“I am now beginning the work to form a new effective government”, had advanced on Wednesday evening the leader in reaction to this unprecedented success, which ousted the left in power for eight years. “Now we are going to restore order in Sweden!”, He promised.
With 176 seats, including 73 for the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD), the right-wing bloc formed by four parties is very slightly ahead of the left-wing one (173 seats), according to an almost final count by the authority. election covering 99.9% of the polling stations.
Sunday’s elections were so close that it took until the tens of thousands of votes missing on Wednesday to be added. The outgoing Prime Minister, Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson, acknowledged the defeat of her camp and announced her resignation, effective Thursday.
The shift is historic: never before has a Swedish government relied in parliament on the SD, the big winners of the elections with 20.5% of the vote and a new rank of second party in the country.
But if the Democrats of Sweden have become the first party of the majority of the right, they are not able to claim the post of Prime Minister, post promised to Mr. Kristersson, because the three movements of the traditional right (Moderates, Christians (Democrats and Liberals) take a dim view of SD participation in government.
Former gymnast, Ulf Kristersson will therefore have to succeed in the acrobatics of finalizing and maintaining the union of the three liberal, conservative and nationalist rights. It was he who at the end of 2019 had for the first time envisaged a scenario of collaboration between the right and the SD.
“We are only going to be one or two seats away from a government crisis”, has already warned Magdalena Andersson.
– With or without SD in the government? –
The most likely scenario according to analysts is that the SD only support the government in parliament, without being directly part of it.
“The process will take as long as it takes,” Jimmie Åkesson said on Wednesday, promising to be a “constructive force and initiative”.
Heir to a neo-Nazi group when it was created in 1988, the far-right party has gradually become commonplace in the Swedish political landscape, entering parliament in 2010 with 5.7%, then climbing with each election, against a background high immigration and criminal gang problems in Sweden.
The campaign was dominated by themes favorable to the right-wing opposition: criminality and deadly settling of scores between gangs of immigrant origin, integration and soaring energy bills.
“It’s a sad sign of our time, that they can take advantage of people’s fear, of what they say about all these criminals, etc.”, sighs Larry Nilsson, a pensioner from Malmö (south). “There’s only 1 or 2% of the population that experiences this, most live a very safe life, how can you win an election on this?”.
The victory of a right/extreme right alliance in Sweden comes less than two weeks before elections in Italy, where a coalition bringing together Fratelli d’Italia of Giorgia Meloni (post-fascist) and Forza Italia of Silvio Berlusconi (liberal right) is given favorite.
“Even in beautiful and democratic Sweden, the leftists are defeated and sent home! On Sunday 25 (September) it’s our turn, we’re going to win!” said Matteo Salvini, the leader of the Italian League (anti -immigration).
In the Swedish parliament, the SD will have 73 seats, 11 more than in 2018. The Moderates win 68 seats (-2), while the Christian Democrats have 19 (-3) and the Liberals 16 (-4).
On the left, the Social Democrats climb to 107 seats (7) thanks to their good score of 30.3%, ahead of the Left and Center parties (24 each) and the Greens (18).
