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Sweden’s first female PM resigns hours after being appointed as coalition collapses

MAGDALENA ANDERSSON resigned as Sweden’s first female prime minister today, just hours after she had been appointed.

The Social Democrat leader quit after her proposed budget failed to pass and her Green coalition partners resigned from the government.

She had previously said that she would not step down if her budget was rejected, but said that the actions of the Greens left her with no choice.

“There is a constitutional practice that a coalition government should resign when one party quits,” she said, adding that she would try and become prime minister in a single party administration.

Ms Andersson was elected because, although she lost the parliamentary vote, under Swedish law she only needed the parliamentary majority — a minimum of 175 — to not vote against her.

While 174 of the Riksdag’s 349 lawmakers voted against her, 117 supported her as prime minister and a further 57 MPs abstained.

But hours later she told the speaker of the house that she would resign after parliament approved an opposition budget drafted by opposition parties, including the far right.

Talks will take place to discuss the next steps. A general election is scheduled for 2022.

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