Stockholm: Sweden's centre left opposition is leading the country's parliamentary election by three seats in preliminary results, putting former prime minister Magdalena Andersson in a strong position to seek a return to office. However, the final result is not yet confirmed and the formation of the next government could take time.
Preliminary results give the four opposition parties 176 seats in the 349 member Riksdag, compared with 173 seats for the bloc supporting Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The narrow margin means the remaining votes could still be important.
Sweden held its parliamentary election on September 13. The final counting process began on September 14, while late advance votes and votes received from abroad are still being counted. The final result will be confirmed after these votes are processed.
Andersson, who leads the Social Democrats, is currently in the strongest position to try to form the next government. The Social Democrats remain the largest individual party in the preliminary result.
The opposition group includes the Social Democrats, the Centre Party, the Left Party and the Green Party. Together, the four parties currently hold 176 seats, one more than the 175 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. However, differences between the parties could make government formation difficult.
The Centre Party and the Left Party have different positions on several issues, including taxation and economic policy. Their relationship could become an important issue in negotiations over the next government.
Kristersson, who has served as prime minister since 2022, has not conceded defeat. He has said he will explore the possibilities of forming a government after the final result is known.
The election has also brought a significant setback for the Sweden Democrats, which have been a major force on the Swedish right in recent years.
The Sweden Democrats have received about 17.6 percent of the vote in the preliminary count, down from about 20.6 percent in the 2022 election. The party has fallen behind Kristersson's Moderate Party and is now the third largest party in the Riksdag.
The result is important because the Sweden Democrats have played a major role in supporting Kristersson's government from outside since 2022. The party had hoped to increase its influence in government after the election.
The Social Democrats, meanwhile, remain the largest party but have also recorded a weak result by their historical standards. With about 28.1 percent of the vote, the party is on course for its weakest election result since 1928.
The outcome therefore reflects changes across both political blocs rather than a major increase in support for the Social Democrats alone.
The election could mark a shift away from the rightward political direction Sweden has followed since 2022. During Kristersson's term, the government introduced tougher policies on immigration and crime, while the Sweden Democrats played an important role in shaping the political agenda.
Immigration remains an important political issue. A possible return of Andersson would not necessarily mean a return to Sweden's earlier immigration policies. The Social Democrats have also supported several tougher measures introduced in recent years.
Crime, the economy, welfare services and taxation were also important issues during the election campaign.
A major change in Sweden's foreign and security policy is not expected. Sweden's membership of NATO and its support for Ukraine have broad support across the country's main political parties.
The next steps will include the final vote count, talks between the political parties and the process of selecting a prime minister through the Riksdag.
For now, Andersson has the advantage, but Sweden does not yet have a confirmed new government. The three seat preliminary margin is narrow, and the final result could change as the remaining votes are counted.
The centre left has the advantage, but the final result and the negotiations that follow will determine who leads Sweden's next government.