensure that the majority of Parliament members do not actively oppose their designation.

Up to four parliamentary votes can be held to choose a new leader before it becomes mandatory to call for new elections. The Left Party had announced on Sunday that it would support the current Speaker of the Chamber, conservative Andreas Norlén, in the upcoming vote, considering him the most suitable candidate to lead the negotiation process, while reiterating their support for Andersson as Prime Minister.

"Of course, I take the message from the Left Party seriously, and, based on this and my conversations, I can conclude that I have no chance of forming a government at the moment," Andersson declared in a press conference in Stockholm. "I will now inform the Speaker of Parliament that I am returning the mandate to choose contacts.

The reason is simple: it is the party with the most votes that takes on the role of Speaker of the Chamber." Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar dismissed Andersson's interpretation as incorrect, stating to Swedish daily Expressen that Norlén deserved a third term in office for his experience and dignified handling of previous executive formation negotiations.

The Centrist Party, which years ago was part of the right-wing bloc, reiterated that they would never support a government agreement that includes the far-right Democrats of Sweden, the third force in parliament and which acted as external support for Kristersson's Executive in the last legislature. The Social Democratic Party won the elections with 28%, but its worst result in nearly a century.

Following, the Moderate Party (conservative despite the name) obtained 19.8% and the far-right Democrats of Sweden, which fell three points, lost its status as the second force in parliament.