Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven arrives at an European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman
October 29, 2018
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s Social Democrat leader Stefan Lofven gave up an attempt to form a government on Monday, making a snap national election more likely.
The country has been run by a caretaker administration under Lofven after voters delivered a hung parliament on Sept. 9 that left the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats holding the balance of power.
Neither Lofven’s center-left bloc nor the center-right group of parties has been willing to do a deal that gives them a say in policy.
“In light of the responses I have had so far, in the current situation, the possibility does not exist for me to build a government that can be accepted by parliament,” Lofven told reporters.
He said he had not given up entirely and was prepared to try again if the situation changed.
The leader of the center-right opposition Alliance bloc, Ulf Kristersson, has already tried and failed to form a government.
The Alliance led a parliamentary vote against Lofven, but have not been able to agree on how to replace him.
The speaker of parliament will meet party leaders during the day. However, unless one or more parties shifts its position, a fresh election is looking more likely.
(Reporting by Stockholm Newsroom; editing by John Stonestreet)
