Sweden’s prime minister accepts election defeat as right prepares for power
- Sweden election delivers slim majority to conservative bloc that includes a controversial anti-immigrant party
- The post of prime minister will in all likelihood go to the leader of the Moderate party, Ulf Kristersson
A right-wing bloc that includes a nationalist anti-immigration party won a narrow majority in Sweden’s parliament.
It was a major political shift in the Scandinavian country that had a decades-long history of welcoming refugees, but is grappling with a crime wave linked with immigration.
Centre-left Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson conceded defeat with 99.9 per cent of the vote from the weekend elections counted on Wednesday. She said she would step down Thursday.
Populist Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson declared victory for the four-party bloc. He said his party would be “a constructive and driving force” in the work of rebuilding safety in Sweden. He said it was “time to put Sweden first”.
The bloc that includes the Sweden Democrats – the country’s second-largest party – won a thin majority in parliament. Though a few votes were outstanding they were not enough to sway the final outcome.
Prime Minister Andersson said that “the preliminary result is clear enough to draw a conclusion” that her centre-left forces had lost power.