The opposition bloc leads the tight Swedish elections with 95% counted. Published September 15, 2026 September 15, 2026 Sweden’s center-left opposition bloc has maintained a narrow lead while the far-right party saw its support lose, with about 95 percent of districts counted. The remaining 173 would go to four parties that make up or support the current government led by the conservatives. Recommended Stories 3-item listend list Results may not be clear until early votes and overseas votes are counted on Wednesday. If the left bloc emerges victorious, it could take even longer to form a government due to ideological tensions between its parties. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is seeking a second term and has been leading the country since 2022 with a center-right coalition that relies on the Sweden Democrats, a party with neo-Nazi roots. He could remain in office if the left bloc wins its slim majority but fails to form a government. The Sweden Democrats experienced an unexpected drop in support, losing three percentage points compared to the 2022 general election, falling from 20.5 percent to 17.5 percent. This was the first time the far-right party suffered a loss of voter support since entering parliament in 2010. Magdalena Andersson’s Social Democrats maintained first place, but a turnout of 28.1 percent recorded one of its worst results in more than 100 years, complicating any attempt to assemble a functional majority. Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson (C) speaks during the Moderates’ election night in Stockholm, Sweden, September 13, 2026 [Christine Olsson/Sweden Out/EPA]While the result seems somewhat out of step with recent far-right advances in parts of Europe, including Germany and Italy, the Sweden Democrats remain firmly entrenched as a dominant force in parliament. The drop in support could be linked to changes in voters’ priorities. In the past, many people voted for the far right, “simply because they liked their stance on refugees”, without necessarily agreeing with other political positions, Anders Sannerstedt, a political scientist at Lund University, told AFP. Even with a small vote share, the Sweden Democrats retain substantial influence. A closely divided legislature leaves any future government with a fragile margin to work with, ensuring the party remains an inevitable force in parliament. policy. Over the past decade, their previously marginal demands for strict limits on asylum, easier deportations and stricter policing have been absorbed into the mainstream, with both the centre-right coalition and the Social Democrats moving to the right to match public sentiment.
