GOVERNMENT CRISIS

Swedish conservatives give up on chance to form government

Former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. Photo: Reuters/file photo.
It is very likely that the leader of the Social Democrat Party Stefan Lofven will now be given the task of conducting exploratory talks.

The leader of the centre-right Moderates party in Sweden is giving up on his chance to form a new government.

Ulf Kristersson said on Thursday that he had concluded that 175 members of the parliament would vote against him, making a stable government impossible.

Kristersson had been tasked on Tuesday by parliament president Andreas Norlen with examining the likelihood that he could bring together a new coalition government.

The political turmoil was triggered when the government under Social Democrat Stefan Lofven was toppled in a vote of no confidence.

Norlen must now find a new candidate who could be accepted by the Riksdag as prime minister.

It is very likely that Lofven himself will now be given the task of conducting exploratory talks.