There are just over two months left until the election and the situation in public opinion is relatively even.
But young voters are moving to the right, Novus’ latest voter barometer shows, broken down into age groups.
A majority, 53.7 percent, of voters between the ages of 18-29 would vote for the parties included in the Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson’s government alternative (M, KD, L and SD) if there were an election today.
Jenny Madestam, associate professor of political science at the Swedish National Defense College, believes that young voters are often seen as more visionary and radical.
– It is likely that the parties on the right are perceived as clearer ideologically and have a sharper profile in the eyes of voters, she says and emphasizes that issues such as law and order and migration often involve young people.
“Usually go in waves”
The young voters’ pull to the right thus pierces Winston Churchill’s old, and since then widely used, saying:
“If you do not vote left as a young person, you have no heart and if you do not vote right as an older person, you have no brain.”
Jenny Madestam emphasizes that the quote gives a normative picture of what is meant to define being right or left, but at the same time says:
– There is to some extent a conservative wave now among young people. It usually goes in waves, if you go back in history, young people were more left and now they are more conservative.