Sweden Democrats slip three points as governing bloc gains ground in election

Andreas Johansson Heinö, a political scientist at Timbro, said the Sweden Democrats experienced a sharp three-point decline, losing voters in every municipality except five. The party had been widely expected to stay Sweden's second-largest, yet the three centre-right government parties all recorded gains, a development few anticipated. Leader Jimmie Åkesson attributed the outcome to voters favoring the governing Tidö coalition over any single party, a rationale Heinö called an attempt to put a positive spin on the loss.

The party also saw its support among young voters erode, with mock school elections indicating a seven-point drop and the Moderates overtaking them as the top choice among students. Competition from newer right-wing groups such as the Örebro Party, led by Marcus Allard, further siphoned votes, while criticism of the Sweden Democrats' more radical rhetoric was cited as another factor in the decline.