Left on brink of victory in Swedish election
Defeat looms for Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and his allies on the far right.
The Social Democratic party in Sweden, led by Magdalena Andersson, appears poised to form the next government following their recent election victory. With 99.9% of the results declared, Andersson's four-party coalition leads over the right and far-right alliance headed by Ulf Kristersson by three seats in the 349-seat parliament.
The Swedish Election Authority aims to confirm the preliminary result on Thursday. This election stands out as one of the closest in recent Swedish history, presenting voters with a critical choice between electing a new left-wing government or permitting far-right ministers into power for the first time. The left-wing bloc, which includes the Greens, the Center Party, and the Left Party, is projected to secure 99 seats.
However, this still falls 54 seats short of the required majority to govern independently. Coalition negotiations are expected to commence once the final outcome is confirmed, with the two-bloc system likely to prevail, meaning Andersson will attempt to form a government with some or all her left-leaning partners. Despite the Center Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist expressing her desire to govern in a centrist manner without the Left Party or the far-right Sweden Democrats, the party's 25 seats are insufficient to form a majority government.
The Center Party is in discussions with Andersson's Social Democrats, although Thand Ringqvist emphasized that the election result does not grant a mandate for a significant political left turn. Kristersson had initially pledged to include Sweden Democrats representatives in his potential government if he won. However, the far-right party experienced a decline in votes, contrasting the recent trend of far-right populists gaining ground in Europe.
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