Political thriller in Sweden: Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s left-wing electoral alliance has a very small lead in the parliamentary elections in Sweden, according to initial predictions. The broadcasters SVT and TV4 predict a gap of 0.6 to 2.6 percentage points to the right camp on Sunday evening. The right-wing Swedish Democrats (SD), likely to become the second strongest force in Sweden for the first time in their history, did sensationally well.
The right-wing camp of moderates, Christian Democrats and liberals, led by top candidate Ulf Kristersson, broke a taboo and entered into an alliance with the Swedish Democrats for the first time. Should the right-wing side win the majority, the far-right party would be involved in the Stockholm government for the first time.
Crime, immigration and energy prices as main themes
The focus of the election campaign was on rising crime, immigration and integration issues, as well as rising energy prices – issues that allowed the Swedish Democrats to score points. The party led by party leader Jimmie Akesson, which emerged from the neo-Nazi movement in the late 1980s, entered the Swedish Reichstag for the first time in 2010 with 5.7 percent of the vote, in 2018 that was already 17.5 percent.
The rise of the Nationalist Party in the past decade has coincided with a significant increase in the number of immigrants. Sweden, with its ten million inhabitants, took in almost half a million asylum seekers during this period. The Swedish Democrats’ outspoken opposition to immigration while defending the Swedish welfare state endeared them to lower-income voters and retirees.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
