Swedish govt toppled in no-confidence vote

STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s government was toppled on Monday after Stefan Lofven became the country’s first prime minister to lose a no-confidence vote, meaning he can now either resign or trigger a snap election.

The motion of no confidence was filed on Thursday by the far right Sweden Democrats, after the Left Party, which has been propping up the government, said it was planning such a motion itself in protest against a plan to ease rent controls.

The conservative Moderate Party and the Christian Democrats were quick to back the motion, which was passed by 181 MPs in the 349-seat parliament. Critics have described the constellation as an "unholy alliance" of parties at opposite ends of the political spectrum.