Sweden has elected its first female prime minister, technically for the second time.
Magdalena Andersson was elected as the country’s first female leader last week. But following the election, Andersson resigned only hours after being appointed, in a great shock to the nation and to the world. She resigned from her position following a coalition collapse.
Andersson is a member of the Social Democrats party. Holding a minority seating in Sweden’s parliament, the Social Democrats had formed a coalition partnership with the Green Party in hopes of passing laws with ease. However, the Green Party abandoned the coalition government last week over a lost budget vote, triggering Andersson’s decision to step down after being newly elected.
Following Andersson’s resignation, Sweden held elections again. The country made its choice clear: Magdalena Andersson will be Sweden’s Prime Minister, making her officially the first female leader of the country.
Andersson now must form a minority government that consists of just her own party, which is the Social Democrats party. The Social Democrats hold 100 seats in the parliament out of 349. Without the Green Party then, they hold the minority, and Andersson will have to rely on support from other parties in other to push through legislation.
This is the first time since 1979 since a party holding the Prime Minister seat has commanded so little direct parliament support.
Andersson’s budget proposal failed to pass parliament, which opted instead for a budget sponsored by opposition parties, including the country’s far-right party, Sweden Democrats. The Green Party walked away from the government saying that it would not accept a budget drafted by the Sweden Democrats.
In Sweden, by convention, the prime minister is expected to resign following a coalition party leaving the government. So while it was a shock that Andersson stepped down merely hours after being elected, it is actually the country’s precedent.
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