Sweden’s center-left edges ahead in election, raising prospect of tougher line on Israel

Sweden's recent election has resulted in a narrow lead for the center-left opposition, potentially returning former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson to power and signaling a tougher stance on Israel. Andersson's bloc is projected to win 176 of 349 parliamentary seats, compared to 173 for the incumbent right-wing bloc led by Ulf Kristersson. An Andersson-led government would likely advocate for suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, expanding sanctions on Israeli settlements, banning settlement goods, and restoring funding to UNRWA. This contrasts with Kristersson's government, which initially supported Israel's right to self-defense and ended core funding for UNRWA in late 2024, though relations have since cooled.

• The Social Democrats, led by Andersson, previously recognized a Palestinian state in 2014, causing a diplomatic crisis with Israel.
• The nationalist Sweden Democrats, a strong supporter of Israel, saw their projected vote share drop from 20.5% in 2022 to 17.6%, moving from second to third place.
• The Sweden Democrats advocate for moving the Swedish Embassy to Jerusalem and expanding security and research cooperation with Israel.