Sweden’s govt talks face new hurdle over Left Party’s cabinet demand

Sweden’s efforts to form a new government have become more complicated after the Centre Party set a deadline for the Left Party to drop its demand for ministerial positions.

The dispute comes as the Centre Party considers possible cooperation with both the centre-left and centre-right blocs following the September 13 general election.

The Left Party, led by Nooshi Dadgostar, called a press conference on Thursday and urged the Centre Party to make clear which side it intends to support. Dadgostar said her party was not ready for further talks with the centre-left until the Centre Party made its choice.

Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson is seeking to form a government with the Centre Party and the Green Party, without including the Left Party. The Centre Party has described the proposal as interesting.

Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist is holding talks with both Andersson and Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson. She has asked both sides to present their full proposals by Friday at the latest.

Dadgostar said the Left Party would be ready to continue discussions if the Centre Party agreed to work with Andersson. However, she made clear that her party would not withdraw its demand for ministerial positions.

In a post on X, Ringqvist called on the Left Party to drop its demand and return to negotiations. She said Dadgostar needed to decide whether she wanted ministerial posts or real influence over government policy before Andersson presented her proposal at 5pm on Friday.

Dadgostar said talks among the centre-left parties had already been under way when Ringqvist announced last Friday that she was also discussing cooperation with the political right. She said the announcement had come as a surprise.

The Left Party has warned that if the Centre Party joins a government led by the right, that government would depend on support from the Sweden Democrats, a party with far-right roots.

Left Party deputy leader Ida Gabrielsson also rejected the idea of supporting Andersson as prime minister while remaining outside the government, saying her party did not want to follow the Sweden Democrats’ approach.

Meanwhile, Kristersson has been given a mandate by Parliament Speaker Andreas Norlén to explore the possibilities of forming a government. He is due to report back next Tuesday. To secure enough support to become prime minister, he would need the Centre Party’s backing.

The centre-left parties won 176 seats in the 349-member Riksdag in the September election, compared with 173 seats for the right-wing bloc. Despite the narrow difference, neither side has yet secured the support needed to form a government, leaving Sweden’s political future uncertain.