Election thriller in Sweden: Close race, Sweden Democrats lose

Sweden is experiencing a monumental election thriller: the morning after the parliamentary election on Sunday, the left-green opposition parties are slightly ahead after almost all votes have been counted. But the lead over the liberal-conservative-right camp around Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is so narrow that literally every vote counts. Even those that will only be evaluated on Wednesday, such as those from Swedish embassies abroad.

Around 93 percent of the votes have been counted so far. Former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson's Social Democrats are now emerging from the parliamentary elections as the strongest force. The narrow majority currently means 176 of the 349 seats in parliament. Kristersson's conservatives, his two previous coalition partners and the right-wing populists together have 173 seats.

But even if the result no longer changes, it is still far from clear who will rule Sweden next. Because with whom could Magdalena Andersson's Social Democrats form a government? It is not enough for a coalition with the Center Party and the Greens alone - the three parties could come to terms well. But the Left, the fourth opposition party and one of the election winners after an increase in votes, wants neither the Social Democrats nor the Center to be there.

Then it would be better to have new elections, Center chairwoman Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist had previously said. On the right, Ulf Kristersson (Moderate) is far from throwing in the government towel after this narrow outcome - even if it is not enough for a simple continuation of his current one.

Despite the many ambiguities, a few things did become clear on this election evening: the right-wing populist Sweden Democrats suffered surprisingly heavy losses, the Liberals, who had been declared dead, made it back into parliament - but opposition leader Andersson was unable to turn what had long been such a large lead in the polls into a clear election victory. On the contrary – your party has to cope with a record-poor result. (with dpa)