It was Vänsterpartiet who took the initiative to the vote. The party had demanded that the government remove paragraph 44 from the so-called 73-paragraph-long January Agreement that Socialdemokaterna, Miljöpartiet, Centern and Liberalerna had signed.

Paragraph 44 concerns the introduction of market-rate rents for flats with right of tenancy, on all new flats. Vänsterpartiet thinks this would open the door for higher rents for everyone living in a rented flat.

But the parties that signed the January Agreement disagree. So far the government has not put forward any proposal.

Sverigedemokraterna, Vänsterpartiet, Moderaterna and Kristdemokraterna brought Lofvén down in a vote by 181 votes to 109, with 51 abstentions.

The government has decided to remain in office for another week to consider if it should call an extra election or if speaker Andreas Norlén should start discussions with all the parties (known in Swedish as ”speaker's rounds”, talmansrundor). In that case he can find out which parties might be able to co-operate in a government until the ordinary election in September 2022.

Sveriges riksdag