Sweden's left-wing bloc wins general election by slim margin

Sweden's right-wing coalition government is set to lose power after a bloc of centre-left parties won a single-seat majority in the country's 349-seat parliament. The results mean Social Democrat party leader Magdalena Andersson is likely to return as prime minister after losing power in 2022. It marks a defeat for incumbent Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Sweden's left-wing bloc has won the country's general election, with Social Democrat party leader Magdalena Andersson set to govern as the country's prime minister. Ms Andersson served as prime minister from 2021 until she lost power at the last election, to the right-wing bloc's choice Ulf Kristersson. There are two major political blocs in Sweden: one with four parties on the right and another with four parties on the left. Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported on Wednesday evening, local time, that the left parties had combined secured 175 of the 349-seat Riksdag, one more seat than the right-wing coalition's 174. Only 26,169 votes separated the two blocs as of Wednesday afternoon, local time, but with fewer than 1 per cent of districts left to count, parties led by Ms Andersson were now all but certain to win. "The likelihood of a turnaround at this stage is so low that we can confidently state that the opposition will secure the most seats in this election," SVT said. The result will mean a change of government in Sweden, which has been ruled by the right-wing governing bloc led by Ulf Kristersson since the last election in 2022. The agency is now counting late incoming ballots from home and overseas, and has said this process may go on until Thursday, local time, before all votes are accounted for. The big question was less about which party wins and more about which side can form a majority. Individual parties need a minimum of 4 per cent of the vote to win parliamentary seats. Mr Kristersson led Sweden since 2022 with a three-party centre-right coalition. The coalition relies on outside support from the Sweden Democrats, an anti-immigration party that has far-right roots but has moved toward the political mainstream, for a parliamentary majority. Ms Andersson's Social Democrats more often than not has led Swedish governments since World War II. More than 8 million people in the nation of about 10.6 million were eligible to vote in the election for the 349-seat parliament, the Riksdag, which elects the prime minister.