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
Christian Democrat support drops: poll
Sweden's Green Party is on the rise while support for the Christian Democrats is at the lowest in nearly a decade, according to the latest voter poll. READ () »
Sweden Democrats rake in southern support
The immigration-critical Sweden Democrats would nab 16 percent of the vote in regional elections in the south if residents were to cast their the ballots today. READ () »
Swedes could cast ballots online by 2018
Internet voting could become a reality in Sweden by as early as 2018, if a new proposal by a parliamentary committee is given the green light. READ () »
The Lowdown: Social Democrat party congress
With the Social Democrats gathered at their party congress in Gothenburg in western Sweden, The Local catches up with political scientist Ulf Bjereld to find out more about the party's chances of regaining power in 2014. READ () »
Social Democrat support continues to climb
According to the latest polls, the Social Democrats are winning back voters from the ruling conservative Moderates and are gaining growing support among male and urban voters. READ () »
Sweden Democrats hit all-time high in new poll
The far-right Sweden Democrats have recorded their highest voter-support poll results ever, shooting up to 11.2 percent, with party leader Jimmie Åkesson stating the party is on "the road to success". READ () »
Swedish press highlights Obama challenges
Following the significant coverage of the US elections in the Swedish media, the opinion pages of the four main newspapers have moved focus to the challenges which lie ahead for the re-elected American president. READ () »
Obama win has Swedish politicians smiling
Leading politicians in Sweden of all political stripes rejoiced early Wednesday morning over the re-election of US president Barack Obama, but cautioned he has a tough road ahead. READ () »
Republicans in Sweden still hope for Romney
With voters in the United States heading to the polls on Tuesday, Republicans in Sweden reflect on Mitt Romney's chances and the challenges of living in a country that doesn't always appreciate their point of view. READ () »
Swedish PR firm 'enters' US presidential race
Controversial Swedish PR agency Studio Total has thrown itself into the frenzied last hours of the American election, after creating and launching the Swedish Party in a bid to get Americans talking. READ () »
2012 US election fever grips Swedish media
With the US presidential election a day away, the Swedish media remains in an all-out frenzy of coverage looking at whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney will win, much to the surprise of some US expats. READ () »
Swedish 'descendants' vote Republican
While a majority of Swedes are rooting for Barack Obama, Americans living in towns with Swedish origins overwhelmingly vote Republican. READ () »
Swedish bank predicts Greek eurozone exit
Swedish bank SEB said Friday that all signs point to Greece leaving the eurozone regardless of Sunday's election results, while Swedish finance minister Anders Borg warned of a "serious situation". READ () »
Sweden Democrats third largest party: poll
The far-right Sweden Democrats are Sweden's third largest political party, according to a new poll, while another survey shows the three centre-left parties have enough support to command a majority in parliament. READ () »
Swedes back Obama in US election: survey
If Swedes could vote in US elections, President Barack Obama would handily beat either Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum, according to a new survey, which also reveals Swedes can't seem to get enough of US politics. READ () »
Occupy Stockholm: 'We have no goal'
It’s a movement without leaders and it kicked off with a bang in mid-October when Stockholmers joined hundreds of cities worldwide in protesting. Contributor Judi Lembke finds out more about the Swedish Occupy movement. READ () »
Swedish Pirates salute German success
Sweden's Pirate Party has lauded the electoral success of its German sister party in the Berlin state parliament, calling it as a "major step forward" and a boost for the movement across the world. READ () »
Åkesson slams multi-faith Riksdag service
The Sweden Democrats have reacted in anger to the participation of a rabbi and an imam at the church service which is the traditional start of the customary pomp and ceremony before the opening of the Riksdag. READ () »
Centre party reveals leadership candidates
The Centre party on Thursday named Annie Johansson, Anna-Karin Hatt and Anders W Jonsson as the official candidates to succeed outgoing party leader Maud Olofsson. READ () »
Centre Party should leave alliance: members
Several leading Centre Party members want to break free of the centre-right government alliance before the next election, in a bid to regain the party's own identity, according to a report in Swedish media. READ () »
Opposition more popular than government: poll
Sweden's centre-left opposition political parties have more support among voters than the governing centre-right Alliance, according to a poll by Statistics Sweden. READ () »
'Cab controversy' colours Green leadership battle
Revelations that the Green Party leader candidate Mikaela Valtersson spent thousands of taxpayers' kronor on taxi rides rather than taking public transportation have raised questions about her leadership potential. READ () »
Low turn out fears in Swedish election re-run
As a county council election re-run beckons in western Sweden, there are fears that a record low proportion of the electorate will bother to cast their votes. READ () »
Power shift beckons in Swedish election re-run
As a county council election re-run nears in western Sweden, the Social Democrats are losing ground and the Red-Greens stand to surrender power, according to a new poll published on Tuesday. READ () »
Reinfeldt declines Juholt debate challenge
Fredrik Reinfeldt surprised the Social Democrats by declining an offer to debate newly installed party leader Håkan Juholt ahead of new elections scheduled for Västra Götaland County in May. READ () »
Polls show no ‘Juholt effect’
The decision to make Håkan Juholt new leader of the Social Democrats has still to prove it is the boost in popularity hoped for. READ () »
Leading Social Democrat calls party 'Stalinist'
Former union-boss and prominent Social Democrat Stig Malm said on Tuesday he is "ashamed" to be a member of the party in light of its protracted leader selection process. READ () »
Swedes find right-wingers more 'attractive'
A study conducted by Swedish and Finnish economists has shown that Swedes find politicians on the right of the political scale to be better looking than their left wing counterparts and reward them for it at the ballot box. READ () »
Top Social Democrat quits politics
Ilija Batljan, one of the key figures in the Social Democrat election campaign in Stockholm and one of the early names mentioned as a possible new leader, has announced that he is leaving politics. READ () »
New elections to be held in parts of Sweden
Sweden is set to re-run one municipal and one county council election, the country's Election Review Board announced on Friday, more than five months after the country's September 2010 general elections. READ () »
Sweden Democrats suffer municipal exodus
Almost 400 municipal councillors have vacated their posts since the September 2010 election, with the Sweden Democrats grossly overrepresented among the withdrawals. READ () »
Sweden's Alliance parties gain majority in new poll
A new poll has revealed that if an election were held now, the ruling Alliance would gain a majority in Sweden's parliament, the Riksdag, while support for Sweden's Social Democratic Party continues to slide. READ () »
Moderates largest party in Sweden: survey
Sweden's ruling Moderate Party have overtaken the Social Democrats, which for decades dominated the country's political scene, as the country's biggest political party, according to a new survey released on Wednesday. READ () »
How Moderate success could doom the Alliance
While Sweden's Moderate Party enjoys record high support, the struggle by its junior partners for recognition could ultimately spell the end of the four-party centre-right Alliance, contributor Naomi Powell explains. READ () »
Social Democrats blame taxes for election loss
The Social Democrats likely lost the election because of their tax policy proposals, an internal report from the party’s crisis commission has concluded. READ () »
Moderates record highest ever support: poll
Sweden's ruling Moderate Party has polled record high support in November, pulling ahead of the Social Democrats and Left Party combined, according to a new survey. READ () »
Swedish parliament votes in new constitution
Sweden's parliament, the Riksdag, voted for the most sweeping changes to the country's constitution since 1974 on Wednesday, confirming Sweden's place in the EU among a raft of other amendments. READ () »
Sahlin calls on Social Democrat heads to resign
Social Democratic leader Mona Sahlin has called on her party's executive committee and the governing board to resign, joining a chorus of party criticism and introspection after its election defeat. READ () »
Christian Democrats mull name change
The Christian Democrats are contemplating changing the name of the party to the "Family Party Christian Democrats" in a bid to halt a slide in popular support. READ () »
Record number appeal Swedish election result
The Swedish Election Authority has received a record number of appeals from individuals requesting that all or part of the 2010 general election be redone. READ () »
Obama congratulates Reinfeldt on re-election
US President Barack Obama called Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to congratulate him on his re-election on Friday and discuss the threat posed by Al-Qaeda and its allies to Europe. READ () »
Bishop's sermon at the opening of the Riksdag
Stockholm bishop Eva Brunne's sermon addressing racism at the opening of Sweden's parliament, the Riksdag, on Tuesday has been the topic of intense discussion. Here is the full text of her words in English. READ () »
Reinfeldt unveils reshuffled cabinet
Prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt presented his new government during the opening session of the Riksdag on Tuesday, announcing a team with seven new names as well as a new ministry. READ () »
Live Blog: parliament opens
Another eventful day in Swedish politics has come to a close with Fredrik Reinfeldt having presented his new government, the Sweden Democrats having added a little colour and outraged drama, and the king having calmly reminded the Riksdag of its role as a bastion of Swedish democracy. READ () »
Sweden Democrats stage church sermon walkout
The Sweden Democrats’ Riksdag delegation left Stockholm's Storkyrkan in protest when racism came up during the ceremonial sermon held before the opening of parliament. READ () »
Alliance candidate wins Riksdag speaker vote
The Alliance government candidate Per Westerberg on Monday won the election to speaker of Sweden's Riksdag by 194 votes to 153, meaning that he would have won even without the backing of the far-right Sweden Democrats. READ () »
Reinfeldt rejects Sweden Democrat overtures
Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has declined to negotiate with the Sweden Democrats, who may hold the key to the ballot to appoint the next speaker of Sweden's parliament, the Riksdag, on Monday. READ () »
Reinfeldt phones Sahlin to talk cooperation
Mona Sahlin received a phone call from Fredrik Reinfeldt on Tuesday morning in which the prime minister gave the Social Democratic party leader some insights about his plans for governing. READ () »
Green Party: No agreement with Reinfeldt
The Green Party confirmed in a press conference on Monday that no agreement has been reached over a coalition with a Fredrik Reinfeldt-led government, revealing that Alliance coalition leaders appeared "split" on the issue. READ () »
'Your apathy elected the Sweden Democrats'
US-born contributor Naomi Olofsson wonders why supposedly immigrant-friendly Swedes who never bothered to help immigrants adjust to life in Sweden seem so outraged at the success of the far-right Sweden Democrats. READ () »
Liberals want to appeal election results
The Liberal Party, which lost two seats in the Riksdag by a razor thin margin, is looking to appeal the results of Sweden’s 2010 elections. READ () »
Appeal filed as final voting tally announced
All the ballots in the Swedish election have now been counted and the results certified, but a complaint has already been filed contesting the results. READ () »
Sweden Democrat leaves party after winning seat
A Sweden Democrat candidate who won a seat on the local council in Gällivare in northern Sweden has resigned from the party after reading its manifesto. READ () »
'Don't let the far-right dominate the debate'
As the Sweden Democrats prepare to take their seats in the Riksdag next month, contributor Ruben Brunsveld hopes Sweden's politicians can learn from the mistakes made by their Dutch counterparts in dealing with the far-right. READ () »
Swedes vote for Harry Potter, James Bond and Your Mum
As the Alliance government stands to miss out on an overall majority by a whisker, handwritten ballots for parties such as Joy Division, Pull Yourself Together and Djingis Cat have had an unlikely impact on Swedish politics. READ () »
Ballot irregularities keep Sweden on edge
Sweden’s political landscape remained unsettled on Thursday following reports of ballot irregularities in several parts of the country. READ () »
Sweden wakes up to a new reality
The 2010 Swedish general election has left Swedes facing a radically changed political landscape, writes The Local's James Savage. READ () »
Reinfeldt misses out on overall majority
The centre-right Alliance gained one extra seat in the Riksdag after Wednesday's count of advance and overseas ballots bringing it up to 173 seats, still two short of an overall majority. READ () »
Live Blog: post-election developments
Latest: The Liberal Party - and by extension the Alliance - has missed out one seat it needed to gain in Gothenburg to the Social Democrats - by just four votes. READ () »
Alliance takes one step towards majority
Sweden's governing Alliance coalition has preliminarily increased its number of seats in the Riksdag to 173, two short of an overall majority, as the recount of advance and overseas ballots continued on Wednesday afternoon. READ () »
Riksdag revamp could limit far-right: reports
Members of several Swedish political parties are calling for a restructuring of the Riksdag to minimize the influence of the far-right Sweden Democrats. READ () »
Sweden Democrats tip scales in 30 councils
The Sweden Democrats hold the balance of power in 30 of Sweden's 290 municipal councils, the anti-racist magazine Expo revealed on Wednesday in a compilation of election results. READ () »
Social Democrats face identity crisis in wake of election disaster
Limping forward after their worst election result since World War I, Sweden’s Social Democrats find themselves forced to look for a new identify, writes the AFPs Marc Preel. READ () »
Sweden Democrat calls for opponents to be 'shot'
A local government candidate for the Sweden Democrats has called for the execution of the party's opponents by firing squad, "then put them in a bag, stick a stamp on them and send them back to where they come from". READ () »
Election results could turn on 298 votes
Fewer than 300 votes separate the centre-right Alliance from an outright majority in the Riksdag as electoral officials feverishly tally advance and overseas ballots. READ () »
Greens still in hot seat ahead of final tally
While party leaders entertain a possible tie-up between the Green Party and the centre-right Alliance, Green Party voters have rejected the idea, according to a new poll. READ () »
Economy trumps welfare worries in tight Swedish election
With the final results hinging on a few thousand advance ballots, the 2010 elections marked a major shift in Swedish politics, while at the same time showing the power of a strong economy, writes contributor Roger Choate. READ () »
Alliance majority 'still possible' as results lag
Experts claim that the Alliance coalition could still claim an overall majority in the Riksdag, while the Swedish Election Authority warned that final results for the Swedish election may not be known until Thursday. READ () »
'Chlamydia blog' mum deprived of benefits
Annica Holmquist, the 55-year-old whose battle with the Swedish Social Insurance Agency caused an election campaign stir after her plight was described on her daughter's blog, will lose her benefits, despite assurances of a "solution". READ () »
Stockholm takes a stand for racial tolerance
A crowd of around 10,000 people gathered in central Stockholm on Monday evening to demonstrate for tolerance and against racism after the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats were voted into Sweden's parliament. READ () »
Moderates and Greens call for time
The Moderate and Green parties held press conferences on Monday calling for time for the election results to be completed and digested, with Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt promising an orderly process to a new Alliance government. READ () »
Election marks 'end of an era': Swedish press
With the far-right Sweden Democrats headed to the Riksdag for the first time and the traditional dominance of the Social Democrats apparently broken for good, the Swedish press on Monday reflected on the consequences of a new political era. READ () »
Åkesson waits for party invites to cooperate
One day after its history entry into parliament, the Sweden Democrats now await an invitation to join a coalition with the other parties. However, so far no parties have contacted leader Jimmie Åkesson. READ () »
Alliance loses majority as far-right wins seats
Sweden's ruling Alliance coalition won the most votes, but fell short of a majority in Sunday's general election as the Sweden Democrats entered parliament for the first time. READ () »
Live Blog: election night in Sweden
The Local's correspondents bring you all the latest news from the Swedish election, live from the main parties' headquarters in Stockholm. See the drama unfold live here. READ () »
Reinfeldt calls victory, vows to shun far-right
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt declared victory as near-final election results on Sunday showed his ruling Alliance coalition had the most votes in a hung parliament, where the Sweden Democrats could play kingmaker. READ () »
Sahlin admits defeat in 'very bad' election
Social Democratic leader Mona Sahlin admitted her party had a dismal election, spoiling her bid to become Sweden’s first female prime minister, but vowed to fight the far-right, which entered parliament for the first time. READ () »
Sweden Democrats vow not to cause problems
Sweden Democratic leader Jimmie Åkesson promised to not cause problems as near final results showed it could be a kingmaker in a hung parliament. READ () »
Sweden Democrats savour parliament entry
Sweden Democrat candidates savour victory as the party enters parliament for the first time, writes AFP's Igor Gedilaghine. READ () »
Alliance short of majority in re-election: poll
Sweden's ruling centre-right coalition was re-elected in Sunday's election, but fell short of a majority, near final results showed, as the far-right was seen entering a key position in a hung parliament. READ () »
Alliance miss majority as far-right voted in: poll
Swedish voters narrowly re-elected the governing centre-right Alliance coalition, but stopped short of giving it another majority, while the far-right Sweden Democrats were voted into parliament for the first time, according to exit polls. READ () »
Immigrants vote against Sweden Democrats
Stockholm's heavily immigrant suburb Rinkeby was busy on Sunday as campaigners warned voters about the possible consequences of a strong showing of Sweden's far-right Sweden Democrats. READ () »
Reinfeldt rocked by 'chlamydia letter'
Sweden's government came under fire this week for its sick leave reforms after the Chlamydia Letter blogger (pictured) told the story of her 55-year-old mother who had her benefits withdrawn despite suffering from a rare disfigurement syndrome. READ () »
Sweden braces for rollercoaster election
Sweden's centre-right government is being tipped to stay in power when voters go to the polls on Sunday, though the opposition has made late gains ahead of an election that could also see the political landscape reshaped by the far-right Sweden Democrats. READ () »
Far-right confronts main parties with 99 proposals
Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats, attempted to pin his 99 election proposals to the door of the Swedish parliament on Saturday in a stunt aimed at highlighting the main parties' refusal to debate with him. READ () »
Hacker attack wreaks havoc on Sweden Democrat website
The website of the far-right Sweden Democrats was hacked on Saturday, one day before the party is expected to be voted into the Riksdag in Sweden’s September 19th general elections. READ () »
Opposition gains ground in final round of polls
The centre-left Red-Greens succeeded in diminishing the government’s poll lead on Saturday, while the far-right Sweden Democrats appear poised to enter the Riksdag. READ () »
Welfare and taxes dominate final debate
Sweden's welfare state overshadowed the possible entrance into parliament of the far-right Sweden Democrats in the final televised party leader debate before elections on Sunday. READ () »
Sahlin and Reinfeldt enter final sprint for lasting political glory
With polls set to open in 24 hours rivals Fredrik Reinfeldt and Mona Sahlin are both looking for an electoral victory to cement their leadership status after long political comebacks. READ () »
Sweden Democrats fear Islamic revolution
An Islamic revolution akin to the one that swept through Iran in 1979 could easily take place in Sweden, claims the second highest ranking member of the far-right Sweden Democrats. READ () »
Million voters undecided ahead of final TV debate
As Sweden's parliamentary party leaders prepare for the final televised debate on Sveriges Television on Friday, up to 1.4 million voters are reported to remain undecided ahead of Sunday's election. READ () »
The Local's guide to the 2010 Swedish elections
Still confused about who's who and what's what ahead of Sweden's September 19th elections? Check out The Local’s Guide to the 2010 Swedish Elections for information on the parties, what they stand for, and what seats are up for grabs. READ () »
Suffering along the path to suffrage in Sweden
There’s nothing like an election to highlight an immigrant’s outsider status. But as Paul O’Mahony explains, the path to citizenship in Sweden isn’t without a bump or two, especially when the journey begins in June. READ () »
Dramatic election set to make Swedish history
With polls showing Swedish voters set to re-elect a centre-right government for the first time in decades and the far-right possibly holding the balance of power, Sweden's September 19th election has no shortage of drama, explains the AFP's Nina Larson. READ () »
Tempers flare in final party leader debate
Mona Sahlin accused Fredrik Reinfeldt of spreading lies as the two traded jabs in a heated Thursday night debate pitting the leaders of Sweden’s seven Riksdag parties against each other just four days before election day. READ () »
Election Q&A: the Social Democratic Party
The Local has a quick Q&A with Social Democratic Party Secretary Ibrahim Baylan to learn more about the party's stance on a few key issues. READ () »
Sweden's welfare state has endured centre-right rule: experts
As Sweden's centre-right government hopes to win another four years in power, fears that conservative rule would cripple Sweden's welfare state may have been unfounded, the AFP's Nina Larson explains. READ () »
Election outcomes – the lowdown
With four days to go before Swedes go to the polls in what promises to be an historic election for one of Europe's oldest democracies, The Local's Peter Vinthagen Simpson has had a look at the possible outcomes. READ () »
How to vote in the Swedish elections
Voting may not seem that complicated, but doing so in a different country can be. The Local has thus endeavoured to help any first-time voters by covering some of the basics about how to vote in Sweden. READ () »
Social Democrats regain lead in new poll
The Social Democrats have clawed back the lead as the election nears, according to a new poll. But despite the gains, the Alliance coalition retains its commanding lead with four days to go to election day. READ () »
Left leader makes on-air wedding proposal
Left Party leader Lars Ohly took the opportunity of a televised party leader debate to propose to his long-term girlfriend, Åsa, who accepted the offer. READ () »
Election Q&A: the Liberal Party
The Local has a quick Q&A with Liberal Party senior political advisor Therese Wallqvister and Riksdag secretariat foreign and defence policy political secretary Cindy Sturesson to learn more about the party's stance on a few key issues. READ () »
Election Q&A: the Left Party
The Local has a quick Q&A with the Left Party's Stefan Kudryk to learn more about the party's stance on a few key issues. READ () »
Cheryl Jones Fur - An American voice in Swedish politics
Parliamentary candidate, Cheryl Jones Fur, talks to Peter Vinthagen Simpson about her climate commitment; why as an American she likes the diversity of Swedish politics; and how to tackle the integration debate head on. READ () »
Alliance touts strong economy in election bid
From speeches to press conferences, Sweden's ruling centre-right coalition has tirelessly pumped forth the country's sound economic performance in its re-election bid ahead of Sunday's election, writes AFP's Marc Preel. READ () »
Steady poll lead continues for Alliance
The centre-right Alliance’s steady poll lead continues, with a new voter survey giving them support of 49.8 percent of the voters. Support for the far-right Sweden Democrats also reached new highs. READ () »
Parties struggle to entice first time voters
With record numbers of first time Swedish voters heading to the polls on September 19th, politicians continue to struggle to reach both young Swedes and their parents, explains the AFP’s Rita Devlin Marier. READ () »
Election Q&A: the Green Party
The Local has a quick Q&A with Green Party MP Bodil Ceballos to learn more about the party's stance on a few key issues. READ () »
Election Q&A: the Moderate Party
The Local has a quick Q&A with the Moderate Party's Anders Borg, among others, to learn more about the party's stance on a few key issues. READ () »
Four of ten prepared to vote tactically: survey
Four out of ten Swedish voters would consider switching party allegiances and instead vote for a party which risks missing the threshold for parliamentary seats, according to a new survey. READ () »
Introducing the Pirate Party
Here's a look at the Pirate Party, bidding to enter parliament for the first time. READ () »
Left Party employs stripper at election party
Left Party supporters were treated to a female stripper at an open meeting in Järna near Stockholm over the weekend, causing several members of the crowd to storm out in disgust. READ () »
Alliance increases lead: poll
The Alliance coalition has increased its lead ahead of the Red-Greens, with 51.1 to 41.8 percent, according to a new opinion poll. READ () »
Left leader condemns attack on far-right
Left Party leader Lars Ohly has condemned an attack on a local politician representing the far-right Sweden Democrats in Malmö on Friday, while the party on Monday suspended a rally in Gothenburg due to a counter-demonstration. READ () »
Introducing the Feminist Initiative
Here's a look at the Feminist Initiative, bidding to enter parliament for the first time. READ () »
Introducing the Sweden Democrats
Here's a look at the Sweden Democrats, bidding to enter parliament for the first time. READ () »
Survey: Swedes renew hope in economy
Swedes have renewed hope in their country's economic development, a new survey revealed on Monday. READ () »
Party leaders vow not to work with far-right
Sweden's two main prime minister candidates pledged not to work with the nationalist Sweden Democrats in a debate aired Sunday, a week before elections. READ () »
Alliance pulls away with a week to go: poll
The centre-right Alliance has extended its lead over the centre-left Red-Greens to almost ten percent with only a week to go before the Swedish general election, a new poll showed. READ () »
Swedes' party loyalty very much in play: poll
More than one million Swedish voters may yet change their allegiance on election day, according to a new poll, signaling that the battle for control of the Riksdag is far from over. READ () »
Introducing the Christian Democrats
Here's a look at the Christian Democrats, bidding to retain power as one of the smaller parties within the centre-right Alliance coalition. READ () »
'Establish state brothels': Christian Democrat
A local Christian Democratic politician has called for Sweden to open government-controlled brothels, drawing a sharp rebuke from her party colleagues. READ () »
Danish nationalist rallies for Sweden Democrats
Pia Kjærsgaard, the leader for the Danish People's Party has accepted an invitation from the far-right Sweden Democrats to take part in an election rally in Högänäs in southern Sweden on Saturday. READ () »
Introducing the Centre Party
Here's a look at the Centre Party, bidding to retain power and their place as the third largest parliamentary party in Swedish politics. READ () »
Poll lead continues for Alliance parties
The centre-right Alliance has extended its lead over the opposition in a poll released on Friday, while the nationalist Sweden Democrats saw their support climb to 6 percent. READ () »
Introducing the Left
Here's a look at the Left Party, bidding to assume power within the centre-left Red-Green coalition. READ () »
Eriksson: Green-Alliance tie-up 'not on the table'
Although leading Green Party officials have indicated they would cooperate with the centre-right Alliance should the Sweden Democrats hold the balance of power following the election, Green spokesman Peter Eriksson has flatly rejected the possibility. READ () »
Borg: Strong economic recovery continues
Sweden appears to be making a spectacular recovery from the deep recession its export-reliant economy experienced during the global financial crisis. READ () »
Introducing the Greens
Here's a look at the Green Party, bidding to assume power within the centre-left Red-Green coalition and become Sweden's third largest party. READ () »
Swedes voting early in record numbers
More than 400,000 Swedes have already cast their vote for the 2010 elections, even though election day is more than 10 days away. READ () »
Introducing the Liberals
Here's a look at the Liberal Party, bidding to retain power and regain their place as third largest party in Swedish politics. READ () »
Parties court pensioner votes in tight election
As strikes ripple across debt-ridden Europe over pension reforms, the two coalitions battling it out in Sweden's close upcoming elections on September 19th are courting elderly voters, who may end up holding the balance, writes AFP's Rita Devlin Marier. READ () »
Alliance dominates the polls as election nears
The centre-right Alliance coalition enjoyed a clear lead in a brace of opinion polls published on Wednesday, with a Novus survey showing a 5.5 percentage point lead over the centre-left Red-Greens. READ () »
Introducing the Social Democrats
Here's a look at the Social Democrats, bidding to assume power at the head of the Red-Green coalition. READ () »
Introducing the Moderates
Here's a look at the Moderates, bidding to retain power and become the largest party in Swedish politics. READ () »
Poll: Alliance extends lead
The centre-right Alliance has extended its lead over the Red-Greens in Skop's latest opinion survey with 49.7 percent to 44.4 percent of the electorate. READ () »
Introducing the Red-Greens
Here's a look at the centre-left Red-Greens, who hope they can move from opposition to Sweden's governing coalition. READ () »
Introducing the Alliance
Here's a look at the centre-right Alliance, which is looking to win another term as Sweden's ruling coalition. READ () »
Social Democrats back law on contributions
The Social Democrats have changed course and have proposed a law requiring all Swedish political parties to disclose from where they receive private contributions. READ () »
Poll troubles continue for Social Democrats
The Social Democrats have posted their worst poll result in 13 years just two weeks before Swedes head to the polls. READ () »
Red-Greens in migration policy agreement
The Red-Green coalition have presented an agreement on migration policy, arguing that the Swedish Aliens Act is applied too strictly and calling for a review of the asylum process and rules for family reunification. READ () »
Africans have 'child rape gene': Sweden Democrat
A blog post by a local Sweden Democrat politician espousing the view that black Africans are genetically programmed to rape children has resulted in him leaving the party. READ () »
Poll: Opposition closes gap on Alliance
The gap between the government parties and the opposition has halved in Synovate's latest election poll and is now 1.8 percentage points. READ () »
Broadcaster agrees to air new far-right party ad
TV4, the Swedish television broadcaster which last week refused to air a campaign advert for the far-right Sweden Democrats, has agreed to send a reworked version. READ () »
Fiery debate over Red-Green spending plan
Anders Borg on Wednesday took aim at the opposition’s "rampant" spending programme, prompting his Social Democratic counterpart to call the finance minister's analysis "defective and silly". READ () »
Royals in unwitting electoral bid
Voters in the general election will be able to cast a vote for Princess Madeleine or Prince Daniel, thanks to a fringe party and a quirk in electoral law. READ () »
Red-Greens present election manifesto
The centre-left coalition presented their election manifesto on Tuesday, promising to cut taxes for pensioners, cheaper daycare, and incentives for employers to recruit young people. READ () »
Danes call for election observers in Sweden
Representatives of the governing parties in Denmark have argued that freedom of speech is threatened in Sweden after a media ban on a campaign advert for the far-right Sweden Democrats, calling for observers to monitor the election. READ () »
Polls: Social Democrat support falls to new lows
Three weeks before the election, the Social Democrats have registered their lowest level of support so far in a new poll from United Minds. Support fell to 27.3 percent in the survey, which was conducted on behalf of Aftonbladet. READ () »
Alliance on course for absolute majority: poll
Sweden's governing coalition has retained a strong poll lead over the Red-Green opposition with the general election just three weeks away. READ () »
Sweden Democrats ask legal official to rule on ad
The far-right Sweden Democrats have submitted their own election film for review by one of the country's top legal officials after TV4 refused to broadcast the advert on grounds that it promoted religious hatred. READ () »
Red-Greens split over revamped wealth tax
Sweden's three-party Red-Green opposition remains split on how best to reintroduce a wealth tax system if the government is defeated in next month's election. READ () »
TV4 refuses to air Sweden Democrat ads
Swedish TV channel TV4 announced on Friday that it has refused to broadcast a campaign advert by the far-right Sweden Democrats because it claims it contains racial hatred. READ () »
Red-Greens: Troops out of Afghanistan 2011
A Red-Green government would begin the withdrawal of Swedish troops from Afghanistan in July 2011, with the last soldiers home by the 2013, the three party opposition coalition announced on Friday. READ () »
Alliance leads, Social Democrats at record low
The Alliance parties lead over the opposition has increased a little in the latest opinion poll by Synovate with 48.7 percent to 45 percent for the Red-Green opposition, while the Social Democrats dropped to their lowest level since 1997. READ () »
Alliance touts tax cuts in election manifesto
The ruling Alliance coalition has promised its fifth in-work tax credit if it wins the election next month, it promised as it rolled out its manifesto on Thursday. READ () »
Red-greens split on pensioner tax cuts
The red-green coalition revealed a split on a proposal to cut taxes on pensioners to the levels of wage earners on Wednesday morning. READ () »
Sweden Democrats publish report on rape
The Sweden Democrats presented a report on Wednesday showing that of 114 convictions for rape in 2009, 48 percent involved men born outside Sweden - "less than half of total convictions" according to the National Council for Crime Prevention. READ () »
Alliance parties gain absolute majority: poll
Sweden's four-party centre-right Alliance would achieve an outright majority if a general election were held today, according to pollster Sifo's third August survey. READ () »
Swedish octopus 'tips' Alliance election win
The centre-right alliance will win the upcoming parliamentary election election, according to Melvin the octopus at the Universeum science centre in Gothenburg. READ () »
Poll: Alliance retains slight lead
The centre-right Alliance coalition remains slightly ahead of the Red-Green opposition with only a month left before the election with only 1.2 percent separating the blocs, according to a new poll published on Friday. READ () »
Two candidates caught buying sex in union flat
Two Social Democratic election candidates from central Sweden were caught by police having sex with prostitutes in a Swedish Trade Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen i Sverige, LO) flat in Stockholm. READ () »
Party leaders, not issues, will determine election
Elections in Sweden tend to be decided over issues rather than candidates, but with the upcoming September 19th vote for the first time pitting two blocs against each other, personal politics are playing an unprecedented role, writes AFP's Rita Devlin Marier. READ () »
Alliance builds tiny but consistent lead
The governing parties have maintained a tiny lead in the last four Swedish opinion polls, but the Sweden Democrats still look set to enter parliament. READ () »
Experts: politicians misled voters on pensions tax
Sweden's politicians have been slammed by leading economists who argue that they are misleading the electorate by claiming that income taxes discriminate against pensioners, who in actual fact pay less tax than those in work. READ () »
Moderates pledge billions for unemployed
Fredrik Reinfeldt's Moderate Party wants to spend 3 billion kronor ($410 million) over the next three years on job coaching, work experience and training, creating over 31,000 new opportunities in 2011 and 2012, according to party estimates. READ () »
Red-Greens agree on property tax changes
The centre-left coalition has announced an agreement over property taxes, claiming that only one percent of Sweden's house owners will see their taxes climb if the Red-Greens win the election. READ () »
Pirate Party to host WikiLeaks servers
The Swedish Pirate Party confirmed on Tuesday that it has agreed to host a number of new servers located in the country by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks. READ () »
Opposition proposes new serious crime unit
The Social Democrats want to create a large new police unit against serious crime that can operate nationwide and will be given the name Reko. READ () »
More low-paid jobs for refugees proposed
Tighter rules on parental leave for the foreign-born and more simple and low-paid jobs will increase the chances for refugees to quickly find work and integrate into society, Integration Minister Nyamko Sabuni said on Monday. READ () »
Security beefed up for Sahlin due to threats
Security for Social Democratic leader Mona Sahlin has been tightened due to serious threats against her just over a month before elections, Swedish media reported on Monday. READ () »
Social Democrats propose 'metro butlers'
The Social Democrats have proposed introducing "metro butlers" to help passengers run errands, the party wrote in an opinion article published in Dagens Nyheter on Monday. READ () »
Alliance lead, far-right in parliament: poll
With 35 days to go before Sweden votes in a general election the Alliance coalition retained its slim lead over the Red-Green opposition, a new poll shows. The far-right Sweden Democrats would meanwhile claim seats in parliament. READ () »
Sahlin slams Reinfeldt's tax cut pledge
Social Democrat leader Mona Sahlin launched a scathing attack on Sunday against Moderate Party plans to continue cutting income taxes if they remain in power after the September 19th election. READ () »
Pirate Party amends manifesto on child porn
The Swedish Pirate Party has changed its election manifesto after criticism over its position on child pornography and to underline that it is against "the production, spread and possession of 'documented sexual abuse' of children". READ () »
Swedish seniors set to vote in droves
Almost all Swedish people aged 55-85-years-old plan to make the effort to vote in the September 19th general elections, a new survey shows. READ () »
Social Democrats focus on jobless youths
The Social Democrats are to focus on youth unemployment in a series of campaign posters ahead of next month’s election. READ () »
Government parties gear up for election
Sweden’s four governing parties on Wednesday presented their plans for a common election campaign. The country faces a choice between moving backwards and forwards, the parties claim. READ () »
Politicians say no to free biogas car over bribe risk
Volkswagen and Eon were hoping to raise the profile of biogas-fuelled cars during the ongoing election campaign by loaning them free of charge to politicians but the risk of being seen as a bribe has put a stop to their plans. READ () »
Hägglund takes election fight to the jungle
The Christian Democrats on Tuesday launched an election poster campaign featuring party leader Göran Hägglund facing up to a series of wild animals and arguing that Sweden needs more humanity and less "jungle law". READ () »
Moderate politician drops out after death threat jibe
Christer Nordin, a Moderate party politician from Båstad in southern Sweden has withdrawn his candidacy for the upcoming local elections, despite claiming that a threat to kill a journalist was uttered in jest. READ () »
Green Party withdraws organic tomato ad
The Green Party has announced the withdrawal of one of its election posters, which upset an organization that certifies organic products by flagrantly displaying its KRAV brand. READ () »
Organic certifier upset by Green Party tomato
An organization that certifies organic products has slammed the Green Party for depicting a tomato bearing one if its labels on an election poster. READ () »
Borg calls for renewed privatization drive
Minister for Finance Anders Borg has indicated that the government intends to raise 100 billion kronor ($14 billion) by selling off the state’s shareholdings in a number of companies if voted back into power in September. READ () »
Government extends poll lead as election looms
With a general election just six weeks away, Sweden’s four-party Alliance has opened up a 3.3 percentage point lead over the Red-Green opposition in a new poll. READ () »
Sahlin urges tougher EU fiscal sanctions
Social Democrat leader Mona Sahlin has called for the EU to mete out tougher punishments to any member states found to have mismanaged their finances over a long period of time. READ () »
Absentee voting begins in Swedish elections
Absentee voting began in the September 19th Swedish general election on Thursday in what is expected to be a tight race centred on the economy, unemployment and welfare. READ () »
MPs support Sweden Democrats isolation: poll
66 percent of 148 Swedish members of parliament surveyed are prepared to cooperate across the political blocs to ensure a stable government if the far-right Sweden Democrats enter parliament. READ () »
Sweden Democrats hold balance of power: poll
The far-right Sweden Democrats have the backing of 6.5 percent of the electorate and would hold the balance of power if an election were held today, a new voter poll shows. READ () »
Alliance extends lead ahead of election: poll
The ruling centre-right Alliance coalition leads ahead of the general election in September, according to an opinion poll from Skop. READ () »
Government enjoys high trust rating
Confidence in Sweden’s government remains high despite a recent controversy surrounding the resignation of former labour market minister Sven Otto Littorin. READ () »
Political calls persist to do-not-call numbers
Many Swedes are being bombarded by unwanted calls from politicians ahead of September's election despite being registered on Sweden's national so-called "do-not-call" list. READ () »
Alliance retains lead as gap narrows: poll
The gap between the centre-right and centre-left blocs in Swedish politics has narrowed, but the Alliance retains a lead of 4.9 percentage points as the Almedalen political week nears its end, a new poll shows. READ () »
Left Party changes name to 'Welfare Party'
The Left Party has changed its name, albeit temporarily, in order to profile its core issues and arrest the long-term slide in voter support, hoping to deflect criticism of party leader Lars Ohly. READ () »
No tax cuts next year: Moderates
Sweden’s prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has ruled out further tax cuts in 2011 if his party is returned to power in September’s general election. READ () »
Huge lead for Reinfeldt in voter confidence poll
An overwhelming majority of Swedish voters consider Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt better equipped to lead a government than opposition leader Mona Sahlin, according to a new poll. READ () »
Alliance inches ahead of opposition: poll
Support for the ruling Alliance coalition has eclipsed the red-green opposition in the latest poll from Norway-based Sentio Research. READ () »
Opposition united on EU policy: report
A new set of common EU policies forged by Sweden’s three-party opposition coalition has seen the Left Party and the Green Party sacrifice several of their traditional anti-EU stances. READ () »
More Swedes excluded from job market
The government has failed to achieve its main goal of reducing the number of people who are inactive in the job market. New statistics show that their numbers have swelled by 6,500 in the last four years. READ () »
Duelling coalitions evenly split: poll
Support for the two coalitions in Sweden's parliament, the Riksdag, is currently evenly split, the latest TV4/Novus Opinion poll reveals. READ () »
Moderates are largest party: poll
The Moderates are currently the largest parliamentary party with the support of 29.9 percent of the electorate, according to a new poll, while the Sweden Democrats on 5.6 percent threaten the Alliance coalition's hopes of a majority. READ () »
Government pulls ahead in poll
Sweden's Moderates have overtaken the Social Democrats as the country's largest party, according to a new Sifo poll which shows the government coalition nosing ahead of the opposition. READ () »
Middle-aged men dominate election lists
The majority of candidates running for the parliamentary election in the fall are middle-aged men, according to a survey from Sveriges Radio's (SR) news service Ekot. READ () »
Moderates overtake Social Democrats: poll
The Moderate Party is the largest party in Sweden, overtaking the Social Democrats, a new voter poll shows on Wednesday. READ () »
Social Democrat slide continues: poll
The Social Democrats have continued their election year slide in the opinion polls and are now smaller than the Moderate Party, and under 30 percent for the first time. READ () »
Sweden Democrats to cut foreign aid for welfare
Sweden's small far-right Sweden Democrat party presented a shadow budget on Monday pledging lower taxes and higher benefits, to be financed by cutting international aid and refugee quotas. READ () »
Alliance coalition passes opposition: poll
The government parties are ahead of the opposition for the first time since the 2006 election in a Synovate poll, with the Moderate party leading the rally on 31.8 percent of the electorate, up three percent on April. READ () »
Poll blow for Social Democrats
A new poll shows Sweden’s opposition Social Democrats have fallen to their lowest level of support since the 2006 election. READ () »
'Green Party voters most likely to change sides'
Almost a quarter of Green Party support could consider voting for one of the centre-right Alliance coalition parties, a new voter survey has shown. READ () »
US must close foreign bases: opposition
Sweden will 'demand' that the United States closes all foreign military bases if the red-green opposition wins power. READ () »
Sweden Democrats continue slide: poll
The far-right Sweden Democrats continued their slide in a new voter poll and are now well below the threshold for parliamentary seats, the centre-left meanwhile increased their lead over the centre-right. READ () »
Swedes back centre-right government in a crisis
The Swedish electorate have significantly more faith in the centre-right government to handle an economic crisis than the centre-left opposition, a new Sifo survey shows. READ () »
Gap narrows as far-right and Left decline: poll
The gap between the two political blocs in Sweden closed to 3.1 percent (3.5) in the May voter poll by Sifo, while the far-right Sweden Democrats, the Left Party, and the Christian Democrats also showed steep declines. READ () »
Greens call for 35-hour working week
The Green Party voted at its annual congress on Saturday to include demands for a 35-hour work week in its manifesto for this September’s general election. READ () »
Jobs and climate top priorities for Greens
Investing in jobs and climate policies remain the top priorities for the Greens, the party said as it opened its annual party congress in Uppsala. READ () »
Reinfeldt congratulates Cameron on victory
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt congratulated his new British counterpart David Cameron and called on him to reduce the deficit left behind by Gordon Brown's Labour Party. READ () »
Voter support split evenly between coalitions: poll
Sweden's ruling centre-right coalition has registered its strongest support since 2006 in a new poll, and is now in a statistical dead heat with the Red-Green opposition. READ () »
Reinfeldt and Sahlin lock horns in televised debate
While both Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and Social Democrat leader Mona Sahlin could agree that Sweden should support troubled euro area countries, the tone of their Sunday evening televised debate was often heated. READ () »
Alliance manifesto touts fiscal responsibility
Sweden's four-party governing coalition talked up fiscal responsibility as one of its cornerstone policies when presenting its electoral programme on Saturday ahead of the September general election. READ () »
Swede concern over uncertain UK election
Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and opposition leader Mona Sahlin have said that the inconclusive outcome of the UK election, in which no party has gained a majority, leaves Britons with a tough challenge. READ () »
Bankruptcies fall 25 percent in April
Corporate bankruptcies have continued to decline in Sweden. In April, bankruptcies fell by 25 percent from the same period last year, according to business and credit information company UC. READ () »
Alliance coalition pulls ahead of opposition: poll
The shadow budget and International Worker's Day celebrations do not seem to have benefited the left-green opposition who have fallen behind the government parties in the latest voter opinion poll. READ () »
Opposition touts tax cuts to fuel employment
Sweden's left-green opposition parties have vowed to cut general payroll taxes for small businesses by 8 billion kronor ($1.1 billion) over the next two years in a bid to stimulate employment if they are elected into government this autumn. READ () »
Opposition flirts with single mums
Sweden' left-green opposition is pledging to earmark 1.225 billion kronor ($170 million) in benefits for single parents as part of its push to bolster gender equality. READ () »
Opposition outlines billion kronor tax hike
The left-green opposition has proposed the raising of environmental taxes by a total of 11 billion kronor ($1.52 billion) over the coming two years, as well as reintroducing wealth taxes to raise a further four billion per annum. READ () »
Social Democrats seek apology over Sahlin slur
Top Social Democrat Thomas Östros has demanded an apology from Mats Odell after the local government minster dredged a 15-year-old scandal back up to the surface of Swedish politics. READ () »
Opposition announces high-speed rail plans
The left-green opposition parties have agreed to invest heavily in rail and public transport if they win the election in September, including the construction of high-speed railway lines. READ () »
Rival blocs tackle one million floating voters
Almost a fifth of the Swedish electorate could envisage switching sides in the September general election, a new survey shows, with the Green and Moderate parties the most likely beneficiaries. READ () »
Tuesday deadline for UK expat voter registration
Britons abroad have until Tuesday April 20th to register to cast their vote by post or proxy in next month's UK general election. READ () »
Opposition retains opinion poll initiative
With the general election just five months away, Sweden's centre-right coalition government has closed the gap on the left-green opposition to 3.5 percentage points, according to a new opinion poll. READ () »
Sahlin turns to party old guard for election surge
The opposition Social Democrats have recruited a slew of senior party members to spearhead their 2010 election campaign. READ () »
Opposition lead widens in new poll
Sweden's left-green opposition has stretched its lead over the governing centre-right coalition to 8.7 percentage points in a new poll. READ () »
Green Party lays out election platform
Sweden's Green Party has announced plans to re-introduce a sabbatical leave year, cut the working week and slash sales tax on the service sector - including household services, restaurants, hairdressers and bicycle repairs. READ () »
Government promises tax cut for pensioners
Sweden's centre-right government has indicated it will include tax cuts for pensioners to the tune of five billion kronor ($688 million) in its impending spring budget. READ () »
Opposition youth league registers government 'Alliance' brand
SSU, the opposition Social Democrat party youth league, has registered the patent for the Swedish word Alliansen (The Alliance) - the collective name used by the government for its four-party coalition. READ () »
Record support for Greens: poll
Support for the Green Party has increased by three percentage points to 10.6 percent according a new poll, which shows a majority of voters support Sweden's Left-Green alliance. READ () »
More Moderates resign over internal vote fraud
Two Moderate Party politicians in Stockholm have handed in their resignations amid an ongoing internal vote-rigging probe. Stockholm mayor, Sten Nordin expressed his 'disappointment'. READ () »
Moderates knew of election list fraud: report
Highly placed leaders of the Moderate Party (Moderaterna) have known for weeks that electoral fraud was being committed within the local organization in Stockholm, according to a media report. READ () »
Stockholm politician accused of election fraud
A leading candidate for the Moderate Party (Moderaterna) in Stockholm was forced to stand down on Friday when he admitted to cheating to secure a nomination for this year's general election. READ () »
Taxes and jobs dominate party leader debate
Sunday's televised debate between the five leaders of Sweden's major political parties was dominated by taxes and labour market policy, while exposing divisions within the opposing blocs. READ () »
Moderates add feminist touch to policy platform
The Moderate Party is making an election year play to increase its appeal to feminist voters, promising to take on gender-based pay disparities and ranking schools according to gender equity, among other proposals. READ () »
Opposition maintains strong lead: poll
Sweden's opposition has a strong lead at the start of the election year, according to a new poll which puts the left-green coalition more than ten percentage points ahead. READ () »
Sick leave dominates first election year debate
Sweden's two political blocs each set out their stalls on Wednesday in the first parliamentary debate of 2010, with sickness benefits proving the main bone of contention. READ () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
'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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
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 () »
Persson's holiday behind party's summer slump
While the grotty weather ruins many Swedes' last holiday week, Prime Minister Göran Persson is criticised for taking too much time off over the summer. Two months without him leaves the party invisible, says a leading Social Democrat. READ () »
Over half of government's MPs could quit
In what some are reading as a sign of despondency in Sweden's left-wing parties, fewer than half of Social Democrats say they plan to stand in the 2006 election. And a large majority of MPs in the right-wing parties say they plan to stay on. READ () »
Schyman launches "Feminist Initiative"
Amidst much fanfare, Gudrun Schyman finally launches her feminist party "Feministiskt initiativ" at a press conference in parliament. There was no official leader, no manifesto and it isn't really a proper party yet, but nobody seemed to care. READ () »
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