Neither of Sweden’s main political blocs is likely to win a majority in an election on Sunday, giving the far-right Sweden Democrats a key role in shaping the next government. The center-left bloc, uniting the minority governing Social Democrat and Green parties with the Left Party, is backed by about 40 percent of voters, recent opinion polls show, a slim lead over the center-right Alliance bloc. The Sweden Democrats, who oppose immigration and Sweden’s continued membership of the European Union, are polling around 18 percent of the vote and would thus hold the balance of power.
Doing a deal with them would give either bloc a majority. But all the mainstream parties have ruled out cooperating with a party which has roots in the white supremacist fringe, making forming a new government fraught with difficulty.
Parties are holding their cards close to their chests, but there are a number of options that could break the impasse.
Full Article: Deadlock looms as Swedish election nears | Reuters.
