Stockholm, Sept. 21 (SANA)Sweden’s opposition parties secured a narrow 176-173 parliamentary majority in the general election, but differences over cabinet participation are complicating Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson’s efforts to form a government after Prime MinisterUlf Kristerssonresigned.Sweden’s Election Authority formally established the result on Sept. 19, confirming that the Social Democrats remained the largest party with 99 seats, followed by the Moderates with 70 and theSweden Democratswith 62.Speaker Andreas Norlén gave Andersson the first exploratory mandate on Sept. 18 to determine whether she can form a government that can be tolerated by the 349-seat Riksdag.Her negotiations face conflicting demands from the Centre and Left parties, whose seats are part of the 176-seat majority. The Left Party says it will vote for a government only if it is represented in it, while the Centre Party says it cannot serve in a government with the Left.Narrow parliamentary majorityThe final result gives the Social Democrats, Left Party, Centre Party and Greens a combined 176 seats, compared with 173 for the Moderates, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals.The Social Democrats won 99 seats, the Left Party 30, the Centre Party 25 and the Greens 22. On the other side, the Moderates secured 70 seats, the Sweden Democrats 62, the Christian Democrats 22 and the Liberals 19.A total of 6,834,413 people voted in the election, putting turnout at 84.9 percent, according to the Election Authority.Andersson receives first exploratory mandateKristersson requested to be relieved of office following the election result, prompting the speaker to begin the process of preparing a proposal for a new prime minister.After consultations with representatives of the parliamentary parties and the deputy speakers, Norlén tasked Andersson with exploring the possibilities of forming a government that can be tolerated by parliament.Andersson is to report the outcome of her exploratory talks to the speaker of the newly elected Riksdag, who will then determine how the government-formation process will proceed.Andersson, who served as Sweden’s first female prime minister in 2021-2022, has called for broad cooperation as the negotiations get under way.Centre and Left divided over government participationA central issue in the talks is the disagreement between the Centre and Left parties over participation in a potential government.Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar has said her party will vote for a government only if it is represented in it. She has also expressed support for government negotiations involving the Social Democrats, Left Party, Centre Party and Greens.Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist, however, has said her party cannot serve in a government with the Left. The Centre has said it could participate in a government with the Social Democrats and Greens and has called for a government anchored in the political centre.The Centre has also ruled out supporting a government dependent on the Sweden Democrats, while Sweden Democrat leaderJimmie Åkessonhas maintained his party’s demand for ministerial posts in any future government it supports.The differing positions mean the 176-seat parliamentary majority does not by itself determine the composition of Sweden’s next government.Government formation processUnder Sweden’s parliamentary system, the speaker consults the parties before proposing a candidate for prime minister.A candidate does not need an absolute majority voting in favor. The proposal is approved unless more than half of the Riksdag’s 349 members vote against it.The newly elected Riksdag will meet on Sept. 28 for a roll-call and to elect a speaker and three deputy speakers. The 2026/27 parliamentary session formally opens on Sept. 29.Government formation has taken several weeks following previous Swedish elections. The process lasted 37 days after the 2022 election and 134 days following the 2018 vote.Social Democrats remain largest partyThe Social Democrats remained Sweden’s largest party, while the Sweden Democrats finished third behind the Moderates.The Sweden Democrats supported Kristersson’s outgoing government from outside the cabinet during the previous parliamentary term. The government formed after the 2022 election comprised the Moderates, Christian Democrats and Liberals, with the Sweden Democrats providing parliamentary support under the Tidö Agreement.With the final election result established and Andersson holding the first exploratory mandate, attention now turns to negotiations among the parliamentary parties and the next stages of Sweden’s government-formation process.