Stockholm, September 13: Swedish voters are heading to the polls on Sunday to elect a new Parliament in a closely watched contest that could decide whether Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson remains in power or the centre-left returns to government.
Kristersson is seeking a second four-year term as leader of the European Union and NATO member, while former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats is seeking to reclaim the top post.
The election campaign has largely focused on which political bloc can form the next government rather than individual policy issues. Sweden’s politics is divided into two major blocs, with four parties on each side.
Kristersson has governed since 2022 through a three-party centre-right coalition that depends on parliamentary support from the Sweden Democrats, an anti-immigration party with far-right roots. If the right-wing bloc retains power, the Sweden Democrats could enter the government for the first time.
The party won 20.5 per cent of the vote in 2022, becoming the largest party on the right. Kristersson announced in April that his Moderate Party would allow the Sweden Democrats into government if the right secures a majority, although he would remain prime minister even if the Sweden Democrats emerge as the stronger party.
The Sweden Democrats were founded in the 1980s by figures linked to right-wing extremist groups, including neo-Nazis. Under leader Jimmie Akesson, who has headed the party since 2005, it has sought to moderate its rhetoric and moved closer to the political mainstream.
The party’s potential role in government comes amid growing support for populist and far-right movements across Europe.
More than 8 million voters are eligible to elect members of Sweden’s 349-seat Riksdag, which will determine who becomes the next prime minister. Preliminary results are expected from around 9 pm local time (1900 GMT).
