Vote Counting Continues in Sweden, Centre-Left Coalition Leads by 3 Seats, Current Government Faces Crisis
With 94.4 percent of votes counted in Sweden’s general election, the opposition centre-left coalition is projected to secure 176 seats, while the incumbent right-wing coalition is estimated to win 173 seats. Magdalena Andersson, leader of the Social Democratic Party, stated that the opposition coalition is currently leading and that if this result holds, a new government will be formed. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced plans to discuss potential coalitions after the final results are confirmed and noted that the counting of late postal ballots will begin from Wednesday. 29 September, Kathmandu.
The vote counting for the general election held in Sweden is ongoing, with the final outcome still unclear. However, the ruling right-wing coalition appears to be trailing. Magdalena Andersson, leader of the Social Democratic Party, informed her supporters that the opposition coalition is ahead and that a new government would be established if these results remain consistent. Polling stations closed at 8 PM local time on Sunday.
According to the latest update from the Swedish Election Authority on Monday morning, after counting 94.4 percent of votes, the 349-seat parliament is projected to have the opposition centre-left coalition securing 176 seats. Meanwhile, the ruling right-wing coalition is poised to gain only 173 seats. Despite having governed Sweden for decades and being the largest party, Andersson’s Social Democrats are facing their worst performance in a century, receiving 28.1 percent of the vote—2.2 percentage points less than in 2022.
Prime Minister and leader of the ruling coalition, Ulf Kristersson, has expressed his intention to consult with leaders of other parties following the election. He remarked, “It is appropriate to explore possible coalition options once the final results are in. The Swedish parliament holds an unequivocal non-socialist majority or a majority supportive of non-left economic ideologies. I will certainly investigate whether there might be any possibilities in that regard.”
Sweden Democrats leader Jimmy Åkesson stated that “it will not be clear who will form the next government tonight.” His party received 17.6 percent of the vote, down nearly 3 percentage points from 20.5 percent in 2022, causing them to fall to third place behind Kristersson’s Moderate Party. The counting of delayed postal ballots and votes cast at Swedish embassies abroad will commence on Wednesday.
In a tightly contested race, the first phase showed the left-wing coalition likely to secure a straightforward victory over Kristersson’s four-party alliance, which includes the nationalist Sweden Democrats. Initial polls had given the opposition coalition roughly a 10-point lead. But as the election approached, competition intensified and that lead shrank to 2-3 percent in the final week, making the contest highly suspenseful. Should Andersson succeed, it would provide some relief to left-leaning parties across Europe amidst the growing influence of right-wing and far-right factions.
