to be back at square one

[Tilmeedh]

Hi all--how might one render the phrase 'to be back at square one' in MSA and the different dialects? The phrase means '[to be l]ocated back at the start, as after a dead end or failure'[1], illustrated in the example below[2].

Attempts to form a government in Sweden were back at square one on Monday after the Centre Party, citing policy differences, said it would vote against a second term in office for Social Democrat leader Stefan Lofven.

The country has been without a government since September, when an election delivered a hung parliament that has already rejected both Lofven and the leader of the four-party, center-right Alliance as prime minister.

Thanks in advance.

[1]

back to square one - Wiktionary

[2]

Sweden stuck in political limbo as Centre snubs Lofven for PM

 

[jack_1313]

In MSA I often see نقطة الصفر, e.g. عاد الأمر إلى نقطة الصفر or مما يعيد الأمر إلى نقطة الصفر.

 

[Wadi Hanifa]

People do just say المربع الأول in MSA.

One Arabian/bedouin vernacular expression would be:

كنّك يا ابو زيد ما غزيت

 

[analeeh]

In Shami: تيتي تيتي متل ما رحتي متل ما جيتي