Magdalena Andersson, Sweden’s first female prime minister, was compelled to resign on November 24 after her governing coalition collapsed.
Her resignation came less than 12 hours after assuming power.
According to Andersson, the Center Party, the junior party in the coalition, decided to withdraw the coalition which prompted her to resign.
Andersson noted that she informed the speaker of parliament that she hoped to be selected again as prime minister, but this time as the head of a single-party government.
“I have asked the speaker to be relieved of my duties as prime minister,” Andersson said during a press conference. “I am ready to be prime minister in a single-party, Social Democrat government.”
Andersson has a reputation for having a blunt demeanor. The Swedish public channel SVT described her as a “bulldozer.” Previously, Andersson held a position as Sweden’s finance minister, where she was viewed as highly competent.
Andersson was renowned for her slogan “Sweden can do better.”
Early on November 24, Andersson became the first woman in Swedish history to assume the position of prime minister.
Initially, she was able to attain this position after finalizing a last-minute deal with the Left party to increase pension rewards in exchange for their vote on November 24, however, the small Centre party backed away from supporting Andersson’s budget due to the concessions being made to the Left, which left the budget with insufficient votes to be approved in the Swedish parliament.
Instead, the Parliament put forward an alternative budget proposal that opposition conservative Moderates, Christian Democrats, and the populist right-Sweden Democrats proposed.
This budget proposal was categorically rejected by the Green Party, a partner in the original coalition.
Per Bolund, the Green Party’s leader declared that the opposition budget was a “historic budget, drafted for the first time with the far-right,” and withdrew from the government.
The Greens cited a planned tax cut on oil that would cause higher emissions as another reason for their opposition to the alternative budget proposal.
As a result of this loss in support, Andersson had no choice but to tender her resignation. The speaker of parliament is now working out a solution for establishing a new government.
“There is a constitutional practice that a coalition government should resign when one party quits,” Andersson said to reporters. “I don’t want to lead a government whose legitimacy will be questioned.”
