Social Democrats urge Swedish premier to admit loss and step down
Social Democrat secretary Tobias Baudin said Prime Minister Kristersson must concede defeat and resign if the final vote count confirms the opposition’s lead.
Tobias Baudin, the Social Democrats’ party secretary, warned that if the vote count ends with the opposition holding 176 seats and the Tidö coalition 173, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson must first phone Magdalena Andersson to admit defeat and then resign. He argued that Kristersson’s four-party coalition failed to secure a majority, so he has no right to cling to power. Moderate Party leader Karin Enström said her party will not move until the count is complete.
If Kristersson steps down, Speaker Anders Norlén can start talks to form a new government; otherwise, Kristersson could be ousted in a vote when the new parliament meets on September 29. The Centre Party has signaled it will not back a government that includes the Left Party, and the Left Party insists on ministerial participation, complicating coalition options.
Why it matters
The demand could trigger a change of government in Sweden before the new parliament convenes.
How this story developed
- Sep 2 Swedish vote narrows as ruling bloc closes gap with left ahead of Sept 13 poll
- Sep 5 The latest Novus poll shows the opposition lead narrowed to 2.6 points.
- Sep 8 Sweden's right-wing government is paying non-EU residents up to 350,000 crowns to voluntarily depart as the September election nears.
- Sep 11 Indikator poll shows the centre-left opposition narrowly ahead of the governing coalition by 3.2 points.
- Sep 12 Kristersson told supporters that a right‑wing victory would bring the Sweden Democrats into his government.
- Sep 13 The Sweden Democrats have proposed extending the cash‑for‑exit offer to Swedish citizens who would renounce their nationality.
- Sep 13 Polling stations opened at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday as voting began across the country.
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