Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson said it is time to proceed to a vote, Dagens Nyheter reported on Wednesday. His statement came as Sweden's party leaders met the speaker in a second round of talks on forming a new parliament, according to SVT Nyheter Direkt.
The talks concern the choice of speaker of the Riksdag, the Swedish parliament. Expressen reported that the Social Democrats, the Left Party and the Green Party are going against the Centre Party on that selection. SVT Nyheter also reported that the Centre Party said it is clear the Left Party is prepared to reach an agreement with the Tidö bloc.
Åkesson's call for a vote, reported by Dagens Nyheter, signals that he wants the process to move past the current round of consultations. The speaker's rounds are the formal step through which party leaders are consulted before a vote is held in the chamber.
The reports describe a parliament where the parties remain divided over the speaker's post, with the Centre Party at odds with the Social Democrats, the Left Party and the Green Party over the choice, according to Expressen. The Centre Party's assessment of the Left Party's willingness to deal with the Tidö side, reported by SVT Nyheter, adds another point of friction to the talks.
What to watch next is whether the speaker moves the process to a vote in the Riksdag, as Åkesson has urged.
