MALMÖ, Sweden — Sweden election results point to a razor-thin advantage for the center-left opposition, which is up 176 seats to 173 with 94% of ballots counted as of Monday. The margin is narrow, with roughly 28,000 votes separating the blocs and about 200,000 remaining to be tallied by Wednesday.
The left-leaning alliance is positioning former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats to potentially return to office, holding 176 of the 349 seats projected so far. Her bloc looked well on course a month ago, but the race has tightened considerably.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s center-right Moderates, leading the current right-leaning coalition, stand at 173 seats. Sweden has mirrored a wider European trend in recent years by tightening immigration rules and emphasizing tougher penalties for crime.
Energy policy is another dividing line. Right-leaning parties are backing nuclear power as a way to cut emissions, while the left prioritizes solar and wind as long-term solutions.
Some voters say the campaign sidelined seniors. Malmö retiree Kerstin Lagersson, who ultimately backed the right, said she waited until election day to decide.
“I don’t have any great hopes,” she said, adding she sees little focus on pensioner concerns after a lifetime of work that left her with minimal occupational benefits.
The Sweden Democrats, a right-wing party with roots in extremist movements, have used their growing mainstream presence to push hardline immigration and anti-crime policies amid rising gang violence that has unsettled the country and raised cross-border concerns elsewhere in the European Union.
After becoming Sweden’s second-largest party in 2022, they served as a key prop for the current government. On Sunday they won 17.5% of the vote, down about three points from four years ago, dropping them to third place.
The Social Democrats also slipped. They led all parties with 28.1% but were down 2.2 percentage points from 2022. Andersson called for a cooperative approach given the tight outcome, saying Swedish politics would benefit from a renewed spirit of collaboration, while declining to comment further before the final tally.
Analysts say the Social Democrats have edged rightward on immigration and crime during the past term, echoing strategies seen elsewhere in the Nordics. That shift, inspired in part by Denmark’s approach under Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, comes as traditional social democratic parties have faced headwinds across Europe.
Sweden election results leave energy policy in focus
If the current distribution holds, Andersson may need to navigate difficult compromises without a clear majority. Energy is likely to be a sticking point.
The Social Democrats are open to examining nuclear options, although they have questioned the government’s financing model and its lower priority for offshore wind. Smaller left partners remain firmly opposed to nuclear power, reflecting longstanding positions.
Kristersson still has a narrow path if a few seats flip when the remaining votes are counted. He urged patience Monday, saying the sitting government remains stable and that he will assess opportunities to move forward once the final numbers are in.
With the last ballots due by Wednesday, the outcome remains too close to call. The focus on immigration and crime echoes long-running debates over how immigration enforcement reshaped U.S. policy in the post-9/11 era.
Election authorities with the Swedish Election Authority expect to complete the count by midweek.
