Immigration at heart of tumultuous Swedish vote

STOCKHOLM — A turbulent Swedish election campaign came to an end Saturday with little sign of compromise ahead as the establishment parties pleaded with voters to beat back an ascendant nationalist movement.

The centre-right and centre-left blocs were in a virtual tie with voting starting today as the conservative-led opposition gained ground in recent days. But the blocs will be far from securing a majority since the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats look poised to win almost 20 per cent.

Party leaders took the last moments of the campaign to warn voters the political turbulence will be far from over come election day, and that they can expect hard talks in days or weeks ahead on forming a viable government. All parties have vowed not to seek the support of the Sweden Democrats. Tension has showed no signs of subsiding, with an eruption of vitriol between the smaller pro-immigration Center Party and the nationalists in Friday’s last big debate of the campaign.

Center Party leader Annie Loof voiced loud protests as Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson said that immigrants find it hard to get jobs because they’re not Swedish and “don’t belong.” Asked again about the controversy on Saturday, Loof said that Akesson showed “his true face yesterday.”

Record immigration over the past years and lingering economic hardship from the financial crisis have stoked populist and nationalist sentiment.

Ulf Kristersson, head of the conservative Moderate Party and front-runner to become the next prime minister, said integrating refugees is key for Sweden to maintain its extensive welfare state.

“This is something that erodes Sweden’s social contract,” he said. “So many people could do so much good ... if we just had a well-functioning integration.”

The Swedish labour market has had a tough time absorbing 600,000 people over the past five years. Unemployment among the foreign-born is about 20 per cent, compared with just above 6 per cent overall.

Kristersson on Saturday beat back any insinuation that he would seek to rule with backing from the nationalists.