Swedish opposition leader Andersson says she cannot form government in current situation

Swedish Social Democratic Party Magdalena Andersson speaks as the general election's voting results are released in Stockholm, Sweden, September 13, 2026. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

STOCKHOLM, Sept 28 - Swedish Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson said on Monday she would tell the speaker of parliament that she was unable to form a government in the current situation, after an election earlier this month gave her centre-left bloc a narrow majority.

Her decision came after the Left Party said over the weekend it would back a candidate for parliament speaker from the rival Moderate Party, which Andersson said undercut her attempt to build a government.

"Of course, I take the Left Party's message seriously, and based on that and the conversations I have had, I can conclude that there is currently no possibility for me to form a government," she told a press conference.

The centre-left won 176 seats to 173 seats for the incumbent right bloc in a vote widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's promise to form a coalition with the far-right Sweden Democrats.

The speaker will now decide to whom to hand the task to seek to secure backing for a government, potentially Kristersson. REUTERS