Exit polls show left-wing opposition ahead in Swedish vote, projected to win majority

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STOCKHOLM (AP) — Exit polls in Sweden’s national election show left of center parties including former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s Social Democrats leading Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s governing alliance.

The polls from Swedish public broadcaster SVT project Andersson's four-party group winning a majority, paving the way for her to return to office pending coalition talks.

First preliminary result were expected around 1900 GMT from election officials.

Kristersson has led Sweden since 2022 with a three-party center-right coalition. It relies on outside support from the Sweden Democrats, an anti-immigration party that has far-right roots but has moved toward the political mainstream, for a parliamentary majority. However if the right should be reelected, the Sweden Democrats could expect Cabinet posts this time.

The center left Social Democrats have led most Swedish governments since World War II. Andersson served as prime minister from 2021 until she lost power at the last election.

There are two major political blocs: one with four parties on the right and another with four parties on the left. So the big question is less about which party wins and more about which side can form a majority. Individual parties need a minimum of 4% of the vote to win parliamentary seats.

Kristersson announced in April that his conservative Moderates would allow the Sweden Democrats into government if the right has a majority — though he would remain prime minister even if the Sweden Democrats are the stronger party.

The Sweden Democrats were founded in the 1980s by people who had been active in right-wing extremist groups, including neo-Nazis. They toned down their rhetoric and expelled openly racist members under Jimmie Åkesson, who has led them since 2005 and overseen their growth from what was once a marginal party.

“This is a very important election for Sweden, if we for the first time should have a right-wing extremist party founded by Neo-Nazis in our government or if the government should be led by me,” said Andersson after voting.

The Sweden Democrats' role is in focus against a background of gains for the populist right in Europe, including the first-place finish by the far-right Alternative for Germany party in a regional election there Sept. 6.

More than 8 million people in the nation of about 10.6 million were eligible to vote in the election for the 349-seat parliament, the Riksdag.