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Sweden’s Stefan Löfven voted back in as Prime Minister

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven has been voted back into office in a parliamentary vote, after the government was brought down by a no-confidence motion two weeks ago.

Published: 7 July 2021 15:00 CEST
Updated: 7 July 2021 16:35 CEST
Sweden's Stefan Löfven voted back in as Prime Minister
Stefan Löfven (L) returns to the PM role after spending two weeks leading a transitional government following his resignation. Photo: Christine Olsson/TT

He passed the parliamentary vote on Wednesday with 176 members of parliament either voting in favour of his return to office or abstaining from the vote.

“Parliament has put its trust in me to continue leading in Sweden. I take on this task with determination and respect,” the returning PM told media at a press conference.

The system required a majority (at least 175) to not vote against him, rather than needing a majority of ‘yes’ votes; in other words, abstentions effectively worked as votes in favour.

To reach that majority, Löfven received votes in favour from members of the governing Social Democrat and Green parties (116 votes in total) while the Centre and Left Parties (58 votes) abstained, as did one former Left Party MP who is now politically independent. In addition, one member of the Liberal Party voted against her party line and abstained from the vote.

A total of 173 MPs voted against Löfven’s reinstatement as prime minister, including the Moderates, Sweden Democrats, and most Liberal Party MPs.

The vote was called after Löfven became Sweden’s first ever prime minister to lose a vote of no confidence after the Social Democrats’ long-term ally the Left Party (which was opposed to suggested changes to Swedish rental laws) sided with the right-wing opposition to topple the government. Löfven opted to resign rather than call a snap election, citing the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic as a reason to avoid prolonged political uncertainty.

This meant a round of talks between party leaders, aimed at forming a government backed by a parliamentary majority.

Ulf Kristersson, the leader of Sweden’s main opposition party the Moderates, then abandoned his own bid to form a government after realising he didn’t have the votes. Even though the no-confidence vote had been passed by a majority of parliament, the Left Party still prefers to back a left-of-centre government, but Kristersson was critical of Löfven’s return.

“We are getting a historically weak government which has so little agreement on policy [with the parties whose support is needed] that they cannot even put forward a common budget,” he said after the vote. 

On Friday, Löfven will announce the members of his new government, though no major changes are expected from the previous line-up.

But despite being voted back in, Löfven doesn’t have an easy path ahead, with the next general election scheduled for September 2022.

Before then, one of his most significant tasks will be passing this year’s autumn budget. He has not yet secured parliamentary support for this, with the Centre Party refusing to collaborate with the Left Party and both parties’ support likely needed for a majority.

We will be discussing Sweden’s new (ish) prime minister in the next episode of our Sweden in Focus podcast on Saturday. Click HERE to listen.

More on the government crisis:

Member comments

  2. What a shame. Sweden was given a brief chance to implement change – yet returned to the status quo. Unbelievable.
    I guess the politicians don’t want to risk an election and possibly losing their highly-paid seat and pensions.

    It’s time for an election and a new government.

    1. Maybe I’m a cynic but I think you’re right. Sadly I also believe that the status quo is also a likely democratic outcome at the next election. It’s how the Swedish people are and whilst many voices dissent from the left orientated masses there is now a sizeable number of new voters beholding to the left who balance the dissent.

      1. Hi PCSWE,

        Thanks for getting back to me. Good points.

        I think the left is very established, and the leftist party that took down the Prime Minister and his party over the housing issue – had immediate regret when she realised that she might not get elected again. Better to crumble, go back to the table, and allow the old guy to continue as PM than to risk an election where some of her party might lose their seats. Pure self serving.

        I agree that the new voters tend to be strong leftists. Which is bizarre given that so many came from countries ruined by leftist governments and leftist policies. It shows something about their true intentions though. Of course, it isn’t all, but many.

        Sad. As Sweden won’t be Sweden soon. I give Sweden ten years – max. Then it will be something completely different. Better or worse – you tell me.

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POLITICS

‘Very little debate’ on consequences of Sweden’s crime and migration clampdown

Sweden’s political leaders are putting the population’s well-being at risk by moving the country in a more authoritarian direction, according to a recent report.

Published: 29 April 2024 08:56 CEST
'Very little debate' on consequences of Sweden's crime and migration clampdown

The Liberties Rule of Law report shows Sweden backsliding across more areas than any other of the 19 European Union member states monitored, fuelling concerns that the country risks breaching its international human rights obligations, the report says.

“We’ve seen this regression in other countries for a number of years, such as Poland and Hungary, but now we see it also in countries like Sweden,” says John Stauffer, legal director of the human rights organisation Civil Rights Defenders, which co-authored the Swedish section of the report.

The report, compiled by independent civil liberties groups, examines six common challenges facing European Union member states.

Sweden is shown to be regressing in five of these areas: the justice system, media environment, checks and balances, enabling framework for civil society and systemic human rights issues.

The only area where Sweden has not regressed since 2022 is in its anti-corruption framework, where there has been no movement in either a positive or negative direction.

Source: Liberties Rule of Law report

As politicians scramble to combat an escalation in gang crime, laws are being rushed through with too little consideration for basic rights, according to Civil Rights Defenders.

Stauffer cites Sweden’s new stop-and-search zones as a case in point. From April 25th, police in Sweden can temporarily declare any area a “security zone” if there is deemed to be a risk of shootings or explosive attacks stemming from gang conflicts.

Once an area has received this designation, police will be able to search people and cars in the area without any concrete suspicion.

“This is definitely a piece of legislation where we see that it’s problematic from a human rights perspective,” says Stauffer, adding that it “will result in ethnic profiling and discrimination”.

Civil Rights Defenders sought to prevent the new law and will try to challenge it in the courts once it comes into force, Stauffer tells The Local in an interview for the Sweden in Focus Extra podcast. 

He also notes that victims of racial discrimination at the hands of the Swedish authorities had very little chance of getting a fair hearing as actions by the police or judiciary are “not even covered by the Discrimination Act”.

READ ALSO: ‘Civil rights groups in Sweden can fight this government’s repressive proposals’

Stauffer also expresses concerns that an ongoing migration clampdown risks splitting Sweden into a sort of A and B team, where “the government limits access to rights based on your legal basis for being in the country”.

The report says the government’s migration policies take a “divisive ‘us vs them’ approach, which threatens to increase rather than reduce existing social inequalities and exclude certain groups from becoming part of society”.

Proposals such as the introduction of a requirement for civil servants to report undocumented migrants to the authorities would increase societal mistrust and ultimately weaken the rule of law in Sweden, the report says.

The lack of opposition to the kind of surveillance measures that might previously have sparked an outcry is a major concern, says Stauffer.

Politicians’ consistent depiction of Sweden as a country in crisis “affects the public and creates support for these harsh measures”, says Stauffer. “And there is very little talk and debate about the negative consequences.”

Hear John Stauffer from Civil Rights Defender discuss the Liberties Rule of Law report in the The Local’s Sweden in Focus Extra podcast for Membership+ subscribers.

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