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2026 Swedish general election

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2026 Swedish general election
← 2022
13 September 2026
2030 →
All 349 seats to the Riksdag
175 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered8,051,238 Increase 3.5%
Reporting
88%
as of 00:55 CEST
 
Leader Magdalena Andersson Ulf Kristersson Jimmie Åkesson
Party Social Democrats Moderate Sweden Democrats
Alliance Tidö Tidö
Leader's seat Stockholm County Södermanland County Jönköping County
Last election 107 seats, 30.3% 68 seats, 19.1% 73 seats, 20.5%
Current seats 106 66 70
 
Leader Nooshi Dadgostar Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist Ebba Busch
Party Left Centre Christian Democrats
Alliance Tidö
Leader's seat Stockholm County Stockholm Municipality Västra Götaland County East
Last election 24 seats, 6.8% 24 seats, 6.7% 19 seats, 5.3%
Current seats 21 24 19
 
Leader Amanda Lind
Daniel Helldén		 Simona Mohamsson
Party Green Liberals
Alliance Tidö
Leader's seat Stockholm County
Stockholm Municipality		 Västra Götaland County North
Last election 18 seats, 5.1% 16 seats, 4.6%
Current seats 18 16
Distribution of constituency and levelling seats and largest political bloc by constituency
Incumbent Government

Kristersson cabinet
M–KD–L (SD C&S)


General elections were held in Sweden on 13 September 2026 to elect the 349 members of the Riksdag. They in turn will elect the prime minister. The local elections were also held on the same day.

Background

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After the 2022 general election, a right-wing bloc consisting of the Moderates (M), Christian Democrats (KD), Liberals (L) and Sweden Democrats (SD) secured a narrow majority of seats in the Riksdag. One month of negotiations between them followed, leading to the Tidö Agreement that allowed the M party leader Ulf Kristersson to become prime minister and lead the Kristersson cabinet. It was a minority government of M, KD and L with confidence and supply from SD.[1] During the following term, the four parties became known as the Tidö parties.[2]

The 2026 general election will be the first parliamentary election in Sweden since the country acceded to NATO on 7 March 2024, after more than 200 years of military non-alignment.[3][4] Sweden applied for NATO membership together with Finland in 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.[4][5]

On 30 July 2026, the election was available for Swedish citizens who reside abroad.[6] Following the 2026 Fagersta school attack on 21 August 2026, several party leaders cancelled planned speeches ahead of the election.[7] On the morning after the attack, more than 70 people, including Ulf Kristersson, Magdalena Andersson, Simona Mohamsson, and Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist gathered at a memorial site for the victims of the attack carrying flowers and lighting candles.[8][9]

Electoral system

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The Riksdag is made up of 349 seats elected by open list proportional representation,[10] with an electoral threshold of 4% of the national vote or alternatively 12% within a single constituency. Of the 349 seats, 310 are elected from 29 constituencies ranging in size from 2 to 40 seats, while the other 39 seats are apportioned nationally as levelling seats to ensure parties that passed the 4% national threshold hold a proportional number of seats; these levelling seats are allocated to particular districts. If a party wins more constituency seats than it is entitled to overall, a redistribution of constituency seats may occur to reduce the number of constituency seats won by that party.[11]

General elections are held on a fixed date, the second Sunday of September, at the same time as the municipal and regional elections.[12][13][14] If early elections are called, the newly elected legislature only serves out the remainder of the four-year term begun by the previous legislature.[15]

Political parties

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The table below lists political parties represented in the Riksdag after the 2022 general election.

Abbr. Name Ideology Political position Leader 2022 result[16] Pre-election[17]
Votes (%) Seats
S Swedish Social Democratic Party
Socialdemokraterna		 Social democracy Centre-left Magdalena Andersson 30.3%
107 / 349
106 / 349
SD Sweden Democrats
Sverigedemokraterna		 Right-wing populism Right-wing to far-right Jimmie Åkesson 20.5%
73 / 349
70 / 349
M Moderate Party
Moderaterna		 Liberal conservatism Centre-right Ulf Kristersson 19.1%
68 / 349
66 / 349
V Left Party
Vänsterpartiet		 Socialism Left-wing Nooshi Dadgostar 6.8%
24 / 349
21 / 349
C Centre Party
Centerpartiet		 Liberalism Centre to centre-right Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist 6.7%
24 / 349
24 / 349
KD Christian Democrats
Kristdemokraterna		 Christian democracy Right-wing Ebba Busch 5.3%
19 / 349
19 / 349
MP Green Party
Miljöpartiet		 Green politics Centre-left Amanda Lind
Daniel Helldén		 5.1%
18 / 349
18 / 349
L Liberals
Liberalerna		 Conservative liberalism Centre-right Simona Mohamsson 4.6%
16 / 349
16 / 349
N/a Independents N/a
9 / 349

Independents

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Before the election, there were nine members of parliament who had left their party, becoming independents.[18] Each member had an individual mandate, so their party couldn't force them to resign.[18] Nine independents was more than the Riksdag had ever had before.[18]

Member Party Ref.
From To
Jamal El-Haj Social Democrats Unity Party
Arin Karapet Moderate Party Sweden Democrats
Marléne Lund Kopparklint
Elsa Widding Sweden Democrats Ambition Sweden
Katja Nyberg
Sara-Lena Bjälkö Christian Democrats
Lorena Delgado Varas Left Party Future Left
Daniel Riazat
Momodou Malcolm Jallow

Campaign

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A ballot for the Riksdag election, enclosed in an envelope, being dropped into a sealed ballot box by a voting official at Stångenässkolan, Brastad, Sweden.

According to an August 2026 Novus poll, voters considered the ten most important political areas – ranked from most to least important – to be healthcare, education, law/order, immigration/integration, elderly care, the countries economy, employment, the climate, taxes and energy policy.[26]

Potential governments

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It has over time become harder for Swedish parties to form coalitions, which is part of a broader European trend, because of increased political fragmentation.[27]

Tidö

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During the 2022–2026 Riksdag term, the government has been formed by the Moderates (M), Christian Democrats (KD), and Liberals (L), with the support and co-operation of the Sweden Democrats (SD), outside of the government but intimately involved in policy decisions, as regulated by the Tidö Agreement. This group is referred to as the "Tidö parties" or the "blue-yellow" alliance.

In 2025 the Tidö parties announced their intention to continue their cooperation after the 2026 election.[28] How they were going to cooperate was unclear, as SD said they would vote against any government which did not grant them cabinet positions, while L said they would continue to block SD from receiving cabinet positions.[28][29][30] However, on 13 March 2026, L and SD announced an agreement ("The Sweden Promise") which would give SD cabinet positions if the Tidö coalition received a majority of seats.[31] The agreement also included policy goals they would cooperate on, including a national referendum on adopting the Euro as currency, coinciding with the 2030 general election.[31][32][2]

For most of the period 2022–2026, support for L has been well below the Riksdag's 4% electoral threshold according to opinion polls. This has been a concern for the Tidö parties' ability to maintain power and caused some in-fighting, with for example SD's Jimmie Åkesson telling Tidö supporters not to consider lending their vote to L unless they reach at least 3.5% in polls by 3 September.[33]

The opposition

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The opposition, meanwhile, has consisted primarily of the "red-greens", which refers to the Social Democrats (S), Greens (MP) and Left Party (V), with the liberal Center Party (C) also in opposition.

If the opposition parties (either the red-green parties in their own right, or with the support of C) achieved a majority, then Magdalena Andersson (party leader for S) would be the likely prime minister.

However, for this election, V have said they would vote against any government where they did not receive cabinet positions,[34] a change from previous elections where they were willing to support an S government without their involvement. At the same time, C have said they refuse to support a government with V.[35] This poses a problem for Andersson, as it is likely that seats from all four opposition parties would be needed to form a government, but C and V's demands cannot be directly reconciled.[36]

Centrist government

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A third possible government that has received media attention is a centrist government containing S, MP, C and KD. This is a preferred option for C,[37] but MP are skeptical of the idea,[37] and despite some prior "flirting" between Andersson (S) and Busch (KD),[38] which had drawn criticism from Åkesson (SD),[38] Busch said on 2 September that KD would vote against Andersson even if it would trigger a new election.[39]

Returning politicians

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Former minister and contender for the leadership of the Liberals Birgitta Ohlsson announced, on 18 March 2026, that she would be a parliamentary candidate for the Centre party.[40] On 20 March, former Liberal leader (1997–2007) Lars Leijonborg announced his return to politics as a parliamentary candidate for the Liberals.[41]

Approximately a quarter of parliament did not seek reelection, including half of the Liberal representatives.[42]

Debates

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2026 Swedish general election debates
Date Time
(CEST)		 Organizers Moderator  P  Present    I  Invitee  N  Non-invitee  Ref.
S M SD C V KD L MP
17 Aug 20:00–22:00 Expressen
Dagens industri		 Ylva Johansson [sv]
Viktor Barth-Kron [sv]		 P
Magdalena Andersson		 P
Ulf Kristersson		 P
Jimmie Åkesson		 P
Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist		 P
Nooshi Dadgostar		 P
Ebba Busch		 P
Simona Mohamsson		 P
Amanda Lind		 [43]
4 Sep 16:00–17:45 SR Johar Bendjelloul

Mikael Sjödell [sv]

 P
Magdalena Andersson		 P
Ulf Kristersson		 P
Jimmie Åkesson		 P
Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist		 P
Nooshi Dadgostar		 P
Ebba Busch		 P
Simona Mohamsson		 P
Daniel Helldén		 [44]
9 Sep 20:00–21:30 SVT Elisabeth Marmorstein [sv]
Fouad Youcefi [sv]		 P
Magdalena Andersson		 P
Ulf Kristersson		 N N N N N N [45]
10 Sep 20:00–22:00 TV4 Ann Tiberg [sv]
Jenny Strömstedt		 P
Magdalena Andersson		 P
Ulf Kristersson		 P
Jimmie Åkesson		 P
Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist		 P
Nooshi Dadgostar		 P
Ebba Busch		 P
Simona Mohamsson		 P
Amanda Lind		 [46]
11 Sep 20:00–22:00 SVT Elisabeth Marmorstein
Fouad Youcefi		 P
Magdalena Andersson		 P
Ulf Kristersson		 P
Jimmie Åkesson		 P
Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist		 P
Nooshi Dadgostar		 P
Ebba Busch		 P
Simona Mohamsson		 P
Amanda Lind		 [47]
12 Sep 20:00–22:00 TV4 Anders Pihlblad [sv]
Ann Tiberg		 P
Magdalena Andersson		 P
Ulf Kristersson		 N N N N N N [46]

Opinion polls

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Graphical summary

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  S
  SD
  M
  V
  C
  KD
  MP
  L

Results

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In the preliminary result, only the votes of the eight parties currently represented in the Riksdag will be reported separately. The votes cast for other parties are reported as a whole.[48]

87.8% reporting
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
By party
Social Democrats (S)1,642,76628.0199–8
Moderate Party (M)1,163,84519.8470+2
Sweden Democrats (SD)1,036,84217.6863–10
Left Party (V)477,9198.1529+5
Centre Party (C)414,4307.0725+1
Christian Democrats (KD)365,8306.2422+3
Green Party (MP)356,7986.0822+4
Liberals (L)314,5665.3619+3
Others92,1751.57––
Total5,865,171100.003490
Valid votes5,865,17198.72
Invalid votes25,7530.43
Blank votes50,3770.85
Total votes5,941,301100.00
Registered voters/turnout8,051,25973.79
Source: Election Authority[49]
By bloc
Kristersson's Bloc (M+SD+KD+L)2,881,08349.12174–2
Andersson's Bloc (S+MP+V+C)2,891,91349.31175+2
Others92,1751.57––
Total5,865,171100.003490
Registered voters/turnout8,051,259–
Source: Election Authority[49]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Henley, Jon (14 October 2022). "Swedish parties agree coalition with backing of far-right". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Liberals will allow the far-right Sweden Democrats into government". The Local Sweden. TT. 13 March 2026. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  3. ↑ "Sweden officially joins NATO". NATO. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Sweden joins NATO as war in Ukraine prompts security rethink". Reuters. 8 March 2024.
  5. ↑ Chatterjee, Phelan (11 July 2023). "How Sweden and Finland went from neutral to Nato". BBC.
  6. ↑ Emilia Lindholm, Kerstin Siwertsson (3 July 2026). "Utlandssvenskar först ut att rösta i valet 2026" (in Swedish). SVT Nyheter. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Badshah, Nadeem (22 August 2026). "Seventeen-year-old girl killed in sword attack at school in Sweden". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  8. ↑ Heidvall, Text: Tora; Wiman, Sara Schwartz; Holm, Gusten (22 August 2026). "Flera riksdagspartiledare har samlats i Fagersta för att visa sitt stöd efter fredagens skolattack". www.expressen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Sword attack at Swedish school kills 17-year-old girl, injures 3 others, police say - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 22 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "Sweden Riksdagen (Parliament)". Parline. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  11. ↑ "Vallag (2005:837) Svensk författningssamling 2005:2005:837 t.o.m. SFS 2021:1328". Riksdagen (in Swedish). 15 May 2016. Avdelning IV. Fördelning av mandat, 14 kap. Fördelning av mandat, 4 a §. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Elections in Sweden: The way it's done" (PDF). Election Authority. Solna. 7 October 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "The Swedish electoral system". Valmyndigheten (in Swedish). 16 September 2018. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  14. ↑ "The 2022 election". Riksdag. 31 August 2022. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022. Parliamentary elections will take place on 11 September. On this day voters will have the opportunity to decide which candidates will represent them in the Riksdag over the next four years. On the same day, there are elections to municipalities and regional councils.
  15. ↑ "Extra val". www.riksdagen.se (in Swedish). 17 August 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  16. ↑ "Valresultat riksdag, region och kommun 2022". Valmyndigheten (in Swedish). Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  17. ↑ "Ledamöter & partier". Riksdagen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 8 September 2026. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  18. 1 2 3 Pettersson, Hanna (1 May 2026). "Rekordmånga vildar i riksdagen – orsakar kris och debatt" [Record number of independents in the Riksdag – causes crisis and debate]. DN (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 30 April 2026.
  19. ↑ Ljunggren, Signe (18 February 2026). "Inget val för El-Hajs nystartade parti" [No election for El-Hajs new party]. SR (in Swedish). P4.
  20. ↑ Åhman, Emma; Karlsson, Max V; Holmqvist, Anette (27 March 2026). "M-avhopparnas egna ord – lämnar för SD" [M-leavers own words – leaves for SD]. Expressen (in Swedish).
  21. ↑ Dahlqvist, Maria (27 March 2026). "Värmländska M-ledamoten Marléne Lund Kopparklint byter till SD". SVT (in Swedish).
  22. ↑ Stenquist, Victor (15 April 2026). "Elsa Widding om Katja Nyberg: 'Ska ge en andra chans'" [Elsa Widding on Katja Nyberg: "Will give a second chance"] (in Swedish). Aftonbladet.
  23. ↑ "Hon lämnar SD i riksdagen – byter parti" [She leaves SD in the Riksdag – switches party]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). TT. 23 December 2025.
  24. ↑ Nilsson, Erik (5 December 2025). "Politiska vildar i riksdagen startar partiet Framtidens vänster" [Political independents in the Riksdag start the party Future Left]. SVT (in Swedish).
  25. ↑ Gripenberg, Pia (26 August 2026). "Malcolm Momodou Jallow till Framtidens vänster" [Malcolm Momodou Jallow to Future Left]. DN (in Swedish). Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  26. ↑ "Novus Viktigaste politiska frågan – augusti 2026" (PDF). Novus (in Swedish). 24 August 2026.
  27. ↑ Sohlberg, Angelica (9 September 2026). "The 2026 Swedish Election: Implications for Sweden's Role in the EU". University of Gothenburg.
  28. 1 2 Heimersson, Alicia; Holmqvist, Anette (9 December 2025). "Tidöpartiernas sju punkter – presenterar 'Strängnäspappret'". Expressen (in Swedish).
  29. ↑ Holmqvist, Anette (26 October 2025). "Kravet: Då röstar vi nej till Kristersson" [The requirement: Then we'll vote no on Kristersson]. Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  30. ↑ Anderberg, Cecilia; Karlsson, Max V; Bratell, Johan; Gullberg, Anna (10 October 2025). "Därför säger L nej till SD i regering". Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  31. 1 2 Norman, Erik (13 March 2026). "L och SD överens – här är alla punkter". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  32. ↑ Åhman, Emma (13 March 2026). "15 punkter: Det här är SD och L överens om". Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  33. ↑ "Åkessons skarpa gräns för L: 'Tio dagar'". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). 24 August 2026. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  34. ↑ Nilsson, Erik; Ingmo, Daniel; Blomström, Emma (30 September 2025). "Kravet från Vänsterpartiet: Ministerposter eller röd knapp". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  35. ↑ "Centerpartiet vill byta regering – men vägrar välja sida". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). 5 February 2026. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  36. ↑ "Har övertag i opinionen – här går oppositionens röda linjer". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). 25 August 2026. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  37. 1 2 "C-ledaren: Strängnäs ska inte förknippas med en högerregering". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). 19 August 2026. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  38. 1 2 "Ett samarbete i begynnande sönderfall?". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). 29 August 2026. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  39. ↑ "Busch: Nej till Andersson fram till ett nyval". SVT Nyheter. 2 September 2026. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  40. ↑ Nilsson, Mimmi; Lindvall, Julia (18 March 2026). "Birgitta Ohlsson kandiderar för Centerpartiet i valet" [Birgitta Ohlsson is a candidate for the Centre party in the election]. SVT (in Swedish).
  41. ↑ Norberg, Jonathan; Britts, Malvina (20 March 2026). "Lars Leijonborg gör comeback i Liberalerna" [Lars Leijonborg makes a comeback in the Liberals]. SVT (in Swedish).
  42. ↑ Telin, Axel Hyttnäs; Olsson, Miranda (3 June 2026). "Var fjärde riksdagsledamot ställer inte upp i valet". Altinget (in Swedish). Retrieved 10 September 2026.
  43. ↑ Åhman, Emma (17 August 2026). "Här är ämnena i kvällens debatt". Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  44. ↑ "Hör hela Ekots slutdebatt inför valet". Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). 4 September 2026. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
  45. ↑ Val 2026: Statsministermötet (in Swedish). Retrieved 17 August 2026 – via SVT Play.
  46. 1 2 "Så bevakar TV4 valet 2026". TV4. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  47. ↑ Val 2026: Slutdebatten (in Swedish). Retrieved 17 August 2026 – via SVT Play.
  48. ↑ Valmyndigheten. "Rapportpartier beslutade inför riksdagsvalet 2026". val.se (in Swedish). Valmyndigheten. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  49. 1 2 "Valpresentation". resultat.val.se. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
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