After the longest political standoff in the country’s history, Sweden finally has a government. As of Friday, January 18, 2019 — four months after the general election — Social Democrat leader <person>Stefan Löfven</person> won parliament’s support to head a new centre-left minority government. This will be <person>Löfven</person>’s second four-year term as prime minister, piecing together a coalition unified in part by a determination to keep the nationalist party, the Sweden Democrats, from power. 
“All around the world we are seeing how right-wing extremism is gaining influence,” <person>Löfven</person> said after winning the vote. “An increasing number of governments are becoming dependent on parties with an anti-democratic agenda, but in Sweden we stand up for democracy, for equality. Sweden has chosen a different path.” The new government is from the outset one of Sweden’s weakest in recent history. The coalition will only comprise the Social Democrats and the Green Party; the Center Party and the Liberals are breaking away from their traditional partners in the center-right Alliance to join Löfven but will provide the parliamentary support the prime minister needs to stay in power. The Left Party has agreed not to topple Löfven — at least not for now. 
The slow government formation has made Swedes’ loose confidence in politicians. According to one survey, 65 percent state that they have reduced confidence in politicians in general since the election.