Swedes vote on Sunday in a parliamentary election that could return Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson to power after four years in opposition or give Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson a second term, with polls showing a tightening race. Swedes vote on Sunday in a parliamentary election that could return Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson to power after four years in opposition or give Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson a second term, with polls showing a tightening race. An Indikator poll published on Friday gave the Social Democrats, Left Party, Centre Party and Greens, which are broadly aligned with the center-left, a combined 50.8% of support. Meanwhile, a bloc of parties to the right comprising the Moderates, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals, were on 47.6%. Kristersson’s government has made tougher immigration and crime policies central to its record. The far-right Sweden Democrats, who have supported his minority coalition from outside government since 2022, are seeking cabinet posts if the right wins. The election campaign has focused largely on welfare, crime, immigration and the economy. On foreign policy, the main blocs remain broadly aligned on NATO membership, rearmament and support for Ukraine. Sweden joined NATO in 2024 after Russia’s full-scale invasion, deepening its strategic role in the Baltic region and its security partnership with Poland.
