Persson verliest Zweedse verkiezingen (en)

The centre-right opposition alliance headed by Moderate Party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt won the general election in Sweden on Sunday (17 September), ending 12 years of Social Democrat rule mostly under Goran Persson.

Mr Reinfeldt, 41, and his partners in the People's Liberal Party, the Centre Party and the Christian Democrats won the election with a small majority on promises to cut taxes and trim back the welfare state to boost jobs.

Mr Reinfeldt favours a NATO entry - something not supported by all in his coalition - and also wants Sweden more involved in the EU but has no plans to hold a referendum on the euro currency in the next four years.

Sweden, with just over nine million people, rejected adopting the euro in a 2003 referendum.

The Alliance for Sweden, as the new government coalition is called, is set to have 178 seats in the 349-seat parliament - a slim majority of 7 seats.

"Make sure you party tonight, tomorrow we wake up to a new Sweden," Mr Reinfeldt told his euphoric crowd, according to Danish daily Dagens Nyheter. The soon-to-be prime minister will present his new government in two weeks on 6 October.

Goran Persson retires

Mr Persson was until yesterday one of the longest governing leaders among his EU peers after ten years on the post.

After the election results became clear, he told a groups of supporters he will step down as the leader of the Swedish social democrats.

"We have lost the election, but we are not a defeated party. Now we are aiming for a comeback, but it is not a comeback I will lead," he said according to Reuters.

Many Swedes believe in the principle of a tightly woven social safety net but have got Persson fatigue and say the system conceived by the social democrats needs reform.

Top officials in the social democrat party are aware of the importance of choosing a new leader carefully and there are many calls for a female to take over the leadership post.

"Since most of the social democrat party's electorate are women, it is only natural that it will be a female successor," said Swedish left MEP Ingrid Segelstrom according to newspaper Berlingske Tidende.

She said on Monday that she favours EU communication commissioner Margot Wallstrom or Wanja Lundby Wedin, leader of the biggest labour union, for the leadership post.