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Social Democrats Project 176 Seats, Ahead of Right Coalition

By Drooid · Sep 14, 2026, 6:39 PM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Social Democrats Lead

Social Democratic opposition projects 176 seats, ahead of the Tidö coalition’s 173 seats.
Non-European background voters gave the opposition about 70% of their votes, according to the VALU exit poll.
In Malmö’s Rosengård district, where 67.8% are foreign-born, Social Democrats received 54.0% of votes.
Advance and overseas ballots, which tend to favor the Moderates, will be counted Wednesday, delaying final results.

Right

Right-wing Bloc Negotiates

Swedish Electoral Authority will finalize seat distribution over the weekend after the election.
Negative parliamentarism allows a prime minister to be appointed if fewer than 175 MPs oppose.
Coalition talks will focus on whether the right-wing bloc can keep the Sweden Democrats in a cabinet.
If the right bloc secures 176 seats, a minority government could survive using opposition abstentions.

History

Historical Context

The 19 September 1976 election gave the Social Democrats 152 of 349 seats, yet a Centre-People’s-Moderate coalition secured 180 seats and installed Thorbjörn Fälldin, the first non-Social Democratic prime minister since 1936. The 1979 vote let the same bloc stay in power—the only non-socialist government retained between 1928 and 2010—showing how negative parliamentarism and abstentions can sustain a right-leaning cabinet without a majority, a pattern echoed today.

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Social Democrats Lead

Social Democratic opposition projects 176 seats, ahead of the Tidö coalition’s 173 seats.
Non-European background voters gave the opposition about 70% of their votes, according to the VALU exit poll.
In Malmö’s Rosengård district, where 67.8% are foreign-born, Social Democrats received 54.0% of votes.
Advance and overseas ballots, which tend to favor the Moderates, will be counted Wednesday, delaying final results.

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