Norlén starts talks to find Sweden’s next prime minister

Sweden’s parliamentary speaker, Andreas Norlén, begins consultations on Wednesday to identify a candidate to form the next government, SVT reports. Neither Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson nor Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson has said they want to take on the task.

During the consultations, Norlén will assess which government combinations are possible before giving one party leader an exploratory assignment. Andersson and Kristersson appear to be the main candidates.

Kristersson has not said whether he is willing to take the assignment. He said the speaker should establish where a parliamentary majority lies, adding that four parties had claimed victory on election night. The red-green bloc has 176 seats, a majority in parliament.

Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson called the exploratory assignment “a pointless exercise” and urged Norlén to put Andersson to a vote in parliament. Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch and Liberal leader Simona Mohamsson also said Andersson should face formal votes on becoming prime minister.

Earlier on Tuesday, Andersson said Kristersson was the “obvious candidate” for the exploratory process. She returned her own assignment on Monday after the Left Party voted Norlén into the speaker’s post. Andersson said the point of her exploratory talks had fallen away when the Left Party chose to leave.

Andersson said voters had chosen a new government and that she wanted to pursue that path. Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar said Andersson had failed to unite the red-green bloc, pointing to the Centre Party’s position. Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist said her party had a mandate to support a government in the political centre and maintained its opposition to the Left Party.