The key facts

  • Riksdag Speaker tasked Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist with exploring a 'centrist option' for forming a government
  • Report due by 26 October; parliament earlier rejected Magdalena Andersson as prime minister
  • The Centre Party proposes a five-party coalition led by Andersson, but the other parties have shown no enthusiasm

Mandate to explore the 'centrist option'

Swedish parliament Speaker Andreas Norlen on Monday tasked Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist with exploring the possibility of forming a centrist government amid the deadlock that has dragged on since the election. According to the newspaper Göteborgs-Posten, Ringqvist must find out whether a government built around the political centre can secure sufficient support in parliament. 'It is entirely reasonable that she now has the opportunity to explore the so-called middle option,' Norlen said. She must report back to the Speaker by 26 October. 'My goal is to contribute to resolving the government question, not to become prime minister myself,' Ringqvist said.

Centre Party proposal and rejection of Andersson

The Centre Party's proposal envisages a coalition of the Social Democrats, the Greens, the Centre Party, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals, led by Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson. According to the newspaper, none of the other parties included in the proposal has expressed enthusiasm for such a scheme. The Speaker's mandate followed parliament's rejection on Thursday of Andersson's candidacy for prime minister — the first such vote since the election. Norlen did not rule out that he could again nominate Andersson at the next parliamentary vote, the date of which has not been set.

Reaction and difficulties of negotiations

Incumbent Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called the Speaker's decision logical, noting that the parties supporting Andersson hold 176 seats — a parliamentary majority. In his words, these parties should exhaust their options for forming a government. According to the outlet, negotiations are complicated by disagreements between the Centre Party and the Left Party. Norlen called on all parties to continue negotiations regardless of whether they received a formal mandate to explore forming a government.