Sweden Elections: Close Votes for Center Parties and Significant Increase in Far-Right Party Votes

The results of the Swedish elections indicate a very close competition between the two main center-left and center-right parties. The Sweden Democrats, which have roots in white supremacy and oppose refugee acceptance policies, have significantly increased their votes. With the announcement of results from almost all polling stations early Monday, September 9, a coalition of Social Democrats, Greens, and the Left Party, currently in power, secured 40.6% of the votes. The left-leaning opposition, a coalition of center-right parties, came in second with 40.3% of the votes. The close results and competition between the main coalitions in Sweden suggest that forming a government in the coming days will not be easy; while the center-right is calling for the resignation of the current Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, Löfven has asked the opposition to negotiate with the Social Democrats and their allies. Löfven stated, "It is clear that none of the parties have achieved an absolute majority, so it is natural that cooperation between coalitions is necessary." On the other hand, the far-right Sweden Democrats have managed to gain 17.6% of the votes with a five percent increase, effectively becoming a challenge for the main parties. Members of the Sweden Democrats, during the announcement of results, indicated that currently, it should not be expected that either the left or the center-right will voluntarily allow the other to take power. However, there is even less expectation that the far-right will facilitate government formation without conditions, such as obtaining senior positions in legislative committees. The Sweden Democrats were formed in 1988, emerging from neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, although they have attempted to distance themselves from these ideologies in recent years. This party, which opposes refugee acceptance policies, claims that the presence of hundreds of thousands of refugees poses risks and challenges to the country's welfare, culture, and heritage. Since 2012, over 400,000 refugees have entered Sweden. In 2015, during the European refugee crisis, 163,000 refugees entered Sweden. Considering Sweden's population of 10 million, this figure represents the highest percentage of refugees relative to the country's population in Europe. Despite this, statistics still indicate a good economic and welfare situation in Sweden. Unemployment is at 6.8%, which is equal to the European average. Youth unemployment has reached its lowest level in the past 15 years. Budgets and payments to police, health, and education have increased, and reports indicate that government debt has reached its lowest level since 1970. However, on the other hand, unemployment among immigrants is 10% higher than among native residents, and various criticisms have been raised regarding issues such as waiting times for patient admissions. Some experts also say that economic and class divides are more visible than ever, and internal security, despite a reduction in murder and crime rates and no increase in the number of criminals, has become problematic in other aspects. Sweden is heading towards unclear prospects. The democratic system in Sweden is parliamentary. The parliament has 349 representatives and elections are held every four years. The Social Democrats have held power for decades, except for some short periods.