Sweden: Center-left opposition on track to form new government, has narrow lead over right-wing parties

Sweden's center-left opposition is on track to form a new government after preliminary election results showed it had a narrow three-seat lead over the ruling right-wing parties after most votes from Sunday's election were counted, Reuters news agency reported today.

An opposition victory would halt a four-year rightward swing that has transformed Sweden from one of Europe's most open countries to immigrants to one with one of the strictest asylum systems, according to Reuters.

The center-left parties, led by Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson, are projected to win 176 seats in the 349-seat parliament, while Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's right-wing bloc is projected to win 173 seats, the election commission said.

"If this result stands, Sweden will get a new government," Anderson told supporters after preliminary results were announced on Sunday evening.

The far-right Sweden Democrats, who had hoped to enter government for the first time if the ruling bloc won, are projected to lose about 11 seats.

Party leaders, however, were cautious about declaring victory or admitting defeat, as votes in 353 more constituencies remain to be counted, while votes from abroad are not expected to be counted before Wednesday.

In the 2022 election, exit polls initially indicated a narrow victory for the center-left, which turned out to be premature, and Kristerson showed no signs of intending to concede defeat when he addressed the public after Sunday's election.

The difference between the two blocs this morning was only 0,45 percent of the vote.

If the center-left victory is confirmed, forming a government could take some time.

Although Social Democrat leader Magdalena Anderson is expected to be prime minister, it is not yet clear which other parties will participate in her government. The center-right party has refused to share power with the Left Party, which insists it must be part of any future coalition.

"The process of forming a government could be very complicated," Parliament Speaker Andreas Norlen told Swedish television.

The election result is unlikely to change Sweden's pro-Western and pro-Ukrainian policies, while it is not yet clear what impact it will have on the country's immigration and economic policies.

Anderson promised voters more spending on social protection, a fairer tax system and a greater focus on social cohesion. However, while the Greens and the Left Party want the rich to contribute more, the Centre Party opposes introducing a tax on billionaires.

It is unlikely that the Social Democrats will relax immigration rules, which the Left and Green parties advocated for in the campaign, because Andersson said that Sweden must continue with its strict immigration policy.