Magdalena Andersson Becomes First Woman Prime Minister Of Sweden

Sweden’s parliament elected Social Democratic party leader and current Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson as the country’s first woman prime minister on Wednesday, following the time she clinched a last-minute deal securing key support.

Eva Magdalena Andersson (born 23 January 1967) is a Swedish Social Democratic politician. She shal succeed outgoing Prime Minister Stefan Lofven after a total of 117 members of parliament voted for her, while 57 abstained, 174 voted against and one was absent. 

Under Sweden’s system, a prime ministerial candidate does not necessarily need the support of a majority in parliament, they just need to not have a majority or 175 votes against them.

The 54-year-old took over as leader of the Social Democrats earlier this month and has also reached a deal with the Left Party late on Tuesday to raise pensions in exchange for its backing in Wednesday’s vote.

She had previously received the support of the Social Democrats’ coalition partner the Greens, as well as the Centre Party. Although, Andersson faced her first setback even before her election on Wednesday.

The Centre Party declared that while it would not oppose Andersson in the vote for prime minister, it would withdraw its support for the government’s budget to be voted on later Wednesday, due to the concessions made to the Left.

Andersson will most probably have to govern with a budget presented by the opposition conservative Moderates, Christian Democrats and far-right Sweden Democrats. Andersson will formally take over her functions and present her government on Friday.

During her high school years, Andersson studied social sciences at the Cathedral School in Uppsala. She graduated in 1987 with top grades in all but one class.

After graduating from high school, she moved to Stockholm to study at the Stockholm School of Economics, where she graduated in 1992 with a master’s degree in economics.

She then worked as a doctoral student in economics at the Stockholm School of Economics in the years 1992–1995 but ended her studies in advance. In the autumn of 1994, she studied at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Vienna. In the spring of 1995, she studied at Harvard University.

Magdalena Andersson joined Social Democratic Youth League (SSU) in 1983, during her first year of secondary school. In 1987, she was elected president of the Uppsala section of SSU.

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