Sweden’s snap election more likely as Lofven gives up attempt to form govt

Sweden’s Social Democrat leader Stefan Lofven gave up an attempt to form a government on Monday, making a snap national election more likely, Reuters reported. The country has been run by a caretaker administration under Lofven after voters delivered a hung parliament on September 9 that left the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats holding the balance of power. Lofven said he had not given up entirely and was prepared to try again if the situation changed. The leader of the center-right opposition Alliance bloc, Ulf Kristersson, has already tried and failed to form a government. The group led a parliamentary vote against Lofven, but has not been able to agree on how to replace him.