Sweden's Moderates hit five-year high as Sweden Democrats fall in post-election poll
New polling shows Sweden's Moderate Party rising to 22.3 percent after election losses for the Sweden Democrats, even as Jimmie Åkesson continues cabinet demands.
Following Sweden's election, new polling by SVT/Verian shows the Moderate Party reaching its highest support level in five years, rising to 22.3 percent from 19.9 percent. The increase comes as the Sweden Democrats experienced their first-ever drop in a national election, falling to 17.5 percent from 20.5 percent in 2022 after losing voters to the Moderates and younger demographics.
Despite the setback, Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson rejected claims of defeat, stating "there is no obvious winner in this election" and maintaining demands for cabinet posts in government negotiations. Meanwhile, the party achieved local success in Färgelanda, securing 39 percent of the municipal vote.
Sources: Dagens Industri, Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, SVT, Sydsvenskan
How outlets assessed this
- SVT Cautious Focused on voter loss among youth to the Moderates and described the national drop as concerning.
- Dagens Industri Supportive Highlighted Jimmie Åkesson's refusal to admit defeat and his firm demand for cabinet positions.
- Sydsvenskan Neutral Reported on leadership changes while emphasizing statements denying internal dissatisfaction.
- Dagens Nyheter Neutral Emphasized the party's strong municipal victory in Färgelanda driven by school policy debates.
- SVT Cautious Emphasizes the historic decline in national support for the Sweden Democrats among youth and Moderate voters.
- Dagens Industri Neutral Focuses on Jimmie Åkesson's refusal to concede defeat and his continued demand for ministerial posts.
Sources
- SVT — SD-toppen om besvikelsen efter valet: ”Bekymmersamt”
- Dagens Industri — Åkesson står fast vid krav på ministerposter
- Dagens Nyheter — Mustaschkupp och skolstrid – nu är kommunen SD:s starkaste fäste
- Svenska Dagbladet — AFD ökar stort i nytt delstatsval
- Sydsvenskan — Ny mätning: Största stödet för M på fem år
Earlier coverage
- Oct 16, 2026, 09:00 PM UTCSweden Democrats demand cabinet seats as tight election vote count continues
- Oct 16, 2026, 04:00 PM UTCSweden Democrats maintain cabinet demands despite election setback
- Oct 15, 2026, 08:30 PM UTCSweden election vote count continues as opposition holds narrow lead
- Oct 15, 2026, 04:00 PM UTCSwedish post-election deadlock continues as vote counting narrows margins
- Oct 15, 2026, 08:30 AM UTCSweden's Moderates gain support as Sweden Democrats evaluate election loss
- Oct 13, 2026, 03:30 PM UTCSweden Democrats reshuffle leadership following parliamentary election decline
- Oct 12, 2026, 05:00 PM UTCSweden Democrats reshuffle leadership and demand cabinet posts despite vote drop
- Oct 12, 2026, 04:00 PM UTCSweden Democrats reshuffle leadership following parliamentary election decline
- Oct 12, 2026, 03:30 PM UTCSweden Democrats restructure leadership and maintain cabinet demands following election drop
- Oct 12, 2026, 08:30 AM UTCSweden Democrats reshuffle leadership after historic election drop