Sweden election too close to call as late right-wing surge emerges

Sweden's general election is too close to call, according to a fresh analysis of early results that contradicts the exit polls published when voting closed and points to a late surge in support for the right.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's right-wing alliance had trailed the leftwing opposition in polling for most of the past year, only narrowing the gap in the final two weeks of a bitter, bad-tempered campaign.

Should Kristersson defy the polls and remain in power, he has pledged to hand ministerial posts to the Sweden Democrats, a populist, anti-migrant nationalist party — a first for a country that shunned the far right for decades.

Two exit polls released when voting ended at 8 p.m. local time on Sunday showed a clear lead for the leftwing bloc, putting former PM Magdalena Andersson on course for a return to office. But a later analysis by public broadcaster SVT of results counted so far suggested a much tighter race, projecting 174 seats for Kristersson's alliance against 175 for the left bloc in the 349-seat parliament. A separate forecast from broadcaster TV4 pointed to an almost identical split: 176 seats for Andersson's left bloc versus 173 for Kristersson's alliance.

Such a narrow outcome would be a bitter blow for Andersson, who was widely seen as a near-certainty to reclaim power after being voted out four years ago, before her bloc's double-digit poll lead vanished in the campaign's closing days. Andersson said Swedish elections are typically close, noting that voters she met on the campaign trail expressed a mix of approval and criticism of the current government's record.

The vote is being watched closely across Europe as a test case for the far right's rise, given similar nationalist parties are gaining ground elsewhere on the continent. Andersson acknowledged that even a win for her bloc would not eliminate the Sweden Democrats from the political scene, especially given how narrow the final margin appears.

Kristersson, for his part, defended the Sweden Democrats' record, noting the party has backed his coalition in parliament for four years and helped push through tougher immigration and crime policies. He said he alone would decide who from the party gets appointed to government, insisting only experienced, capable figures would be chosen.