Magdalena Andersson: “It Will Be Difficult to Form a Government Without the Centre Party”

Magdalena Andersson is leaving Sweden's traditional political sides open as the 2026 election approaches. The Social Democratic leader says she wants to lead the country toward a broader form of cooperation, rather than commit in advance to either the left or the right.

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I want to lead Sweden in a new direction of cooperation and am prepared to cooperate with several different parties.

Her comments followed a weekend of public disagreements among the parties in the governing Tidö cooperation. Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson questioned whether Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch could be trusted and demanded that she reject any invitation to help Andersson become prime minister.

Andersson responded by accusing Åkesson of seeking “total submission” from the other Tidö party leaders. She said his demand would apply regardless of the election result and regardless of what was best for Sweden and its people.

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What Jimmie Åkesson has said over the weekend is that he is effectively demanding total submission from the other Tidö party leaders.

At the same time, Andersson faces pressure from the left. Jonas Sjöstedt, a former Left Party leader and current member of the European Parliament, said he was seriously concerned that the Social Democrats might seek to form a government with the Centre Party and the Christian Democrats.

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It will be difficult to form a government without the Centre Party being involved in one way or another.

Andersson told Dagens Nyheter that she was prepared to cooperate broadly. She said she would probably need to work with several parties and that forming a government without the Centre Party being involved “in one way or another” would be difficult. On the Left Party, she said its role would depend on whether it chose to act constructively after the election. She also pointed to previous cooperation with the party, including higher guarantee pensions and increased resources for schools, healthcare and elderly care.

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I am seriously concerned that they see it as a main alternative.