Sweden’s centre-left opposition bloc, which supports Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson’s bid for the prime ministership, took the lead in Sunday’s parliamentary election according to preliminary results released by the Swedish Election Authority, with the Social Democrats garnering 28% of the vote.
The Sweden Democrats ranked third in the preliminary tally, trailing behind Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s Moderates, which secured 19.9% of the vote compared with 17.6% for the Sweden Democrats.
According to the Swedish Election Authority’s preliminary seat distribution, the centre-left bloc captured 175 seats — just one more than the 174 seats held by the right-wing bloc in the 349-seat parliament.
The razor-thin margin has left the outcome finely balanced and could complicate negotiations over the formation of the next government.
Kristersson is seeking a second term at the helm of a minority coalition comprising his centre-right Moderate Party, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals. The alliance depends on parliamentary support from the Sweden Democrats, whose influence in Swedish politics has grown steadily in recent years.
A victory for the right-wing bloc would bring the far-right Sweden Democrats into government for the first time, should Kristersson follow through on his stated willingness to include them formally in a new coalition.
Such a result would represent a historic milestone for the party, affording it direct governmental influence after four years of lending outside support to Kristersson’s administration.
Nevertheless, the preliminary figures suggest the right may face challenges in holding onto power, while a centre-left win would likely leave Andersson grappling with potentially complicated coalition discussions of her own.
Approximately eight million people are eligible to vote in the Nordic nation of around 10.6 million. More than half have already voted in advance, underscoring Sweden’s tradition of high voter participation.
Official results are expected within a week.
