The definitive guide to the Swedish Election 2006

Swedish voters will go to the polls on September 17th and the outcome is by no means clear. The opposition alliance is ahead in the ratings but could a strong economy persuade the electorate to stick with the devil they know?

Here you'll find all the latest news from the election race in Sweden - the polls, the policies, the alliances and the splits as the Swedish public prepares to elect their next government.

How to follow the election

The Local will be keeping you updated with all the latest election news, plus exclusive interviews with party representatives and Swedish political experts.

For those who speak Swedish there will be blanket coverage between now and the big day on the main television channels SVT and TV4.

The main contenders

There are 349 seats in the Swedish parliament and a party must win at least 4% of the vote in order to be able to take its place.

The main seven political parties competing in the Swedish election are listed below.

KEY:

- ruling Red-Green coalition

- opposition Alliance

	Social Democrats
	Swedish:	Socialdemokraterna
	Abbreviation:	s
	Leader:	Göran Persson
	Seats today:	144
	English info:	www.socialdemokraterna.se

	Moderates
	Swedish:	Moderaterna
	Abbreviation:	m
	Leader:	Fredrik Reinfeldt
	Seats today:	55
	English info:	www.moderat.se

	Liberal Party
	Swedish:	Folkpartiet liberalerna
	Abbreviation:	fp
	Leader:	Lars Leijonborg
	Seats today:	48
	English info:	www.folkpartiet.se

	Christian Democrats
	Swedish:	Kristdemokraterna
	Abbreviation:	kd
	Leader:	Göran Hägglund
	Seats today:	33
	English info:	www.kristdemokraterna.se

	Left Party
	Swedish:	Vänsterpartiet
	Abbreviation:	v
	Leader:	Lars Ohly
	Seats today:	28
	English info:	www.vansterpartiet.se

	Centre Party
	Swedish:	Centerpartiet
	Abbreviation:	c
	Leader:	Maud Olofsson
	Seats today:	22
	English info:	www.centerpartiet.se

	Green Party
	Swedish:	Miljöpartiet de Gröna
	Abbreviation:	mp
	Leaders:	Maria Wetterstrand, Peter Eriksson
	Seats today:	17
	English info:	www.mp.se

Latest Swedish election news

Gains for gay marriage foes in church elections

Opponents of same-sex marriage made significant gains in Sweden’s church elections on Sunday, on a voter turnout of barely 12 percent. READ (8 COMMENTS) »

Swedes set to ignore church elections

Polling booths are opening across Sweden on Sunday morning to welcome voters in the national church elections. The election is however expected to be given the cold shoulder by 90 percent of registered voters. READ (4 COMMENTS) »

Sahlin slammed for partying in Majorca

Social Democrat party leader Mona Sahlin has been criticized for partying with celebrities in Majorca instead of staying at home to campaign in the run-up for the church elections on September 20th. READ (9 COMMENTS) »

'Social media key to election success': survey

Social media are set to dominate the general election campaign in Sweden in 2010. Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and blogs will all play their part, according to a new survey of local politicians. READ (2 COMMENTS) »

Pirate Party to stand in local elections

Sweden's Pirate Party has announced that, in addition to standing in next year's general election, it will also be represented in local council elections. READ (6 COMMENTS) »

Thousands demonstrate in Stockholm for a free Iran

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in in Swedish cities and around the world to protest the re-election of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calling for the release of political prisoners. READ (50 COMMENTS) »

Pirate Party to sit with Greens in European Parliament

Sweden’s Pirate Party has ended speculation about its political priorities by announcing that its newly elected member of the European Parliament plans to join the legislative body’s Greens/European Free Alliance parliamentary group. READ »

Irregularities reported in Sweden's EU vote

There were a number of problems associated with the European Parliament vote held in Sweden two weeks ago, according to a post-election report. READ (6 COMMENTS) »

Increased voter turnout due to young men: poll

A spike in the number of younger men who decided to cast their vote in recent EU Parliamentary elections is the likely reason for the Pirate Party's success, a new poll shows. READ (2 COMMENTS) »

Every fourth voter unaware of EU elections

One in four Swedish voters still doesn’t know that EU-parliamentary elections are on Sunday, according to new poll. READ »

Cyber attack shuts down June List website

The June List (Junilistan) party website was shut down for several hours on Friday due to a cyber attack, according to party press secretary Björn Jonasson. READ »

Pirate Party poll gains continue

The Pirate Party continues to gain ground in Swedish opinion polls ahead of Sunday’s EU-parliamentary elections. READ (21 COMMENTS) »

Computers stolen from Social Democrats' HQ

Burglars made off with some 20 computers during a raid on the Social Democratic party's headquarters in central Stockholm on Wednesday night. READ (4 COMMENTS) »

Pirates maintain course for EU parliament

The Swedish Pirate Party, which supports a filesharing free-for-all, remains on course to claim seats in the EU parliament as the country takes to the polls this week with civil liberties high on the political agenda. READ (26 COMMENTS) »

Poll dip for main parties ahead of EU elections

The Moderate party has dropped five percentage points to 22.6 percent, according to opinion polls on upcoming elections to the European Parliament conducted by Sifo since April. READ (1 COMMENT) »

Voter uncertainty ahead of EU elections

One out of three Swedish voters is unsure how he or she will vote in the EU parliamentary elections in two weeks. The outcome is uncertain, according to a new opinion poll by Sifo and Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) newspaper. READ »

Pirate Party Sweden's third-largest: poll

Sweden’s Pirate Party has climbed into third place among parties running for the European Parliament elections, according to a new opinion poll released Thursday. READ (23 COMMENTS) »

Far-right leader egged at rowdy election rally

Jimmie Åkesson, the head of the far-right Sweden Democrats, literally ended up with egg on his face during an election rally in Linköping in central Sweden on Wednesday. READ (12 COMMENTS) »

Young people hazy about EU elections

According to an opinion survey conducted by Novus Opinion, almost half of Sweden’s young people aged between 18 and 28 do not know that elections to the European Parliament are to be held this year. READ »

Social Democrats and Moderates top new EU pre-election poll

The Social Democratic Party and the Moderate Party both emerged clear leaders ahead of elections to the European Parliament in the latest Sifo opinion poll. READ »

Pirate Party Sweden's third-largest ahead of EU vote: study

The Pirate Party will likely be the third largest vote-getter among Swedish political parties in upcoming European Parliamentary elections, according to a new forecast. READ »

'File sharing law goes too far': Swedish EU election candidates

A clear majority of the Swedish candidates seeking election to the EU parliament are against the IPRED copyright law, arguing that EU countries have gone too far in the hunt for file-sharers. READ (4 COMMENTS) »

Swedes to shun EU elections: poll

More than half of Swedish voters do not plan to vote in the elections for the European parliament to be held on June 7th, a poll published on Tuesday showed. READ (8 COMMENTS) »

Parliamentary blogs fall on deaf ears: survey

Swedish members of parliament are diligent bloggers. But there is very little interest in what most have to say, according to a new survey. READ (5 COMMENTS) »

Moderate Party: 'half our candidates will be women'

Sweden’s Moderate Party says it wants half of the party’s candidates for the 2010 elections to be women. READ »

Swedes abandon political parties in droves

Sweden’s political parties continue to shed members, as parties on the right and the left together saw thousands drop from their membership rolls in 2008. READ »

Poll: Swedish voters in the dark on EU elections

Less than a third of the Swedish electorate is aware that there is an election to the EU parliament in 2009, according to a new poll. READ »

Cyndee Peters; Angelica Engström/Star Studio, Stockholm

Gala concert in Stockholm to mark Obama inaguration

Inspired by Barack Obama’s ascendency to the White House, Cyndee Peters, a legendary Stockholm-based gospel singer from North Carolina, has rented out the city’s famed Konserthuset for a musical gala to honour the United States’ 44th president. READ »

Green party leaders to resign after election

The leaders of the Swedish Green party have confirmed that they intend to step down only a year after the next general election, in 2011. READ »

Opposition parties to build coalition

Sweden’s opposition political parties have announces plans to build a united coalition government following the 2010 Riksdag elections. READ »

US teacher in trouble over comments in Swedish film

A Swedish television documentary has landed a North Carolina school teacher in hot water for politically-biased comments she made to her students. READ »

Free trade fears cloud Sweden's embrace of Obama

Amid the excitement in Sweden over Barack Obama’s victory, there remains real concern among members of the political and business establishment over how the US president-elect will approach the issue of free trade. READ »

Sweden welcomes Obama

Swedish politicians welcomed the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States on Wednesday morning, following the Democratic candidate’s defeat of rival John McCain. READ »

Sweden: it's an Obamanation

If the US election were held in Sweden, Barack Obama would likely win by a landslide, according to a recent poll. READ »

US election fever hits Sweden

As anticipation mounts in the final hours of the 2008 US presidential election campaign, Swedes remain captivated by the spectacle of US politics. READ »

US election watch: The case for McCain

As Americans everywhere prepare to go to the polls, Swedish politician Mathias Sundin - who spent a month this summer working as a volunteer for John McCain - explains why he’s rooting for the Republican candidate. READ »

US election watch: The case for Obama

With the US election just around the corner, we ask people living in Sweden to outline their reasons for supporting either of the candidates. First up, Peter Dahlen of Democrats Abroad explains why he believes Barack Obama is the right man for the job. READ »

Options abound for watching US elections in Sweden

With only a week to go before the US presidential election, Americans living Sweden, political junkies, as well as the merely curious are already making plans for how and where they plan to watch the historic vote. READ »

Reinfeldt and Sahlin spar in debate

Questions Sweden's future government as well as the current economic crisis occupied much of a televised debate between prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and Social Democratic party leader Mona Sahlin on Tuesday night. READ »

Economy and the Left dominate party debate

Following a week of downbeat news about the economy and speculation about the Left Party's role in a future Social Democratic-led government, leaders of Sweden's seven major political parties squared off in a televised debate on Sunday night. READ »

Alliance gears up for next election

The leaders of the parties in Sweden’s governing Alliance are heading to Varberg in western Sweden in an attempt to repeat the approach – adopted by them in 2004 – that led to victory in parliamentary elections two years later. READ »

Voters doubt centre-right victory in 2010 elecions - poll

The centre-right government is fighting an uphill battle as it looks toward the 2010 elections. Not even a majority of their own voters believe the government can win. READ »

Left Party shift on election cooperation

The Left Party’s Lars Ohly now says he wants to appoint a working group to create a red-green governing policy ahead of Sweden’s 2010 parliamentary elections. READ »

Obama wins primary in Sweden

Barack Obama has handily defeated rival Hillary Clinton in a vote by registered members of the Democratic Party living in Sweden. READ »

Left Party leader rejects common election platform

Lars Ohly says he’s not interested in compromising with the Greens and Social Democrats to come up with a common election platform. READ »

US primary polls still open in Sweden

A Stockholm café is preparing for yet another swarm of voters and media READ »

Americans in Sweden head to the polls

American Democrats living in Sweden headed down to a coffee shop in Stockholm on Tuesday to cast their ballots in Super Tuesday's primary elections. READ »

Reinfeldt gets behind Obama

Barack Obama is the right man for the White House, according to Fredrik Reinfeldt. READ »

Foreign citizens reverse negative voting trend

Almost 37 percent of foreign citizens in Sweden voted at the 2006 local elections, more than at any time since the early 1990s. The simultaneous general election attracted more first time voters than in 2002. READ »

Final election count released

The final tallies from Sweden's election have been published, with votes in all 6,177 electoral districts counted. The scores were very close to those announced on Sunday. READ »

Sweden Democrats could get 45 million

The populist Sweden Democrats could be entitled to 45 million kronor in support from local authorities annually in party aid. This follows their success in Sunday's elections. READ »

Wallström: I don't want the job

She's the runaway favourite among party members to be the next Social Democrat leader and take the party back to government, but there's one problem: Margot Wallström doesn't want the job. READ »

Moderate politician in "bloody immigrants" storm

A Moderate Party politician in southern Sweden is at the centre of a storm after saying that the Sweden Democrat surge in Landskrona was down to "all the bloody immigrants living there." READ »

Election fraud allegations in Norrköping

Social Democrat election workers in Norrköping have been accused of electoral fraud, after a party worker was allegedly seen stuffing voting slips into envelopes. READ »

Sweden Democrats in record election

The anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats are heading for their most successful election ever, gaining around 2.8 percent of the national vote and making headway in a number of local councils. READ »

Wallström 'honoured' by leadership support

Sweden's European commissioner Margot Wallström is emerging as the popular choice to lead the Social Democrats after Göran Persson steps down in March. READ »

Alliance gains across Sweden

Sweden's municipal elections reflected events at the national level, with the opposition Alliance now controlling more than half the country's municipalities. READ »

"Life goes on" says resigned Persson

Göran Persson, who has led Sweden for ten years, will hand in his resignation to Björn von Sydow, speaker of Sweden's parliament, on Monday afternoon. READ »

Axén Olin toasts Stockholm win

Mayor Annika Billström and her Social Democrats are decisively rejected by voters in Stockholm, who put their faith in the Moderates' Kristina Axén Olin to lead the city for the next four years. READ »

Now the work begins for Sweden's new leader

At 9.30 on Monday morning Sweden's new prime minister was whisked from his home in a black Mercedes. After their historic election win, Fredrik Reinfeldt and the other Alliance leaders now begin their negotiations for ministerial posts. READ »

Social Democrats mourn loss of power

The Social Democrats' workers leave the party's election night gathering looking downcast after the Alliance storms to victory. READ »

Moderates enjoy the sweet taste of victory

The Moderates will announce their new government on October 5th, the party's secretary has said. "This is the best result we could have hoped for, and it feels fantastic," says Sven-Otto Littorin. READ »

Alliance wins - Persson concedes

Fredrik Reinfeldt is to be Sweden's new prime minister. He has declared victory, Göran Persson has said he will resign as prime minister and as leader of the Social Democrats. "We have won as the new Moderates," Reinfeldt said, paraphrasing Tony Blair. READ »

The Local's Election blog

The Local is covering the Swedish elections live from the Moderate and Social Democrat election night parties in Stockholm. Read all about it here. READ »

Ohly: Reinfeldt still has not won

Left Party leader Lars Ohly has insisted that the left-wing bloc is still in the running. "We are the only socialist and feminist party," he told voters. READ »

Election latest: prognosis shows tight race

An initial prognosis based on the votes counted so far shows a lead of less than one percent for the Alliance. READ »

Moderates welcome victory signals

Moderates at the party's election night event welcomed the positive TV exit polls. "The Moderates are a different party than we were 12 years ago," says justice spokeswoman Beatrice Ask. READ »

Exit poll: Alliance on the path to victory

Two exit polls from Swedish TV indicate that Göran Persson has been kicked out. The Alliance is shown to have a lead of between 2 and 4 percent. READ »

Sweden's parties in tense wait

As the polling stations get ready to close, Sweden's politicians gather to await the verdict of voters. READ »

Quiet day for Persson

Prime minister Göran Persson was spending election day in peace at the Sagerska House, the prime ministerial residence. READ »

Campaigning Alliance breaks with tradition

The four leaders of the opposition Alliance party went against tradition on Sunday as they took to the streets of Stockholm to hand out flowers to voters. Fredrik Reinfeldt says he's taking nothing for granted. READ »

Why should the world care how Sweden votes?

Foreign policy has been notable by its absence in this election campaign. But a defeat for the Social Democrats on Sunday would send a chill wind through the ranks of Europe's socialists, argues James Savage. READ »

Polls open in Swedish election

Voting has started in Sweden's general election, with polls showing a lead for the opposition Alliance. Both Persson and Reinfeldt say it's been a good campaign. READ »

Poll gives Alliance clear lead

A poll measuring opinion right up to Saturday, the day before the election, gives the opposition Alliance a lead of nearly 7 percent. READ »

Ohly parades Norway's example

Left Party leader Lars Ohly brings in reinforcements from Norway to underscore his party's credentials to form part of the next government. READ »

Maud sings for victory

Centre leader Maud Olofsson grabs the microphone in a last minute attempt to woo voters. "We need a government that has faith in the future," she tells Stockholm crowds. READ »

'Bomb' at Social Democrat hut was fake

A plastic bottle with blinking lights and wiring, found outside the Social Democrats' election canvassing hut in a Stockholm suburb on Saturday, turned out to be a fake. READ »

SSU website hijacked

The website of Social Democratic youth movement SSU was hijacked on Friday, and members' personal details were made available online. Police are launching an investigation. READ »

Leaders in final plea to voters

The leaders of Sweden's main parties crossed swords in a final televised debate, as they tried to persuade floating voters to tip Sunday's election in their favour. Once again, jobs dominated. READ »

Alliance leads in four polls

Four new polls suggest that Sweden will vote to change government tomorrow. But the difference between the two blocs is still wafer thin, and plenty of voters are undecided. READ »

Comic portrays Alliance as Nazis

The Social Democrats' allies in LO have been distributing a comic that portrays Fredrik Reinfelt as a baby killer and Christian Democrats as Nazis. LO's leadership has distanced itself from the cartoons. READ »

Persson gets thumbs down after debate

Thursday's penultimate party leader debate sees an irritable Göran Persson accusing the Alliance of "unpleasant right-wing policies". Friday's papers were not impressed. READ »

"This is the Right's big chance"

Swedish author Johan Norberg tells The Local’s Paul O’Mahoney that if the Alliance loses on Sunday, Sweden's Right may be out of power for another decade. READ »

Election goes down to the wire

It's only two days until the election, and still neither of Sweden's political blocs has a clear lead. With 18 percent of voters still undecided, all parties have everything to play for. READ »

How Sweden's election works

Sweden's electoral system might look simple on the surface, but in an election as close as this, many factors could come into play to decide who forms the next government. James Savage explains. READ »

Maud: I forgot my polling card

Centre leader Maud Olofsson let the media know she was going to vote in advance on Thursday. But when she arrived at the polling station she noticed that she had left her polling card behind. READ »

Alliance's lead widens in poll

The Social Democrats are shown falling in a new poll from Demoskop, while the Alliance is heading for victory. Other polls, however, indicate a much closer race. READ »

Stockholmers to vote on road charge

Stockholm residents will vote Sunday on whether to introduce a permanent congestion charge after a trial period that went down well with city dwellers but exasperated suburban commuters. READ »

Sweden's monopolies in the firing line

Sweden's state monopolies on alcohol, pharmacies and gaming were created decades ago to promote social justice and public health, but now they are under threat from the European Union and a possible change of government. READ »

Swedish feminists slam myth of country's equality

Sweden's fledgling feminist party is for the first time setting its sights on parliament in a general election on Sunday, convinced the Scandinavian country does not deserve its reputation as a bastion of gender equality. READ »

Illusory success of Swedish immigration

Immigration is a dominant political issue throughout Europe, but in Sweden, where a general election is to be held on Sunday, the thorny subject has been markedly absent from the campaign. READ »

Profile: Göran Persson, the big man of Swedish socialism

Respected by some as a skilled statesman and criticised by others as a power-loving politician, Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson, who has been in power for a decade, is an innately political animal. READ »

Profile: Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Alliance's clean-up man

Swedish opposition leader Fredrik Reinfeldt enjoys washing up in the kitchen - "I like when things are clean" - yet the cool-headed 41-year-old's biggest clean-up job is the one he has carried out within his conservative Moderate Party. READ »

Reinfeldt's slim hope of success

No stone is being left unturned on either side of the election campaign - and that includes Fredrik Reinfeldt's diet. The leader of the Moderates gets an SMS when it's time to snack. READ »

Alliance parties reject Persson overtures

The Centre and Christian Democratic parties have ruled out cooperating with Göran Persson and the Social Democrats if the Alliance doesn't win the election. READ »

Persson 'lied about job statistics'

Prime minister Göran Persson has been accused of routinely lying about job figures in election debates and interviews. "Journalists need to question his statistics," according to a leading think tank. READ »

Suspected bomb at Liberal stall in Malmö

Parts of central Malmö were sealed off on Tuesday morning after a suspected bomb was placed next to the Liberals' campaign stand in Gustav Adolfs Torg. The device has now been removed. READ »

Tax board queries June List leader's property deal

The leader of the June List, Nils Lundgren, has earned almost two million kronor through buying and selling his house five times, Dagens Nyheter has reported. "Everyone does it," he said. READ »

Sweden's election: the proposals

A brief summary of the key policies put forward by the Social Democrats and the opposition Alliance for Sweden. READ »

"There is disgruntlement in the air"

It is dawning on the world's media that Sweden, the only country in the world to have a whole economic model named after it, could lurch to the right in Sunday's election. Louis Roper looks at what the papers outside Sweden are saying. READ »

Former PM calls for new government

Former Swedish prime minister Thorbjörn Fälldin has gone on the campaign trail with Centre Party leader Maud Olofsson, with a call for the Social Democrats to be kicked out. READ »

Schyman wants fund to boost women's pay

Sweden should set up a fund to iron out the differences between men's and women's salaries. So says Gudrun Schyman, spokeswoman for the Feminist Initiative. READ »

Fierce debate satisfies both sides

Both prime minister Göran Persson and Moderate Party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt declared themselved the winner after their last televised debate before Sunday's election. READ »

23 year old named as possible minister

The Green Party has proposed 23 year old member of parliament Gustav Fridolin as a potential minister in a new government. If he's not made minister, he'll go to university, he says. READ »

Convicted paedophiles stand in Swedish election

At least three people who have been found guilty of sex attacks on children are standing as candidates in the Swedish election. READ »

Polls divide Sweden's political blocs

Bearing out the view that next weekend's election is too close to call, polls released on Saturday present opposing pictures of Sweden's voting intentions. But there are indications that the Liberal Party crisis has bottomed out. READ »

Leaders in savage election clash

Fredrik Reinfeldt and Göran Persson met in a heated debate on Swedish Radio on Friday. Again, Reinfeldt accused Persson of lacking a jobs policy, and again Persson said the Alliance wants to help the rich. READ »

'Make posh people integrate' - Ohly

Left Party leader Lars Ohly has called on the upper classes to integrate with the rest of Sweden. Speaking in Stockholm's exclusive Östermalm, he said the area is one of Sweden's most segregated. READ »

Leijonborg fights to win confidence

Liberal leader Lars Leijonborg faced a grilling following the party's week of scandal. He asked Sweden for forgiveness but maintained he knew nothing about the unauthorized logins to the Social Democrats' network. READ »

Persson and Reinfeldt worried over Volvo

Both Göran Persson and Fredrik Reinfeldt have expressed concern over the move by financier Christer Gardell to purchase a large stake in Volvo. READ »

Leijonborg's evening of destiny

Liberal Party leader Lars Leijonborg reckons he got lucky when he was picked to be the last of Swedish Television's pre-election leader interviews. On Thursday evening he has the chance to save his shattered party. READ »

"The Jobs are coming"

The Social Democrats have got a boost from the Liberal Party's mistakes, but jobs remain a big election issue. Top Social Democrat Håkan Juholt argues that his party is tackling the problem. READ »

Liberal support in freefall

Support for the Liberal Party has fallen radically over the past few days. The party's support is down 3.9 percentage points since Saturday. READ »

Leaders clash on jobs

Employment was the hot topic as the two rivals for the prime minister job took part in a televised 'duel' on Wednesday evening. "Where are your policies?" Fredrik Reinfeldt asked Göran Persson. READ »

Police seize Green Party's 'drug plant'

The Green Party in Halmstad is suspected of drugs offences after police seized a hemp plant from a polling hut. Rumours that it was to be made into party workers' shoes are unconfirmed. READ »

Why your vote counts

Even if you're not a Swedish citizen, you could be entitled to vote in the local elections and referendums on September 17th. Håkan Sörman, head of local government body SALAR explains why you should. READ »

Justice minister 'was driving at 130'

Justice Minister Thomas Bodström's chauffeur drove 40 kilometres per hour over the speed limit to get him to an engagement, it has been reported. READ »

Leijonborg faces questions over scandal

Lars Leijonborg must take responsibility for the Liberal Party's violation of the Social Democrats' internal computer network, says Social Democrat party secretary Marita Ulvskog. READ »

Liberal party secretary resigns

The woes of the Liberals grow, as party secretary Johan Jakobsson becomes the latest victim of the scandal surrounding unauthorized entry into the Social Democrats' network. READ »

Sweden's politicians step up for English debate

Four brave Swedish politicians are to put their English skills to the test in a televised election debate on Wednesday evening. It should be good viewing for Swedes too, says the programme's presenter. READ »

Police to question more Liberal activists

The scandal surrounding Liberal officials' unauthorized access to the Social Democrat computer system continues to grow, as police say they will question more party officials. READ »

Persson 'disgusted' by Liberal violation

Prime minister Göran Persson has said he is 'disgusted' by the attempts of people within the Liberal Party youth movement to access the Social Democrats' internal computer network. READ »

Polls show Alliance maintains lead

Two polls published on Tuesday show a small lead for the opposition Alliance, less than two weeks before Sweden goes to the polls. READ »

Social Democrat health plan "rehashed"

The Social Democrats have launched plans to make the healthcare system more effective. But the opposition has accused them of just rehashing ideas they have announced before. READ »

Greens snub eco-cars

Politicians in the Green Party are least likely among all parties to own a car with a catalytic converter. Some 22 percent of Green representatives' cars don't have catalytic converters. READ »

Reinfeldt admits to lower tax cuts

The average Swedish worker will only be 500 kronor a month better off under the Moderates, not 1,000 kronor as the party had said. That was the admission from Moderate leader Fredrik Reinfeldt. READ »

Liberal admits Social Democrat computer hack

An employee of the Young Liberals has admitted accessing the Social Democrats' computer system without authorization over a three month period earlier this year. READ »

Citizenship delays stop immigrants from voting

Around two thousand people will miss out on the chance to vote in the election because of delays in processing their applications for Swedish citizenship. READ »

Social Democrats the highest earners

Green Party representatives are the lowest-earning politicians in Sweden, while Social Democrats earn the most - despite having the lowest average education level. READ »

Poll: Swedish election too close to call

With Sweden's general election 15 days away, Prime Minister Göran Persson's Social Democrats and their parliamentary allies are neck-and-neck with the centre-right opposition, a poll published on Saturday showed. READ »

Reinfeldt: let early-retired work slowly

The Moderates say people who retire early on health grounds should be able to work full time, but work at a slower pace. They could then keep half their benefits and get a half salary. READ »

Persson to meet Al Gore

Former US vice president Al Gore is set to meet Sweden's prime minister Göran Persson during a visit to Stockholm to promote his new film on climate change. READ »

LO: Sweden should use UN jobless figures

Sweden's trade union confederation has called for the country to adopt international standards for measuring unemployment. That would lead the jobless figure to jump from 4.8 to 7.4 percent. READ »

Social Democrats' support dips

The Social Democrats are losing ground fast in the race to form the next government, according to a new poll. The Ruab poll, which last week put the left-wing bloc ahead, now has them trailing by 3 points. READ »

Schyman enlists Fonda in campaign

Sweden's feminist party is flying in two American feminists to lend support ahead of the election. Jane Fonda and Vagina Monologues writer Eve Ensler will appear at the party's meetings. READ »

Poll: Billström set for ejection

The media focus may be on the general election, but local elections up and down the country could also provide surprises. In Stockholm, the ruling Social Democrats face an upphill struggle. READ »

Sweden's youth politics comes of age

With Sweden's closest general election in more than a decade looming, the country's political future is, more than ever before, in the hands of the fickle youth. Eddie de Oliveira talks to the young pretenders. READ »

Alliance agrees on family platform

People who want to stay home longer with their children will get more support from the state, in a new agreement from the Alliance launched on Wednesday. READ »

Job centres "failing to match jobseekers to jobs"

Swedish labour exchanges are wasting taxpayers' money and are failing in their main role – to match unemployed people to jobs. That's the conclusion of a new report, but job centre chief Bo Bylund rejects the criticism. READ »

Alliance leads in new poll

The Alliance is still leading the Social Democrats in the race to form the next government. The opposition bloc has a lead of 3.5 percent, according to Synovate Temo. READ »

Persson slammed over jobs by colleague

Internal divisions within the Social Democrats have surfaced over the question of unemployment. Senior Gothenburg politician Göran Johansson has criticized the government for not talking enough about the problem. READ »

Swedish government: our job forecast is right

The unemployment numbers don't add up and the benefit figures don't exist. But the Swedish government denies that it's hiding anything. "Our description of the reality is the right one," says industry minister Thomas Östros. READ »

Politician stopped for police booze bribe

A Christian Democrat in Stockholm has been sidelined after reportedly trying to bribe a police officer with a bottle of red wine. READ »

'Ironing Persson' cagey over minister positions

The Greens and Left Party will have to wait to see if they get minister seats if the Social Democrats win the election. Speaking in a TV interview, prime minister Göran Persson also said people should do their own housework. As he does. READ »

Voters prefer Reinfeldt at dinner

Moderate leader Fredrik Reinfeldt is a more popular choice than prime minister Göran Persson – as a dinner companion. READ »

Moderate support drops 4 percent

The opposition Alliance's lead in the run-up to the Swedish election on September 17th has been eradicated, according to the latest Sifo opinion poll. The Moderates are the big losers. READ »

"Integration contract" for new refugees

Newly refugees will have to sign a personal contract establishing their rights and responsibilities, says integration minister Jens Orback. And if they don't learn Swedish, they won't get paid. READ »

Christian Democrat 'tried to infiltrate SSU'

A parliamentary candidate from the Christian Democrats has been fired after trying to infiltrate the Social Democrats' youth movement. "Completely unacceptable," says party leader Göran Hägglund. READ »

Social Democrats plan new job schemes

Swedish finance minister Pär Nuder has said the government will create more places on job seeker courses and subsidize more jobs, as part of efforts to tackle unemployment. READ »

Left has small lead in poll

The Social Democrats and their left-wing allies are leading in a new opinion poll from Ruab, in contrast to other recent polls which have given the opposition Alliance a lead. READ »

Persson backs out of debate at last minute

Göran Persson has dropped out of a scheduled televised debate with his arch rival Fredrik Reinfeldt. "I don't have time," was the prime minister's excuse. In that case, neither do I, was his rival's reply. READ »

Alliance manifesto targets jobs and environment

After overnight negotiations, Sweden's opposition Alliance presents its election mainfesto. The key goals are to slash unemployment and clean up the environment. READ »

Sweden's new workers' party on the cusp of power

The Social Democrats are happy to leave people on benefits, while we will help get them into work. That’s the message from a confident Alliance, Moderate Party secretary Sven Otto Littorin tells James Savage. READ »

Left Party's support squeezed

Support for the Left Party, a key ally of the Social Democrats, has plummeted below the four percent mark, meaning it risks disappearing from parliament altogether. READ »

Alliance: capital gains tax on houses could rise

The abolition of property tax could be financed by a rise in capital gains tax on property sales, the opposition Alliance has said. The four ruled out cutting mortgage interest tax relief. READ »

Leijonborg: no more religious schools

With less than a month to go before the election, the leader of the Liberal Party, Lars Leijonborg, has repeated his demand that no new independent religious schools be opened in Sweden. READ »

One in five voters undecided

Sweden's opposition Alliance leads the current left-wing ruling bloc by 7 percentage points in a new poll. But many voters have not yet decided which way to turn. READ »

Alliance leaders scorn Social Democrat manifesto

Poll: Alliance lead extended
The four leaders of the opposition Alliance have criticised the lack of job creation initiatives in the Social Democrats' manifesto. READ »

Liberals: fight needed on organized crime

The Liberal Party has called for more to be done to cut off the finances of organized criminal gangs. Leader Lars Leijonborg also called for stiffer penalties for those involved in organized crime. READ »

Poll: Alliance lead extended

One month before the election and the Alliance has extended its lead over the Social Democrats and partners. The lead of nearly 5 percent is the largest for the Alliance since January. READ »

Persson promises 930 kronor a day to jobless

More unemployed people will be able to claim 80 percent of their previous wage in benefits. The cost: up to 3.5 billion kronor. The plan was announced as the Social Democrats' manifesto was launched on Friday. READ »

Nuder: no big tax cuts

Finance minister Pär Nuder told Swedes that they couldn't expect any significant tax cuts if the Social Democrats win the next election. But he said the economy was in good shape. READ »

Moderate MP backs down over swimsuit models

A Gothenburg politician has been forced to tone down a plan to use scantily-clad beauties at the launch of his election campaign on Friday. READ »

Confidence in government falls

The number of people who think the Swedish government is doing a good job is down, a new poll shows. The Social Democrats have much lower approval ratings than they did in 2002. READ »

The Centre Party: Eager beavers bet on jobs

They might have a homespun image, but the Centre Party has a hard-nosed view of how Sweden's economy needs to change. And economic spokesman Roger Tiefensee tells James Savage that the Alliance is focused on winning. READ »

Lebanon conference set for Stockholm

Representatives of 60 governments have been invited to Stockholm for an international conference on August 31st to discuss the reconstruction of Lebanon. READ »

More trust Reinfeldt as PM

Only 39 percent of people asked in a new survey think that Göran Persson is the best candidate for prime minister. Fredrik Reinfeldt gets the support of 47 percent. READ »

Ohly: government must stop following US policy

The leader of Sweden's Left Party, Lars Ohly, fiercely attacked the government's foreign and criminal justice policies in a summer speech at the launch of his party's election campaign on Sunday. READ »

Reinfeldt demands more tax cuts

Moderate leader Fredrik Reinfeldt has said the Alliance should propose more tax cuts in its joint manifesto. He also said he would adopt Social Democrat promises to spend more on health and education. READ »

Row as AMS slammed in report

Employment service AMS is more interested in running job-seeker courses than in linking unemployed people with employers, a draft report from the state auditor says. Now AMS admits defying the constitution by keeping the report secret. READ »

New poll: tiny lead for Alliance

The third poll in two days shows the Alliance leading over Göran Persson's government in the race for election victory next month. But the Right's lead is within the margin of error. READ »

Polls put Alliance ahead

Two polls released on Thursday show that with 38 days to the election, the Social Democrats and partners are trailing the Alliance by around five percentage points. READ »

MPs want less advertising

There should be less advertising in the Swedish media, and greater restrictions on the content of ads. Those are the views of members of parliament, according to a new survey. READ »

Alliance: employment service politicized

The Swedish employment service manipulates jobless figures to make unemployment look lower, the Alliance says. We've always done it this way, replies employment Minister Hans Karlsson. READ »

The Alliance: putting faith in unity

By the end of September, the four parties of the Alliance could well be ruling Sweden. But how can they ensure success, and how will they govern together if they win? David Stavrou finds out. READ »

Pirate Party 'larger than Greens'

The Pirate Party says it has more members than the Green Party. But women are thin on the ground – only 614 of its nearly 8,000 members are female. READ »

Persson rules out tax cuts

Göran Persson kicks off the Social Democrats' election campaign with a speech in Björkvik, attacking the Alliance on welfare and environmental questions. He ruled out tax cuts, promising more benefits instead. READ »

Centre Party manifesto puts jobs first

The Centre Party sharpened its profile as the green party of the Alliance as it unveiled its election manifesto on Friday. But increased labour market flexibility is top of the agenda. READ »

Hägglund launches Christian Democrat manifesto

Better schools, better care for the elderly, and 'respect'. Those are the main themes of the Christian Democrat manifesto, launched this weekend by party leader Göran Hägglund. READ »

Ohly bemoans 'crowded middle ground'

Calling religion an 'opium of the people' is 'vulgar Marxism', Left Party leader Lars Ohly told a pre-election questioning session at a church on Öland. He also said that the Greens were to the right of Göran Persson. READ »

Confidence up in government and Alliance

Confidence in both Sweden's government and the opposition Alliance has increased, according to a new survey. But the government has much lower approval ratings than before the 2002 election. READ »

Leijonborg: Reinfeldt's our man

Liberal leader Lars Leijonborg has confirmed that Fredrik Reinfeldt is the "obvious candidate" to be prime minister if the Alliance forms a government after the election. READ »

Swedish politicians pray for victory

The leaders of all of Sweden's major parties are heading to Öland on Friday to face questioning from a leading Swedish evangelist. The politicians are also set to sing hymns and join in prayers. READ »

Moderates call for focus on poor language

Sweden should spend 1 billion kronor on training teachers to combat students' weak Swedish language skills, the Moderate Party has proposed. READ »

Centre boosts Alliance in poll

The centre-right Alliance is leading the race to form the next government, according to a new poll. The Alliance is boosted by a strong performance from the Centre Party. READ »

Ohly: stop selling arms to America

Left Party leader Lars Ohly, a possible future coalition partner for Göran Persson, has demanded that Sweden stop selling arms to the United States and other countries fighting in Iraq. READ »

Centre wants Swedish Green Cards

A Green Card system for worker immigration should be introduced in Sweden, the opposition Centre Party has said. "Sweden has had its greatest successes when we have been open to the outside world," it said. READ »

Sweden 'should bid for Winter Olympics'

The Centre Party wants Sweden to hold a national convention to look at bringing the 2018 Winter Olympics to Östersund and Åre in 2018. READ »

Papers give mixed reaction to Alliance tax plan

The proposal to phase out property tax gets a mixed reaction in the papers. While many commentators say it's a welcome sign of Alliance unity, other ask whether property tax is really the main problem. READ »

Alliance to abolish property tax

The opposition Alliance has agreed to do away with property tax if it wins September's general election. The tax would be frozen next year, and gradually abolished altogether. READ »

Alliance agrees to cut property tax

Despite last minute differences of opinion, Sweden's opposition Alliance will on Tuesday present a joint policy on property tax at the Almedalen political gathering. A cut is expected. READ »

'Ban youngsters from Reality TV'

The Christian Democrats used their day in the Almedalen limelight to push themselves as the family-friendly party, slamming reality TV shows and saying that parents should be allowed more time with their kids. READ »

Swedish prime minister's wit and wisdom revealed

"Politics is like women - it can be necessary to change partners from time to time." That might sound like Silvio Berlusconi, but in fact it was Sweden's very own Göran Persson. READ »

Hägglund wins members' support

Christian Democrats give a standing ovation to leader Göran Hägglund as they re-elect him as party leader at their pre-election conference in Gothenburg on Saturday. READ »

Hägglund: help people buy homes

Christian Democrat leader Göran Hägglund has told his party's conference in Gothenburg that people on low incomes should get home loan guarantees from the state. READ »

One in three Social Democrats wants Persson out

Less than three months before the election, prime minister Göran Persson commands the support of less than 60% of Social Democrats, according to a new poll. READ »

Persson's popularity picks up

Göran Persson is more popular than his rival Fredrik Reinfeldt for the first time in months, says a new poll. Persson is better on healthcare issues, while Reinfeldt is stronger on jobs. READ »

Political blocs finely balanced

As Sweden's political parties go round the bend into the final straight the blocs are neck and neck. An intense three months of campaigning beckons and there's everything to play for. READ »

Social Democrat candidates are highest earners

Of all the candidates standing at the Swedish election in September, the Social Democrats have the most high-earners and the fewest low-earners among their ranks. READ »

Liberal support weakens

Support for the Liberal Party has fallen by 2.5 percentage points since May, according to a new poll. READ »

Political blocs neck and neck

A new poll shows that Sweden's political blocs are closer than they have ever been in the May prior to a general election. READ »

Swedes more confident in the government

Public confidence in the government is increasing, while faith in the opposition alliance parties is declining, according to the latest poll. 42 percent think the government is doing a good job. READ »

Liberals drop nuclear demand

An Alliance deal over energy policy came one step closer on Friday after the Liberal Party dropped its demand for new nuclear power stations to be built during the next parliament. READ »

Voting at 17 wins support

All people who turn 18 in the year of an election should be given the vote, Sweden's youth minister argues. All other parties support the idea apart from the Moderates. READ »

'Scrap homework' call from Left Party

Homework discriminates against children from different backgrounds. That's according to the Left Party, which wants to prevent schools sending work home with their pupils. READ »

Greens could work with Moderates

Green Party delegates voted on Sunday not to rule out working with any of the current Riksdag parties, including the Moderates. But spokesman Peter Eriksson dismissed the idea. READ »

The Social Democrats' dilemma

The economy is growing well, official unemployment is falling, and the welfare state is still supported by most Swedes. Are Social Democrats a victim of their own success, asks David Stavrou. READ »

Greens warned not to break the bank

Green Party members have been warned by spokesman Peter Eriksson against voting through expensive policies, including an extra 1,000 kronor a month on the basic state pension. READ »

Left Party gets Social Democrat voter boost

A majority of Social Democrat voters, 65 percent, are in favour of a government formed in partnership with the Left Party if necessary after the election. Far fewer would be willing to share power with the Greens. READ »

Eriksson: we could work with Liberals

SEE ALSO: "There will be Green ministers"
Green Party spokesman Peter Eriksson has said that he could consider being part of a coalition with the Liberals or one of the other centre-right parties. READ »

Leaders face Sweden's youth

The Centre Party's proposal to tackle youth unemployment by making it easier to fire young people was rejected by the other Alliance parties in a televised debate in front of a youthful audience. READ »

?There will be Green ministers?

We will be part of the government if the left wins the next election, Green Party spokesman Peter Eriksson tells The Local in an exclusive interview. But even under this government, the Greens have made their presence felt. READ »

Sweden leans left

With less than four months to go until the Swedish election, Swedes appear to be drifting back to the devil they know. In the latest poll, the three left wing parties are nosing ahead. READ »

Jobs at heart of leader debate

Sweden's next prime minister has appeared in the first televised leadership debate of the year, but whether it will be the incumbent Göran Persson or the challenger Fredrik Reinfeldt who will have to reduce unemployment is still far from decided. READ »

Moderates reject cooperation with far-right party

The Moderate Party in Skåne has said it would cooperate with the Social Democrats rather than rule with the support of the nationalist Sweden Democrats. READ »

Left coalition back in front - perhaps

The latest poll of Swedish voters' intentions shows the ruling left wing coalition sneaking in front of the conservative alliance. But left wing supporters are less certain of their voting plans. READ »

Centre Party goes young and green

Sweden's Centre Party positions itself within the conservative alliance with a special package designed to boost youth employment and more investment in environmental jobs. READ »

Liberals back nuclear power

Sweden's Liberal party presented its own pre-election budget proposals on Wednesday, highlighting a number of remaining differences of opinion within the conservative Alliance. READ »

Alliance agrees to scrap payroll tax

Sweden's liberal-conservative Alliance will make employing people cheaper by abolishing payroll tax if elected. The measure is one of several proposed today in the four parties' joint budget. READ »

Persson launches May 1st assault on Alliance

The Social Democrats' big guns, including the prime minister, were firing at May 1st meets around Sweden. And they all had the conservative alliance and Swedish business in their sights. READ »

Opposition regains poll lead

Sweden's two big parties, the Social Democrats and the Moderates, are the losers in the latest opinion poll carried out by Skop. The Liberal Party and the Left Party have climbed most in the ratings. READ »

Children get to vote in Gothenburg referendum

5-year olds in Gothenburg are to be the first in the world to vote in official referendums, to be held at the same time as the general election in September. The aim is to enthuse them for democracy. READ »

Government and allies draw level with opposition

The latest monthly survey of voters' intentions shows that Sweden's two political blocs are almost neck and neck, less than five months before the election. READ »

Swedes favour Reinfeldt as PM - poll

Swedes would prefer to see opposition leader Fredrik Reinfeldt head the country's government after a general election in September than current Prime Minister Göran Persson. READ »

Punish failing politicians - Green Party

Cut defence spending in half, create 40,000 new jobs in the public sector, introduce a 35-hour working week and punish politicians who break their promises. The Greens launch their election campaign. READ »

Swedish finance minister delivers 'budget of reforms'

An evidently satisfied Pär Nuder declares that things are improving for Sweden and promises a wave of reforms. But opposition politicians are far from satisfied, slamming the budget's lack of real structural changes. READ »

Trust in Reinfeldt and Olofsson declines

Voters' confidence in Fredrik Reinfeldt and Maud Olofsson is declining rapidly - but Reinfeldt, the leader of the Moderates, is still Sweden's most trusted party leader. READ »

Polling errors could decide Swedish election

Unrepresentative opinion polls could lead to mistaken tactical voting and decide the outcome of the Swedish election in September, according to two political scientists. READ »

Persson closing on Reinfeldt in popularity race

If you were at a party, would you have a better time if you sat with Göran Persson or Fredrik Reinfeldt? As the election nears, Swedes give the prime minister cause for optimism. READ »

Young people stand to gain from budget proposals

Students and the young unemployed stand to gain as finance minister, Pär Nuder, acknowledges the wishes of the Greens and Left party in the spring budget negotiations. READ »

Government takes voter poll lead

Support for the ruling Social Democrats is at its highest since October 2004, pushing the government and its coalition partners back into the lead over the opposition alliance, according to the latest opinion poll. READ »

Parties doubtful over TV advertising

This year's election will be the first in which Sweden's political parties will be able to spread their message via tv advertising. New broadcasting regulations make the change possible, but the parties themselves have their doubts. READ »

Alliance maintains election advantage

The opposition Alliance continues to lead in the run-up to the September election, buoyed by increased support for the Christian Democrats, according to the latest survey of voters' intentions. READ »

Liberals join government on justice

Liberal justice spokesman Johan Pehrson gets to help draft law and order legislation in return for supporting the Social Democrats when it's presented to parliament. READ »

Alliance seeks to resolve differences

The opposition party leaders have agreed to try to resolve a number of key differences on energy, property tax and family policies. "We're going to make a bigger effort," said Liberal leader, Lars Leijonborg, after a week of internal squabbles. READ »

Pay and violence head FI manifesto

The gender pay gap and male violence are the big issues in the Feminist Initiative's election manifesto. Companies with discriminatory pay practices should have their registrations withdrawn and councils should be obliged to provide women's shelters. READ »

Blair to back Persson in election

Speaking after a meeting in London, British prime minister Tony Blair has thrown his weight behind Göran Persson and the Social Democrats in the run up to the Swedish election in September. READ »

Opposition announces privatisation plans

The conservative alliance will sell off a series of state-owned companies if it wins the election. Telia Sonera, Nordea and SAS top the list of firms worth well over 200 billion kronor. READ »

Left Party slips in poll ratings

Sweden's Left Party has fallen by 1.5% in the latest opinion poll carried out by Skop. The party is now on 5.4%, and the slip breaks the upward trend of the last three surveys. READ »

Reinfeldt werewolf pictures inflame smear scandal

Cartoons portraying Moderate Party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt have been spread by the Social Democrats' communications department, it has been revealed. READ »

Reinfeldt reports emails to Swedish police

The scandal grows: the Moderates' leader Fredrik Reinfeldt has reported the email smear campaign carried out against him by the Social Democrats' election strategist Mats Lindström to the police. READ »

Moderates demand SD data records

EMAIL SENDER WAS NOT ACTING ALONE
The apology from the man behind the email campaign against Fredrik Reinfeldt has not satisfied the Moderates. The fact that the sender was a senior party official implies there are more people involved, they say. READ »

Key Persson aide behind email scandal

The Social Democrat worker who spread defamatory emails about Moderate leader Fredrik Reinfeldt was identified late on Friday as Mats Lindström, a senior advisor to Prime Minister Göran Persson. READ »

Social Democrats admit to Reinfeldt smear campaign

A member of staff at the Social Democrats' party headquarters was behind an email smear campaign targeting the leader of the Moderate Party, Fredrik Reinfeldt. Apologies ensue, but opposition leaders say the campaign was ordered from above. READ »

Social Democrats trail in poll

Sweden's ruling Social Democrats would lose power if an election were held now, a poll published on Friday showed - but the opposition's lead is slimmer than a month ago. READ »

Alliance: Reinfeldt will be prime minister

The four opposition parties agree that if they manage to oust the Social Democrats from power, only one person is in the running for the top job - Moderate leader Fredrik Reinfeldt. READ »

Liberals "could fight election as alliance"

The leader of the Liberal Party, Lars Leijonborg, has said that he is open to the idea of the four conservative opposition parties standing as one at the forthcoming election. READ »

Jobs dominate party leader debate

The leaders of Sweden's main political parties squared up to each other on Sunday night in the first live television debate of the election year. Jobs, or the lack of them, was the central issue. READ »

Frugal election year for Sweden's new parties

As the June List and the Feminist Initiative scrape and scrounge their way to the September the election, Sweden's established parties are preparing to flash the cash. READ »

Persson promises more cash to students and elderly

In the first party leader debate of the election year, Prime Minister Göran Persson announces increases in study support and care for the elderly. But, as opposition leader Fredrik Reinfeldt points out, he didn't mention jobs. READ »

Troubled Left Party gathers for conference

225 Left Party members descend upon Gothenburg to galvanise for the forthcoming election campaign - and perhaps to reflect upon a dreadful past twelve months. READ »

Government poll lead reversed overnight

On Saturday a voter poll put the government ahead. On Sunday a new poll, conducted after the damning tsunami report, showed an even bigger lead for the opposition parties. READ »

Neck and neck between political blocks

If an election were held in Sweden today, the result would be too close to call. The latest poll shows a drop in support for the conservative parties, while the Social Democrats are fighting back. READ »

New Swedish party to target healthcare reform

Euro-sceptics have the June List and feminists have the Feminist Initiative. The latest group to declare its intention to stand at the election in September 2006 is the Healthcare Party. READ »

FI has damaged feminism - LO chief

The head of union movement LO has accused Sweden's Feminist Initiative of harming feminism. Wanja Lundby-Wedin also admits that former Social Democrats are being tempted by the Moderates. READ »

June List ?Swedish Tories? ? Persson

The Swedish prime minister says he could cooperate in parliament with the Feminist Initiative, but not with the June List. They're too much like the British Conservatives, he reckons. READ »

Leaders clash over jobs

Göran Persson and Fredrik Reinfeldt have come to blows over jobs in an acrimonious parliamentary debate. Jobs and welfare again provide the meat for claims and counter-claims. READ »

Lower taxes but higher fees in Alliance budget

The 45 billion kronor tax cuts proposed by the centre-right opposition would be financed partly through higher fees for things like unemployment insurance. But most people would still be better off, the Alliance insists. READ »

Swedish Eurosceptics to run for parliament

The June List, a Eurosceptic party that made big gains in last year's Euro-elections, says it will run candidates in next year's Swedish general election. We cross party boundaries, says leader Nils Lundgren. READ »

Parties mobilise for election

The fight for voters in next September's general election has started. The Social Democrats need to go on the offensive, and the Moderates must defend the support they have won. READ »

Budget: Nuder spends to cut jobless figure

Sweden's finance minister Pär Nuder said unemployment would fall modestly and GDP would increase in 2006. He promised to spend government money on fighting joblessness, and said government debt would increase. READ »

Opposition lead over government grows

Less than a year until the election and two new polls are poles apart in their analysis of Swedish voters' intentions. One has the Christian Democrats close to losing their place in parliament, while the other says the Greens are as good as gone. READ »

Persson losing voter confidence

SEE ALSO: IDEOLOGY ADDS FUEL TO ELECTION MARATHON
Social democrat support may be up, but only 29% of voters say they have confidence in party leader and prime minister Göran Persson. READ »

Ideology adds fuel to marathon campaign

The Swedish election campaign is already in full swing, one year before the polls open. But even if the road to September 2006 looks gruelling, it won't be boring. READ »

Reinfeldt "wins TV battle"

Two united blocks battled it out in Sunday's party leader debate. But accusations that the socialist block has no idea how to halt unemployment help the Right claim victory. READ »

Green MP Fridolin to stand down

Gustav Fridolin, the 22-year old MP and one of the Swedish Green Party's best known politicians, is to stand down at the next election. I always said I wouldn't run again, says Fridolin. READ »

Government tax reforms to slash booze prices

A 40% cut in the tax on spirits. A lowering of income tax. Increased sickness benefits. A cynic might note that 2006 is election year - but everyone else is too busy working out how much cheaper a bottle of vodka will be (70 kronor). READ »

Folkpartiet gains as opposition stumbles

The late August sun is shining on Folkpartiet, Sweden's Liberal party, according to the latest opinion poll - but they're pinching support from their allies, not their political foes. READ »

How do I make a difference in Sweden?

Last week: How bad is Swedish unemployment?
As a foreign citizen I cannot vote in the next election or stand as a member of parliament. But I love Sweden and want to help make it a better place. How should I go about this - and will my contribution be welcomed? Answers please. READ »