Swedish party blocs tied after Sunday vote, projections say
With 50% of the votes counted, the two main blocs were separated by only 20,000 votes, Sweden public broadvasteer SVT said.
Sweden's general election remains too close to call following Sunday's vote, with early results indicating only a 20,000-vote gap between the two main blocs, according to public broadcaster SVT. The left-wing bloc, led by Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson, held a slight edge over the right-wing coalition headed by current Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Kristersson has relied on the support of the Sweden Democrats (SD), a far-right party with neo-Nazi ties, in forming his government. However, recent partial results suggest the SD party's support has dwindled to its lowest level since entering parliament in 2010.
Sweden has a history of coalition and minority governments due to its two dominant political blocs, each comprising four parties on the left and right. The Social Democrats have been a significant force in Swedish politics since the end of World War Two, while the Sweden Democrats were once shunned for their Nazi sympathies. However, they gained popularity in 2022, emerging as the country's second-largest party by campaigning on issues such as violent crime and immigration.
On voting day, Andersson emphasized the stark choice facing the Swedish public: whether to have a government dominated completely by the Sweden Democrats for the first time in history or to support her own government, which she promised would usher in a new era of cooperation. Kristersson, in turn, stressed the importance of continuing his coalition's vital work, noting a genuine enthusiasm for his party's prospects during the election campaign.
Topics such as national security, gang crime, and welfare spending took center stage in the national debate.
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