Drama in Sweden's elections: One seat may decide whether the far right enters the government

Sweden's elections have reached near-complete deadlock: Magdalena Andersson's center-left bloc wins 175 seats against 174 for Ulf Kristersson's right-wing bloc, a gap of one-tenth of a percent. At the center of the drama is the far-right Sweden Democrats party, which may enter the government for the first time if the right-wing bloc wins. The forecast is based on partial actual results and may change.

Sweden's elections have developed into one of the closest races ever seen in the country. According to a forecast by public broadcaster SVT, based on actual results already counted, the opposition bloc led by former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson wins 175 seats in parliament, exactly the required majority, compared to 174 for the right-wing bloc of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The gap between the camps stands at just one-tenth of a percent, 49.3% versus 49.2%, so at this stage it is impossible to determine who will win. At the center of the drama is the far-right Sweden Democrats party led by Jimmie Åkesson. Kristersson has announced that in the event of a victory, he would be willing to bring the party into the government and grant it ministerial positions for the first time, a dramatic shift from his previous positions. Andersson made this possibility a central issue in her campaign. The forecast indicates a decline in the power of the Sweden Democrats to 17.5%, compared to 20.5% in the 2022 elections. Andersson's Social Democrats remain the largest party with 27.6%, followed by Kristersson's Moderate Party with 20%. Even if Andersson wins, she faces complex coalition negotiations due to disagreements among the left, center, and green parties. From Israel's perspective, a victory for the right-wing bloc would be the more favorable scenario, especially if the Sweden Democrats enter the government, as the party is considered the most pro-Israeli among the major forces in Sweden.