Sweden's Centre Party leader to explore forming government

​Sweden's parliament speaker said ‌on Monday ​he has asked Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist to explore the ‌grounds for forming a new government, giving her one week to meet with other parties.

Last month's election gave the centre-left ‌a narrow majority in parliament, but while all four ‌opposition parties favour Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson as prime minister, they do not agree on who should be part of a ⁠new government. Thand Ringqvist ​will now ⁠explore a centrist alternative, Riksdag Speaker Andreas Norlen told a press ⁠conference, while adding that it was not clear who would become ​prime minister if the talks succeed.

"Different government options are ⁠also under discussion, though none appears to be making any clear progress, ⁠as ​far as I can tell," Norlen said. Lawmakers on Thursday rejected Andersson's bid to form a minority cabinet, as ⁠widely expected, in the first of up to four votes ⁠before a ⁠fresh election must be called. Sweden last held a new early election in 1958.