Sweden election is too close to call as far right loses ground

With roughly 95% of precincts reported, Sweden’s centre-left opposition is narrowly ahead in a closely fought general election, according to the Swedish Election Authority. The four parties making up the opposition bloc are projected to hold 176 seats in the 349-seat Riksdag, while the four parties aligned with or supporting the current conservative government are on track for 173 seats.

The result is too close to call outright, and officials say final outcomes may not be settled until early votes and ballots from abroad are added on Wednesday. If the left-leaning bloc keeps its slim lead, internal ideological differences among its parties could extend the time required to form a stable government.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, leader of the Moderate Party and head of a centre-right coalition that has governed since 2022, is seeking a second term. His coalition has depended on the Sweden Democrats, a party described as having neo-Nazi roots, and the far-right formation still holds substantial leverage in parliament despite an unexpected drop in support this year.

The Sweden Democrats fell three percentage points from their 2022 result, slipping from 20.5% to 17.5% — the first decline in backing since they entered the Riksdag in 2010. The Social Democrats, led by Magdalena Andersson, remained the largest single party but registered 28.1% of the vote, one of their weakest showings in more than a century, complicating any effort to assemble a working majority. Analysts note that the Sweden Democrats’ core policy demands on asylum, deportations and policing have already shifted the positions of other major parties toward tougher stances on immigration and law enforcement, leaving the far-right influential even with reduced vote share.