Sweden holds national elections to determine future government coalition

On September 13, 2026, Swedish voters went to the polls to elect 349 members of the Riksdag, the country's national parliament. The election focused on whether the incumbent conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson would remain in power or if the Social Democratic Party, led by former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, would regain control. A critical issue in this race was the potential formal inclusion of the far-right Sweden Democrats into the government, a move previously supported by the ruling center-right coalition.

With approximately 8 million eligible voters out of a population of 10.6 million, the election saw high participation, with roughly half of the electorate voting in advance. Preliminary results from 95% of districts indicated a narrow margin between the center-left and conservative blocs, with 176 seats leaning towards the left. As no party secured a decisive victory, the country is facing a period of complex negotiations to form a new government, reflecting the high political stakes for Sweden, which is the newest member of NATO.