The “election thriller”as he is nicknamed Walk of the World, daily life in neighboring Norway, is over. And “the agonizing wait turned into disappointment for social democrats in Sweden”added The country. Sunday’s legislative elections – so close that it took three days to count all the ballots – gave 176 seats to the right-wing bloc and 173 to the centre-left. “It’s a small majority but it’s a majority”admitted Magdalena Andersson, the Swedish Prime Minister and leader of the Social Democrats, when announcing her resignation.
The BBC see it “a big blow for the social democrats” who nevertheless won more votes than during the last election and who keep their status as the country’s leading political force. Insufficient in the face of the alliance of conservatives, liberals and the extreme right. In theory, Mrs Andersson “could have let the Riksdag impeach her, but what’s the point? She chose, quite logically, to take the initiative herself”explains the Gothenburg Post.
So here is Ulf Kristersson, the man at the head of the Moderates and a fragile coalition, a natural candidate for the post of Prime Minister. “There’s no time to lose”pleads the express, noting that “several crises will land on the table of the new government even before the ministers have had time to unpack their boxes”. Au menu : the energy crisis, inflation at 9%, the NATO membership file, the war in Ukraine and above all crime and immigration, two central themes of the campaign, continues the tabloid.
The country’s liberal immigration policy was not a major political issue a decade ago, says the Washington Post. The American daily estimates that the arrival of 150,000 asylum seekers from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan since 2015 has “changed that”. The outcome of this election, in particular the rise of the extreme right, will “shaking up Swedish politics and the country’s reputation as a haven for progressive and pluralistic ideals”.
How to govern?
Because the big winner of the ballot is the far right. With 20.5% of the vote (against less than 6% in 2010), the Democrats of Sweden, heirs to a neo-Nazi group, have become the country’s second party. “The long march of post-fascists to power ended tonight”highlighted the Republic. “Long pariah, the nationalist and anti-immigration party now finds itself in a position of strength”, observe The evening.
The New York Times suggests two lines of analysis. First, ask yourself what this success says about Sweden today. Then what he confirms about Europe. “Sweden is simply one more European democracy in which the extreme right regularly manages to seduce the electorate, joining a list which already includes France, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Estonia and others”.
The “DS” will have to transform this popular support “in real political influence”warns Politico. Jimmie Akesson, the leader of the Sweden Democrats, seems to have understood this. “Our success in this election carries a heavy responsibility to the voters. We will deal with it as best we can and with respect”he said on Wednesday.
For Mr. Kristersson, the challenge will be to meet the expectations of his new allies while accommodating the more moderate factions of the coalition. Some members of the Liberals do not want the far right in a ministry, for example. “Subscribed to repeated political crises in recent years, the Nordic country finds itself again in a phase of uncertainty to form a government, with a narrow majority and a party that could pose a problem”concludes The evening.