Swedish Left projected for narrow victory in national elections, but pathway to governing coalition unclear

Published September 14, 2026 2:34pm ET | Updated September 14, 2026 2:34pm ET



Sweden’s left-wing opposition has crawled ahead as votes from Sunday continue to roll in, suggesting that the four-party coalition will unseat the right-wing incumbents.

Preliminary results show that the alliance led by Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson has pulled ahead by three seats in the Riksdag with approximately 94% of votes recorded. With a margin of only 30,000 votes, there is still room for Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s right-wing coalition to flip the outcome, but the opposition has confidence the lead will hold.

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