(Photo: Alexandros Mikhailidis / Shatterstock)
A particularly short tenure: Just seven hours after her historic appointment as the first woman prime minister of Sweden was approved, Magdalena Anderson announced tonight (Wednesday) that she is resigning. The quick resignation came after MPs voted in favor of the opposition parties’ budget proposal.
Anderson managed to gain the confidence of the Swedish parliament in a vote in which she won the support of only 117 members against 174 of the 349 members of the Riksdag who voted against – one less than required to thwart the appointment. Since 57 MPs abstained, and there was no absolute majority voting against it, Anderson’s appointment was approved even though there was no majority in favor.
However, a few hours later, MPs voted in favor of approving the budget proposal of the right-wing parties from the opposition – the conservative moderates, the Swedish Democrats and the Christian Democrats. Following this, the Green Party – which was the only coalition partner of the Social Democratic Party – decided to withdraw from the coalition, as it was not willing to act according to the budget of the right.
The Greens’ resignation left Anderson with a tiny minority coalition of only 100 MPs – and as a result she was forced to resign. “I understand it looks very messy” she said. “A party that only this morning voted in favor of a prime minister will have a government check, in front of a party that has now changed its mind – but it all depended on a vote on the budget.”
Following the resignation of the caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Leben, he will continue to hold the post he holds since 2014. Discussions will now take place between the party leaders regarding the next steps – but there is still a possibility that Anderson could win a new vote in parliament again. This is because the Center Party, which abstained in the current vote, said they would vote for Anderson’s appointment if another vote was taken – to ensure no government is formed with the far-right Swedish Democrats.
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