Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson faces resignation or confidence vote after election loss
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson says he will step down after the election, prompting the Speaker to start coalition talks, while a parliamentary vote on his continuation is scheduled for late September.
After the recent election, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson declared that he and his cabinet have lost and will resign, triggering the Speaker of the Riksdag to begin coalition negotiations with party leaders. Once the Riksdag selects a new Speaker, that official will submit a proposal for a prime-ministerial candidate, which the parliament will vote on after it reconvenes on 28 September. Should Kristersson choose to stay in office, a mandatory confidence vote can occur as early as 29 September, the day after the new Speaker is chosen.
He has pledged a government role for the Sweden Democrats if the Tidö parties win, which would normally require his resignation and a fresh vote. If more than half of the 349 members reject the candidate, the Speaker must propose another nominee, and abstentions count as acceptance.
Why it matters
The outcome will determine Sweden's next government and its policy direction after the election.
In this story
