Sweden elections: Far-right party and its allies take narrow lead

A far-right party in Sweden has become the second largest in parliament following an election which is still too close to call.

Sweden Democrats, a group which has neo-Nazi roots, has profited from the country’s shift to the right, which has left the party and its allies on the verge of taking power.

With 94 per cent of votes from Sunday’s election counted, the right-wing bloc has a narrow lead over its centre-left opponents.

Early on Monday, projections suggested that the Moderates, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals would win 176 of the country’s 349 seats, edging the group led by the ruling Social Democrats, which is expected to fall just short on 173.

However, this could still all change, with the Swedish electoral commission saying the final results would not be known until Wednesday at the earliest.

“It’s incredibly close. It’s basically a coin toss with 50-50 for both sides. So, we don’t know at the moment,” cautioned Zeth Isaksson, a sociologist at Stockholm University.

Social Democrat prime minister Magdalena Andersson has not resigned, insisting that the race is still in the balance.

Nevertheless, the Sweden Democrats’ surge in popularity is striking in a country that prides itself on moderation. They are likely to end up with 21 per cent of the vote, behind the Social Democrats’ 30.5 per cent but ahead of the centre-right Moderates’ 19 per cent.

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The Sweden Democrats have sought to distance themselves from the party’s extremist beginnings by saying it is “something different from what was founded about 30 years ago”.

But the group, led by Jimmie Akesson, has retained its staunch opposition to Swedish immigration policy. It has almost promised to crack down on gang violence, after a spate of deadly shootings.

On Sunday, travel consultant Malin Ericsson expressed concerns about a potential government including the Sweden Democrats: “I’m fearing very much a repressive, very right-wing government coming.”

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Meanwhile, small business owner Jorgen Hellstrom said he would welcome a change. “Taxes need to come down by quite a bit and we need to sort out crime. The last eight years have gone in the wrong direction,” he claimed.

If the right-wing bloc assumes power, it is expected that Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson will become prime minister.

“We don’t know what the result will be,” he said after the polls closed. “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.”