Second time lucky: Magdalena Andersson returns as Swedish PM
Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson was elected prime minister of Sweden on Monday for the second time in just a few days.
Andersson, 54, became the first woman ever to be elected to the post on Wednesday, but when the Greens decided to abandon its coalition government with the Social Democrats the same afternoon, she resigned.
The surprise move from the Greens was made in protest at the adoption of an alternative budget proposal drafted with the involvement of the far-right populist Sweden Democrats, which the Greens considered a red line.
The following day, speaker of the Riksdag, Sweden's parliament, Andreas Norlen nominated Andersson for another vote in which Andersson secured a simple majority of votes for a second time on Monday.
The Greens abstained alongside the Centre and the Left Parties, while all but one of the remaining opposition lawmakers voted against her, resulting in 173 no votes - 175 would have been required to prevent Andersson becoming prime minister again.
"It is clear that it is a big deal to be the subject of a prime ministerial vote," Andersson said after her election. "It felt pretty big on Wednesday, and it felt pretty big today."
Andersson added that that she saw good chances for cooperation with other parties in parliament.
The former finance minister is expected to present her all-Social Democrat Cabinet and minority government separately to both parliament and King Carl Gustaf XVI on Tuesday, after which its work can officially begin.
Until King Carl XVI Gustaf gives the new administration his blessing, Stefan Lofven will remain Sweden's prime minister.
Lofven, a fellow Social Democrat, has headed a centre-left-Green minority government for the past seven years. He submitted his resignation as prime minister on November 10, having previously handed over the party chairmanship to his long-serving finance minister.
No hard feelings
His plan was to let Andersson settle into the top role in Swedish politics ahead of next year's election.
There appeared to be no hard feelings from Andersson towards her erstwhile coalition partners. She stressed that working with the Greens over the past seven years in government had been a very good experience.
"I will miss them as a coalition partner, but I look forward to us working successfully together in the Riksdag instead," she said.
The 54-year-old's minority government will now consist exclusively of Social Democrats.
Among other things, Andersson will have to fill five ministerial posts that had been due to go to the Greens, as well as her own post as the head of the Finance Ministry.
Sweden's next parliamentary election is less than a year away, but Andersson is not planning to be caretaker prime minister until then, she made clear on Monday: "I don't see this as the start of 10 months. I see this as the start of 10 years."