Sweden's election results on knife edge
Published: 04:09 PM,Sep 12,2022 | EDITED : 08:09 PM,Sep 12,2022
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STOCKHOLM: Sweden on Monday began a days-long wait for the final results of its too-close-to-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 after Sunday's legislative election, with the right seen holding a razor-thin lead over Andersson's outgoing left bloc.
'The close result in parliament suggests Sweden is heading for yet another messy mandate', newspaper of reference Dagens Nyheter wrote on Monday.
Election authorities said a final result would only be ready at the earliest on Wednesday, once the last ballots from abroad and from advance voting had been counted.
Editorialist Anders Lindberg of daily Aftonbladet said it appeared 'impossible for the left 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 led by conservative Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson was credited with an absolute majority of 175 of 349 seats in parliament. Andersson's left bloc trailed with 174.
If confirmed, the Social Democrats would be out after eight years in power.
Kristersson, who vowed during the campaign to crack down on law and order amid soaring crime rates, said he was 'ready to build a new and strong government'.
The election's big winner was, however, the anti-immigration, nationalist Sweden Democrats party, led by Jimmie Akesson.
It was credited with 20.6 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 pretty damn good now', 43-year-old Akesson told cheering supporters late on Sunday.
The right bloc -- made up of the Sweden Democrats, Moderates, Christian Democrats and Liberals -- were seen winning 49.7 per cent.
The left, comprised of the Social Democrats, the Left, the Greens and the Centre parties, were meanwhile credited with 48.9 per cent.
Prime Minister Andersson, 55, has refused to throw in the towel just yet.
'We're not going to have a final result tonight,' she told supporters late on Sunday as her party was seen posting a strong result of around 30 per cent of votes.
She called on Swedes to 'have patience' and 'let democracy run its course'. The election marked a major shift in Swedish politics.
For the first time, the Moderates, Christian Democrats and Liberals tied up with the far right, long treated as 'pariahs' by other political parties.
Kristersson orchestrated the change, initiating exploratory talks in 2019 with the Sweden Democrats and then deepening their cooperation. - AFP
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 after Sunday's legislative election, with the right seen holding a razor-thin lead over Andersson's outgoing left bloc.
'The close result in parliament suggests Sweden is heading for yet another messy mandate', newspaper of reference Dagens Nyheter wrote on Monday.
Election authorities said a final result would only be ready at the earliest on Wednesday, once the last ballots from abroad and from advance voting had been counted.
Editorialist Anders Lindberg of daily Aftonbladet said it appeared 'impossible for the left 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 led by conservative Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson was credited with an absolute majority of 175 of 349 seats in parliament. Andersson's left bloc trailed with 174.
If confirmed, the Social Democrats would be out after eight years in power.
Kristersson, who vowed during the campaign to crack down on law and order amid soaring crime rates, said he was 'ready to build a new and strong government'.
The election's big winner was, however, the anti-immigration, nationalist Sweden Democrats party, led by Jimmie Akesson.
It was credited with 20.6 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 pretty damn good now', 43-year-old Akesson told cheering supporters late on Sunday.
The right bloc -- made up of the Sweden Democrats, Moderates, Christian Democrats and Liberals -- were seen winning 49.7 per cent.
The left, comprised of the Social Democrats, the Left, the Greens and the Centre parties, were meanwhile credited with 48.9 per cent.
Prime Minister Andersson, 55, has refused to throw in the towel just yet.
'We're not going to have a final result tonight,' she told supporters late on Sunday as her party was seen posting a strong result of around 30 per cent of votes.
She called on Swedes to 'have patience' and 'let democracy run its course'. The election marked a major shift in Swedish politics.
For the first time, the Moderates, Christian Democrats and Liberals tied up with the far right, long treated as 'pariahs' by other political parties.
Kristersson orchestrated the change, initiating exploratory talks in 2019 with the Sweden Democrats and then deepening their cooperation. - AFP