Centre Party backs talks with Social Democrats after close Swedish election

Sweden’s Centre Party will focus on government negotiations with the Social Democrats, party secretary Hannes Hervieu told SVT, as a closely fought election appeared to give the opposition a narrow lead with about 94 percent of votes counted.

The Centre Party supports a centrist government with Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson as its candidate for prime minister. It has also drawn a red line against the Left Party joining a government.

The Left Party has said it requires a place in a Social Democrat led government. At the same time, both Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson and Christian Democrat leader Andreas Carlson opened the door on Monday to new cooperation involving the Centre Party, according to Swedish Radio.

This could give the Centre Party a decisive role in the government formation talks over the coming weeks. Hervieu said he had good contacts with representatives of all the parties on the left and that the Centre Party’s focus would remain on cooperation with the Social Democrats.

He also said there were sensible parties on the governing side, but ruled out a government alternative involving the Sweden Democrats.

“The Tidö project lost, and the Sweden Democrats will not enter any government. We think that is very good,” Hervieu said.

The Centre Party will not support a government that depends on the Sweden Democrats, even if the party does not receive ministerial posts, he said.

Asked how the Centre Party could reach an agreement with the Left Party, Hervieu said Swedish politics could not be divided into only two sides.

“We have been clear that we do not want the Left Party in a government. We want to cooperate with the Social Democrats,” he said.