Sweden enters the final stage of its election campaign
In Sweden, party leaders on Friday entered the final stage of the campaign ahead of the general election to be held on Sunday. It could return the centre-left bloc to power or bring the far-right Sweden Democrats into government for the first time. As The Local Sweden reports, polls had shown the opposition bloc in the lead for several months, but its advantage narrowed significantly at the end of the campaign.
Support for the blocs
According to an Indikator poll published on Friday, the four opposition parties — the Social Democrats, Greens, Centre Party and Left Party — have 50.8% support. The right-wing bloc, which includes Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's Moderates, the Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals, has 47.6%.
The Social Democrats, led by former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, promise to help households struggling to pay their bills and strengthen social welfare. In a televised debate, Andersson said that fewer and fewer Swedes can afford their own homes and that life has become too expensive.
Kristersson responded that two ordinary salaries should be enough to buy a small house. In his view, people need economic growth and tax incentives to save for a housing down payment. Other debate topics included the housing shortage, declining educational outcomes, jobs, climate and security.
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The role of the Sweden Democrats
In the 2022 election, the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats became the country's second-largest party, winning 20.5% of the vote. Kristersson then made an agreement with the party that enabled his minority coalition to form a government. In exchange for parliamentary support, the Sweden Democrats gained significant influence over policy, including on crime and immigration.
Kristersson has now promised the party ministerial posts if re-elected, while its leader Jimmie Åkesson said he is seeking 12 to 14 portfolios. During the debate, Andersson raised reports of the party's ties to the Russian Federation, an aggressor state. Expo, an organization that monitors extremism, reported that a Sweden Democrats staff member in parliament had spread pro-Russian propaganda for years.
Even if the opposition bloc wins, negotiations to form a government could be difficult because of ideological differences among the four parties.
