Sweden votes in election thriller, far right eyes govt role

Sweden is holding a general election, with voters deciding between the far-right entering government for the first time or the left-wing opposition reclaiming power. The election is a tight race, with opinion polls showing a dead heat between the two main blocs.

The left-wing bloc, led by Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson, has long been credited with a comfortable lead, but the gap has narrowed in the final days of the campaign. Andersson, who became Sweden's first female prime minister in 2021-2022, voted with her husband at a school in her home municipality of Nacka, south of Stockholm.

The conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is seeking another term in office, with his chances of staying in power potentially depending on the far-right Sweden Democrats, who already support his minority government. Kristersson has said he could form a governing coalition that formally includes the Sweden Democrats, which would mark a historic breakthrough for the far right.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Local Sweden, Gulf News, Euronews — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.