DOMINANT ANGLE
Bern measures how narrow the outcome remains: 176 seats to 173 out of 349, an unprecedented decline for the Democrats of Sweden, and the question of whether Magdalena Andersson will be able to hold together a Left Party that demands to enter the government and a Centre Party that refuses to do so.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The four opposition parties have a total of 176 seats out of 349, compared to 173 for Kristersson's outgoing coalition, according to SVT's projections relayed by SRF.
- 02
The Sweden Democrats are declining for the first time since they entered the Riksdag in 2010, falling from around 20.5% in 2022 to 17.5%, and losing their rank as the second party.
- 03
The final result is expected on Wednesday, after the count of votes from Swedes abroad.
ANALYSIS
Berne, September 15, 2026. The Swedish vote on Sunday leaves the Swiss press facing an election that ends in a narrow margin: 176 seats against 173 out of 349, a total that will not be final until Wednesday, once the votes of Swedes abroad have been counted.
According to the projections of the public television SVT relayed by the SRF, the four parties that support Magdalena Andersson — social democrats, Left Party, Greens and Centre Party — total 176 seats, against 173 for the coalition of outgoing Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, backed since 2022 by the so-called "Tidö" agreement with the Sweden Democrats. Notable fact for the Swiss press: this is the first decline of the far-right formation since its entry into the Riksdag in 2010, to around 17.5% of the vote against 20.5% in 2022, and its loss of the rank of second party in the country. "A shockwave is probably going through the ranks of the Sweden Democrats, they did not expect it," notes political scientist Tommy Möller, quoted by the TT agency and reported by the SRF.
The Swiss press emphasizes the fragility of the majority obtained by Magdalena Andersson, who will now have to reconcile two allies with opposing demands: the Left Party is demanding a seat in the government, while the Centre Party refuses to govern alongside it. Le Temps reports the words of the former head of government (2021-2022), who had posed the choice on the morning of the vote: "Do we want a government entirely dominated by the Sweden Democrats, or do we want a government led by me, which will lead Sweden in a new spirit of cooperation?"
On the SD side, MP Julia Kronlid downplayed the decline to AFP: "It's a bit disappointing to no longer be the second largest party [...] but it's not over yet." The SRF puts this result into perspective: the Tidö agreement, the price paid by Kristersson to access power in 2022 by a few thousand votes, had opened the door to a first entry of nationalists into the government. Sunday's vote closes this perspective, at least temporarily.
The campaign, dominated by health and purchasing power according to Le Temps, but also by gang crime according to the SRF, had seen Kristersson claim a decline in shootings. The final results, expected on Wednesday, will decide if the margin of three seats is enough for Andersson to govern.
