Sweden is approaching the appointment of the first female Prime Minister
Sweden’s Minister of Finance Magdalena Andersson took a step closer to becoming her first female Prime Minister on Thursday when the ruling Social Democratic Party elected her leader. She will need the approval of a divided parliament to take over as prime minister after Stefan Lofven, who wants to step aside before national elections in September 2022.
Lofven’s minority coalition has barely survived since he came to power in 2014 and Andersson’s path to Sagerska huset, the Prime Minister’s official residence, is uncertain. She must win the backing of both the current coalition partners, the Green Party and the Left and Center Parties, based on the alliance.
Neighboring Norway got its first female leader 40 years ago. Sweden’s failure to follow has been thrown at many in a country that is proud to lead the world in gender equality and that has a self-written “feminist” foreign policy. If she is appointed, Andersson will face tough budget negotiations later this year and will have to turn around a deficit in opinion polls if she is to extend her premiere after next September.
The 54-year-old will become prime minister if a majority in parliament does not reject her in a confirmation vote, probably later this month. The support from the Center Party and the Left Party is not given. The Center Party wants changes in the rules on forestry rights and building regulations in exchange for its support. That policy is opposed by the Greens.
The left wants participation in politics while the Center Party wants them out. A vote against Andersson could lead to a quick election or to the Moderate party leader Ulf Kristersson becoming prime minister.
His center-right bloc is supported by the Sweden Democrats, a populist, anti-immigrant party the Greens, the Left and the Center Party want to prevent the form from gaining influence in government policy.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)