Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist, leader of Centerpartiet, has given up her attempt to form a centrist government in Sweden after concluding there is no parliamentary support for it.
She spoke at a press conference after spending a week examining the possibility of forming a government. Ringqvist had envisioned that Miljöpartiet, Centerpartiet, Kristdemokraterna and Liberalerna could back Socialdemokraternas Magdalena Andersson as prime minister. After talks with Swedish party leaders, she gave up.
"There is support for a centrist policy, but not a majority for a centrist government," she said.
The Swedish parliamentary speaker, the talmannen, gave her the task a week ago to "probe" the possibility of a centrist government after Sweden's election on 13 September. Ringqvist said immediately that she took on the task "humbly" and that she did not see herself as prime minister in such a government. On Monday she reported back to the speaker, and at a subsequent press conference she confirmed that her idea of a centrist government could be buried for now.
Based on reporting by DR and Berlingske.