Sweden left-wing opposition holds slim lead, government unclear

Sweden’s next government remained uncertain on Monday as preliminary results showed a narrow lead for the left-wing opposition in the national election. With more than 94% of districts counted, the four opposition parties were heading for 176 seats in the 349-seat parliament, the Riksdag, compared with 173 seats for the four parties that make up or support the outgoing government.

Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson told supporters that “we must wait for the final election result” but added that “right now we are leading.” Her Social Democrats emerged as the biggest single party with a bit over 28% of the vote but lost support compared with 2022.

Conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he would explore “possibilities” given the close result. “When we have the final result it’s a good idea to look at possible combinations,” he said early Monday, adding that “there is a very clear non-socialist majority, or non-left leaning economic majority in the Swedish parliament. And I will actually take note of that and at least figure out whether there are any possibilities.”

Kristersson has led Sweden since 2022 at the head of a three-party center-right coalition that relied on outside support from the Sweden Democrats for a parliamentary majority. The Sweden Democrats had been promised Cabinet posts this time if the governing coalition were returned to office.

The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats slipped to just under 18% of the vote, down about 3 percentage points from 2022, and fell behind Kristersson’s Moderates into third place.

The outcome may not be decided until Wednesday, when local election boards count early votes that did not make it to polling stations by Election Day, including overseas votes.

Even if the left wins a majority of seats, Andersson faces a complicated task to form a government. Tensions within the opposition bloc include the Center Party’s stated unwillingness to govern with the Left Party, and any combination across the traditional right-left divide would also be complicated.

Kristersson said the outcome “could lead to a complicated process of forming a government. It may take time, but we’re in no rush.”