Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven Calls For Early Election Wednesday Dec 03,2014

Prime Minister Stefan Lofven made the announcement after parliament rejected the left-wing minority government's budget proposal in a vote today Wednesday Dec 03,2014 as 182 lawmakers voted against the budget in Parliament Wednesday, while only 153 voted in favor. 

Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven,2nd from right, surrounded by, from left, Minister of Education Gustav Fridolin and Deputy Prime Minister Asa Romson of the Green Party and Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats, announced that new elections will be held next year

The Social Democrat-Green Party coalition's budget was voted down after right-wing anti-immigration party Sweden Democrats decided to back the centre-right opposition.

The Swedish government has said it will be calling for new elections next year, just two months into office.

 

The government will not officially announce the re-election until December 29, as the Swedish Constitution states that a government has to have been in power for at least three months before doing so.

Speaking at an emergency press conference this afternoon, Lofven said he will call for new elections to be held on March 22 ,2015

'I have taken responsibility, I will be taking the responsibility today,' Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said, adding that he blames his predecessors in government, the centre-right Alliance coalition led by Moderate Party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt, for the re-elections.

'They [The Alliance parties] are allowing the Sweden Democrats to dictate the terms of Swedish politics.

'These are irresponsible actions by five political parties that are unprecedented in Swedish history.' 

Note

Stefan Lofven became prime minister in October as head of a coalition with the Greens, promising to reverse many reforms by the previous center-right government.

The far-right Sweden Democrats emerged as power-brokers after the September election, after being voted the country's third biggest party with 13%

From the start,Stefan Lofven's minority government — which has 138 seats in parliament — was expected to struggle to push its agenda through. With the support of the former Communist Left Party, which stands outside the Cabinet, it controls 159 seats.

The center-right opposition, made up of four parties, has 141 seats, but the 49 extra votes expected from the Sweden Democrats would be enough to topple the ruling coalition.

The centre-right opposition, seen here (L-R) is Anna Kinberg Batra, who is a hot candidate to take over leadership of the Moderate Party,  Goran Hagglund (hidden), Christian Democrats; Annie Loof, Center Party and Jan Bjorklund, Liberals, were accused of letting the far-right 'dictate the terms of Swedish politics'