Moderate Party overtakes Sweden Democrats as Swedens second-largest party in election
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Swedens left-wing bloc leads right-wing coalition by one seat in tight election
Moderate Party overtakes Sweden Democrats as Swedens second-largest party in election
Sweden’s Moderate Party overtook the Sweden Democrats as the country’s second-largest party in Sunday’s general election, according to early results from SVT’s exit poll and partial vote counts.
The Sweden Democrats, who secured 17.7% of the vote, saw their support drop by nearly 3 percentage points compared to 2022, while the Moderates neared 20%, their best result since 2010. The shift triggered disappointment at the Sweden Democrats’ election watch party, where initial optimism turned to shock as the numbers confirmed their demotion .
Party leader Jimmie Åkesson acknowledged the decline but claimed a moral victory, stating that more Swedes now openly express pride in supporting the party. “It is obvious that we have lost a few percentage points, but in this campaign, we have been winners because so many more people in our country no longer find it embarrassing to say they are Sweden Democrats—instead, they are proud,” Åkesson said .
Meanwhile, Moderate Party officials celebrated the result, with one senior figure describing the mood as “overjoyed” and others using terms like “mighty” and “relief” to capture the moment. The party’s youth wing chair, Douglas Thor, called it a confirmation of the Moderates’ role as the leading center-right force in Swedish politics .
The Sweden Democrats’ economic policy spokesperson, Oscar Sjöstedt, labeled the dual setback—losing votes and their second-place ranking—a “double slap in the face.” The party is projected to lose roughly one in 10 of its parliamentary seats .
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