The new Swedish prime minister has resigned on the first day of work, Reuters hopes to return soon

By Simon Johnson and Johan Ahlander

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s first female prime minister, Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson, resigned on Wednesday after less than 12 hours after the Green Party left a two-party coalition, sparking political uncertainty.

But Andersson said he told the parliamentary speaker he hoped to be re-appointed prime minister in a single-party government, and that the outlook for that was quite strong given the support of other parties.

The Green Party resigned after parliament rejected the coalition’s draft budget.

“I have asked the speaker to remove the prime minister from office,” Andersson said at a news conference. “I am ready to be prime minister in a one-party Social Democratic government.”

The Green Party said it would support it in any affirmative vote in parliament, and the Center Party promised to abstain, which in practice means backing its candidacy. The Left Party has also said it will side with it.

Although these parties could not agree on a budget, the Swedish Democrats, a populist anti-immigration party, agree not to play a role in government.

“The Center Party will open the door for him (Andersson) to become prime minister,” his head, Annie Loof, said on Twitter (NYSE :).

“Once again we will make sure that Sweden can have a government that is not dependent on the Swedish Democrats.”

Opposition right-wing moderates and Christian Democrats are backed by Swedish Democrats, but cannot have a majority in parliament.

CHALLENGES

Andersson replaced Stefan Lofven as prime minister as leader of a coalition of two minority parties backed by the Left and Center parties. But that alliance collapsed when the Center Party refused to support the new government’s financial bill.

Parliament then approved spending plans drawn up by three opposition parties on Wednesday, and the Green Party left the coalition and left Andersson with no choice but to resign.

The Speaker of Parliament will now decide the next step in the process of seeking a new government, but it is likely that Andersson will propose a new vote in the coming days.

“We expect the Left, Green and Center parties to abstain in the upcoming vote and therefore accept Andersson as prime minister again,” the Nordea banking group said in a statement. “That is, the political chaos is over, as long as nothing unexpected happens.”

Anyone who becomes prime minister faces major challenges, and national elections will be held next September.

Gang violence and shootings are ruining the lives of many big cities.

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed gaps in the welfare state and the government needs to accelerate the shift to a green economy if it is to meet its climate change goals.

The center-left and center-right blocks are basically blocked in the polls.

It is a shame that Sweden took so long to get a woman prime minister for many in a country that established universal suffrage 100 years ago and has long advocated for gender equality.

Neighbor Norway achieved its first female leader 40 years ago. Sri Lanka was the first country to elect a female prime minister in the 1960s.