Overview
- Magdalena Andersson announced she cannot form a government and will return the mandate to the Speaker after talks failed.
- The Left Party said it would back the Conservatives' candidate for the Riksdag presidency, a move Andersson said undermined her path to a majority.
- The election left the centre-left with 176 seats and the right bloc with 173 seats, so small shifts in support now decide who can govern.
- The Speaker must now choose whom to task with seeking backing to form a government and Ulf Kristersson is widely seen as the likely person to lead those negotiations.
- The Speaker’s choice will shape whether Sweden moves toward cooperation with the far-right Sweden Democrats and will influence near-term choices on immigration, budgets and coalition stability.