Swedish Prime Minister Announces Intention to Resign Just 3 Months After Reappointment

Resignation from Representative Position at November Party Congress

▲Stefan L?fven, Prime Minister of Sweden [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Swedish Prime Minister Stefan L?fven announced his resignation about three months after being reapproved as prime minister, plunging Swedish politics into turmoil.

According to major foreign media on the 22nd (local time), during the annual summer speech, Prime Minister L?fven informed the party's executive committee and the nomination committee chair that he would resign from the prime minister position and the leadership of the Social Democratic Party at the next party congress scheduled for November.

L?fven said, "In next year's election campaign, the Social Democratic Party will be led by someone other than me," adding, "Everything has an end, and I want to hand over the best possible environment to my successor."

Magdalena Andersson, the Minister of Finance, is strongly considered as his successor. In Sweden, a prime minister is approved as long as the parliamentary majority does not oppose the approval.

Since becoming the leader of the Social Democratic Party in 2012, L?fven led the center-left forces to electoral victories, but his achievements have received mixed evaluations. Although the Social Democratic Party, which has been a major force in Swedish politics for a significant period in the 20th century, held power after the 2018 election, it recorded its lowest vote share in 110 years at 28.3%.

Moreover, during his seven-year tenure, L?fven faced two major political crises: the refugee crisis in 2015 and the 'rent control conflict' crisis in June of this year. L?fven was once voted out of office after attempting to revise rent regulations due to housing shortages and soaring real estate prices.

Meanwhile, L?fven, 64 years old this year, is known as a self-made man in Sweden, rising from a welder with a high school education to the prime minister's office. He dreamed of entering politics while working with the Swedish Metalworkers' Union in 1995 and officially entered politics in 2007 as chairman of the Social Democratic Party's welfare policy committee. He was appointed party leader in 2012. He has served as prime minister since 2014, was re-elected in 2019, and has been in office for seven years. Although he was voted out of office by parliament in June, he was re-elected as prime minister in July.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.