Magdalena Andersson will get another shot at becoming Sweden’s first female prime minister next week after her first government collapsed within hours.
Ms Andersson was elected by Sweden’s Parliament on Wednesday but had not even formally taken office before she resigned when the Green party backed out of her minority government.
She will seek a fresh mandate next week with only her Social Democratic Party behind her, in a vote which merely requires that there not be a parliamentary majority against her.
Parliament Speaker Andreas Norlen, who oversees the government-building process, said on Thursday that he “deeply regrets the course of events”.
“This makes politics seem unreasonable and unpredictable,” he said of Wednesday’s chaos. “This kind of behaviour risks hurting the people’s trust in parliament and politics.”
He said he would not have nominated Ms Andersson in Wednesday’s vote if he had known the Greens would withdraw from the coalition.
The environmentalists pulled out after Ms Andersson failed to pass a budget in parliament, with concessions to the Left Party proving too much for another bloc.
MPs instead adopted an alternative budget presented by the opposition Moderates, Christian Democrats and far-right Sweden Democrats.
Ms Andersson had said she could live with such a budget but the Greens said they could not tolerate a “historic budget drafted by the far right”.
That led Sweden into uncharted territory and prompted Ms Andersson to step back, leaving departing Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in power as caretaker.
Another vote in the 349-seat Swedish Parliament was scheduled for Monday. Although Ms Andersson has no majority, the parties to her right are divided because no mainstream bloc wants to work with the Sweden Democrats.
The Greens have indicated they will not oppose her, meaning it is likely there will still be no majority against Ms Andersson.
But she will face a tricky task to run a minority government if she does succeed Mr Lofven as prime minister next week.
Ms Andersson has promised to tackle gang crime, revamp the welfare state and make Sweden a leader in tackling climate change.
An election is due next year, with polls showing neither the Social Democrat-led bloc nor the conservative camp with a clear lead.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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