Maja Suslin | Afp | Getty Images A group of right-wing political parties secured a slim lead in Sweden’s general election, according to early results, and appear to be on course to defeat a left-wing bloc led by Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. Exit polls on Sunday initially predicted a narrow victory for Anderson’s ruling centre-left Social Democrats and their allies, although the tally has since shifted to the political right as partial results were announced throughout the evening. After about 95% of votes were counted on Monday morning, a four-party right-wing bloc, led by Ulf Kristersson’s centre-right Moderates, had a total of 175 seats, with the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats poised for its best election result. The four parties backing Anderson as prime minister, meanwhile, looked set to win 174 seats. If these results are confirmed, it means the right-wing group of parties has secured a parliamentary majority that could pave the way for the bloc to try to form a government. A final result is not expected until Wednesday at the earliest, with postal ballots and votes from citizens living abroad still to be counted. There are a total of eight parties (four on the right, four on the left) running for seats in Sweden’s 349-seat parliament, or Riksdag. Andersson became Sweden’s first female prime minister last year. Jonathan Nackstrand | Afp | Getty Images Sunday’s preliminary results show the Social Democrats secured 30.5% of the vote, confirming their position as the largest party. However, Andersson may struggle to stay in power as a result of the far-right Sweden Democrats’ significant gains. Sweden, a Scandinavian country of around 10.5 million people, has a reputation for being one of the most progressive nations in Europe and consistently ranks among the happiest nations in the world.
The rise of the right
Supporters of the Sweden Democrats cheer during the party’s election night in Nacka, near Stockholm, on September 11, 2022, after exit polls were published. Jonathan Nackstrand | Afp | Getty Images The Sweden Democrats emerged from the country’s neo-Nazi movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s and have since struggled to distance themselves from accusations of extremism. The party won representation in the Riksdag for the first time in 2010 with 5.7% of the vote. A gradual increase in national support then prompted the centre-right Moderate party to embrace cooperation with the Sweden Democrats in 2018. Kristersson’s moderates had previously ruled out negotiations with the right-wing party.
“A Tragedy in Many Acts”
Preliminary results on Sunday saw the Moderate party take 19.1% of the vote, with leader Christerson likely to be the right-wing bloc’s preferred candidate for prime minister. “We don’t know what the outcome will be,” Kristersson told his supporters, Reuters reported. “But I am ready to do everything I can to form a new, stable and dynamic government for the whole of Sweden and all its citizens.” Sony Kapoor, professor of climate and macroeconomics at the European University Institute, said on Twitter that preliminary results suggest the Sweden Democrats will become the country’s largest party on the political right and will likely be able to choose the next prime minister. “This is a tragedy in many acts,” Kapoor said.
