The third cabinet of Stefan Löfven (Swedish: regeringen Löfven III) was the government of Sweden during 9 July 2021 to 30 November 2021. It was a coalition, consisting of two parties: the Social Democrats and the Green Party. The cabinet was installed on 9 July 2021, during a formal government meeting with King Carl XVI Gustaf.[2] The government was the result of the aftermath of the 2021 government crisis, which saw Löfven's government removed from power in a vote of no-confidence over proposed reforms to liberalise the rent control system.

Stefan Löfven's third cabinet

55th Cabinet of Sweden
Date formed9 July 2021
Date dissolved30 November 2021
People and organisations
Head of stateCarl XVI Gustaf
Head of governmentStefan Löfven
Deputy head of governmentPer Bolund (de jure)
Morgan Johansson (de facto)[1]
No. of ministers22
Member partySocial Democrats
Green Party
Status in legislatureCentre-left coalition minority government
with passive support from the Centre Party and Left Party
Opposition partyModerate Party
Sweden Democrats
Christian Democrats
Liberals
Opposition leaderUlf Kristersson
History
Election2018 election
PredecessorLöfven II cabinet
SuccessorAndersson cabinet

With only 116 out of 349 seats (33%) in the Riksdag (Swedish parliament), the "red-green" coalition remained as one of the smallest minority governments in Swedish history, and it relied on support from other parties in the Riksdag.

The cabinet was a caretaker government since 10 November 2021 when Löfven asked to be dismissed as Prime Minister. Magdalena Andersson was appointed prime minister in his place on 24 November 2021 but resigned the same day after the Green Party withdrew its support for the government after the failure of the proposed budget and the passage of a different budget by right-wing parties.[3]

Formation

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On 21 June 2021, Stefan Löfven lost a vote of no-confidence in the Riksdag, which led to a government crisis.[4] The vote was conducted following a motion from the Sweden Democrats, prompted by the Left Party's criticism of the government's housing policy. According to the constitution, the Prime Minister was given a week to either resign or call a snap election. On 28 June 2021, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven asked the Speaker of the Riksdag Andreas Norlén to be dismissed as Prime Minister, which led to the government being considered to have resigned and thus became a caretaker government.[5]

Beginning on 29 June 2021, the Speaker hosted meetings, where all party leaders met the Speaker to give their views on a candidate for Prime Minister which could be supported in the Riksdag. The Speaker first gave an exploratory assignment to the Moderates's Ulf Kristersson, whomever, refrained from being voted by in the chamber, stating he would not gain enough support to form a new cabinet. Thereafter, Social Democratic Stefan Löfven, got to test his confidence. On 5 July, the Speaker presented his proposal to the Riksdag to elect Stefan Löfven as Prime Minister. The matter was tabled the same day, and again the following day, and then taken up for decision by voting in the Riksdag on 7 July.[6]

On 7 July 2021, the Riksdag voted on Stefan Löfven as Prime Minister. 116 voted yes, 60 abstained, and 173 opposed. Because of Sweden's "negative parliamentarism", this is understood as an approval as more MPs tolerated the proposal than not (176–173).

The government assumed office on 9 July 2021 after Prime Minister Löfven had first informed the Riksdag of his ministers and then during a formal government meeting, called a ’Konselj’, with HM King Carl XVI Gustaf.[7]

Policy

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During a press conference after the cabinet took office on 9 July, Prime Minister Löfven announced that he viewed the COVID-19 pandemic to have exposed both the strengths and weaknesses of Swedish society, and his cabinet should be focused on creating improvements to it. Löfven introduced four main policy areas of high importance to the government's work: employment, safety issues, climate, and welfare.[8]

A more specific policy manifesto was presented when Löfven held his declaration of government (regeringsförklaring) on the opening of the Riksdag's new working year on 14 September 2021.

Löfven's resignation

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On 22 August 2021, Stefan Löfven announced his plans on resigning as party leader for the Social Democrats, and thereafter as Sweden's Prime Minister. According to the constitution, if the Prime Minister resigns, the whole cabinet also needs to resign and becomes automatically dismissed. He is expected to step down during his party's congress in November 2021.[9] The time plan became reality, and the Löfven III Cabinet marked the shortest time in office of any Swedish government since Ola Ullsten's Cabinet, in office from October 1978 to October 1979. On 4 November 2021, Magdalena Andersson was chosen as new party leader for the Social Democrats.[10]

Stefan Löfven tendered his resignation till the Speaker on 10 November 2021. The Speaker requested Löfven's cabinet to remain as a caretaker government, stripped of some executive power, until a new prime minister has been approved by the Riksdag.[11]

Government formation talks to elect Löfven's successor started with Magdalena Andersson being tasked with forming a government on 11 November. On 16 November, Andersson asked the speaker to get a couple more days to continue negotiations with the Left Party to strike a deal to gain the party's support. Already having an agreement with the Centre Party, a settlement would de facto make Andersson prime minister. On 22 November did the Speaker announced the Riksdag would vote on Andersson on 24 November, despite there not being an agreement with the Left Party. Less than 24 hours remaining until the vote, the intended government and the Left Party finally reached a deal, promising Andersson's cabinet would increase the lower limit of the guaranteed pension for the unemployed in exchange for the Left Party's confidence and supply. On 24 November, Andersson was approved by the Riksdag to become Sweden's new prime minister but resigned just seven hours later, after the Greens left the government cooperation.[12]

Ministers

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Apart from the abolition of the post Minister for Rural Affairs, the new version of the cabinet was the same as the former Löfven II Cabinet.

The following were the cabinet members:[13]

Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Party
Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Deputy Prime Minister
not a separate minister post
Morgan Johansson (de facto)
9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Per Bolund (de jure)
9 July 202130 November 2021 Green
Minister for EU Affairs9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Ministry of Justice
Minister for Justice
Minister for Migration
9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Minister of the Interior9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Minister of Foreign Trade
Minister for Nordic Cooperation
9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Minister for International Development Cooperation9 July 202130 November 2021 Green
Ministry of Defence
Minister for Defence9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Ministry of Health and Social Affairs
Minister for Health and Social Affairs9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Minister for Social Security9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Ministry of Finance
Minister for Finance9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Minister for Financial Markets
Deputy Minister for Finance
9 July 202130 November 2021 Green
Minister for Public Administration
Minister for Consumer Affairs
9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Ministry of Education and Research
Minister for Education9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Minister for Higher Education and Research9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Ministry of the Environment
Minister for the Environment
Minister for the Climate
9 July 202130 November 2021 Green
Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation
Minister for Enterprise9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Ministry of Culture
Minister for Culture
Minister for Democracy
Minister for Sports
9 July 202130 November 2021 Green
Ministry of Employment
Minister for Employment9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Minister for Gender Equality
Minister for Housing
Minister with responsibility for anti-discrimination, anti-segregation
and urban development
9 July 202130 November 2021 Green
Ministry of Infrastructure
Minister for Infrastructure9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats
Minister for Energy
Minister for Digital Development
9 July 202130 November 2021 Social Democrats


References

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  1. ^ The prime minister has not appointed a deputy prime minister in accordance with 8 § Chapter 6 of the Instrument of Government. Thus, the de facto deputy prime minister defaults to the longest-serving member of the cabinet, Morgan Johansson. Bolund's title vice statsminister is ceremonial.
  2. ^ "Stefan Löfven (S) har valts till statsminister". Riksdagen. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  3. ^ Sweden’s first female prime minister resigns after less than 12 hours, The Guardian
  4. ^ "Historiska beslutet: Regeringen faller". Göteborgsposten. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Stefan Löfven avgår som statsminister – nya talmansrundor väntar". Sveriges Television. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Stefan Löfven (S) har valts till statsminister". Riksdagen. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  7. ^ kungahuset.se 9 July, 2021
  8. ^ "Löfven presenterar ny regering". Aftonbladet. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Stefan Löfven avgår i höst". Aftonbladet. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Magdalena Andersson vald till ny S-ledare". Expressen. 4 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Löfven har lämnat in avskedsansökan". Sveriges Television. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  12. ^ Fors, Ebba (24 November 2021). "Andersson historisk – valdes och avgick samma dag". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Sveriges nya regering". Regeringen. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.

Footnotes

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Preceded by Cabinet of Sweden
2021
Succeeded by