Another hostile government in Europe? "Sweden's Merkel" on her way back to the prime minister's office
After all votes were counted in Sweden's election, the center-left bloc led by Magdalena Andersson won by a razor-thin margin of 50,359 votes over the outgoing right-wing government of Ulf Kristersson. Andersson, who served as prime minister in 2021-2022, is expected to form a new government, but coalition negotiations are likely to be complex due to gaps between the bloc's parties. The article examines the election's implications for Sweden-Israel relations.
Four days after the closely contested elections in Sweden, the election committee announced that the center-left bloc of parties, led by former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, won by a narrow margin over the outgoing center-right coalition of Ulf Kristersson. Andersson's bloc secured 176 seats in the 349-seat parliament, while the right-wing bloc received 173 seats. The gap between the blocs stands at just 50,359 votes out of more than 6.8 million voters. Andersson's Social Democrats lost 8 seats but remained the largest party with 99 seats. Kristersson's conservative Moderate Party received 70 seats, and the far-right Sweden Democrats dropped to third place with 62 seats. Andersson, a 59-year-old economist and heavy metal enthusiast, is known for her direct and stubborn character. A researcher from Stockholm University compared her to Angela Merkel. Coalition negotiations are expected to be complex due to significant gaps between the four parties in the bloc: the Social Democrats, the Left Party, the Greens, and the Center Party. The article focuses on the possible implications for Israel-Sweden relations: Andersson's government is expected to take a tougher line toward Israel, including demands to freeze the association agreement with the European Union, expand sanctions on settlements, ban imports of settlement products, and restore funding to UNRWA. The Social Democratic Party recognized a Palestinian state in 2014, a move that led to a crisis in relations with Israel.