STOCKHOLM (dpa-AFX) – The final result of the parliamentary elections in Sweden on Sunday confirmed a narrow majority for the conservative-right camp and a record result for the right-wing populist Sweden Democrats. The four-party bloc of the conservative Ulf Kristersson won 176 mandates in the hard-fought election last Sunday, the left-wing camp of the former Social Democratic Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson 173.
According to the final figures, Andersson’s Social Democrats are clearly the strongest party, as expected, with 30.3 percent. Second came the Sweden Democrats, who achieved a record result of 20.5 percent and thus replaced Kristersson’s moderates as the second strongest parliamentarian for the first time. A total of eight parties made it into the Reichstag in Stockholm – four of them formed Andersson’s camp, four the Kristersson block. Voter turnout was around 84 percent.
Andersson had already admitted defeat to her challenger on Wednesday evening and submitted the resignation of her government the following day. Since then, Kristersson’s party has been exploring the extent to which it can agree on a government basis with the Sweden Democrats, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals. Andersson is leading an interim government until a new government is found./trs/DP/he