Conservatives take lead in Sweden poll

In preliminary counting, ruling left-wing bloc seen losing ground as change looms

Counting in Sweden's weekend election took a dramatic turn on Monday morning when a right-wing coalition took a narrow lead over a left-wing coalition led by the ruling Social Democratic Party.

Exit polls late on Sunday night had indicated a slight lead by the left-wing coalition, with 49.8 percent of the votes tallied against the right-wing alliance's 49.2 percent.

But results by Monday morning showed that the right-wing coalition was projected to win 176 of the 349 seats in the parliament, with the left-wing parties taking 173 seats.

The too-close-to-call election results will not be announced until Wednesday at the earliest, when postal and advance ballots are all counted, according to Sweden's election authority.

Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson's Social Democratic Party, which has ruled for the past eight years and dominated Sweden's political scene since the 1930s, is still the biggest single party, gaining 30.5 percent of the ballots so far. But her left-wing coalition of four parties has failed to secure enough seats in the parliament, known as the Riksdag, to form a government.

In contrast, the Sweden Democrats, a right-wing populist party led by Jimmie Akesson, has come out as the biggest winner by obtaining almost 21 percent of the votes, putting it on track to become the second-biggest party in parliament. Akesson's party overtook the traditional conservative opposition the Moderate Party, which has gained only 19 percent of the votes so far.

The Sweden Democrats, known for their anti-immigration stance, won only 5.7 percent of the vote in 2010 when the party entered the parliament, but its share rose to 17.5 percent in 2018.

Akesson indicated that he will not become the new prime minister but his party will become part of the government. Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson is expected to take the top job. "Right now it looks like there will be a change of power. Our ambition is to sit in the government," Akesson told supporters on Sunday.

The Sweden Democrats have been described as having their roots in white nationalism.

"We don't know what the result will be. But I am ready to do all I can to form a new, stable and vigorous government for the whole of Sweden and all its citizens," Kristersson told his supporters in a gathering.

Growing concerns over gang-related shootings, immigration and integration issues, skyrocketing electricity prices and high inflation have been key issues in the election.

Final result expected

"Final result is expected Wednesday, and then the formal processes can start. But it won't be neither easy nor fast," Carl Bildt, a former Swedish prime minister and former leader of the Moderate Party, said in a tweet on Monday, referring to the formation of a new government under Kristersson.

On Monday, Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, the director of the European Center for International Political Economy who once served in the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told China Daily: "Swedish Democrats have become the second-largest party and overtaken the traditional conservative bloc, which leads Sweden into a path we have seen in Austria, Italy and Poland: A weak right-wing opposition that opens up for a parliamentary alliance with the extreme-right sees itself sooner or later being replaced by the newcomers."

Right-wing parties have gained ground with their anti-immigration policies in Europe lately. In the French presidential election in April, anti-immigration candidate Marine Le Pen lost to Emmanuel Macron with a much narrower margin than in the 2017 election.

Ding Chun, director of the Center for European Studies at Fudan University, said the ascendancy of right-wing influence in Europe reflects the negative impact of globalization. "The growing problem in people's livelihoods and the dissatisfaction among people especially in advanced member states over the EU's coordination on related issues means that people are seeking self-protection," he said.

chenweihua@chinadaily.com.cn