Speaker of the parliament to meet party leaders
Andreas Norlén, Speaker of the Swedish parliament, has started efforts to vote in Sweden's new prime minister, and will meet the leaders of the various political parties on Friday, starting with Magdalena Andersson at 10am and finishing with Simona Mohamsson at 2pm.
After the talks, he will hold a press conference at around 3.30pm and give his impressions of the possibilities for choosing a new government.
Here's the schedule:
10am Social Democrats
10.35am Sweden Democrats
11.10am Left Party
11.45am Centre Party
12.50 Christian Democrats
1.25pm Green Party
2pm Liberals
Swedish vocabulary: ett samtal – a discussion
Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson to hold press conference
Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson will at 9.30am hold a press conference where he is expected to respond to the far-right party's disappointing election result, which saw it lose three percentage points compared to the 2022 election.
Åkesson, who has led the party since 2005, may also confirm whether or not he plans to take a break from leading the party, as reported by the TV4 broadcaster on Thursday, citing anonymous sources within the party.
Swedish vocabulary: en paus – a break
More unions join strike warning against Candy Crush maker
The Swedish National Association of Scientists, the Swedish Association of Academics SSR and DIK, the union for culture, communication and the creative sector, on Thursday announced that they would join strike action against King, the game company behind hits like Candy Crush Saga.
"If Sweden is to seriously compete with expertise in a growing gaming and tech industry, employees must have security, the right to good working conditions and greater influence," Heike Erkers, chairwoman of the Swedish Association of Academics SSR, said in a press release.
Engineers of Sweden and Unionen on Tuesday announced a strike against the gaming company, saying that the company did not want to sign a collective agreement. The strike will begin on September 25th if no solution is reached before then.
Swedish vocabulary: ett strejkvarsel – a strike warning
Victorious Andersson promises new era in Sweden for those 'who have not felt welcome'
Magdalena Andersson, the leading contender to become Sweden's next prime minister, has promised a new era for those who "have not felt welcome in our country" in a video published on social media on Thursday after the completion of the vote count.
"I also know that there are many who have been worried about the divisive rhetoric that has characterised this election campaign, who during recent times have not felt welcome in our country. Who have felt afraid of developments in society," Andersson said in her speech on Thursday.
"To you I want to say: it is a new time now," she said.
The four left-wing parties, led by Andersson's Social Democrats, hold a three-seat majority in the 349-seat parliament over outgoing prime minister Ulf Kristersson's right-wing alliance, which includes the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats.
Kristersson resigned after the final result was announced, allowing Andersson to start talks on forming a government.
"The Swedish people have voted for a new direction for our country. Voted for unity and against division," Andersson said in a speech posted to social media shortly after Kristersson announced his resignation.
Swedish vocabulary: en ny riktning – a new direction
Kristersson resigns as PM but says 'right now there is no winner'
Sweden's prime minister Ulf Kristersson has tendered his resignation as the vote count for Sweden's election was completed shortly after 1pm on Thursday, with the opposition parties retaining their 176-173 lead over the government bloc.
But he declined to congratulate Magdalena Andersson, leader of the opposition Social Democrats, declaring that "right now, there is no real winner".
"There is no government-former in sight. So right now there is no real winner. The Social Democrats are not a winner either, it is their worst election result in 100 years," he said. "Some red lines need to move if we are to have a government."
He said he had not congratulated Andersson.
"I will do that sincerely the day there is a new government leader elected," he told SVT.
As soon as the result became clear, Kristersson sent a letter to Anders Norlén, the speaker of the Swedish parliament, tendering his resignation as prime minister.
"It is now up to the Speaker to lead the next steps towards forming a new government. In order for that work to begin immediately, I hereby request to be relieved of my duties as Prime Minister," he wrote.
In his letter, Kristersson again highlighted the difficulties the opposition might face in forming a government.
"The election results may have complicated the conditions for the next government formation, as the parties' different statements ahead of election day could constitute obstacles to all conceivable government formations and coalitions," he wrote.
Swedish vocabulary: att förflytta sig – to shift
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