Sweden: Parties at a glance

Moderaterna (Moderata samlingspartiet) is a center-right party that is currently represented in parliament with 68 seats. The party advocates consistent crime fighting, wants tax cuts, and is against too much regulation of markets.

Founded in 1904 as an alternative to Socialdemokraterna and liberal movements, the party moved closer to the political center from the right in the mid-1950s and today describes itself as a party of freedom, individualism and entrepreneurship. It positions itself as an advocate of a defensible Sweden with a strong police force, promotes restrictive migration policies and encourages entrepreneurship.

In current polls, Moderaterna comes in at 19.2%. Compared to the election, that's an increase of +0.1.

Kristdemokraterna is a center-right party and currently represented in parliament with 19 MPs. The party advocates consistent crime fighting, advocates strict immigration policy, and is against too much regulation of markets.

Founded in 1964, the Christian Democrats are one of the younger parties in Sweden's political landscape, initially entering as an advocacy of Christian values, but since 1987 have relied on a party program that is noticeably less religiously based. The party is considered a center-right party with conservative positions that, according to its own statements, puts "human values first" and is primarily concerned with issues such as care, concerns of the elderly and security. The party has its roots in the Christian Democratic movement, which gained influence after World War II as a reaction to Nazism in Germany and völkisch movements in Sweden. The party advocates a common migration policy for all Nordic countries, but has recently adopted more restrictive positions, arguing, for example, against multiculturalism and in favor of a shift in competence from the European Union to the nation-states.

Current polls show Kristdemokraterna at 3.9. That's a loss of -1.4 compared to the last election.

Liberalerna is a center-right party that is currently represented in the parliament with 16 MPs. The party advocates liberal lifestyles, wants more free world trade, and is against too much regulation of markets.

The economic liberal party, which advocates greater European integration, emerged from several liberal currents and mergers of different parties and has its roots in the struggle for the right to vote for all women and men and against privileges of the upper class and unequal power relations at the time. The party sees itself as a "defender of the freedom of each individual to shape his or her own life." In terms of social policy, for example, the party fights to combat crime in the suburbs and against religious parallel societies, for stricter punishments and more powers for teachers in schools; in terms of economic policy, the party is committed to a liberal order that backs the welfare state and the European Union. In recent years, the Liberals have moved away from the political center toward a more neoliberal orientation.

In the current election trend, Liberalerna comes in at 3.2%, losing -1.4 compared to the last election.

Socialdemokraterna (Sveriges socialdemokratiska arbetareparti) is a center-left party that is currently represented in the parliament with 107 MPs. The party advocates liberal lifestyles, favors financial redistributions from rich to poor, and wants to invest more in public services.

The Socialdemokraterna With its founding in 1889 the Socialdemokraterna the oldest party in the country. It emerged from various groups such as the labor movement, dedicated to fighting against the Swedish class society of the time, for universal suffrage and better living conditions for the poorer members of society. For more than 100 years it has been the strongest party in Swedish parliamentary elections.

In current polls, Socialdemokraterna is getting 37.4% of the vote - an increase of +7.1 since the last election.

Sverigedemokraterna is a right-wing party and currently represented in parliament with 73 MPs. The party advocates strict immigration policy, wants a strong nation-state, and advocates consistent crime fighting.

The Sweden Democratswas founded in 1988 and managed to enter parliament for the first time in 2010. Other parties refused to cooperate with it, however, citing the party's xenophobic positions - a position that has softened as the Sweden Democrats have seen success in elections and increased their share of the electorate. The party advocates tougher refugee policies and describes itself as socially liberal, but is often cited in foreign media as evidence of widespread right-wing nationalist tendencies in Swedish society. The party officially fights for the preservation of Swedish culture, for the preservation of traditions and for the heteronormative nuclear family, and for a strict fight against crime.

Current polls show Sverigedemokraterna at 18.3. That's a loss of -2.2 compared to the last election.

Centerpartiet is a liberal party that is currently represented in the parliament with 24 MPs. The party advocates liberal lifestyles, is against too much regulation of markets, and stands for an open-minded immigration policy.

Centerpartiet has existed since 1910 and sees itself as representing the interests of farmers and owners of small businesses. In its history, it has been prime minister three times, most recently with Thorbjörn Fälldin between 1979 and 1982. It belongs to the bourgeois bloc and is a party that can count on support especially in rural areas, pursues a green policy, and advocates liberal immigration laws, a strong European Union, and a free market economy. At the same time, however, it has visibly slid to the right on certain social policy issues in recent years, opposing trade unions and advocating a relaxation of employment protection, for example. The party sees itself as a people's movement and cites roots in "peasants who owned their own farms and fought for their freedom." The party claims to stand for ecologically sustainable solutions, to show consideration for the environment and to defend people's right to shape their own lives - "regardless of who they were or where they came from."

In the current election trend, Centerpartiet comes in at 4.5%, losing -2.2 compared to the last election.

Vänsterpartiet is a left party that is currently represented in parliament with 24 seats. The party advocates liberal lifestyles, favors financial redistributions from rich to poor, and wants more regulation of markets.

Until 1967, Vänsterpartiet had appeared as a communist left-wing party before officially backing parliamentary democracy as a form of government and changing its name. The party describes its motivation as the need for politics in Sweden to regain control of people's wealth "after long years of free-market solutions and privatization" and to improve the lives of ordinary people. The party's central guiding principle is that it is a "socialist and feminist party on an ecological basis" that rejects patriarchy and class society.

In current polls, Vänsterpartiet comes in at 8.0%. Compared to the election, that's an increase of +1.2.

Miljöpartiet (Miljöpartiet de gröna) is a green party that is currently represented in parliament with 18 seats. The party advocates liberal lifestyles, puts environmental protection above economic interests, and has a dream of an open world without borders.

The Miljöpartiet was founded like many of its European sister parties in the early 1980s, specifically in 1981. In the Green Party, various movements found themselves in one political organization, such as the anti-nuclear movement or the alternative movement, which fought for a progressive and open social policy. True to its name, the Green Party is primarily at home in environmental policy and has a strong focus on the fight against climate change and an attitude of solidarity towards future generations, but also represents left-wing and liberal causes such as feminism, the fight against violence against women, for equal rights and an open and tolerant society. Between 2014 and 2021, the Swedish Greens were part of the government, but left at their own request and in response to successful opposition to their budget proposal by, among others, the Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna).

Current polls have Miljöpartiet coming in at 4.0% - a loss of -1.1 since the last election.