Sweden's New Parliament Opens as Government Talks Stall
King Carl XVI Gustaf declared the session open at the speaker's request, in a ceremony attended by royal family members, the prime minister and parliamentary officials, a public broadcaster reported. The proceedings followed a service at Stockholm's Storkyrkan church.
The opening came one day after Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson abandoned her attempt to explore forming a government. In interviews with the broadcaster on Tuesday, neither Andersson nor Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson clearly signaled a bid for the next mandate.
Andersson said Kristersson should be tasked with testing whether he can assemble a government. Kristersson said he would act on whatever Speaker Andreas Norlen asks of him.
Norlen, re-elected as speaker, will hold a further round of talks with party leaders Wednesday. He said he was not ruling out putting a prime ministerial candidate to a parliamentary vote, even if that candidate had declared efforts to form a government unsuccessful.
Disputes over potential coalition partners remain the main obstacle. Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist reiterated that her party would not join any government that includes the Left Party, citing economic policy differences.
Andersson urged the parties to reconsider their stances and compromise. Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar said the Centre Party must decide which political bloc it will back, while Green Party leader Amanda Lind called on the parties in a potential center-left coalition to meet.
On the opposite side, Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson maintained that his party would demand ministerial posts in any government it supports. Christian Democrats leader Ebba Busch urged votes on prime ministerial candidates to help move the process forward.
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