Swedish voters decide between centre-left and right-wing coalition with far-right participation

Swedish citizens cast ballots on Sunday in a tightly contested parliamentary election that could bring the Sweden Democrats, a far-right party, into government for the first time. Recent opinion polls show the centre-left opposition holding a slim advantage over the ruling right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

Kristersson, whose party has trailed in most surveys during his four-year tenure, said his bloc would unite parties, voters and issues to get things done. He has promised to incorporate the Sweden Democrats into a new four-party government if his side secures a majority.

Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson warned that the current government's policies are eroding civil liberties and pressuring immigrants to conform or leave, adding that Sweden has become “a harder society, a quieter society, but also a poorer society” as economic growth lags.

Supporters of the right-wing bloc argue that its policies have reduced gang violence and sharply cut immigration, viewing a victory as public endorsement of that approach. The Sweden Democrats have pledged to ban the niqab and burqa, describing such attire as inconsistent with Swedish values.

In the suburb of Rinkeby, a sociologist who arrived from Somalia emphasized the essential role of immigrants in the health sector, noting that a quarter of healthcare workers are foreign-born and that the country would struggle without them.

The election outcome may hinge on whether the Liberal Party clears the 4 % threshold needed for parliamentary seats, which would strengthen the right-wing alliance that includes the Moderates, Christian Democrats and the Sweden Democrats. Both blocs share positions on supporting Ukraine, military rearmament and measures to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis, while the opposition parties differ on issues such as taxation of billionaires and nuclear power development.