Sweden: newly appointed, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson resigns

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The Swedish Prime Minister, the Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson, presented her resignation this Wednesday, November 24, just a few hours after being elected. His resignation was caused by the departure of the Green Party from the government coalition, plunging the country into political uncertainty. The Speaker of Parliament will now decide the next step in the search for a new government, but he will most likely put Andersson to a new vote in the coming days.

Magdalena Andersson lasted less than 12 hours as Prime Minister of Sweden. Parliament elected the Social Democrat on Wednesday, November 24, to replace Stefan Löfven, who left the post a few weeks ago.

However, the one who was the first woman to hold that position in the country, resigned a few hours later after the Green Party left its coalition.

“According to constitutional practice, a coalition government must resign when a party leaves. I do not want to lead a government whose legitimacy is questioned. That is why I have resigned,” Andersson told a news conference.

Sweden, a longtime advocate for gender equality, is 40 years behind its neighbor Norway in appointing a prime minister. © Erik Simander / Reuters

The president of Parliament, Andreas Norlén, has already reported that he had accepted the resignation, and on Thursday he will explain how the process continues after meeting with political leaders. The likely scenario is that he submits Andersson to a new vote in the next few days, in which the Social Democratic leader is likely to be elected, since she maintains the same support.

In fact, Magdalena Andersson already declared that she had communicated to the President of Parliament that she hoped to be appointed prime minister again, but “at the head of a one-party government.”

A hypothetical new vote in which Andersson would win again

Andersson’s chances of being re-elected are good. The Green Party assured that it would support her in any new vote in Parliament, the Left Party also gave its support and the Center Party promised to abstain, which in practice amounts to backing her candidacy: “The Center Party will open the door (to Andersson) to be prime minister, “said its leader, Annie Loof, on Twitter.




Andersson’s resignation came due to the abandonment of the Green Party from the coalition, which justified its decision by the fact that the parliamentary majority had forced the Red-Green Executive to govern with the opposition budgets.

Indeed, the Social Democratic leader suffered a first blow when her budget proposals received fewer votes than the alternative motion of the Conservatives, Christian Democrats and the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD).

“Sweden can do better”

The current 54-year-old Finance Minister succeeded – for a short moment – Prime Minister Stefan Löfven just 10 months before the legislative elections scheduled for September 2022. Andersson’s rise to power was triggered by the unexpected resignation from his predecessor, who announced in August that he would step down from all positions to ease the situation for his successor.

Sweden will hold a national election in September 2022 with the center-left and center-right blocs especially tied.

Sweden will hold a national election in September 2022 with the center-left and center-right blocs especially tied. © Adam Ihse / Reuters

But although Andersson worked alongside Löfven for many years, he comes from a very different background. He first made his name on the water, twice winning gold at the Swedish national youth championships.

Later, in political circles, she earned a reputation for being blunt and blunt. “She has a bit of an Angela Merkel way of arguing. She ends up winning the argument because no one else can answer because she masters all the details,” said Anders Lindberg, political editor of the daily ‘Aftonbladet’.

Considered highly competent in her role as finance minister for seven years, Andersson is known for her motto “Sweden can do better.”

Despite advocating for equality, Sweden had to wait until 2021 to have the first woman as prime minister, 100 years after Swedish women won the right to vote.

With AFP, Reuters and EFE

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source https://pledgetimes.com/sweden-newly-appointed-prime-minister-magdalena-andersson-resigns/