Swedish Social Democrats invite opposition leaders to cartel meeting

Sweden’s Social Democrats have invited opposition group leaders to a joint meeting after the opposition secured a majority in parliament, SVT reports. The meeting is intended to explore a common parliamentary arrangement.

The opposition parties Social Democrats, Left Party, Green Party and Centre Party hold 176 seats in the Riksdag, Sweden’s parliament, while the Tidö parties Moderates, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals hold 173. The result became clear after all votes had been counted shortly after midday on Thursday.

Shortly afterwards, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of the Moderate Party announced that he would resign.

“The Speaker will now lead the next steps towards forming a new government. To allow that work to begin immediately, I hereby request to be relieved of my duties as prime minister,” Kristersson wrote in a statement published on X.

Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson said in a speech published on her party’s YouTube channel that voters had chosen “a new direction for our country”. She said she wanted to advance that direction and cited climate policy, schools, healthcare and elderly care as areas where she wanted to make changes.

Andersson also said she wanted to see “a new era of cooperation between the political parties”.

“I want to lead Sweden in a new spirit of cooperation, away from conflict for the sake of conflict and towards unity and solidarity,” she said.

After receiving Kristersson’s resignation, parliamentary Speaker Andreas Norlén began work on proposals for a new prime minister. Andersson is likely to be given the assignment first.

The Social Democrats’ first step towards forming a government is a meeting with the opposition group leaders, according to SVT. The aim is to try to form a parliamentary “cartel”, including by agreeing on which parties should receive chairmanships of the various parliamentary committees.

Green Party secretary Katrin Wissing confirmed to SVT that the party’s group leader would attend. She said, however, that the party had not received a formal invitation from the Social Democrats for negotiations on forming a joint government.