Benny Andersson Performs 'Mamma Mia' as Sweden Election Could Put Far Right in Government

Sweden election day drama

Sweden held a general election on Sunday that could either bring the far right into government for the first time or return the left-wing opposition to power, with Conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson seeking a second four-year term. AFP reported that Kristersson cast his ballot in his home municipality of Strangnas and said, "I think there is a genuine enthusiasm for us being able to continue our important work," as his four-party right-wing alliance— including the far-right Sweden Democrats—vied for victory. The election centered on whether voters would back a government led by Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson, who told reporters after voting in her home municipality of Nacka, "Should we have a government entirely dominated by the Sweden Democrats, something that has never happened in Sweden before?"

ABBA composer Benny Andersson added star power at the Social Democrats’ party headquarters in Stockholm, performing a campaign-tailored rendition of "Mamma Mia" to rally support for Andersson. ABC News framed the stakes as a choice between a conservative leader and a hard-right party winning ministerial jobs for the first time, or the center-left returning to power.

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Campaign voices and quotes

Magdalena Andersson, who AFP said governed Sweden for much of the 20th century and remains the country’s largest party, argued after voting that the choice was between a Sweden Democrats-dominated government and one led by her in a "new spirit of cooperation."

AFP also quoted Andersson’s pledge to bolster the welfare state and help struggling households cope with rising costs, while Kristersson said his government’s clampdown on organised crime and immigration was starting to show results.

In Stockholm, AFP reported that far-right leader Jimmie Akesson told supporters in Stockholm's Kungstradgarden Park, "We've already won!" and said, "Sweden is becoming safer, better, and more Swedish," as blue-and-yellow "Make Sweden Sweden Again" posters surrounded him.

ABC News included a warning from political scientist Nicholas Aylott at Södertörn University that there is "trepidation, apprehension about the possibility of Sweden Democrat ministers," while Zeth Isaksson said, "Crime has come down, inflation has come down."

The campaign also featured climate activist Greta Thunberg, who AFP said urged voters to "vote out Tido" and wrote on Instagram, "No fascists in our government. Climate justice now!".

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What happens next in Europe

As vote counting continued, Al Jazeera reported that Sweden’s centre-left opposition was leading the count and that if results stood, "Sweden will get a new government," with early trends showing 176 seats for the opposition and 173 for the right-wing governing bloc out of the 349-member Riksdag. Al Jazeera said counting of late postal ballots and votes cast at Swedish embassies abroad begins on Wednesday, with the final result not expected until the end of the week, leaving the question of who will govern open. ABC News described how the Sweden Democrats, which took 20.5% of the vote in 2022 to become the biggest party on the right, can expect Cabinet seats if power does not change hands, and it noted that Kristersson announced in April that his conservative Moderates would allow them into government if the right has a majority.

In the wider European context, Al Jazeera said a victory for Andersson would provide some respite for left-leaning parties across Europe, where right-wing and far-right parties have been gaining ground, citing Alternative for Germany (AfD) winning 44 percent of the vote in a key state election. Al Jazeera also reported that if the left-wing bloc emerges victorious, it could take even longer to form a government because of ideological tensions among its parties, even as the Sweden Democrats remain an unavoidable force in parliament.

Reporting for this sectionAl JazeeraABC News