Sweden’s far right makes strong gains in poll
STOCKHOLM: Sweden on Monday began a days-long wait for the final results of its too-closeto-call general election, with an unprecedented right-wing and far-right bloc in position to wrest power from Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s Social Democrats.
The Scandinavian country has seen mounting political instability in recent years as the gradual rise of the far-right has upset the traditional balance of power in parliament.
Sweden again found itself in a delicate parliamentary situation ater Sunday’s legislative election, with the right-wing seen holding a razorthin lead over Andersson’s outgoing let bloc.
“The close result in parliament suggests Sweden is heading for yet another messy mandate,” newspaper of reference Dagens Nyheter wrote on Monday.
With the vote deemed too close to call, election authorities said a final result would only be ready on Wednesday, when the last ballots from abroad and from advance voting had been counted.
Editorialist Anders Lindberg of daily Atonbladet said it appeared “impossible for the let to win because the votes from abroad are... usually in favour of the right.”
With 95 per cent of votes counted on Monday, the right-wing led by conservative Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson was credited with an absolute majority of 175 of 349 seats in parliament. Andersson’s let bloc trailed with 174. If confirmed, the Social Democrats would be out ater eight years in power.
Kristersson, who vowed during the campaign to crack down on law and order amid soaring crime rates, said late on Sunday he was “ready to build a new and strong government” if the results were confirmed. The election’s big winner was, however, the anti-immigration, nationalist Sweden Democrats party, led by Jimmie Akesson.
It was credited with 20.7 per cent of votes, making it the biggest party on the right and the second biggest in the country behind the Social
Democrats.
“It’s looking prety damn good now,” 43-yearold Akesson told cheering supporters late Sunday.
The right bloc - made up of the Sweden Democrats, Moderates, Christian Democrats and Liberals - were seen winning 49.8 per cent of votes.
The let, comprised of the Social Democrats, the Let, the Greens and the Centre parties, were meanwhile credited with 48.8 per cent, trailing by around 47,000 votes out of 7.8 million eligible voters.