Sweden faces political uncertainty as election deals far-right a blow

Sweden faced political uncertainty Monday after an election thriller that saw the leftwing opposition hold onto a slim lead with votes still left to count. Sunday's election also served up a surprise setback for the far-right Sweden Democrats, who lost ground for the first time since entering parliament 16 years ago.The leader of the left-wing opposition, Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats, and outgoing conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson each said they wanted to explore coalition options to secure power and form a new government, but both would have to make major concessions to obtain a majority.While the left-wing held a slim lead, the bloc was expected to face thorny negotiations to form a government, with the talks expected to drag on for several weeks. Parliament can vote on a new prime minister on Sept. 29, at the earliest. Sweden's Social Democratic Party leader Magdalena Andersson speaks during the Social Democrats' election night party in Stockholm, Sept. 13, 2026. Jonas EKSTROMER/TT News Agency/AFP/Getty After Sweden's 2022 national election, it took 37 days to form a government, much shorter than the 134 days it took to do so in 2018.Political analyst Ma...