STOCKHOLM: Outgoing Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on Monday said he had failed to form a government, marking the second unsuccessful bid to build a coalition after last month's election left a hung parliament.
Neither of the main centre-left or centre-right blocs won a majority in the September 9 election after a far-right, anti-immigration party gained ground, leaving the country in political deadlock.
"The conditions are not right now for me to form a government," Lofven told reporters after his Social Democrats party spent two weeks in talks with other parties.
A caretaker government under Lofven continues to run the country but the lack of progress in coalition talks makes a snap election more likely.
The leader of Sweden's centre-right Moderates party Ulf Kristersson also failed to form a coalition earlier this month.
"My role is going to be more active," said Parliament speaker Andreas Norlen, who has four chances of tasking a candidate to form a government that parliament will accept.
If all four attempts fail then Sweden will head to another election.
"That would be a major failure," said Norlen.
Fresh talks to find a new candidate to lead the country are due to start on Tuesday.