• Sweden's opposition leader survives scandal 

Bloomberg said that Swedish Social Democratic leader Håkan Juholt resigned 10 months into the job as support tumbled after he had to repay a housing allowance and sparked internal party criticism for not raising unemployment benefits in a shadow budget.

“I have made mistakes as party chairman,” he said at a press conference. “I don’t want to stand in the way for the fresh start that the Social Democrats and Sweden need.”

Juholt, 49, a former journalist, had failed to revive his party or satisfy its activists after he took over as leader from Mona Sahlin, who quit following a rout in September 2010 elections.