Written by Staff Writer at CNN Stockholm, Sweden; Edited by Gemma Thomas
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In Sweden, Stefan Lofven announced Wednesday that he will step down as prime minister after he was re-elected for a fourth term. He was re-elected as head of Sweden’s center-left government, after his Social Democrats won the most seats in last week’s elections.
After announcing his resignation, Lofven said his party “will maintain the position to lead” the state.
“This is why I have stepped down,” he said. “There are many hard tasks still ahead.”
Lofven added that he will remain the country’s leader until a successor is found.
Hans-Olof Schlemmer, Swedish UNICEF Representative, has resigned. Photo: UNICEF Sweden.
Lofven’s predecessor, Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson, resigned shortly after the election on Friday, but his party won’t appoint a new leader until later this month.
Instead, the Moderate Party will focus on forming a new government without the far-right Sweden Democrats, who came second in the election with a party official telling CNN on Tuesday that “now it’s really time to work together.”
In the meantime, the Social Democrats and Greens want to talk about a minority government alliance. However, after weeks of discussions the Social Democrats are yet to receive the Green Party’s approval.
Hans-Olof Schlemmer, Sweden’s head of UNICEF, has resigned. Photo: UNICEF Sweden.
“After that it will be the Green Party that will have to recommend the formation of a government that will have to be supported by the Social Democrats and the Moderates,” Swedish People’s Party leader Jimmie Akesson told Danske Bank.
Schlemmer is regarded as a trailblazer who broke the political mould to become the first climate activist to be appointed to lead UNICEF in 2017. He announced his resignation Wednesday and will also step down from his role as president of Climate Action Network Europe.
5 things to know
1. For the first time since 2014, Iceland’s center-right Independence Party has won a parliamentary majority.
2. Czech President Milos Zeman has resigned after admitting to an affair.
3. Just five days after Syria agreed to hand over assets from the Al-Qaeda group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Moscow dismissed the plan as a ruse designed to discredit Russia and its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
4. The government of Lebanon withdrew its ambassador from Israel on Wednesday. Lebanon said the move was to express solidarity with Palestinians and “warn against the continued occupation of their territories and violation of UN resolutions.”
5. The opposition Renamo (Liberation) party expelled six members from the Mozambique government for collaboration with the Frelimo party, according to the government.
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