Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he will resign after the final count in the country’s parliamentary election gave the left-wing opposition a narrow majority, opening the way for Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson to attempt to form a new government.
The Swedish Election Authority said the four opposition parties won 176 seats in the 349-seat Riksdag, compared with 173 for the outgoing conservative-led bloc.
About 50,000 votes separated the two sides.
Kristersson announced his decision shortly after the results were released, saying the speaker would now oversee the next stage of forming a government.
The final result, which remains subject to formal certification in the coming days, puts Andersson in position to seek a return as prime minister after four years in opposition.
Her Social Democrats emerged as the largest single party despite losing some support.
The opposition bloc also includes the Left Party, the Greens and the Centre Party, whose differences could complicate coalition negotiations.
The Centre Party has said it will not join a government that includes the Left Party, while the Left Party has insisted on receiving a cabinet post.
Andersson has ruled out including the Left Party in government but wants its parliamentary support.
The Social Democrats have invited the other opposition parties for talks, according to Dagens Nyheter.
Parliament can vote on a new prime minister on September 29 at the earliest.
Kristersson said on election night that he would respect Andersson’s effort to form a government, while Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch said divisions within the centre-left could complicate the process.
The Sweden Democrats, which supported Kristersson’s bloc, received 17.5 percent of the vote, down three percentage points from the 2022 election.
It was the party’s first decline in vote share since entering parliament in 2010, helping tip the narrow parliamentary balance toward the opposition.
The result leaves Andersson facing negotiations among parties with significant differences before a new government can take shape.