Sweden Heads To Polls: Will Kristersson Stay Or Will Andersson Return As PM?

Sweden will vote on Sunday in an election that could decide whether Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson secures another four-year term or whether the centre-left returns to power, while also determining whether the influential Sweden Democrats enter government for the first time.

More than 8 million voters are eligible to elect Sweden’s 349-member Riksdag, the parliament that will determine the next prime minister. The election is being closely watched as the country adjusts to its new role as NATO’s newest member.

Kristersson has led Sweden since 2022 through a three-party centre-right coalition. His government depends on parliamentary support from the Sweden Democrats, an anti-immigration party with far-right roots that has gradually moved towards the political mainstream.

His main challenger is Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats. She served as prime minister from 2021 until the 2022 election and is seeking to return to office. The Social Democrats have historically been Sweden’s dominant political force, leading governments for much of the period since World War II.

The campaign has focused less on individual policy issues and more on which political bloc can form a government. Sweden has two broad blocs, each consisting of four parties, while individual parties need at least 4 per cent of the vote to win seats in parliament.

Crime and inflation, once major election issues, have lost some prominence as both have declined. Instead, voters are largely debating which side can secure a stable parliamentary majority.

The biggest change this time concerns the Sweden Democrats. They won 20.5 per cent of the vote in 2022, becoming the largest party on the right. In April, Kristersson’s Moderates said the party could enter government if the right wins a majority, although Kristersson would remain prime minister.

The Sweden Democrats were founded in the 1980s by people linked to right-wing extremist groups, including neo-Nazis. Under Jimmie Akesson, their leader since 2005, the party has expanded significantly while attempting to distance itself from its extremist past.

Foreign policy is unlikely to dominate the election. Sweden has broad support for Ukraine and strong opposition to Russia. After decades of military nonalignment, Sweden joined NATO in 2024 as its 32nd member following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The election could therefore shape not only Sweden’s next government but also the future role of the Sweden Democrats in the country’s political system.