Sweden’s first female prime minister elected for the second time in a week | Election News

Magdalena Andersson will form a one-party government, with a minority expected to appoint a cabinet on Tuesday.

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has been named the country’s first female prime minister, taking office and resigning just hours after a week.

Politicians were narrowly re-elected on Monday. He will form a one-party, minority government and is expected to appoint his cabinet on Tuesday.

Andersson was prime minister seven hours earlier leaving office last week after the Greens left a two-party coalition. After their move by parliament to reject their government’s budget proposal, opposition parties backed one presented by the Swedish populist right-wing Democrats.

“Like all minority governments, we will seek cooperation with other parties in parliament, and I see good opportunities to do so,” Andersson said at a press conference on Monday in his party’s 349-seat parliament.

“The Social Democrats have by far the largest party group in parliament. In addition, we have a long tradition of cooperating with others and we are ready to do whatever it takes to move Sweden forward. ”

The leader of the opposition right-wing Moderate Party, Ulf Kristersson, described the incoming administration as a “nine-month interim government” and said he would not be able to achieve much in the run-up to the September 2022 elections.

Andersson will have to lead one of Sweden’s weakest governments in decades, and will have to govern with a budget formulated in part by three opposition parties, including the Swedish anti-immigration Democrats, whose gains over the past decade are at the center of Swedish political turmoil.

Parliament last week approved budget amendments tabled by the opposition, which reformed many of the government’s spending plans.

The Social Democrats have been in power since 2014 with the support of parties that are united rather than a desire for Swedish Democrats to influence politics.

The center-right opposition has struggled to garner enough votes to form a majority government, and polls suggest there could be little change in the political reckoning in the next election.

The appointment of Andersson as prime minister marked a milestone for Sweden, which for decades was one of the most progressive countries in Europe in terms of gender relations, but still had to hold women in key political positions.

Andersson was elected to replace Stefan Lofven as party leader and prime minister, leaving the post earlier this year.

On the same day, 117 politicians voted in favor of Andersson, 174 rejected his nomination, 57 abstained and one politician was out. Under the Swedish Constitution, prime ministers can be appointed and governed as long as the parliamentary majority (at least 175 MPs) is not opposed.

For the next Swedish general election scheduled for September 11, Andersson will face major challenges.

Gang violence affects suburbs of major cities. As the health service barely coped with the pandemic and needs to be strengthened, the government will have to manage the transition mandated for a zero-emission economy.