Swedish premier loses no-confidence vote

STOCKHOLM

Swedish center-left Prime Minister Stefan Lofven lost a no-confidence vote in the country’s parliament on Monday.

The no-confidence motion presented by the right-wing Sweden Democrats Party was passed as 181 parliamentarians voted in favor and 109 against. Some 51 members of the parliament abstained from voting and eight others were absent.

Following the vote, Lofven now has one week to call an early election or resign and leave the parliamentary speaker with the job of finding a new government.

Speaking at a news conference, he said: “We will talk to our partner parties and consider which path we should take. My main focus has always been and will be to do what is best for Sweden.”

His Social Democrat-Green coalition lost the backing of two small center-right parties and the Left party after plans to ease rent controls on new apartments.

Lofven has become the country’s first premier to be ousted through a no-confidence motion since 1958.