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Historic gains seen for Sweden far right
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SWEDISH voters headed to the polls in general elections yesterday, with the Social Democrats poised to reclaim power after eight years in opposition and the far right expected to make historic gains.
The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats could double their seats in parliament, as a growing proportion of the nation of 10 million express frustration with an accelerating influx of refugees.
If opinion polls prove right, Stefan Loefven, the stocky leader of the Social Democrats, looks set to become the next prime minister, although he could win by just a slim margin.
“I’ve said all along that this election is going to be incredibly tough,” the 57-year-old former welder said after he cast his vote in Stockholm early yesterday.
“That’s why we have to work hard right until the end of the campaign and not take anything for granted.”
The Social Democrats are expected to try to form a coalition government with the Greens and the former communist Left Party.
But on the eve of the election Loefven admitted the Sweden Democrats could still throw a spanner in the works, telling Swedish news agency TT on Saturday that they could end up as “kingmakers” in the new parliament.
Yearning for new faces
Sweden has been governed by a four-party conservative-liberal coalition headed by Fredrik Reinfeldt, 49, since 2006.
He has been credited with steering the country through the global financial crisis, cementing Sweden’s position as arguably the healthiest economy in Europe.
Even so, Reinfeldt’s Moderates were predicted to garner just 22 percent of the vote, according to a survey released Saturday by Swedish public broadcaster SR.
Analysts say Swedes are tired of the austerity measures his government has been pushing through and are yearning to see fresh faces at the top.
“Everyone knows that the center-right government has been quite behind the opposition, but we have narrowed the gap,” Reinfeldt said after voting in an affluent suburb of the capital yesterday, adding that “we are ready for four more years.”
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