STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s parliament will vote on Wednesday on approving Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson as prime minister, the Riksdag speaker said on Monday, amid lingering uncertainty over whether she can cobble together enough support.
Andersson has been locked in negotiations with the Left Party to secure their backing for her to become the country’s first ever woman prime minister after Stefan Lofven handed in his resignation as premier earlier this month.
“Unfortunately, we have not straightened out all the details, and we have not reached a deal,” Andersson told reporters. “Therefore, it is not clear yet that I will be passed by the Riksdag, but the Speaker has decided to put me forward me as a candidate in a prime ministerial vote.”
From 2014, Lofven led a fragile, minority coalition government with the Greens which relied on support from the Centre and Left Parties. Andersson replaced Lofven as leader of the Social Democrats earlier this month.
The Centre Party has said it will not block Andersson, but talks with the Left Party have stalled.
The vote will be held at 0800 GMT on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Simon Johnson and Johan Ahlander; editing by Niklas Pollard)
