An unprecedented block, the result of the sum of the right and the extreme right, achieved a narrow majority in the legislative elections in Sweden against the left, until now in government, according to almost definitive results announced on Wednesday.
At the end of a last day of counting votes after very close elections on Sunday, the outgoing prime minister, the Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson, acknowledged the defeat of her bloc and announced her resignation, which will take effect on Thursday.
With 99.7% of constituencies counted, the right-wing opposition won the election by three seats, 176 a 173according to today’s count by the Electoral Authority, which includes the foreign vote and the early votes sent within the deadline, but which did not arrive on time.
The Social Democrats, the most voted force in the last century, defended their first position and achieved the 30,4%two points more than in 2018.
In second position was the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD), with the 20,6%three more points, ahead of the conservatives of the opposition leader, Ulf Kristersson, who dropped seven tenths to the 19.1 percent.
“Almost all the votes have been counted, but the preliminary election result is what Absolutely clear”, said Andersson at a press conference.
Andersson predicted that it will be a legislature “dura” y “complicated” for the small difference and was concerned about the rise of the SD.
“That makes many Swedes uneasy. I see that restlessness and I share it”, affirmed the prime minister, who urged to combat hatred and intolerance and called on the other three forces of the right to put “limits” on the SD.
The Social Democratic leader also highlighted that her party obtained an electoral result “solid” and that it is “clearly” the largest in Sweden.
The end result places the now opposing block with the 49,6% of the votes against 49% center-left and the difference between the blocks goes from one a three seats, with respect to the result released on Monday, when the so-called “Wednesday votes” were yet to be counted.
Something more than 44,500 votes separated the two blocks on Monday, which had maintained these days the prudence pending a definitive result, although the four parties of the right-wing bloc have held meetings and the Swedish media were already speculating on the possible distribution of portfolios.
The “Wednesday votes” have had historically little influence in the final result, with the exception of 1979when they opted for the victory of the right, after 8,500 ballots separated both blocs on election night.
The SD was the big winner of the elections: not only has it been the force that has grown the most, but it has taken away from the conservatives the leadership in the right-wing bloc, which it had held since 1979, and It will have a direct influence on the formation of a government after a decade of isolation.
This formation of far rightwith roots neo-nazis Originally in the late eighties, it has been subjected to a “cordon sanitaire” by the rest of the forces since it entered Parliament in 2010, which explains why the Social Democrats have governed in the minority in the last two legislatures despite the fact that in the Chamber had a majority from the right.
In the last one, a pact with centrist y liberalsbreaking the center-right alliance that existed since 2004, to maintain isolation, although conservatives, Christian Democrats and liberals, who have changed sides again, have long defended negotiating with the extreme right, although without it being in government.
The Swedish media are rumoring the possibility that conservatives and Christian Democrats will form a minority executive, headed by Kristersson and supported from outside by the other forces of the bloc.
However, the SD has claimed a “central” role and aspires to “be part of the government”, as its leader, Jimmie Åkesson, said on election night.
(With information from EFE)
Keep reading: