Kristersson gets more time to form government after SD and C shifts

Ulf Kristersson’s mandate to explore forming a government has been extended by several days after the Sweden Democrats dropped their demand for ministerial posts and the Centre Party called for detailed policy proposals, SVT reported.

“Now we can focus on policy issues,” the Moderate Party leader said at a press conference on Friday afternoon. His mandate had been due to conclude with a report on November 10.

Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist said her party could join a government with any party except those at the political extremes. She wants both Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson and Kristersson to submit comprehensive proposals by next Friday, setting out their policies, how they would be implemented and funded, and which parties would be involved.

Thand Ringqvist said Kristersson should explain how he would ensure the Sweden Democrats could not dictate terms. Andersson, she said, should show how a government could function without bringing the Left Party into it.

Earlier on Friday, Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson said his party was dropping its demand to join the government. If the Centre Party’s conditions prevent a blue-yellow government, the Sweden Democrats would instead be willing to tolerate Kristersson leading a four-party centre-right government.

The Centre Party has repeatedly said it will neither join a government with the Sweden Democrats nor cooperate with them. Thand Ringqvist declined to say how a Kristersson government could work without Sweden Democrats’ support.

Kristersson said the announcements had made the task “a little less impossible” and welcomed both parties’ statements. Speaker Andreas Norlén has agreed to extend the mandate by a few more days.