Swedish PM Lofven ousted in parliament no-confidence vote

Swedish parliament ousted Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in a no-confidence vote on Monday, giving the Social Democrat leader a week to resign and hand the speaker the job of finding a new government, or call a snap election. The nationalist Sweden Democrats had seized the chance to call the vote after the formerly communist Left Party withdrew support for the centre-left government over a plan to ease rent controls for new-build apartments. With parliament deadlocked, it is not clear to whom the speaker could turn to form a new administration, while opinion polls suggest the center-left and center-right blocs are evenly balanced, meaning an snap election might not bring clarity.
Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson told the parliament that the government was harmful and historically weak, adding, "It should never have come into power."The no-confidence motion, which required 175 votes in the 349-seat parliament to pass, was supported by 181 lawmakers. Lofven, 63, is the first Swedish Prime Minister to be ousted by a no-confidence motion put forward by the opposition.  A new government - or a caretaker administration - would sit only until a parliamentary election scheduled for September next year.