The vote bringing Prime Minister Stefan Lofven to a second term comes from a new, minority, center-left alliance. But without a parliamentary majority, it faces ongoing challenges from the far-right.
Image: picture-alliance/TT Nyhetsbyran/J. Gow
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Sweden's political parties have been negotiating among themselves since last September's inconclusive elections; the longest political standoff in the country's history.
On Friday, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven was elected to lead a four-party alliance made up of his own Social Democrats, the Greens and new members from the Center and Liberal party members who will provide the parliamentary support Lofven needs to stay in power.
Under Sweden's system of negative parliamentarianism, a majority of 175 was needed to block his appointment but in the event, only 153 lawmakers did so.
Lofven received only 115 votes in favor but this was enough to allow his minority Social Democrat-Green coalition to form another government. He is expected to announce his ministers on Monday.
Sweden has long been known for its social and worker benefits, and high taxesImage: Getty Images/AFP/M. Ludovic
Weak administration
The Center and Liberal parties had previously been part of a four-party center-right opposition alliance. To get them on board his government, Lofven had offered to introduce tax cuts, market rates for social housing and an easing of Sweden's strict labor laws.
The new government, approved for a four-year term, will be one of Sweden's weakest-ever administrations. The alliance will have 167 of 347 seats in the Riksdag parliament. That is eight seats short of a majority but allowed under Sweden's political system, so long as a majority of lawmakers do not vote it down.
The Left party, with 28 seats, agreed earlier this week not to topple Lofven, but also made it clear it would veto policies it did not like.
"In times when right-wing extremist forces are growing in many countries, Sweden has chosen another way forward," said Social Democrat group leader Anders Ygeman.
If the alliance bid had failed, Sweden would have faced another round of elections.
September's election did not bring an outright winnerImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Probst
Sweden Democrats in opposition
The nationalist Sweden Democrats came third in the September elections. Long isolated because of their neo-Nazi roots, they will join an opposition made up of two center-right parties, the Moderates and Christian Democrats.
"My ambition now is that the Sweden Democrats will be a dominating force in a new, strong center-right opposition," said Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson. He remarked that the Social Democratic Party "hasn't understood anything. They are returning to a policy that will increase immigration even more, the issue that was the absolutely most important during the previous term."
Per capita, Sweden allowed more asylum seekers than any other EU state in 2015.
Swedish politics 2019: Who's who?
Sweden has struggled to form a government since the inconclusive election in 2018, spurred by a shaky minority coalition and the rise of the far-right Sweden Democrats. DW takes a look at the main party leaders.
Image: picture-alliance/DPR/TT/H. Franzén
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven — Social Democrats (S)
The Social Democrats under Prime Minister Stefan Lofven suffered their worst defeat in a century in September elections, losing 13 seats in parliament. Even so, Lovfen is expected to serve another term as the head of a minority government in a policy deal with the Greens, the Center Party, and the Liberals following months of failed attempts to form a coalition that could take the reins.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Simander
Ulf Kristersson — Moderate Party
Ulf Kristersson's Moderates had a stab at building a coalition, but failed. In the end Sweden's second-largest party will be sitting on the sidelines. Kristersson has said he will take advantage of the first opportunity to topple the new government. The right-wing party is mainly focused on law and order and job creation.
The far-right Sweden Democrats had their hopes set on a new government that would rely on them as kingmaker. But the mainstream parties were loathe to cooperate with SD. The party's popularity has spiked in recent years due to rising anti-migrant sentiment (Sweden took in over 160,000 asylum-seekers in 2015) and Akesson's efforts to cleanse the party of its neo-Nazi roots.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/J. Reinhart
Isabella Lovin and Gustav Fridolin — Green Party
The Greens agreed again to be the junior partner in a Social Democrat-led coalition. The party has been set on preventing the Sweden Democrats from holding sway over a new government. With their strong focus on environment, Lovin pushed for flight and carbon taxes as minister for international development and climate. Fridolin, education minister, plans to resign the co-leadership in May.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/M. Kaman
Annie Loof — Center Party
Sweden's Center Party emerged from the Democratic Farmers League, and while agriculture and environment remain key to its policies, Annie Loof emerged as the party's hope to attract urban and more progressive voters. Loof got a shot at forming a coalition, but gave up after a week. The party has said it backs the Social Democrats' plan to lead a new government but will not join it.
Left Party chief Jonas Sjostedt, a former metal worker and union leader, served in the European Parliament from 1995-2006. He returned to Swedish politics and was elected to parliament in 2010 and became party leader two years later. The Left agreed not to block a new government under the Social Democrats' Lofven out of fear that the far-right Sweden Democrats might gain power in a snap election.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/TT/A. Ihse
Jan Bjorklund — Liberals
A former army major, Liberals leader Jan Bjorklund has adopted a fighting approach to politics. The results have been mixed; the party's policy ideas on education and equality have been well received, while calls to expand the military and join NATO have mostly fallen on deaf ears. Despite internal divisions, the party has backed Lofven as premier though they will not be part of his government.
Image: picture-alliance/IBL Schweden/Aftonbladet/L. Björn
Ebba Busch Thor — Christian Democrats (KD)
Sweden's Christian Democrats have struggled to attract wide support, despite attempts to distance themselves from religious roots. Meanwhile, the party's increasingly harsh tone toward migration may have alienated more voters with Christian values than it has drawn in new ones. Ebba Busch Thor has criticized the Center Party and Liberals for backing Lovfen, suggesting they humiliated themselves.
