Over three months since its general election, Sweden is still unable to form a new government - so what are their options?

So far, two candidates to lead the country have been rejected by parliament - which had never even happened once in Sweden until this autumn - leaving the country in the middle of a delicate process.

What’s changed?

Elections in September left the populist hard-right Sweden Democrats - pariahs amongst the traditional parties - in third place with 62 MPs out of 349. Their ascent and the 2015 European migration crisis have led the larger parties to get tougher on immigration. The two traditional blocs came up virtually tied, but neither one can hope to govern without brokering deals beyond the usual alliances.

The centre-left Social Democrats, though maintaining a 101-year streak as largest party, slumped to 28.3 per cent of the vote, their lowest mandate since the party’s infancy in 1908. With eight parties represented in the proportional parliament, the party political system may be balkanising.

The Constitution provides that after four failed votes on the composition of a new government, a snap election would be automatic. Centre-right Moderates Leader Ulf Kristersson and caretaker Social Democratic prime minister Stefan Löfven have both had proposals rejected by MPs.