Swedes voted in legislative elections on Sunday that will either pave the way for an unprecedented right-wing government supported by the far right or a third straight mandate for the ruling Social Democrats.
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Opinion polls have predicted a close race, with a razor-thin lead for Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s Social Democrats and the left bloc, following a campaign dominated by rising gang shootings and soaring electricity prices.
The far right has leapt to second place in opinion polls behind the Social Democrats in the final weeks of the campaign, credited with around a fifth of votes.
Their surge — overtaking the traditional leaders of the right-wing bloc, the conservative Moderates — was attributed to an election race focused on issues close to their voters, including crime, segregation and the integration of immigrants.
Prime Minister Andersson, 55, hopes however to hang onto power with the support of the small Left, Centre and Green parties.