Swedish voter turnout amounted to 50.5 percent when there were roughly 850 electoral districts left to report. In the 2019 EU election, turnout was 55.3 percent.
— The participation reflects that there has been weak election fever. It has not been such an intense election campaign, so it is not surprising (that participation is not higher). Several parties have been bad at mobilizing their voters, not least SD, says Andreas Johansson Heinö.
The lowest Swedish voter turnout was in 2004, when only 37.9 percent of Swedes eligible to vote chose to go to the polls.
There is a big difference in turnout between the EU election and the election to the Riksdag. In the 2022 parliamentary election, 84.2 percent of those eligible voted, which was a drop of three percentage points compared to the 2018 parliamentary election.
When the preliminary results were presented, the figures showed that the Left Party, the Green Party and the Social Democrats are advancing strongly, while the Sweden Democrats are falling behind in an election for the first time ever.
– We have not been allowed to talk about what we want to do to improve Sweden and Europe. But we have had to talk about completely different things. You can like that a whole lot, said Jimmie Åkesson from the stage.
After the speech, however, he declined an interview with Svt according to their reporter on the spot.
Here you can follow the development LIVE on the election authority’s website.
There were happier faces at the Green Party’s vigil.
— I hope I get to dance a turn this time, everyone always gets to dance and bathe in fountains. But never me, maybe I can treat myself to a glass of bubbly to celebrate this successful election anyway, Isabella Löwin told Aftonbladet afterwards.
From the Left Party’s election watch, former party leader Jonas Sjöstedt spoke together with current party leader Nooshi Dadgostar.
– We are the party that is increasing the most of all, we are making a canon election, said Jonas Sjöstedt from the stage at the vigil.
– Totally unbelievable, adds party leader Nooshi Dadgostar.
There was also great cheering at the Moderates’ election vigil as the party looks set to become the second largest with 17.4 percent and four mandates in the EU elections. This compared to 16.8 percent five years ago.
– It’s a strong result, it’s unusual for parties that lead governments to move forward, and now we’re actually doing it, says Aid Minister Johan Forssell.
– I’m very happy. We have made a strong election campaign with a focus on the substantive issues, says Social Security Minister Anna Tenje.