Swedish election: Kristersson announces resignation and publishes statement on social media

Sweden’s parliamentary election ended with a narrow lead for the opposition, but forming a new government will now require four parties with differing political positions to reach an agreement. Following Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s resignation, attention has shifted from the vote count to negotiations over the composition and programme of the next government.

“The Speaker will now lead the next steps in forming a new government. In order for this process to begin immediately, I hereby request to be relieved of my duties as prime minister,” Kristersson said in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, which he published on X.

According to the Swedish Election Authority, after votes had been counted in all 6,626 electoral districts, the four opposition parties together secured 49.6 percent of the vote and 176 seats in the 349-member parliament. The bloc supporting Kristersson’s government won 48.8 percent of the vote and 173 seats.

The opposition group consists of the Social Democratic Party, the Left Party, the Green Party and the Centre Party. The Social Democrats remained the largest political force, winning 28 percent of the vote and 99 seats in parliament. The four parties must now agree on the structure of a new government and a common political programme.

Reaching an agreement may prove challenging because of differences in their positions. Mats Knutson, a political commentator for Swedish television, identified taxation, sick-pay deductions and nuclear power as key areas of disagreement, while noting that compromises could also be reached on other issues.

As reported by CCTV+, following the election results and the prime minister’s resignation, attention in Sweden is now focused on negotiations to form a new government.