Swedish Election Ends in Close Contest as Opposition Secures Narrow One-Seat Majority

STOCKHOLM, Sept 14: Sweden’s national election remained too close to call early Monday, with preliminary results showing the left wing opposition holding a razor thin advantage over Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s centre-right governing alliance.

With around 92 per cent of the votes counted, the Swedish Election Authority said the four opposition parties were projected to win 175 seats in the 349-member parliament, compared with 174 seats for the governing bloc.

The narrow margin means the final outcome could remain uncertain until Wednesday, when local election boards are expected to count advance ballots that were not included in the initial tally. The remaining votes include ballots cast by Swedes living abroad.

Former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, who is seeking to return to office, urged supporters to wait for the final count despite the opposition’s early lead.

“We must wait for the final election result,” Andersson told supporters, while acknowledging that her bloc was currently ahead.

Kristersson, who has served as prime minister since 2022, also indicated that the close result could open the door to different political arrangements. He said that once the final figures are available, it would be necessary to examine possible combinations for forming a government.

His centre-right coalition consists of three parties and has depended on parliamentary support from the Sweden Democrats, an anti-immigration party with far-right origins. The party was expected to receive Cabinet positions if the governing side retained power.

Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson also cautioned that it was too early to determine which political camp would form the next government. His party’s vote share declined by nearly three percentage points from its 2022 result of 20.5 per cent, causing it to drop from second to third place among Sweden’s political parties.

Earlier exit polls released by Swedish public broadcaster SVT had suggested a more comfortable advantage for the left-wing parties. The initial figures triggered celebrations at a Social Democratic election gathering, but the atmosphere became more subdued as the official count narrowed the gap.

The Social Democrats have historically been Sweden’s dominant centre-left force and have led most governments since the end of World War II. Andersson became prime minister in 2021 but lost office following the 2022 election. A return to power would require her to negotiate an agreement with other parties in the left-wing camp.

Swedish politics is broadly divided between two major blocs, each made up of four parties. As a result, the crucial question is not simply which party finishes first, but which grouping can assemble enough parliamentary support to govern.

Parties must receive at least four per cent of the national vote to secure seats in parliament.

The role of the Sweden Democrats was a major issue during the campaign, particularly amid the growing influence of populist and far-right parties in several European countries. Sweden has maintained broad political agreement on major foreign-policy issues, including support for Ukraine and the country’s decision to join NATO.

The Sweden Democrats were established in the 1980s by individuals linked to right-wing extremist organisations, including neo-Nazi groups. Under Akesson, who has led the party since 2005, the organisation sought to moderate its public image and expelled openly racist members while expanding its electoral support.

More than eight million people in Sweden, a country of around 10.6 million inhabitants, were eligible to vote in the election.