Social Democrats refuse to name preferred coalition partners

The Social Democrats do not need to say which parties they want in government, party MP Anders Ygeman said, as reported by SVT. Naming preferred partners now could make it harder to form a government, he said.

Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist has called on the Social Democrats to say which parties they want to govern with. After a week of exploring the possibility of a centrist government, she said on Monday that there was currently no majority for one.

Thand Ringqvist said many people wanted to know what kind of government the Social Democrats were seeking. The party avoided questions about potential coalition partners during the election campaign, and leader Magdalena Andersson has not named her preferred partners since the red-green parties secured a parliamentary majority.

Six weeks after the election, Ygeman said it was the wrong time to draw new red lines or set out a wish list. The Social Democrats were prepared to work with all parties except the Sweden Democrats to form a new government and change the country’s direction, he said.

Ygeman said ruling out options could make government formation more difficult. He added that the Centre Party and the Left Party would need to adjust their positions on government formation in light of the election result.