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Photograph: Jonas Ekstromer/EPA     (voting-under-way-in-sweden-with-far-right-eyeing-first-role-in-government.html#img-1)   View image in fullscreen       The Social Democrats leader, Magdalena Andersson, arrives at the party's election night watch party. Photograph: Jonas Ekstromer/EPA       (https://www.theguardian.com/world/sweden) Sweden     Swedish election: left and right parties appear to be heading for deadlock   Though early exit polls suggested a new left-leaning government, later forecasts suggest an incredibly close race (https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/sep/13/sweden-general-election-social-democrats-magdalena-sweden-democrats-ulf-kristersson-andersson-far-right-europe-latest-news-updates) Sweden general election – live updates            (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/miranda-bryant) Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent   Sun 13 Sep 2026 17.28 EDT  First published on Sun 13 Sep 2026 07.17 EDT   (mailto:?subject=Swedish election: left and right parties appear to be heading for deadlock&body=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/13/voting-under-way-in-sweden-with-far-right-eyeing-first-role-in-government?CMP=share_btn_url) Share          (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) Prefer the Guardian on Google          Sweden’s left and right parties appeared to be heading for deadlock on Sunday night with the majority of the votes counted. Earlier in the night, exit polls suggested that the country was on course for a brand new left-leaning government. But later forecasts showed it likely to be an incredibly close race, with just one seat’s difference between the two blocs.  According to the broadcaster SVT’s Valu exit poll, the left-leaning parties, led by Social Democrats leader, Magdalena Andersson, were predicted to get 51.3% of the vote. The rightwing parties, led by the Moderates prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, were predicted to get 46.8% of the vote. But a later SVT prognosis predicted there were only 20,000 votes between the blocs, with 175 seats for the Social Democrats, the Left party, the Green party and the Centre party, and 174 seats for the Moderates, the Sweden Democrats, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals.  (Svelte atom template)    It comes after an unusually heated and polarised campaign punctuated by personal attacks between leaders, accusations of misinformation and Maga-inspired ads. Polls (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/12/sweden-extremely-close-election-could-see-far-right-enter-government) suggested an extremely tight race , with one showing just 0.3 percentage points between the left and right blocs. Polling stations across the country opened at 8am local time (7am UK time). Enthusiasm among voters appeared to be high. A record 3.6 million voters took part in early voting and there were reports of long queues at some polling stations. Early indications of results came at 8pm local time when the first exit polls were released. They were followed by a forecast from SVT an hour later. The first preliminary vote count is expected between 10.30pm and 11pm. Whatever the result, coalition talks are expected to take weeks if not months.           (‘I hope for a decent period in politics’: views of voters as Sweden goes to the polls – video)     2:51                   ‘I hope for a decent period in politics’: views of voters as Sweden goes to the polls – video     The right-leaning bloc, made up of what are known as the Tidö parties, has been in power for four years. It is formed of the Moderates, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals, with a supporting role for SD, Sweden’s second biggest party. The opposition left-leaning bloc is formed of Sweden’s biggest party, the Social Democrats, the Centre party, the Green party and the Left party. The rightwing coalition broke a longstanding taboo in 2022 by going into partnership with SD, which has neo-Nazi roots. (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/11/how-sweden-lost-its-soul-and-stopped-being-sweden)  How Sweden lost its soul – and stopped being Sweden | Martin Gelin     Read more        SD has attempted to make itself more palatable to the mainstream by toning down its overtly racist rhetoric, while arguing that immigration is responsible for Sweden’s crime problems. After four years in a supporting role for the Moderates-run coalition government, however, during which it has (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/10/sweden-muslims-challenge-far-right-election) shifted much of the Swedish establishment to the right and had a strong influence on policies, SD’s approach to the election has been more brazen. If the right-leaning coalition wins, the party has been promised a prominent role in the government, including key ministerial positions. SD’s campaign slogan of “make Sweden Sweden again” was reminiscent of Donald Trump’s “make America great again”. Its controversial ads on buses – with messages including: “Do you miss Mogadishu? The repatriation grant will help you get home” – were taken down after drivers refused to work in vehicles displaying them. The party leader, Jimmie Åkesson, was accused of sexism after asking the Social Democrats’ leader, Magdalena Andersson, why she was so angry during a TV debate.       (Åkesson licks the envelope of a ballot paper)   (voting-under-way-in-sweden-with-far-right-eyeing-first-role-in-government.html#img-2)   View image in fullscreen       The Sweden Democrats leader, Jimmie Åkesson, at a polling station in Rinkeby, a suburb of Stockholm, on Saturday. Photograph: Claudio Bresciani/TT News Agency/AFP/Getty Images  Another leading SD figure, Gustav Gellerbrant, came under national scrutiny after an investigation by the publication Expo connected his partner to Russian state actors and the spread of Russian propaganda. His partner, who is Russian, works as a civil servant for SD in parliament. Gellerbrant said in response that it was “isolated information” intended to raise suspicion about her Russian origins and has since gone on leave. Andersson, who voted on Sunday morning in the Stockholm suburb of Nacka, said the campaign had been “a tale of two sides”. “There have been a lot of lies and bickering, but at the same time there are so many sensible people out there across the country,” she told SVT. “The focus is on winning and setting a new direction for Sweden.” Abba’s Benny Andersson showed his support for the Social Democrats’ leader by performing a reworked version of Mamma Mia to supporters at the party’s headquarters, replacing the words “Mamma Mia” with “Magdalena”.           (Abba’s Benny Andersson remixes ‘Mamma Mia’ hit at Social Democrat election day rally – video)     0:31                   Abba’s Benny Andersson remixes ‘Mamma Mia’ hit at Social Democrat election day rally – video     The prime minister and leader of the Moderates, Ulf Kristersson, has put considerable focus in the final days of campaigning on the penalty discount applied to criminals convicted of various offences. He accused Magdalena Andersson of not standing up for female rape victims. In response, she accused him of weaponising men’s violence against women. After voting in the town of Strängnäs, west of the capital, Kristersson said “momentum is on our side”. Despite dropping in the latest polls, he said the role of his party was to be “team leaders … uniting for the best of the country”. Voters say the most important election issues are healthcare, law and order, immigration and the economy. But much of the election debate has been focused on personal finance, said Radio Sweden’s senior political correspondent, Fredrik Furtenbach. “The parties have tried to outdo each other with promises of more money. It has been a sort of auction.”         Explore more on these topics (https://www.theguardian.com/world/sweden) Sweden  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/far-right) The far right  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) Europe  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/news) news    (mailto:?subject=Swedish election: left and right parties appear to be heading for deadlock&body=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/13/voting-under-way-in-sweden-with-far-right-eyeing-first-role-in-government?CMP=share_btn_url) Share     (https://syndication.theguardian.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2026%2Fsep%2F13%2Fvoting-under-way-in-sweden-with-far-right-eyeing-first-role-in-government&type=article&internalpagecode=world/2026/sep/13/voting-under-way-in-sweden-with-far-right-eyeing-first-role-in-government) (Reuse this content) Reuse this content                  More on this story                      More on this story                     (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/11/sweden-brexit-hardline-migration-policy-britons-eu)    ()      ‘Absurd, hardline calls’: questions over Sweden’s post-Brexit migration policy   (Friday, September 11, 2026 at 01:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/11/how-sweden-lost-its-soul-and-stopped-being-sweden)    ()      double quotation mark   How Sweden lost its soul – and stopped being Sweden   (Friday, September 11, 2026 at 12:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 3d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/10/sweden-muslims-challenge-far-right-election)    ()      ‘They poison the population’: how the far right changed Sweden’s conversation    (Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 12:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 4d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2026/sep/07/reindeer-and-rare-earth-minerals-swedish-politicians-take-aim-at-indigenous-sami-in-mining-dispute)    ()      Reindeer and rare-earth minerals: Swedish politicians take aim at Indigenous Sami in mining dispute   (Monday, September 7, 2026 at 12:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 7d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/05/sweden-britons-deportations-brexit)    ()      Sweden confirms 458 Britons deported or forcibly removed since Brexit   (Saturday, September 5, 2026 at 05:16 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 5 Sept 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/03/swedish-mp-promises-help-for-britons-facing-deportation-if-his-party-wins-power-general-election)    ()      ‘We need a touch of humanity’: Swedish opposition pledges to help Britons facing deportation   (Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 08:38 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 3 Sept 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/02/swedish-minister-removals-deportations-britons-brexit)    ()      Swedish minister defends strict post-Brexit removals of Britons   (Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 08:59 AM Eastern Daylight 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