Sweden’s Prime Minister Resigns Rather Than Call Snap Elections

© Benoît Derrier, Wikipedia

Swedish capital Stockholm.

Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has resigned. Speaking on June 28 he confirmed he would resign rather than call snaps elections. “It is the most difficult political decision I have ever taken,” he said.

“I have requested to be dismissed as prime minister. It is the most difficult political decision I have ever taken. With one year left until the election, and an ongoing pandemic, a snap election is not the best thing for Sweden,” he said.

Sweden’s parliament ousted Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on June 21, making him the first prime minister ever to have been shown the door by opposition MPs. He had a week to resign or call snap elections.

The vote against Lofven and his resignation, called by the nationalist Sweden Democrats, comes just 12 months before a general election.

Lofven’s minority Social Democrat-Green coalition was propped up by support from two small centre-right parties and the formerly communist Left party, which withdrew its backing over plans to ease rent controls on new apartments.

The motion, voted on by all 349 MPs despite Covid restrictions, needed 175 votes to pass and got 181. The Sweden Democrat leader, Jimmie Akesson, told parliament Prime Minister Lofven’s government was historically weak and “should never have come to power”.


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Deirdre Tynan

Deirdre Tynan is an award-winning journalist who enjoys bringing the best in news reporting to Spain’s largest English-language newspaper, Euro Weekly News. She has previously worked at The Mirror, Ireland on Sunday and for news agencies, media outlets and international organisations in America, Europe and Asia. A huge fan of British politics and newspapers, Deirdre is equally fascinated by the political scene in Madrid and Sevilla. She moved to Spain in 2018 and is based in Jaen.

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