hungparliament

A hung parliament is a situation in which no single political party wins an absolute majority of seats in the legislature after an election. In such cases, the party with the most seats may attempt to form a government, but it must secure confidence from other parties or independents to pass legislation and budgets.

Formation after a hung parliament typically involves coalition negotiations or a confidence-and-supply agreement. A party may instead govern as a minority government, relying on occasional support from other parties for key votes. The head of state or their representative usually invites the leader who appears best able to command confidence to form a government, though the exact process varies by country.

The consequences can include greater political instability and uncertainty, since governments must secure cross-party support to pass laws and budgets. This can lead to longer government formation periods, more frequent negotiations over policy priorities, and, in some cases, early elections if a coalition cannot be sustained or a budget is blocked.

Notable examples occur in multiple parliamentary democracies. The United Kingdom experienced hung parliaments in 2010, leading to a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, and again in 2017, resulting in a Conservative minority government supported by a smaller party. Australia saw a Labor minority government from 2010 to 2013 with cross-party support. Canada has also experienced several minority parliaments, where no party held a majority and governing required cross-party arrangements.