Sweden Election Results Too Close to Call as Opposition Holds Narrow Lead
Preliminary counts in Sweden's general election show the left-leaning opposition bloc led by Magdalena Andersson holding a narrow lead over Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's centre-right coalition. With approximately 90-95% of votes counted, projections vary between a one-seat and three-seat advantage for the opposition. The final outcome depends on late-counted early and overseas ballots expected to be processed on Wednesday.
Sweden’s general election results remain too close to call, with preliminary counts showing the left-leaning opposition bloc led by Magdalena Andersson holding a narrow lead over the centre-right coalition led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
With approximately 90-95% of votes counted, the opposition is projected to hold 175 or 176 seats in the 349-seat Riksdag compared to 173 or 174 for the governing bloc. The Swedish Election Authority reported that with nearly 95% of districts counted, the four opposition parties were heading for 176 seats and the outgoing government parties for 173 seats. However, projections by SVT and the election authority suggested the opposition bloc would have 175 seats and the governing bloc 174 seats when 84-91% of votes were counted.
The final outcome depends on late-counted early and overseas ballots expected to be processed on Wednesday. In the 2022 election, more than 220,000 votes were included in the later count, which could determine the current outcome given the small margin. A record 3.6 million voters participated in early voting before the election day.
The hard-right Sweden Democrats saw their support slip to third place, polling at just under 18%, down about three percentage points from four years ago, placing them behind the Moderates. The Social Democrats recorded their worst result in decades despite remaining the largest single party, with approximately 28% of the vote. Voter turnout dropped to approximately 80%, down four points compared to the 2022 poll.
Government formation is expected to be complex and time-consuming due to internal tensions within the opposition bloc. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that if the red lines between parties remain, Sweden might not form a government at all. Opposition leader Magdalena Andersson said that if the current results hold, Sweden will have a new government. The Liberal party achieved a 'historic comeback' by polling above the parliamentary threshold after previously being below it.