Sweden's ruling right-wing coalition government trails the centre-left opposition bloc by 3.7 percentage points, though the gap has narrowed since June, according to a poll conducted July 29 to August 10 and published by the daily Svenska Dagbladet. Swedes vote in a parliamentary election on September 13.
Sweden's right-wing coalition trails opposition bloc ahead of September election, poll shows
Sweden's ruling right-wing coalition government trails the centre-left opposition bloc by 3.7 percentage points, though the gap has narrowed since June, according to a poll conducted July 29 to August 10 and published by the daily Svenska Dagbladet. Swedes vote in a parliamentary election on September 13.
The survey of 2,016 voters, carried out by pollster Demoskop, placed the four opposition parties at 50.6%, up from the 48.9% they collectively won in the 2022 election. The governing bloc, which includes the closely aligned far-right Sweden Democrats, stood at 46.9%, down from the 49.6% it won four years ago.
Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson, who has led her party in opposition for four years, was placed at 30.2%, nearly unchanged from 30.3% in 2022. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's Moderate Party polled at 16.8%, compared with 19.1% at the last election.
Junior coalition member the Liberals recorded 2.4% support in the poll, well below the 4% threshold required to win seats in the Riksdag. The Sweden Democrats polled at 20.2%, down slightly from 20.5% in 2022.
The election campaign has centred on cost of living, security, immigration, crime, and energy supply. The source states that a change in government would likely mean more welfare spending, with no major changes expected on immigration, defence, or support for Ukraine, though it does not attribute that assessment to a named source.
- The source does not state the poll's margin of error.
- The source does not identify which opposition parties Andersson would seek to include in a potential coalition government.
- The source does not attribute the assessment of likely policy changes under an Andersson government to a named person or organisation.
- The source does not explain what has driven the narrowing of the gap between the two blocs since June.
- The source does not state Kristersson's or Andersson's direct responses to the poll findings.
Read the original at The Straits Times