STOCKHOLM, Nov 10 (Reuters) – Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will get another week to try to form a new government, the speaker of parliament said on Tuesday, as the opposition has failed in its efforts despite winning the September election.
Kristersson was asked by the speaker last week to explore forming a government after the far-right Sweden Democrats dropped its demands for cabinet seats. That potentially makes it easier for Kristersson to persuade the Centre-Party to back his right-wing bloc rather than backing centre-left opposition leader Magdalena Andersson.
Kristersson’s bloc lost its majority in a September election but Social Democrat leader Andersson has so far failed to win the backing of the Greens, the Left Party and the Centre Party, which she needs to win a vote to become prime minister.
Kristersson’s mandate to try to form a government was due to expire on Tuesday but speaker Andreas Norlen said he would talk to all party leaders again and that Kristersson would be given another week.
“After that, I will communicate the next steps in the process,” he said in a statement.
Andersson said on Tuesday she had asked the speaker for a new chance to try to form a government as she tries to secure enough votes to back her for the premiership.
She is pressuring the Left Party to back down from demands to be in government. The Centre Party has made it clear it will not accept a government with the Left Party, which has been plagued by accusations of anti-Semitism, and might choose to vote for Kristersson’s right-wing alternative instead.
“My assessment is that things are starting to move now,” Andersson told news agency TT, amid reports the opposition parties plan to meet again either on Tuesday or Wednesday.
(Reporting by Johan Ahlander; Editing by Susan Fenton)
