Sweden Election Results Uncertain as Andersson’s Left-Wing Opposition Holds Slim Lead

Sweden’s general election remains too close to call, with Magdalena Andersson’s centre-left opposition coalition holding a narrow lead over Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s right-wing alliance.

Issued on: 14/09/2026 – 07:51 | Modified: 14/09/2026 – 07:55

With 90% of votes counted, Andersson’s four opposition parties secured a one-seat majority in the 349-seat parliament over Kristersson’s right-wing bloc, which includes the far-right Sweden Democrats.

“For now, we are in the lead,” Andersson told supporters Sunday evening. “If confirmed, Sweden will have a new government.”

Her Social Democratic party, which dominated Swedish politics for most of the 20th century, is on track for its poorest performance in over a century, securing 28% of the vote.

Kristersson stated he would respect Andersson’s attempts to form a government with the other three left-wing parties should the current results hold.

A final result is not expected before Wednesday, as municipal authorities begin counting late-arriving ballots.

While the election is unlikely to alter Sweden’s pro-Western and pro-Ukraine stance, it will determine whether Kristersson’s efforts to curb migration persist.

Kristersson also shattered a longstanding political taboo by pledging to bring the far-right Sweden Democrats into the government.

The Sweden Democrats, who entered parliament in 2010, had previously backed Kristersson’s minority coalition, trading parliamentary support for policy influence.

Kristersson had promised key cabinet positions in the event of a right-wing victory, though the Sweden Democrats appear to have lost support, securing just 17.6% of the vote compared to 20.5% in 2022.

“We don’t yet have the full result, but it is obvious we have lost a few percentage points compared to four years ago,” party leader Jimmie Akesson told an election night gathering.

However, he noted that it was a success that supporters were no longer afraid to publicly show their support for the party. The Sweden Democrats acknowledged they were founded in the 1980s partly by neo-Nazis and white supremacists, though they claim to have purged such extremists from their ranks and apologized for their origins.

“There are now far more people in our country who no longer find it difficult to declare themselves as Sweden Democrats,” Akesson said.

Europe’s far-right parties would welcome any success for the Sweden Democrats, particularly following the Alternative for Germany’s victory in a German state election last week, and with an eye toward the far-right National Rally ahead of the upcoming French presidential election.

(with newswires)

Source link