Ulf Kristersson does not agree that Social Democratic Party leader Magdalena Andersson has won the election.
There is no government in sight. So right now there is no real winner. The Social Democrats are not winners either; it is their worst election result in 100 years. Some red lines need to move if we are to have a government, Kristersson tells TV4.
He has not called Andersson to congratulate her.
Well, I will do that wholeheartedly the day there is a newly elected government leader, Kristersson tells SVT.
“Complicated situation”
Kristersson posted a picture of his resignation letter on social media after the Election Authority's preliminary results showed that the opposition had won a parliamentary majority with 176 seats to 173 for the Tidö parties. This means that the process of forming a new government can now begin in earnest.
I can only judge what has been said in the election campaign, and then there are rock-solid red lines. V demands to sit in a Social Democratic-led government while C demands that V should not sit in that government, so it sounds complicated. Someone will have to change, Kristersson tells SVT.
“There are also differences”
Kristersson tells SVT that it "remains to be seen" whether the cooperation between the Tidö parties will continue if they end up in opposition.
Throughout the great cleanup Sweden has had, we have found it easy to agree with each other, to be able to make budgets, and then everyone knows that there are differences too, says Kristersson.
Speaker Andreas Norlén will begin individual talks with representatives of the parliamentary parties on Friday, according to a press release. The first assignment to try to form a government is expected to go to Magdalena Andersson.
Although the Prime Minister has now resigned, he and the ministers remain in office as a caretaker government until a new government takes office.
Facts: Preliminary election results 2026
The opposition - S, V, MP and C - together collect 176 seats in the preliminary election results. The Tidö parties - M, SD, KD and L - get 173. Here are the election results in percentage and seats, in brackets, for the parliamentary parties:
Social Democrats: 28.0 percent (99)
The Moderates: 19.8 percent (70)
Sweden Democrats 17.5 percent (62)
The Left Party 8.4 percent (30)
Center 7.0 percent (25)
Christian Democrats 6.2 percent (22)
The Green Party 6.1 percent (22)
The Liberals 5.3 percent (19).
Voter turnout was preliminary at 84.8 percent, slightly higher than in 2022 when it was 84.2.
