Key facts
- Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson resigned after his bloc lost a narrow election.
- The center-left opposition secured 176 seats, while the ruling right-wing bloc won 173 seats.
- Magdalena Andersson is expected to attempt to form a new government.
- Andersson named climate crisis, schools, healthcare, elderly care, and immigration policy as priorities.
- The Sweden Democrats (SD) fell from second to third place in the election.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson resigned following his bloc's narrow defeat in the general election, clearing the way for Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson to attempt to form a government. The final seat count confirmed that the center-left opposition secured 176 seats, a narrow three-seat majority over the ruling right-leaning Tidö coalition's 173 seats, with a vote difference of 50,359. Andersson stated the election result represented a "new direction" for Sweden, prioritizing issues such as the climate crisis, schools, healthcare, elderly care, and immigration policy. The Sweden Democrats (SD), a key supporter of Kristersson's coalition, saw their support fall for the first time since their foundation. Kristersson stated in his resignation letter that the situation was "complicated" and called for "constructive openness" to form a stable government. The Speaker of the Riksdag, Andreas Norlén, will now begin talks with party representatives to propose a new prime minister. Coalition talks are expected to be complex, particularly between the Centre and Left parties, with differing views on issues like taxation and nuclear energy.