Sweden’s parliament elects Magdalena Andersson as first female PM

Sweden’s parliament has confirmed Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson as the country’s first female prime minister.

The 54-year-old, who took over as head of the governing Social Democrat party earlier this month, was elected as outgoing leader Stefan Lofven’s successor during a confirmation vote in parliament on Wednesday.

A total of 117 members of parliament voted for her, while 174 voted against her. Fifty-seven abstained.

Under Sweden’s system, a prime ministerial candidate does not need the support of a majority in parliament, they just need to not have a majority against them.

Andersson, who currently serves as Sweden’s finance minister, will formally take over as prime minister following a meeting with King Carl XVI Gustaf on Friday.

Despite being a nation that has long championed gender equality, Sweden has never had a woman as prime minister.

All other Nordic countries – Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland – have seen women lead their governments.

Left Party deal

Andersson’s appointment came after she clinched a last-minute deal with the Left Party on Tuesday, securing key support in exchange for a pledge to raise pensions.

“We have reached an agreement to strengthen the finances of the poorest pensioners,” Andersson told public broadcaster SVT after the agreement was announced.

Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar also confirmed the deal. “We’re not going to block Andersson,” she told Swedish Radio.

Andersson had already received the support of the Greens, the Social Democrats’ coalition partner in government.

The Centre Party had said it would not block her from taking over following Lofven’s decision to step down earlier this month and risk allowing an alternative right-wing government to emerge.

Opposition hurdle

However, Andersson was almost immediately faced with a crisis when her centre-left minority government lost a budget vote just hours after her confirmation on Wednesday.

Sweden’s parliament rejected the government’s fiscal proposals in favour of spending plans put forward by three opposition parties instead.

Andersson said before the budget vote on Wednesday that she was prepared to lead even if parliament rejected the government’s plans in favour of the opposition proposals.

“I am of the opinion that it [the opposition budget] as a whole is something I can live with,” she told reporters at a news conference.

But the Green Party had said it would consider its position in government if the finance bill did not pass.

Andersson will now face the prospect of governing on right-of-centre budget policies, at least until spring, when the government has a chance to rework policy in a fresh budget bill.

Lofven, the outgoing prime minister, accepted such a position in 2014 but said he would not do so again before he announced his plans to resign. That move was aimed at giving his successor time to prepare for the country’s September 2022 general election.