Written by Staff Writer
Stockholm, Sweden (CNN) — Sweden has elected its fourth female Prime Minister.
The Left Party’s (part of the ruling coalition) party leader, social democrat Stefan Lofven, led the 67-seat list in Wednesday’s election, while the FDP’s Jimmie Akesson — representing Sweden’s anti-immigrant right wing — was runner-up with 43 seats. The Alliance, a right-leaning coalition of five other parties, won 63 seats.
“We are witnessing a great night for Sweden,” Lofven told CNN in Stockholm shortly after his victory was announced.
“This is an historic night,” he said, adding that he and Akesson talked in election night interviews about uniting behind “a common position in order to meet the challenges facing Sweden.”
In a tweet, Akesson congratulated Lofven, calling him a “good choice” — not a surprise, since the two spoke about establishing a common agenda for their respective parties in the lead-up to the election.
Both parties will need to decide whether they will join the other six coalition partners in forming a new government — a lengthy process that will likely lead to a coalition or parliamentary crisis.