Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet cited sources that the Social Democrats and Green Party had reached a deal with the Centre Party and Liberals.
A document signed by all four party leaders and seen by Dagens Nyheter reportedly said: “Our parties have different ideological starting points but are united in the principles of democracy.”
Political scientist Nicholas Aylott told The Local he believed the deal was “probably the outline of the deal that we’re going to see in the new government”.
Any deal will need to be confirmed by each party’s parliamentary group in meetings on Friday and over the weekend, before an already scheduled prime ministerial vote on Wednesday. The Social Democrats and Centre Party were holding party meetings on Friday, while the Liberals’ meeting is planned for Sunday.
TIMELINE: Everything that’s happened in Swedish politics since the elections
Photo: Magnus Hjalmarson Neideman/TT
One thing that was not clear from the initial reports is which of the four parties would make up a new government.
“I would expect it to be only Social Democrats [in the new government], but we’ll see,” said Aylott. “If I were the Green Party, I would be pretty cautious about taking on the formal responsibility of government again after a very trying period of government over the last four years. I would think that the status of an influential support party, on the same sort of level as the Centre and Liberals, would be a more comfortable position.”
“The Liberals are very divided about support for a Social Democratic government as it is, and this is going to cause a big problem for the party leader. I think a decision to go all the way into the government would be a step too far for that party,” explained Aylott.
“For the Centre, Annie Lööf some years ago did promise to eat one of her shoes rather than serve in a government under Stefan Löfven. I think going into a government under Löfven would just be too difficult given the promises she’s made.”
A document published on Friday outlining the proposal stated that the proposed government would consist of the Social Democrats and the Green Party.
Sweden’s system of negative parliamentarianism means a proposed government does not technically need a single vote in its favour to pass; all that is required is that a majority does not vote against it.
Therefore, parties can allow a coalition to govern by abstaining from a vote, which is sometimes called ‘tolerating’ the government or offering ‘passive support’.
From left, Ulf Kristersson, Annie Lööf and Jan Björklund talk to Stefan Löfven. Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT