News
Swedish conservatives close to election win, early count shows
Published
2 years agoon
By
New Yorker
Vote counters count casted votes at a polling station in the Vilans school in Nacka,near Stockholm, on September 11, 2022, during the general elections in Sweden. – – Sweden OUT (Photo by Maja SUSLIN / TT News Agency / AFP) / Sweden OUT (Photo by MAJA SUSLIN/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images)
Maja Suslin | Afp | Getty Images
Near final results in Sweden’s election Sunday show that a bloc of right-wing parties was expected to defeat a left-wing bloc headed by Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. The conservative group includes a populist anti-immigration party that made its best ever showing.
However, the result was so close that the election authority said it would not be known before Wednesday when some uncounted votes, including those cast abroad, have been tallied.
According to the early count, Andersson’s ruling left-wing Social Democrats won 30.5% of the vote, more than any other party. However a bloc of four left-wing parties appeared to fall short as a whole of winning a majority of votes in the 349-seat parliament, or Riksdag.
Exit polls had initially predicted a narrow victory for Andersson’s camp but as the evening wore on, and the vote count supplanted the exit poll, the results tipped in favor of the conservatives.
Early Monday, the conservatives appeared to have 176 seats to 173 for the center-left.
In a speech to her supporters, Andersson said that while the results were unclear, it was obvious that the social democratic movement, which is based on ideals of creating an equal society and a strong welfare state, remains strong in Sweden.
Magdalena Andersson, leader of the Social Democrats, center, arrives at the party’s election night event in Stockholm, Sweden, on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. Andersson took a narrow lead in exit polls, indicating she could secure another four-year term in office and hold off a late surge by an anti-immigration party thats eroded the dominance of her Social Democrats. Photographer: Mikael Sjoberg/Blooimberg
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The biggest winner of the evening was the populist anti-immigration party, the Sweden Democrats, which had a strong showing of nearly 21%, its best result ever. The party gained on promises to crack down on shootings and other gang violence that have shaken a sense of security for many in Sweden.
The party has its roots in the white nationalist movement but years ago began expelling extremists. Despite its rebranding, voters long viewed it as unacceptable and other parties shunned it. But that has been changing, and its result in this election show just how far it come in gaining acceptance.
“We are now the second biggest party in Sweden and it looks it’s going to stay that way,” party leader Jimmie Akesson told his supporters.
“We know now that if there’s going to be a shift in power, we will be having a central role in that,” he said. “Our ambition is to be in the government.”
The conservative bloc was led during the campaign by the center-right Moderates, which won 19%. It was previously the country’s second largest party.
Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson told his supports that he stands ready to try to create a stable and effective government.
Regardless of the election outcome, Sweden is likely to face a lengthy process to form a government, as it did after the 2018 election.
Andersson, a 55-year-old economist, became Sweden’s first female prime minister less than a year ago and led Sweden’s historic bid to join NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Source: CNBC
Selena Gomez’s New Cooking Show ‘Selena + Restaurant’ Sets Premiere Date and Takes Her Out of the Kitchen (EXCLUSIVE)
Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
The Hateful Attacks on Adeel Mangi
Frankfurt: Man arrested after attempted robbery in residential accommodation
Celtics’ late-game struggles continue in second straight loss to Hawks: 7 takeaways
Baltimore Lost More Than a Bridge
King Charles Is ‘Utterly Determined’ to Show Unity Among the Royal Family Amid Health Battles
Los Angeles Theatre Week Provides Access to Affordable Productions
Living with an anti-reunification North Korea – Asia Times
Thousands of phones and routers swept into proxy service, unbeknownst to users
Celtics’ late-game struggles continue in second straight loss to Hawks: 7 takeaways
‘The Way Home’ Season 2 Finale Preview: Can Elliot Time Travel?
A Polish general dies deep in Ukraine – Asia Times
Illinois rides defense to take down Iowa State at TD Garden en route to first Elite Eight since 2005
Kate Middleton’s Cancer Diagnosis Treated Like An Episode of ‘The Crown’: Commentator
Trending
-
Wellness23 hours ago
Is Masseter Botox Worth It? We Asked 8 People for Their Honest Reviews
-
News24 hours ago
Xiaomi releases electric car $4K cheaper than Tesla’s Model 3 as price wars heat up
-
Auto22 hours ago
The New Toyota 4Runner Shows Its Back End for the First Time
-
Tech19 hours ago
Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison
-
Wellness22 hours ago
Are LED Light Masks Bad for Your Eyes?
-
Auto21 hours ago
Polestar Says More BST Performance Models Are Coming
-
Auto22 hours ago
The $24,999 Fisker Ocean Might Not Actually Exist
-
Tech22 hours ago
FTX fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison