A poll released this week has revealed that just over half of Swedes would vote for a new centre-right alliance involving conservatives and populists as Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven barely resumes power.
The poll conducted by Demoskop reveals that over half of Swedes would vote for the centre-right bloc of the Moderates, Liberals, Christian Democrats, and the populist Sweden Democrats if an election were held.
The poll reveals that the Sweden Democrats are seeing the biggest surge in support among the four parties and are just 2.4 per cent behind the Moderates, who remain the second-largest party in the country behind the ruling Social Democrats, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reports.
The poll comes as Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Löfven was able to form a new government despite losing a no-confidence vote last month — the first time a sitting government has lost a confidence motion in the Swedish parliament.
Löfven, who leads the Social Democrats, made it clear after the confidence vote that he would not be seeking snap elections prior to the scheduled national elections next year, insisting that “A snap election is not what is best for Sweden” and calling for a new government to be formed.
Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson attempted to forge a majority government but did not have the required votes, so earlier this week Löfven put himself forward as Prime Minister again and was reinstalled by just three votes.
Under the Swedish system, no matter if a snap election is called, the scheduled vote will take place next year on September 11th. Ulf Kristersson has stated that he wants to form a government with the Christian Democrats but he requires support from the populist Sweden Democrats as well.
The Demoskop poll suggests that Prime Minister Löfven will likely be unable to form a government in the next election if polling numbers remain the same.
The Social Democrats’ numbers have shrunk since the 2018 election as cases of gang violence and fatal shootings linked to gang violence have increased throughout the country, including the recent death of a police officer in Gothenburg.
Several have linked the gang violence to mass migration, including Police Commissioner Erik Nord, who stated: “It is no longer a secret today that much of the problem of gang and network crime with the shootings and explosions have been linked to migration to Sweden in recent decades.”
“When, like me, you have the opportunity to follow matters at the individual level, you see that virtually everyone who shoots or is shot in gang conflicts originates from the Balkans, the Middle East, North or East Africa,” he added.
Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson went even further this week in an opinion piece, stating that “imported crime” had destroyed the country.