Left alliance wins Swedish election as PM Kristersson steps down

Sweden's opposition left alliance has won the country's general election, dealing a setback to outgoing Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and his governing allies, which included the far-right Sweden Democrats. Kristersson has announced he will step down.

Magdalena Andersson, leader of the Social Democrats, is set to become Sweden's next prime minister. However, before formally taking office, she still needs to finalize a coalition or support agreement with other parties represented in parliament.

A razor-thin margin

The outcome was extremely close. With most votes counted, the left bloc led by just three seats over the rival alliance that included the Sweden Democrats.

That narrow margin left the outcome effectively in the hands of a small centrist party, whose newly installed leader emerged in the campaign's final days as one of the most influential figures in Swedish politics — her party's position was expected to determine which bloc could form a government.

The result suggests that far-right support was ultimately insufficient to keep the previous governing coalition in power. The precise makeup and terms of Andersson's future government still depend on negotiations between the Social Democrats and their prospective coalition partners.