Sweden elects its first female leader – for the second time in a week
Last week, Magdalena Andersson became Sweden’s first female prime minister – for a full seven hours. Less than a week later, the country’s parliament has re-elected her to the post, hoping that she will be able to stay a little longer this time.
Andersson, 54, was only elected on Wednesday, but resigned after her budget was rejected by the Riksdag and her coalition collapsed. After days of negotiations, she gathered enough support to return to the top job on Monday, this time without the minority party beating her down.
Her appointment as prime minister, who leads a one-party government, went by only two margins, and she is expected to name her cabinet on Tuesday.
With only 100 of 349 seats in the Riksdag, Andersson’s party, the Social Democrats, will need to be formed. coalitions to adopt major legislation. She will be the first prime minister in fifteen years to rule with a single party, and will have to rule under a budget adopted by the opposition hours after her proposal was rejected.
Andersson’s precarious position reflected the country’s growing division and a fragmented political landscape where it has become increasingly difficult to maintain a stable government. The narrow margin for Ms Andersson’s confirmation can predict the challenges she faces when addressing issues such as climate change, welfare and crime.
“Someone must be prime minister in this country, and it seems that there is no other alternative,” Andersson said in response to questions about governing under an opposition budget, Dagens Nyheter reported on Monday.
At a press conference after the vote, Andersson, who has been Sweden’s Minister of Finance since 2014, said that she is “prepared to do what is necessary to bring Sweden forward” until an election expected next September.
Andersson succeeded the former Prime Minister Stefan Lofven as leader of the Social Democrats after a no-confidence vote against him in June.
Ulf Bjereld, political scientist at the University of Gothenburg, said that Andersson had a reputation for being on the right. “They are often finance ministers,” he said. “It’s part of the job description.”
But during the pandemic, he said, her conservative positions were softened and she expressed more openness to borrow money to finance green investments in industry and to regain control of the welfare sector from the private sector.
Sweden was once praised for admitting more refugees per capita than any other European nation. But its image has changed in the last decade, as an increasing number of migrants in the country led to a backlash from right-wing extremist populists. This has led to increasing demands for stricter policies for receiving asylum seekers.
Despite the political unrest that preceded her confirmation, the election of Andersson is a milestone for Sweden, which has a reputation for being one of the most progressive countries when it comes to gender equality.
Sweden reported the highest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in EU countries by 2020, according to data from Eurostat this year, but it is the first time the country has elected a woman to its top leadership position.
Margot Wallström, a former Swedish foreign minister, said that Andersson’s confirmation will help young women realize that “it is also possible to reach the highest political post.”
Ms. In 2014, Wallström introduced what she called a “feminist foreign policy”, which put gender equality at the center of Sweden’s international relations. “More women means more peace,” she said.
Sweden was ranked on the top of a survey of the “best countries for women” published by US News & World Report, and fifth in a recent survey of “Gender Equality” by the World Economic Forum.
Christina Andersson reported from Stockholm.