Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson announced that his party will remain outside the government for the next four years and is prepared to “tolerate” a centre-right cabinet by abstaining in a prime ministerial vote. By relinquishing their demand for cabinet positions, the party aims to return to its traditional role as an opposition force, allowing it to renew its ideological profile as a centrist party capable of broad collaboration.
“This means tolerating Ulf Kristersson by abstaining in a prime ministerial vote. And after that, we let the prime minister-designate take responsibility for his government,” Akesson said. He added that this approach would allow the Sweden Democrats to effectively go into opposition, where they believe they can better manage reforms and avoid being forced into a distinct right-wing profile regarding economic and welfare policies.
Kristersson’s bloc lost its majority in the September 13 election but was tasked this week by Sweden’s parliament speaker, Andreas Norlen, with exploring government formation. This mandate was granted after the centre-left election winners failed to agree on a coalition. The right-wing bloc, comprising the Moderate Party, Christian Democrats, Liberals, and the Sweden Democrats, holds a combined support level of 43.9% in recent polls, compared to 53.9% for the left-wing opposition.
The political puzzle now rests with Sweden’s Centre Party, which holds the key to determining whether the country forms a right-wing or left-wing government. The Centre Party has ruled out supporting a cabinet that includes the Sweden Democrats, as well as one that includes the Left Party. While some pundits suggest that the withdrawal of the Sweden Democrats’ cabinet demands might convince the Centre Party to support a right-wing government, the Centre Party has stated it favours Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson as prime minister.
Akesson challenged Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist to decide whether to join a bourgeois minority government or continue cooperating with the Left Party. “Is Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist prepared to sit in a bourgeois minority government that can negotiate broadly in the Riksdag, or will she stand firm that the Centre Party prefers to cooperate instead with the Islamist-huggers and anti-Semites in the Left Party?” he said.
Parliament Speaker Norlen is widely expected to return the mandate to Andersson should Kristersson fail to gain a majority support. If no solution is found, Sweden could face a new election. Akesson, who stated in April that he aims for the prime ministerial post in 2030 or later, reiterated that the Sweden Democrats are in agreement with the Moderates that Kristersson is the right-wing bloc’s candidate for prime minister, provided the right-wing bloc wins the election.
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