STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden goes to the polls on Sept. 11 to elect a new parliament in what is expected to be a close-fought race between the ruling left-wing block and the right-wing opposition to form the next government.
Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats, who campaigns on a platform to improve the quality of Sweden’s welfare state, adopt more renewable energy and fight crime, hopes to extend her party’s eight-year rule.
Her main rival for the top job, Ulf Kristersson of the conservative Moderate Party, promises tax cuts, better schools, more nuclear power and to quash spiralling gang violence.
Parliament currently has eight political parties, four on the left and four on the right, making minority government the likely outcome and forcing whoever becomes prime minister to rely on policy compromises with like-minded groups.
Parties must secure at least 4% of votes cast in order to win any seats.
Number of seats seen in recent opinion polls (only those polling firms that give a breakdown):
Date Source Ruling Right-wing
centre-left opposition
2018 Results 175 174
3-Mar Novus 178 171
18-Mar Sifo 182 167
7-Apr Novus 177 172
22-Apr Sifo 184 165
4-May Novus 180 169
13-May Sifo 178 171
26-May Sentio 172 177
10-Jun Novus 174 175
17-Jun Sifo 176 173
26-Jun Sentio 167 182
10-Jul Novus 170 179
11-Aug Novus 177 172
SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL PARTIES (%):
Date Source SDP G Left C M Lib. CD SD
2018 28.3 4.4 8.0 8.6 19.8 5.5 6.3 17.5
3-Mar Novus 32.0 3.2 8.9 6.8 21.2 2.1 5.1 19.4
18-Mar Sifo 32.8 2.7 8.6 7.0 21.4 2.4 4.9 18.6
7-Apr Novus 32.0 3.3 8.3 6.8 21.5 2.1 5.7 18.7
19-Apr Skop 34.7 2.9 9.2 7.4 20.2 2.9 5.8 15.6
22-Apr Sifo 33.0 2.9 8.7 7.1 21.2 2.4 4.9 18.2
4-May Novus 31.8 3.3 9.0 6.9 21.0 2.5 5.9 17.9
13-May Sifo 32.6 2.7 8.2 6.3 20.8 3.6 5.6 18.1
26-May Sentio 29.2 4.1 7.8 5.3 20.4 2.6 8.5 19.4
2-Jun SCB 33.3 3.3 7.8 6.7 21.3 3.4 5.2 17.0
9-Jun Novus 30.2 3.3 9.4 5.9 21.5 3.5 6.3 18.0
17-Jun Sifo 33.7 3.4 7.9 6.0 19.3 4.4 6.3 17.4
21-Jun Ipsos 31.0 3.0 9.0 5.0 20.0 5.0 6.0 19.0
26-Jun Sentio 28.2 3.1 9.0 6.4 20.9 3.9 5.5 21.1
29-Jun Novus 31.7 3.5 8.8 5.4 19.6 5.0 6.7 17.4
4-Jul Demoskop 30.3 4.9 8.4 7.1 21.0 4.7 6.1 16.3
25-Jul Skop 31.5 3.6 10.3 6.2 18.5 6.1 5.7 16.6
4-Aug Demoskop 28.7 4.8 7.7 7.2 20.3 5.7 6.9 17.7
11-Aug Novus 30.6 5.2 7.2 6.8 18.6 5.1 6.3 18.6
SDP = Social Democrats, form current minority government
G = Green Party, environmentalist allies of the SDP
Left = Left Party, former Communist Party, allies of SDP
C = Centre, backs SDP prime minister
M = Moderates, historically the largest opposition party, conservative
Lib. = Liberals, opposition party
CD = Christian Democrats, opposition party
SD = Sweden Democrats, anti-immigration, loosely aligned with right-wing bloc
(Reporting by Nordic newsrooms)
