Swedish PM Lofven ousted by parliament in no-confidence vote

The Swedish parliament today expressed no confidence in the government of Social Democrat Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. The vote was called by the right-wing populist Swedish Democrats after a key partner of the government announced that it no longer supported the cabinet. Löfven has been at the helm of Sweden since 2014.

181 deputies voted for the fall of the government, while 175 votes were needed. According to Reuters, Löfven now has a week to either resign and have the Speaker of Parliament appoint a new government or call early elections. However, these would probably not solve the complicated political situation in Sweden and would take place at a time marked by the covid-19 epidemic, Reuters reported. Regular elections are scheduled for next year in Sweden.

“The government now has a week to decide and we will hold talks with the parties that work with us,” Löfven told a news conference today. “What matters is what is best for the country. We will work as quickly as possible,” the prime minister added.

Löfven has so far headed a minority cabinet, for which the support of the opposition Left Party was key. However, relations between the party that previously espoused communism and Löfven have recently deteriorated significantly due to a bill to deregulate rents, as the Left Party threatens the Swedish social model. Earlier, the party criticized the government’s proposal, which led to the relaxation of conditions for dismissal.

The left is blaming Prime Minister Löfven for the crisis. “It is not the Left Party that has broken the stick over the Social Democratic government, it is the Social Democratic government that has broken the stick over the Left Party and the Swedish people,” said Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar. She added that although her party voted against Löfven, it would never help power the “right-wing nationalist government”.

The Swedish political scene has been severely divided since the 2018 parliamentary elections, which ended in a narrow result. The minority government of the Social Democrats and the Green Party has so far been dependent on the support of the Left Party and two smaller center-right parties. Other strong political groups are unwilling to cooperate with the strong anti-immigration Swedish Democrats, whose founding members were people who openly supported the ideology of Nazi Germany.

Political scientist Nicholas Aylott of Södertörn University called the defeat of the prime minister in a vote of no confidence a “very significant” event in Swedish political history. “I think extraordinary elections are possible,” Aylott added.