Sweden’s Social Democrat leader, Magdalena Anderson, was elected Prime Minister by Parliament today and became the first woman to hold the post.
After many days of uncertain negotiations, commonplace in Swedish politics, Anderson received 117 votes today and was elected prime minister, after the Left Party agreed to support her last Tuesday night.
The 54-year-old finance minister succeeds Stephen Leven as prime minister, who has decided to step down after seven years in power as the 2022 parliamentary elections approach, which are predicted to be difficult for the Social Democrats.
Although a champion of gender equality, Sweden has never had a female prime minister to date, unlike other Nordic countries.
Under last night’s agreement between the Social Democrats and the Left Party, about 700,000 retirees will see their pensions increase by 1,000 kroner (about 100 euros) a month. Anderson also won their support for her 2022 budget, which is also expected to be difficult for parliament to adopt.
Now another challenge awaits the leader of the Social Democrats: to persuade voters to keep her party in power in the elections scheduled for September 2022.
According to opinion polls, the Social Democrats remain the strongest party in Sweden, but they hold about 25% of the vote, close to the lowest percentage ever recorded.
Their main opponent is the conservative party of the Moderates. The Moderates have approached the far-right, anti-immigration party of the Sweden Democrats (SD) and say they are ready to rule with his support in parliament.
In order to strengthen its party, Anderson has set three priorities: “regaining democratic control” of schools, the health care system and nursing homes following the wave of privatizations, making Sweden a champion of climate change and combating segregation, and the violent gang war in Sweden.
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