The results are starting to come in in Sweden. This Sunday, the legislative elections of very great importance for the country take place, especially in the face of the record level of the nationalist party. For the moment, the outgoing left is given slightly in front of the new block between the right and the extreme right.
According to two exit polls, the left camp led by Social Democratic Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson would obtain a total of between 49.8% and 50.6%, against 48.0% to 49.2% for the total right/extreme right.
A long awaited evening
The extreme right of the Democrats of Sweden (SD) would reach an all-time high of between 20.5% and 21.3%, becoming for the first time the second party in the Nordic country, according to these two polls carried out for Swedish television SVT and TV4.
According to the poll conducted by SVT, the left bloc would win a total of 176 seats, just above the absolute majority of 175, against 173 for the right/extreme right bloc. These first tight estimates, which were expected, promise a long election night to confirm the winners of this election with an unprecedented scenario. Partial results are expected around 10 p.m., before almost final results late at night.
The rise of the nationalist party
Never until these legislative elections had the traditional Swedish right, led by the conservative candidate for Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, considered governing with the direct or indirect support of the SD. Long pariah, the nationalist and anti-immigration party led by Jimmie Akesson also won first place in the new right-wing bloc.
Sweden’s first female head of government, Magdalena Andersson, led a “red-green” ensemble to win a third four-year term in a row for the left. According to the two polls by SVT and TV4, the Social Democrats have, as expected, held their first place since the 1930s (29.3 to 29.7%). The Conservatives of the Moderates would only be the third party, with 16.0 to 18.8%.
Big deadlines
A victory for the right supported by the extreme right would mean a new political era for Sweden, which must take over the rotating presidency of the European Union on January 1 and finalize its historic candidacy for NATO – also supported by the rights.
Conversely, a victory for the left and a defeat for the new nationalistico-conservative bloc would call into question the decision of the right to draw closer to the SD.
A total of 349 seats are allocated proportionally to parties achieving at least 4%. To be invested, a Prime Minister must not have 175 votes or more against him, but not necessarily an absolute majority in his favour.
A campaign between security and energy
The campaign was dominated by themes likely to favor the right-wing opposition: criminality and deadly gang settling, soaring fuel and electricity prices, integration problems…
But the solid popularity of Magdalena Andersson, whose trust rating exceeds that of her conservative rival Ulf Kristersson, as well as the bogeyman of the far right, argued in favor of the left. On the eve of the vote, the five polling institutes gave a very slight lead to the red-green camp.