Parliamentary elections in Sweden: the far right at its highest in very close partial results – Le Monde

Supporters of the Democrats of Sweden party celebrate the partial results of the legislative elections, giving the best result in their history, in Nacka, near Stockholm, on September 11, 2022. JONATHAN NACKSTRAND / AFP Sweden could switch to a new political era. The legislative elections placed, on Sunday, September 11, the outgoing left neck and neck with the unprecedented bloc between the right and the far right, with a final result which could be played out with only one or two seats, according to results. partials. While the exit polls gave the left a small lead, the right led by the leader of the conservative Moderates Ulf Kristersson, supported by the far right Sweden Democrats (SD), is now in a position of l ‘carry. Based on the votes counted around 11:30 p.m. covering three quarters of the polling stations, it would obtain exactly the absolute majority of 175 seats, for 49.7% of the vote. The left-wing camp led by outgoing Prime Minister, Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson, is credited with 174 seats, with 48.8% of the vote, according to the tally made by the electoral authority. Read also: General elections in Sweden: who are the main candidates for the post of Prime Minister? The Swedes voted after a campaign of maximum suspense, dominated by the themes of crime and inflation. Never, until these legislative elections, had the traditional right considered governing with the direct or indirect support of the SD party, which claims to be nationalist and anti-system. A long pariah formation A long night is shaping up to clarify a result that has become increasingly uncertain as the evening progresses, with differences that could be decided by a few tens of thousands, or even thousands of votes. For a long time pariah, the far-right formation, by crossing the 20% mark, would win a second place never before achieved, thus becoming the first formation of a new right-wing bloc. It marks the strongest progression of the eight parties present in Parliament. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, 55, hopes to stay in power by relying on a “red-green” package, for a third term of four years in a row for the left. According to these partial results, the Social Democrats keep as expected their first place since the 1930s, winning votes (30.4%). The Conservatives of the Moderates would drop back slightly and would only be the third party, with 19.0% of the vote. The campaign was dominated by themes likely to favor the right-wing opposition: murderous gang crime and settling of accounts, soaring fuel and electricity prices, integration problems… But the solid popularity of Ms Andersson, whose trust rating exceeds that of his conservative rival, Ulf Kristersson, as well as the bogeyman of the far right, argue in favor of the left. Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers In Sweden, insecurity at the heart of the campaign The five polling institutes gave a very slight lead to the “red-green” camp in their last salvos (49.6% to 51.6% ), against 47.6% to 49.4% for the total right/extreme right, but all are within the margin of error. The last two weeks of campaigning have seen the far-right party overtake the conservative Moderate party in the polls (around 19-21%), a new record. “A real chance” A victory for the right supported by the far right would be a fundamental political change for Sweden, which must take over the rotating presidency of the European Union on January 1 and finalize its historic candidacy for NATO. At the electoral headquarters in the suburbs of Stockholm, SD activists were jubilant at the announcement of the first estimates, waving their flags in the colors of the party, then with the hope of seeing the rights take the final advantage. Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Parliamentary elections: in Sweden, the extreme right at the gates of power In Sweden, the post of Prime Minister traditionally goes to the first party of the victorious alliance. A total of 349 seats are allocated proportionally to parties achieving at least 4%. To be invested, a prime minister must not have 175 or more votes against him, but not necessarily an absolute majority in his favour. “Now we have for the first time a real chance, a real possibility not just to be an opposition party but also to be part of a new government which takes politics in a completely different direction”, reacted the number. 2 of the party, Richard Jomshof, at the microphone of SVT. If the Democrats of Sweden hope for ministries, the other right-wing parties are reluctant to grant them government portfolios, preferring to rely on them only in parliament. On the left too, the exact form of an executive coming out of the polls remains marked by uncertainty, with disagreements between left and center parties. But political scientists say a political crisis similar to the one that followed the 2018 elections – four months to form a government – ​​is unlikely, as the camps are better delineated. Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers In Sweden, the leader of the centrist party is the favorite target of the far right Le Monde with AFP