Sweden’s Prime Minister Kristersson to Resign after Left-Leaning Opposition Narrowly Wins Election

Sweden's left-leaning opposition secured a narrow majority in the national election, a complete vote count revealed on Thursday. The Swedish Election Authority reported that the four opposition parties won 176 seats out of the 349-seat Riksdag, while the four parties comprising the outgoing conservative-led government took 173 seats.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced his resignation from the position of head of government shortly after the final results were announced. Magdalena Andersson, the opposition leader and former prime minister, stated that the Swedish people had voted for a new direction for the country, favoring cohesion over division. The center-left Social Democrats emerged as the largest single party with 99 seats, having lost eight seats.

However, Andersson will face a challenging task in forming a government due to tensions within the left-leaning bloc. The opposition's slight lead was confirmed after early votes, including overseas ballots, were counted. Kristersson's coalition relied on support from the Sweden Democrats, an anti-immigration party with far-right origins but who have become more mainstream.

The Sweden Democrats dropped to third place behind Kristersson's Moderates with 62 seats, 11 fewer than the previous parliament. Andersson now needs to navigate differences within the opposition bloc, with the Center Party opposing government formation with the Left Party due to their ideological differences. Despite these obstacles, there is a broad political consensus in Sweden on several major issues, including support for Ukraine and Sweden's decision to join NATO, which became its 32nd member in 2024.