Swedish Elections – Reinfeldt Wins

Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Swedish Prime Minister for the second time

The Swedish population was expected at the polls Sunday to elect a new parliament, which according to polls, would bring a center-right government to power and would install the extreme-right regime for the first time in the new parliamentary assembly, transmits France Presse.

The Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, 45, wanted to obtain for his four-party coalition a second term of four years, which would be a first for a right-wing government in nearly a century. His victory for the Social Democrats would be a complete break in the exercise of power in Sweden, where they dominated the political scene in the last 80 years and where they are considered to be the defenders of the famous providence state of Sweden. Three polls published on Saturday gave the Premier alliance as favorite, with 4-9 percent in front of the left-coalition, even if the difference between the two political blocs declined in recent days.

The of the social-democratic party and the leader of the opposition, Mona Sahlin, 53, expressed her wish on Saturday again, namely that she wants to become the first woman leader of a government in Sweden. “We can win and form a red-green government”, she said before her supporters.

The end of the campaign focused largely on the economy and the welfare of the state, but the two leaders insisted especially on the importance of obtaining a majority government to counter the surge in right-wing extremism of the Sweden Democrats party, which according to surveys, was going to be the next government. “Do not leave Sweden to go through this experience. Do not let them have any power”, Reinfeld told the people. Even if just a few points ahead, the extreme-right party could play a role of arbitrator in a parliament composed of minority blocks.

The three surveys made public on Saturday attributed between 49.2% and 51.2% of the voting intentions to the government in office, which would still get a sufficient majority of at least 175 out of the 349 seats in the Riksdag. Sweden Democrats, which obtained 2.6% of the vote in the legislative elections in 2006, would receive between 3.8% and 5.9% of votes, according to polls. Polling stations were opened at 08.00 local time (06.00 GMT) and close 12 hours later. About 7.1 million Swedes were placed on the list, of which a record number of young people voting for the first time. Rates of voter participation are generally high in Sweden. It was of 82% in the last election.

Reinfeldt wins

The center-right coalition of Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt won the parliamentary elections held on Sunday in Sweden, but without the clear majority, Reuters informs. The anti-immigration party of extreme right orientation, managed to enter parliament for the first time, winning 20 of the 349 seats in the unicameral parliament.

The preliminary counts show that the alliance won 172 seats, while the center-left opposition won 157.

“Today we wrote political history together, I think this is fantastic,” said the leader of the right-extreme party, the Swedish Democrats, which made the surprise of the election in a country that boasts a high level of tolerance.

Although the Swedish Democrats’ Party denies being racist, neither the coalition in power nor the opposition will consider a partnership with them.

“If this result will be final, we will have a scenario that most voters wanted Sweden to avoid – a xenophobic party which holds the balance of power,” said a specialist in political science from the University of Gothenburg.

Analysts said even before the election that the lack of a majority for the coalition would unrest investors, but he Swedish crown remained steady after the results of the elections were announced.

Reinfeldt, who promised tax cuts and reforms for the social state, said he is prepared to lead a minority government, but reiterated that he will first address the opposition Green Party. He rejected any collaboration with the extreme-right Democratic Party.

The Prime Minister benefits one of the strongest economic recoveries in Europe and manages to become the first prime minister to win elections again, after the global recession.