What happens now?
Sweden is not without governance but positions remain locked among the blocs after the election Sept. 9.
The newly elected Speaker of Parliament Andreas Norlén leads the probations to install a new prime minister and government. It looks as if the new government will take a form such that Sweden hasn’t seen in a long time. The positions remain locked among the blocs, but a government consisting of the Moderates and the Christian Democrats collaborating on the budget with the Center Party and Liberals, at the same time tolerated by Sweden Democrats, is one possible outcome.

Another scenario could be that Stefan Löfven actually returns as prime minister, but he would then have to win over C and L.

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Meanwhile Sweden is not without governance: The former government acts in a transitional capacity and remains in place until a new government has been formed and installed.

Speaker Norlén, who was elected Sept. 25, has to find and select a new prime minister he believes can form a new government, a government that’s likely to get its first budget approved in parliament. After he presents a candidate, a vote will be held in the parliament within four days. He can submit four ministerial proposals and if all proposals are voted down, an extra election shall be held within three months.

The new budget is supposed to be submitted by Oct. 9 according to the regular schedule; for a new government the deadline will be extended to three weeks after accession, but no later than Nov. 15. In the event of a change of power, the current ministers will remain in a transitional government until the new government is installed. It will also be the transitional government that submits the budget, unless the successors are in place before Nov. 15.

The Riksdag votes for the government budget in early December.