Andersson faces growing pressure as government talks stall

Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson is facing growing internal discontent as efforts to form a new Swedish government remain deadlocked, SVT reports. If she fails to secure a government, calls for her to resign could grow, according to political scientist Jenny Madestam.

Two months and two prime ministerial votes have passed without a new government in sight. The Sweden Democrats’ decision to drop their demand for ministerial posts and enter opposition has changed the political landscape, increasing the possibility that Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson could win the Centre Party’s support. After two of four parliamentary votes, the Centre Party and the Left Party have maintained their red lines.

Talk of a snap election is growing. Madestam said the left-wing parties, including the Social Democrats, could be punished by voters for failing to resolve the political impasse.

Madestam said Andersson’s strong personal standing was not enough on its own, and that the Social Democrats also needed a clear account of what the party stands for now and in the future. Left-wing commentator Göran Greider agreed, saying the party needed a leader able to express its political ideas. He said he had never considered Andersson a particularly strong party leader or an ideas-driven politician.

The Social Democrats’ historically poor election result and failure to form a government have damaged confidence in Andersson, while discontent is also growing within the party, according to several sources cited by SVT. Madestam said Andersson’s reputation as a decisive leader, and reports that she can be impatient for quick results, may be ill-suited to negotiations that require persistence.

The party usually rallies behind its leader while the prime minister’s post remains within reach, Madestam said. But if Andersson fails to form a government, she said, the party could begin to reconsider its support and demands for her resignation would not be unthinkable.

Tags: Swedish politics, Social Democrats, government formation