Sweden's left bloc narrowly edges out Kristersson's right-wing coalition
After all votes were counted in Sweden's parliamentary election, the left-wing bloc came out narrowly ahead of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's right-wing coalition. The Social Democrats won the most votes, boosting former PM Magdalena Andersson's chances of returning to power.
Sweden's left-wing party bloc has won Sunday's parliamentary election by a slim margin over the right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, according to final results after all votes were counted.
According to the election commission, the four-party left bloc led by the Social Democrats secured 176 of the 349 seats in parliament, while the four right-wing parties that formed or supported the outgoing government won 173 seats.
Andersson's path back to power
The Social Democrats, led by former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, won the most votes of any single party, improving her chances of returning to the premiership. However, forming a government will not be straightforward for the left bloc, given the internal tensions among its constituent parties.
Kristersson's reliance on the Sweden Democrats
Kristersson's minority government had previously relied on parliamentary support from the Sweden Democrats, a nationalist-conservative party. That arrangement gave the Sweden Democrats significant influence over government policy, particularly on crime and immigration restrictions, even without holding formal ministerial positions.
This time, Kristersson promised that a victory would bring the Sweden Democrats actual cabinet posts, making them a full partner in government rather than an outside supporter.
The final seat count — 176 to 173 — represents an extremely narrow margin, setting the stage for difficult negotiations over the formation of Sweden's next government.
