Sweden's ousted PM gets feelers to form government again

Sweden's ousted Prime Minister Stefan Lofven is being asked to acquire support for a government. Swedish parliament speaker Andreas Norlen said on Thursday that he asked Lofven to rally support for a government.

The move came after the leader of Sweden's largest right-wing opposition party, Ulf Kristersson, announced earlier that he was giving up on trying to secure a majority of his own.

"The parliamentary conditions to form a new right-wing government are simply not there," Moderate Party leader Kristersson told a press conference Thursday morning.

As the leader of the largest party, Kristersson was tapped by Norlen on Tuesday.

After Kristersson conceded, Norlen said he had telephoned Lofven "and given him the mission to probe the conditions to form a government that can be tolerated by parliament".

That means Lofven could potentially see a quick return to power after announcing his resignation on Monday. 
"My message remains that the Social Democrats and I are ready to shoulder the responsibility of leading the country forward together with other constructive forces," Lofven said in a social media post.

Unholy alliance

An "unholy alliance" of parties, from the Left Party to the far-right Sweden Democrats, teamed up to oust Lofven on June 21.

The confidence motion was filed by the Sweden Democrats after the Left Party, which had previously propped up Lofven's government, said it was planning such a motion itself in a row over housing policy.

The Left Party had been unhappy with a plan to ease rent controls for newly-built homes, a policy which proponents argue is a step towards reforming Sweden's dysfunctional housing market.

Lofven had agreed to the policy to secure the support of two other centre-left parties for his government, as part of a drawn-out struggle to find a workable coalition following inconclusive elections in 2018.

But the Left Party and other critics see any easing of the rent controls as fundamentally at odds with the Swedish social model, and a threat to tenants' rights.

(With inputs from agencies)