Swedish voters will head to the polls on September 9 in what’s becoming a familiar political drama across the European Union.
The contest will pit two large establishment parties against a populist upstart party. Polls point to a limited upset in the making, with the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) projected to capture a sufficient portion of vote to upend the normal horse-trading of government coalition formation, potentially ushering in months of political gridlock.
The Sweden Democrats have made considerable inroads into the electorate on the back of the party’s anti-immigration and anti-EU messaging.
The result of this week’s poll will resonate far beyond Sweden, with far-right movements across the Continent watching intently to see if anti-EU populism can score a stunning victory in the heart of Europe’s ‘moral superpower.’
Background
Major Players
- The Social Democratic Party (SAP). The Social Democratic Party is the party of incumbent prime minister Stefan Löfven. A storied center-left party that is synonymous with Sweden’s welfare state, SAP has continued to be the largest party in the Riksdag (legislature) since 1914. The Social Democrats lead the current minority government in coalition with the Green Party and supported by the Left Party.
- The Moderate Party (M). The Moderate Party is nearly as storied as the Social Democrats, tracing its history back to 1904 (SAP was founded in 1889). It is currently the official opposition party, holding 83 seats in the Riksdag. The Moderate Party is headed by Ulf Kristersson. Like other right-leaning establishment parties facing populist insurgencies, the Moderate Party has moved to the right on the immigration issue to prevent its support base being chipped away by the more firebrand approach of the Sweden Democrats.
