Sweden is set for a change of government. The final count from the September 13 general election, completed after overseas and early ballots were tallied, gives the four centre-left opposition parties 176 of the Riksdag’s 349 seats, a majority of just three. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said he will step down.
The final seat count
- Opposition bloc (Social Democrats, Left, Greens, Centre): 176 seats.
- Government bloc (Moderates, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats, Liberals): 173 seats.
- Social Democrats: 99 seats, still by far the largest party, though down eight.
- Sweden Democrats: 62 seats, down 11 and pushed into third place behind the Moderates.
On election night the result was too close to call; preliminary figures showed the opposition ahead by a single seat before the final ballots widened the gap.
Kristersson steps aside
In a letter posted on social media, Kristersson said he would resign as head of government once the results were confirmed. His four-party arrangement, which relied on the Sweden Democrats’ support from outside the cabinet, had governed since 2022. Before the vote, the Sweden Democrats had been promised cabinet posts if the bloc won again.
Andersson’s difficult maths
Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson, who was prime minister in 2021–22, said voters had chosen a new direction and cohesion over division. Turning a narrow majority into a government will not be simple:
- the Centre Party has said it will not govern with the Left Party;
- the Left Party has said it wants a role in government in return for its support;
- any new government will need all four parties to back it in the Riksdag’s vote on a prime minister.
The Speaker of the Riksdag will now hold talks with party leaders before proposing a candidate for prime minister, who must then survive a vote in parliament.
What changes, and what doesn’t
Voters told pollsters during the campaign that healthcare, education, law and order and immigration were their top concerns. On foreign policy little should change: the major parties agree on support for Ukraine and on Sweden’s NATO membership, in place since 2024.