Voting under way in Sweden with far right eyeing first role in government

Voting is under way in Sweden in a high-stakes election that could lead to the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) entering government for the first time.

It comes after an unusually heated and polarised campaign punctuated by personal attacks between leaders, accusations of misinformation and Maga-inspired ads. Polls suggest 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 (07.00 BST). A record 3.6 million voters took part in early voting.

Early indications of results will come at 8pm when the first exit polls are released, followed by a forecast from the broadcaster SVT an hour later. The first preliminary vote count is expected between 10.30 and 11pm. Whatever the result, coalition talks are expected to take weeks if not months.

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 long-standing taboo in 2022 by going into partnership with SD, which has neo-Nazi roots.

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 shifted much of the Swedish establishment to the right, SD’s approach to the election has been more brazen. If the right-leaning coalition win, 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”. Their 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.

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 Social Democrats’ leader by performing a reworked version of Mamma Mia to supporters at the the party’s headquarters, replacing the words “Mamma Mia” with “Magdalena”.

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 Andersson of not standing up for female rape victims. In response, she accused him of weaponising men’s violence against women.

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.”