Magdalena Andersson, 54, who was elected the first female prime minister in Swedish history, resigned ‘super-fast’ just seven and a half hours after being elected. This is because the budget for next year, which he led, was rejected by the National Assembly, and the Green Party, which was a partner of the coalition government, also declared its departure from the coalition. The Guardian reported that “Sweden was plunged into political uncertainty”.
According to foreign media such as the BBC and The Local of Sweden on the 24th, Prime Minister Andersson announced to reporters that he would step down, saying, “I do not want to lead a government with questionable legitimacy.” He added, “I also expressed my intention to resign to the chairman of the Parliament.” Elected prime minister in a parliamentary ratification vote just hours earlier, he stepped down even before the inauguration took place. Originally, he was scheduled to begin his duties as prime minister after an official meeting with King Carl XVI of Sweden on the 26th.
This is because the budget proposal submitted by the ruling Social Democratic Party, to which Andersson belongs, failed to pass the parliament. Knowing that the demands of the far-right party, which adhere to the anti-immigrant policy, were reflected in the ruling party’s budget, the Greens expressed their opposition and cast a vote in favor of the opposition’s budget. Green Party leader Per Volund said, “We cannot tolerate a budget created with the far right.”
Sweden’s national budget is passed by a ‘majority’ vote in Parliament, not a majority. On that day, the ruling party Esan-an received 143 votes and the opposition budget bill received 154 votes. “There is a constitutional convention that the prime minister must resign if a coalition partner leaves,” Andersson said. The chairman said, “We will contact the leaders of the eight political parties to discuss how to manage the situation and then announce the results.” Prime Minister Andersson will step down this time, but has announced his will to come back to power in the general election to be held on September 11 next year. Shortly after expressing his resignation, he told the chairman, “I hope that the SPD will be nominated again as the prime minister as the head of a government that is in power alone.” The Greens also expressed their intention to “support Andersson again in the vote to elect the next prime minister, although it opposes this budget proposal.” “If the current political parties do not change their positions, Andersson will eventually become prime minister again,” The Local said.
Andersson was elected as the first female prime minister in Sweden on the 24th after 100 years of women’s suffrage in Sweden, but her political base was unstable. Sweden’s parliament has 349 seats, with 117 votes in favor and 174 against Andersen’s election as prime minister. 57 people abstained and 1 did not attend. Although there were more negative votes than positive votes, he was barely elected by one vote according to Sweden’s unique law that ‘if the opposition does not exceed a majority (175 seats), the prime minister is elected’.
CNN reported that “Andersson was unable to seize power because of the divided political landscape of the Nordic countries.” “Whoever leads Sweden in the future will face significant challenges. Violence and shootings have ravaged life in major cities, including the capital, Stockholm.
Reporter Lee Eun-taek nabi@donga.com
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