DOMINANT ANGLE
Norway sees the decline of the Democrats in Sweden as proof that a tough stance on immigration and crime no longer guarantees, on its own, the support of voters, even when results are visible on the ground.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The Democrats in Sweden get 17.6% of the vote, compared to over 20% in 2022, losing their place as the country's second-largest party (VG).
- 02
The red-green opposition bloc would get 176 seats out of 349, compared to 173 for the parties supporting Ulf Kristersson, a margin that can still change with overseas votes expected on Wednesday, September 16 (Aftenposten).
- 03
Several Swedish polling stations stayed open until around 10 pm on Sunday, two hours after the official closing time, due to long lines related to the 103 ballots in each voting booth (Aftenposten).
ANALYSIS
Oslo, September 15, 2026. In Oslo, the press is scrutinizing the tight verdict of the Swedish polls, focusing mainly on the fate of the Sweden Democrats (SD), a partner in the Kristersson coalition since 2022. According to VG, the far-right party won 17.6% of the vote, compared to over 20% in 2022, a decline of three points that cost it its position as the country's second-largest party. The finding is all the more surprising since the SD had obtained, through the Tidö agreement with the Moderates, the Christian Democrats, and the Liberals, a significant toughening of migration policy: restricted family reunification, higher salary thresholds for immigrant workers, and facilitated expulsions for individuals without a valid residence permit. The shootings and gang score-settling that gave rise to the term "Swedish conditions" have decreased significantly, VG reports.
For experts cited by the newspaper, this success on the ground has not been rewarded at the polls: the SD would have lost significant support among first-time voters, according to provisional figures. The party must now redefine its role in Swedish political life, VG writes, headlining a Jimmie Åkesson presented as the "victim of his own success".
The seat count remains disputed: Aftenposten reports that the red-green bloc would win 176 seats out of 349, compared to 173 for the parties allied with Ulf Kristersson, a margin of just three seats that could change with the counting of overseas votes expected on Wednesday, September 16. The newspaper also notes that several polling stations remained open until around 10 pm on Sunday, two hours after the official closing time, due to long lines that the electoral administration deemed "very regrettable", citing the difficulty of finding the right ballot among the 103 lists proposed in each polling booth.
VG finally notes that Magdalena Andersson, even if she is to become head of government again, will have to navigate a Left Party that demands to enter the government and a Center Party that refuses to do so, a combination already deemed fragile.
