Election clash: Sweden's PM candidates lock horns over future government
Sweden's two prime ministerial candidates went head to head in a televised debate organised by public broadcaster SVT on Wednesday evening.
Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson was asked whether she would consider governing Sweden as a minority administration and negotiating dynamic majorities – in other words, working issue by issue with different parties across the aisle.
"It is a possibility," she replied, but clarified that she might be aiming for something else in the first instance. "I don't think it's the most likely scenario, but it's what I did last time I was prime minister."
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, of the Moderate Party, argued that approach isn't even technically viable.
"In that situation, you don't have a budget. The government would end up having to govern on someone else's budget," he said.
"The Social Democrats are so obsessed with the idea that they must be in power that they don't care what kind of results such a government would produce."
Andersson said she believes she can pull a government together, despite the strict red lines set up between the Centre Party and the Left Party.
"I've been in politics for a long time, and I've seen ultimatums come and go," she said.
During the debate, Kristersson also stated that he is prepared to push for further cuts to petrol tax after the election.
Tax on petrol has only been temporarily reduced following exemptions from the EU, and when those expire, prices could jump by 4 kronor per litre before the end of the year.
"Swedish families must be protected from what is happening in the Middle East, which is why I am prepared to step in once again on this," Kristersson said.
Andersson is also open to pushing for continued tax relief.
"If we find ourselves in a situation again where oil prices spike and are extremely high, then I am prepared to cut petrol tax."
Kristersson also remarked during the debate that Sweden does not need more onshore wind power.
"Onshore wind – we have reached a point where we simply don't need much more of it."
Swedish vocabulary: a debate – en debatt
Swedish Liberals surge past four percent threshold in latest poll
Sweden's Liberals are continuing their upward trajectory in the opinion polls, according to new figures from pollsters Novus on behalf of GP and TV4.
In just a few weeks, the Liberals have jumped from 1.9 percent to 5.8 percent in the Novus polls. The latest poll was carried out between September 6th and 8th.
It is the first time during this parliamentary term that the party has been statistically confirmed to sit above the 4 percent threshold required to enter parliament, GP and TV4 report.
According to Novus, the party is primarily winning over voters from the Sweden Democrats, as well as from the Moderates – i.e. from other parties in the centre-right bloc.
"Even if the Liberals were to reach 5.8 percent, it is essentially internal cannibalism," Johan Hinnfors, professor emeritus of political science at Gothenburg University, told GP. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: a parliamentary term – en mandatperiod
One year without fatal shootings marks major shift for Gothenburg
Gothenburg has recorded zero fatal shootings over the past year, reports local newspaper GP.
The last fatal shooting came when a man was shot dead on Hisingen on September 9th, 2025. Gunfire has been confirmed on two separate occasions over the past 12 months, but neither incident resulted in injuries or fatalities.
"We were on a downward spiral where things were constantly heading in the wrong direction. Reversing that trend in the way that has happened now is, I would say, unique," regional police chief Hampus Nygårds told GP.
However, he stressed that it doesn't mark the end of crime in the west coast city.
"There are still plenty of hit contracts being issued. Children and young adults are still being recruited to commit serious violent crimes," he said.
The city's worst year on record was 2013, when 56 shootings occurred across Greater Gothenburg, leaving 30 people injured and eight dead.
Swedish vocabulary: fatal – dödlig
Over 260 shortage-profession workers ordered to leave Sweden in past year
A total of 260 individuals working in occupations for which there is a shortage of workers, such as assistant nurses and electricians, have received deportation orders over the past year, according to the Dagens Arbete magazine.
The most common reason for deportation is that the individual's life circumstances changed so that the original grounds for their residence permit no longer applied. This includes getting divorced, turning 18 or losing a relative, among other reasons.
The second most common reason is that their salary or working conditions failed to meet Sweden's tightened permit requirements.
On average, those affected have lived in Sweden for five years and eleven months, and many have family members in the country.
The deportation of these 260 individuals means that 84 children will also have to leave Sweden.
The actual figure is likely higher than 260, according to Dagens Arbete, as they could only count cases where the specific job title was explicitly stated in a review of deportation rulings from the migration courts.
Swedish vocabulary: to leave – att lämna
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