Swedish PM Lofven loses historic no-confidence vote

Premier was defeated after nearly seven years in power over a plan to ease rent controls for new-build apartments.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has lost a no-confidence vote, 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 Monday’s vote in Parliament after the Left Party withdrew support for the centre-left government over a plan to ease rent controls for new-build apartments. Sweden is in the midst of a housing crisis and real estate prices are skyrocketing in the country.