Swedish election alliances are becoming one of the main issues of the campaign ahead of the September 13 vote, as Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson continues to avoid committing herself to a specific governing coalition. Her openness to cooperation beyond the traditional centre-left has prompted concern within the Left Party, while recent comments by Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch have also unsettled the parties supporting the current government.
Speaking to SVT on Monday, Andersson said she was prepared to cooperate broadly after the election.
“I am prepared to cooperate broadly in Swedish politics, and that can be done in many different ways. We do not have a two-party system in Sweden,” she said.
The Social Democrats remain the largest party in opinion polls and Andersson is the leading candidate to replace Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson if the opposition wins. But the composition of a possible new government remains unresolved.
Andersson keeps Sweden’s election alliances open
Andersson has repeatedly declined to say which parties she would first approach after an election victory. The Social Democrats are campaigning independently rather than presenting voters with a predefined governing coalition.
That strategy gives S room to negotiate after the election, but it is also exposing tensions among the parties that could potentially support an Andersson government.
The clearest disagreement concerns the Left Party (V) and the Centre Party (C).
V wants ministerial posts in a Social Democratic-led government and has said it would vote against a government in which it is excluded. Centerpartiet, by contrast, wants a centrist coalition involving S, C, the Greens (MP) and the Christian Democrats (KD) and has ruled out V entering the government.
The dispute creates a difficult parliamentary equation even though opposition parties currently hold an advantage in several polls.
The Left Party fears a shift towards the centre-right
Former Left Party leader and current MEP Jonas Sjöstedt has now publicly warned that Andersson could move further towards the political centre and seek cooperation with KD instead of relying on V.
“I fear it. There is a lot of flirting, not only with the Centre Party but also with the Christian Democrats,” Sjöstedt told SVT.
He described the possibility of an S-KD arrangement as a serious concern for the Left Party.
The concern has grown partly because Andersson has shown increasing willingness during the campaign to appear alongside parties outside the traditional red-green camp.
On August 20, Andersson and Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist made their first joint campaign appearance, presenting a degree of common ground while leaving major policy disagreements unresolved. Thand Ringqvist said negotiations over specific proposals would have to wait until after the election.
For S, such ambiguity reduces the risk of becoming dependent on any single smaller party. For V, however, it also raises the possibility that Andersson could construct a parliamentary majority without giving the party a place in government.
KD’s position is also unsettling the Tidö parties
The uncertainty is not limited to the opposition.
Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson has accused Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch of “flirting with the left” after she said she could allow Andersson to become prime minister under exceptional circumstances.
Busch has framed the possibility narrowly, referring to situations such as war or a major national crisis.
“I want Sweden and its citizens, in an exceptional situation such as crisis and war, to know that they have in me a political leader who can put short-term party tactics aside for Sweden’s best interests,” she said on Sunday.
Åkesson nevertheless questioned whether KD could be relied upon to remain within the political arrangement that has supported Kristersson’s government since 2022. After meeting Busch over the weekend, he continued to call for a clearer rejection of any attempt to make Andersson prime minister if the current governing parties lose their majority.
Busch has maintained that KD is campaigning for another four years with the current right-wing bloc.
The polls favour Andersson, but not necessarily a simple government
The debate over alliances has become more important because current polling gives Andersson a credible path back to the prime minister’s office.
An Ipsos poll published by Dagens Nyheter in late August put parties commonly associated with the opposition at 52.4 percent, compared with 45.6 percent for the current governing bloc and its parliamentary allies. The gap has narrowed compared with earlier surveys, but the opposition continues to lead.
The numbers do not, however, resolve the disagreements between the parties Andersson may need.
V wants direct participation in government. C rejects such a solution. The Greens have their own differences with S on issues including nuclear power and migration, while the possibility of cooperation with KD would require crossing the political dividing line that has structured much of the campaign.
For the Social Democrats, keeping several options open may therefore be an advantage before election day. If the polls translate into seats on September 13, however, the same flexibility could turn government formation into one of the most difficult negotiations of the Swedish post-election period.
