STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -The speaker of Sweden’s parliament said on Tuesday he had given Moderate Party leader three days to see if he could garner enough support to form a government that would pass a vote in parliament.
Social Democrat Prime Minister Stefan Lofven resigned after losing a no-confidence vote last week, handing the speaker the job of finding a candidate for prime minister who can pass a vote in parliament.
The Moderate Party, led by Ulf Kristersson, is the biggest opposition party in parliament.
“Ulf Kristersson has the task of looking into the options,” parliament speaker Andreas Norlen told a news conference.
Kristersson is also supported by the Christian Democrats, Liberals and Sweden Democrats, but together, the parties can only muster 174 votes in the 349-seat parliament.
“This means that in the coming days I will focus completely on the important talks that will now be held with the other parties in Sweden who also want a change of power, parties that put the political issues before the political game,” Kristersson wrote on Instagram.
If no one from Lofven’s Social Democrats, the Greens – the junior party in Lofven’s minority coalition – the Centre and the Left Party is willing to support Kristersson, he will not be able to pass a vote in parliament as a majority would vote against him.
The speaker said Kristersson would have to report his progress at the latest on Friday and that, if he says he can form a government the speaker aimed to hold a vote in parliament next week.
(Reporting by Johan Ahlander; Editing by Simon Johnson)
