Swedish government risks losing key votes after parliamentary agreement collapses

Sweden’s centre-right government may lose crucial parliamentary votes after the collapse of a cross-party agreement on absentee voting, vice prime minister Ebba Busch warned on Wednesday, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reports.

The so-called kvittning system—a longstanding informal arrangement allowing absent MPs to be balanced by opposing bloc members—broke down last week when the Sweden Democrats (SD) violated the agreement. The party instructed two MPs to participate in a vote despite their scheduled absence, ensuring the government’s proposal passed after two former SD members, now independents, sided with the opposition.

Busch, leader of the Christian Democrats (KD), acknowledged the risk of future defeats due to the instability. “That risk exists, especially with so many independents. The chamber was never designed for majorities to be overturned by independents,” she told SVT. A cross-party meeting on Wednesday failed to resolve the dispute, though Busch stressed further talks were necessary “both for the current term and the next.”

While declining to judge SD’s actions, she urged all parties to avoid exploiting the situation to undermine the election result. “I appeal to everyone not to introduce new issues now. We face an uncertain world and one of the worst energy crises ever—Sweden needs stability and respect for the voters’ decision,” she said.

The kvittning system, though not legally binding, ensures absent MPs do not alter the balance of power in votes. Under the arrangement, an absent member from one bloc is matched by an opposing member who also refrains from voting.