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A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 7 September 2018
Sweden's most significant election in years, at a glance

By VANESSA GERA liament since 2014. Over
JAN M. OLSEN the past four years the
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Swe- Moderates were the largest
den is holding a general of four members of the op-
election Sunday, the first position bloc, the Alliance.
since the country took in a ___
record number of migrants THE CHALLENGERS
from the Middle East and As those two traditionally
Africa in 2015 on top of the dominant parties weaken,
hundreds of thousands ad- the key beneficiary is ex-
mitted before. pected to be Jimmie Akes-
While the borders are now son, 39, who has led the
largely closed, a backlash Sweden Democrats since
against the earlier open- 2005 and helped reform
door policies is set to give what was once a white su-
historic gains to the Swe- premacist party.
den Democrats, an anti- Akesson has imposed a
immigrant party with neo- zero-tolerance policy on
Nazi roots. The center-left open expressions of racism
government is expected to and xenophobia by party
take a battering. members, and some have
The rising prospects of a In this Sunday Sept. 14, 2014 file photo, Sweden Democrats Party leader Jimmie Akesson cel- been expelled for express-
far-right, euroskeptic party ebrates at the election night party in Stockholm, Sweden. ing pro-Nazi views. He has
is turning this election into Associated Press also changed the old party
one of Sweden's most cru- symbol, a flaming torch,
cial political events in years. as a centerpiece of the na- shaken by a rising sense of 6 percent. Health care, into a friendly blue and yel-
A look at the key issues and tional identity. insecurity fueled by reports education and climate low flower.
players in the election: But after Sweden took in of rapes, car burnings and change are among issues Akesson, a former leader of
IMMIGRATION: A KEY ISSUE 163,000 migrants in 2015 gang violence in migrant at stake — but even those the party's youth branch,
Sweden, the largest of the alone — the largest num- neighborhoods. Some also are sometimes viewed was elected to parliament
Scandinavian countries ber per capita of anywhere express anxiety that Swe- through the filter of migra- in 2010. Support for the Swe-
with 10 million people, has in Europe — Prime Minister den is losing its cultural heri- tion. Voters are complain- den Democrats has swollen
been welcoming and gen- Stefan Lofven conceded it tage. ing that waits are increas- to around 20 percent — up
erous to migrants and refu- could no longer cope with "A lot of people are fed up ing at clinics and hospitals, from the 13 percent it won
gees for decades. Many the influx. Though border with the immigration that with some blaming that in 2014. While 20 percent
Swedes have long cher- controls have been tight- we have, because it's too on the many newcomers. would not be enough for
ished humanitarian values ened, many Swedes feel many people. But you don't Sweden's liberal abortion the party to lead a gov-
want to say it openly if you law has also become an ernment, a strong show of
don't know who is listening," issue because the Sweden support will give the party
said Marianne Froberg, a Democrats have proposed greater power to pressure
72-year-old who supports to lower the legal limit for the next administration.
the center-right Moder- abortions from the current Other smaller parties in the
ates. That longstanding ta- 18 weeks to 12, sparking running include the Green
boo, however, is now dis- fears by some that it would Party and the Liberals, part
appearing. erode women's rights. of the center-right Alliance.
The vote is being watched ___ ___
internationally to see how THE ESTABLISHMENT THE VOTE
well the once-fringe Swe- The main contenders are Swedes will elect lawmak-
den Democrats do amid the center-left Social Dem- ers to four-year terms in
a populist surge in Europe. ocrats, who have domi- the 349-seat parliament
In Germany, Austria and nated Swedish political life as well as to local offices
Italy — countries that have for a century and are cred- in cities and municipalities
received large shares of ited with building Sweden's on Sunday. Polls will open
migrants — populist, anti- welfare state. They are led at 8 a.m. local time (0600
migrant parties have made by 61-year-old Lofven, the GMT) and close at 8 p.m.
strong electoral gains since prime minister, who is gov- (1800 GMT), though some
2015. erning in a coalition with Swedes have already tak-
Among those painting Swe- the Green Party. en part in early voting that
den as a symbol of failing The Social Democrats have began Aug. 22. Some 7.5
multiculturalism is U.S. Presi- easily won 40 percent of million registered voters will
dent Donald Trump, who the votes in the past, but choose from almost 6,300
has cited the country as this time polls are showing candidates countrywide.
an example of how large- their support at around 25 A party must pass a 4-per-
scale migration brings vio- percent. That would be cent threshold to enter
lent crime and insecurity. their worst result ever. parliament. With several
Swedes are divided over The center-right Moder- parties in the running, it's
that view. ates, led by Ulf Kristersson, highly unlikely that any sin-
___ 54, have long been the gle party will get a majority,
OTHER ISSUES country's second major or 175 seats, and it could
Sweden's economy is political force. Kristersson take weeks or even months
strong, and unemployment became party leader last of coalition talks before a
has gone down to around year and has been in par- government is formed.q