Foreigners in Sweden speak about their reaction to interim election results
Vote counting is continuing in Sweden following the 2026 parliamentary elections. Foreign residents of the country surveyed by the publication assessed the interim results differently: some consider the contest between the political blocs to be tighter than expected and are concerned about the composition of the future government.
As The Local Sweden reports, Green Party voter Antoine had expected a more pronounced rejection of the Tidö Agreement parties. In his view, the centre-left Social Democrats ran a weaker election campaign than the centre-right Moderate Party.
Reactions from supporters of centre-left parties
The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats recorded a decline in their share of the vote in an election for the first time. At the same time, according to preliminary data, the party received around 17%, which disappointed many survey participants. A Left Party voter from the United States said he was upset by support for right-wing forces and expressed hope for a move away from ethnonationalist and individualist policies.
A British business owner from Dalarna said she was dismayed by the impression that the Sweden Democrats enjoyed predominant support in the town where she lives. A British student from rural Hälsingland, who voted for the Left Party and the Green Party in local and regional elections, viewed the decline in support for the Sweden Democrats positively. At the same time, she expressed concern about the future government coalition.
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A reader from the Baltic states, who was not eligible to vote in the parliamentary elections, said he would have supported the Social Democrats. He linked his own uncertainty to changes in naturalisation legislation and the absence of transitional rules for citizenship applicants.
Expectations for coalition talks
Not all survey participants supported centre-left forces. A business analyst from India living in Stockholm said that, if eligible to vote, he would choose the Moderate Party. He expects difficult coalition negotiations and compromises after the election.
A Christian Democrats voter said he was disappointed by the centre-left bloc's lead and named security, lower taxes and fighting crime among his priorities. An architect who does not yet have the right to vote in national elections and would support a centre-left party fears that a government formed by these forces may not introduce the promised transitional rules for citizenship applicants.
Vote counting has not yet been completed. The publication notes that even if the centre-left bloc has an advantage, its parties will find it difficult to unite allies to form a government.
