Former premier candidate Mona Sahlin, leader of Sweden's left-wing opposition that lost recent parliamentary elections, announced Sunday she was stepping down as head of her Social Democrat party.

But while the party is in crisis, the leftwing leader is going in for a soft landing. According to tabloid Expressen Mona Sahlin will receive a golden handshake worth 14 million kronor ($2 million).

Sahlin’s long political carrier now pays off in form of lucrative pension conditions. The 53-year-old politician will receive 51,000 kronor a month until she is 65. After that she will get 36,000 kronor a month the rest of her life.

The Social Democrats, still the country's single most popular party, received one of its worst scores ever in September's general elections.

Since the poor election result there had been increasing calls for Mona Sahlin to resign her position. Many other veterans in the party also face the risk of losing their positions in the upcoming special party congress scheduled for March.

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