Sweden's 2026 election
Sweden held a tightly contested general election on 13 September that could have brought the far-right, neo-Nazi-rooted Sweden Democrats into government for the first time; the party has been the second-largest in parliament since 2022, providing crucial outside support to conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's coalition without holding cabinet posts, but Kristersson had pledged that a right-bloc win would finally give them ministerial positions. Exit polls showed the four-party centre-left opposition, led by former PM Magdalena Andersson's Social Democrats, ahead with about 51.3% of the vote against 46.8% for the right -- a lead that narrowed sharply in the campaign's final weeks after opening at roughly 10 points, though exit polls had also wrongly predicted a left win in 2022. Andersson framed the choice starkly: 'should we have a government entirely dominated by the Sweden Democrats... or should we have a government led by me?'
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As it ran
16 September 2026
15 September 2026
14 September 2026
- Sweden’s centre-left leads by three seats as election count continues Al Jazeera
- Swedish left-wing bloc narrowly ahead with election too close to call BBC News
- Sweden’s centre-left leads by three seats as vote counting continues Al Jazeera
- Sweden’s parliamentary election heads to a close finish CNN
- Opposition set to halt Sweden’s slide to right CNN
13 September 2026
- Voting under way in Sweden election that could see far right enter gov’t Al Jazeera
- Voting under way in Sweden election that could see far right in government Al Jazeera
- Centre-left opposition bloc leads in Swedish vote, poll shows Al Jazeera
- Left-wing bloc leads Swedish vote after far-right lose support, exit polls say BBC News
- Swedish party blocs tied after Sunday vote, projections say BBC News
- Sweden votes over immigration as right-wing bloc gains traction South China Morning Post
- Sweden election tests voters’ confidence in government’s immigration crackdown Fox News