Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has announced his resignation after the final votes were counted in the election.
On 17 September, he formally submitted his request to step down to the Speaker of Parliament, SVT reports.
According to Kristersson, the Speaker will now lead the process of forming a new government.
According to preliminary results, the opposition pulled ahead of the incumbent coalition by more than 50,000 votes. Opposition parties won 176 seats in parliament, while the right-wing coalition took 173.
In a letter to the Speaker, Kristersson noted that the election results create difficult conditions for the next coalition, as different parties’ pre-election promises could hinder the formation of a new cabinet. He urged political forces to engage in constructive dialogue and asked to resign so that negotiations could begin immediately.
Until a new government is formed, Kristersson and his ministers will continue to carry out their duties. Political partners and opponents have already thanked him for his work as head of government.
- The Swedish centre-left opposition bloc, which is leading in the election, is headed by Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democratic Party — the political force that governed Sweden for most of the 20th century.
- Earlier, Kristersson warned Europe about security risks that could arise if the centre-left bloc led by Andersson comes to power.
- The leader of the centre-right Moderate Party noted that two of the three or four parties in a potential left-wing government had previously voted against the country joining NATO.