Sweden's right-wing bloc gains ground 18 days before election
With less than three weeks to go until Sweden's general election, two new polls suggest that the gap between the governing Tidö parties and the opposition is narrowing.
In Indikator Opinion's August survey on behalf of public radio broadcaster Sveriges Radio Ekot, the opposition commands 51.3 percent of voter support compared to 46.6 percent. The lead between the two main political blocs now stands at 4.7 percentage points – effectively halving the gap since June.
The Moderates have picked up just over one percentage point while the Social Democrats dropped by the same amount, though both shifts fall within the margin of error.
The Social Democrats have seen their numbers trend downwards since November, coming in at 31.3 percent in this poll. The Moderates scored 18.9 percent, narrowing the gap with the Sweden Democrats, who polled at 19.7 percent.
Elsewhere on the spectrum, the Centre Party landed at 5.9 percent, the Left Party at 7.6 percent, and the Green Party at 6.5 percent.
The Christian Democrats registered 5.8 percent, while the Liberals remain stuck beneath the parliamentary threshold on 2.2 percent.
But according to an Ipsos poll on behalf of the Dagens Nyheter daily, support for the Liberals is the highest since party leader Simona Mohamsson shifted stance in the spring and gave the green light to offering ministerial posts to the far-right Sweden Democrats. Even so, the poll has them stranded below the four-percent parliamentary threshold on 2.3 percent – up one percentage point since June.
Overall, the Ipsos poll also suggests the gap between the right wing and the opposition is shrinking, closing from 9.5 percentage points in June to 6.8 percentage points.
Note that the pollsters describe the figures as uncertain since they stem from minor fluctuations, but they still indicate a modest tailwind for the Tidö bloc in public opinion.
The Ipsos poll has the Sweden Democrats as the largest party on the right with 19.3 percent, ahead of the Moderates on 17.9 percent. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: numbers – siffror
Second man held over fatal Fagersta school attack
Another man has been arrested following the school attack in Fagersta on August 21st, the Swedish Prosecution Authority announced on Wednesday morning.
He is suspected on probable cause – the higher standard of suspicion in Swedish law – of complicity in murder and complicity in attempted murder.
The prosecutor must decide whether to formally request the man be remanded custody or release him by midday tomorrow, Thursday.
An 18-year-old man, named in the Swedish media as Liam Nebel, has already been remanded in custody on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: probable cause – sannolika skäl
Stockholm makes measles vaccine free following festival outbreak
Region Stockholm is making the measles vaccine free for adults in the wake of an outbreak at the Urkult festival.
Healthcare magazine Dagens Medicin has mapped out which regions in Sweden offer free measles vaccines to adults. For residents of Stockholm, the jab will be free from September, while Uppsala and Blekinge offer free vaccines to anyone who lacks immunity against the disease.
In Jönköping, the measles vaccine is free for those who have not previously received two doses, while vaccination in Sörmland and Västmanland will be free of charge until the end of September and October, respectively.
In Halland, the vaccine is already free, and in Norrbotten, free vaccination against measles is offered following a medical assessment.
Meanwhile, adults in Värmland, Skåne, Västra Götaland, and Dalarna must pay between 105 and 320 kronor per dose. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: free (in the sense that you don't have to pay) – gratis
Early voting opens in Sweden as election nears
Early voting is under way in Sweden after voting stations opened across the country on Wednesday morning.
If you live in Sweden, you should already have received or will receive soon your (röstkort) in the post or digitally, with information about the location and opening time of your polling station on September 13th, the day of the election.
But you can also cast your vote in advance, something a growing number of Swedish residents are choosing to do so. In the 2022 election, 48.16 percent voted in advance, up from 47 percent in the 2018 election and 39 percent in 2010.
Anyone who is eligible to vote in national, regional or municipal elections can vote in advance (förtidsröstning). If you have received your voting card, it will include information on which elections you are allowed to vote in here. You can also find out about the requirements to be eligible for each election in this article).
Read more about how to vote in advance in The Local's guide. (The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: to vote in advance – att förtidsrösta