Sweden Votes in Decisive Election With Far-Right in Balance

Swedes are voting in a parliamentary election on Sunday that will decide the future government and shape the nation's political direction. Voters will choose the 349 members of the Riksdag, alongside regional and municipal council elections.

The centre-left opposition, led by Magdalena Andersson and her Social Democrats, has held a narrow lead in opinion polls. However, their advantage has shrunk significantly in the final weeks of the campaign.

“We can unify parties, voters and issues into joint action. That's why we get things done.”

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has been closing the gap, trailing throughout his four years in office but gaining momentum. He has pledged to bring the far-right Sweden Democrats into government if his ruling conservative coalition wins.

Supporters of the right-wing bloc argue that its policies have successfully cut immigration and curbed gang violence. Critics counter that the agenda undermines civil liberties and forces immigrants to conform or leave.

In the previous 2022 election, the nationalist Sweden Democrats secured 20.5 percent of the vote and became the second-largest party in the Riksdag, marking a profound shift in the country's political landscape.