Right-wing parties win Swedish elections by a narrow margin

A possible agreement between the extreme right and the conservatives would displace the Social Democrats from the government

The Social Democratic Party of Sweden (PSS) of Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has been the most voted in the legislative elections held this Sunday with 30.5 percent of votes, but the four right-wing parties, with the far-right Sweden Democrats in the lead, would add more support, according to the still partial official results corresponding to 83.9 percent of the tables that have already been counted.

The second most voted formation is the far-right party Sweden Democrats (DS) with 20.7 percent of the votes, while the Moderate Party (PM) would remain with 19 percent of support. The Social Democrats would improve their results by two points compared to the last elections in 2018, while the Sweden Democrats grow by three points and the Moderates fall by almost one.

In fourth position would be the Center Party (CP, 6.7 percent), followed by the Left Party (IP, 6.7 percent), the Christian Democratic Party of Sweden (CDSP, 5.4 percent), the Green Party (PV, 5 percent), and the Liberal Party of Sweden (PLS, 4.6 percent).

The situation is one of a technical tie between the two camps, which casts doubt on whether the PSS can govern with a coalition agreement or with one-off supports in Parliament from the Green Party, the Center Party, and the Left Party.

Between the four parties they would add up to 48.8 percent of votes, while the other four parties, if they managed to reach an understanding, would accumulate 49.8 percent of the votes.

The option of a right-wing agreement seems however more distant than ever, since even if the sum would be enough to govern, it is difficult to imagine an executive led by the Moderate Party when the far right has clearly surpassed it in votes.

The third option would be a German-style grand coalition with the PSS and the Moderate Party, but this seems unlikely given the precedents of clashes and rivalry between the two formations. This avenue would only be explored if the other options fail.