Swedish Prime Minister Lofven loses no-confidence vote

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has lost a no-confidence motion in his government, with 181 lawmakers voting against him in the 349-seat parliament in Stockholm on Monday.

The motion had been called after the Left Party recently withdrew its support for Lofven's fragile minority government due to a clash over proposed reforms to Sweden's rental market.

With Lofven's coalition in turmoil, last week the right-wing Sweden Democrats used the opportunity to demand a no-confidence vote in the Riksdag, Sweden's parliament.

Other opposition parties quickly lined up against Lofven, who has led the Scandinavian country for seven years. His last-ditch negotiations held at the weekend to find a compromise with the Left failed.

Lofven now has two choices: he either resigns along with his government or calls new elections within a week.

The next scheduled general election is in September 2022.

Consultations

After his defeat in parliament, Lofven told a press conference he would consult with other parties on the way forward.

He also used the opportunity to blast the Left Party for making common cause with the right-wing Sweden Democrats to get him ousted.

Lofven defended his position on the rent reforms as a middle ground that bridged the differences among the various parties.