STOCKHOLM — With two days until Sweden’s razor-close general election, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson issued a blunt appeal to Europe: don’t rely on the left when it comes to defense.
Sweden has been largely united in backing Ukraine and — after decades of neutrality — in joining NATO two years ago. Speaking in Stockholm, the center-right Moderate party leader argued that Europe should recognise the security risks if a left-wing bloc takes power — a scenario that recent polls suggest is possible.
Asked what’s at stake for Europe in Sunday’s vote, Kristersson replied: “I would say security policy. If the left side would win, two out of three, or two out of four parties voted against the Swedish NATO membership. I mean, that is a real, real thing.”
He added: “That means a government that will not be able to make the domestic decisions needed to fulfill our NATO obligations, for example — like spending, like all the missions.”
Sweden became NATO’s newest member in 2024, after much of the country shifted toward taking a clear stance amid tensions with Russia. That move was “a big thing” for the nation of 10.6 million people, which had been neutral through the world wars and the Cold War, Kristersson said.
“But after becoming a member, we have made a NATO-related decision every month in government,” the prime minister said. “And if government is not united, they simply cannot make the decisions.”
Since joining the alliance, Sweden has sent hundreds of troops to a NATO force in Latvia, pledged warships to patrol the Baltic Sea and deployed Gripen fighter jets to police regional skies.
Asked if support for Ukraine might wobble under a left-wing government, Kristersson said: “I hope, really not, because we have been united on Ukraine — with one single exception. The Left Party voted against the very first support package to Ukraine. From that point on, eight parties out of eight have been united.”
Kristersson’s remarks came after a recent intervention from Social Democrat opposition leader Magdalena Andersson, who pressed the prime minister about his allies’ contacts with Russia during an interview published earlier this week.
Until lately, Sunday’s vote looked like it might be an easy win for Andersson’s Social Democrats and their smaller left allies. But their lead narrowed sharply over the past fortnight to as little as 2.6%, inside the margin of error.
Far-right partners
Kristersson’s center-right coalition has governed for four years with backing from the Sweden Democrats, a party critics call extreme despite its recent moves to address a fraught past.
“I have full respect for the fact that there are eight parties in the Swedish parliament,” Kristersson said. “None of these parties are even close to a majority of their own. If you cannot unite parties on specific topics and ambitions, then you will simply not get anything done at all.”
Under Jimmie Åkesson, the Sweden Democrats are running second behind Andersson’s Social Democrats in the polls. Åkesson has said he may seek the premiership at the next election in 2030.
If Kristersson remains premier after Sunday, he has signalled he would consider giving Sweden Democrat politicians ministerial roles for the first time — a major change that the left has campaigned against.
Kristersson argued that collective cabinet responsibility and his role as prime minister would prevent rogue or extremist policymaking.
“In Sweden, we have a collective decision-making process in government,” he said. “I would never say that one minister is not important, but every minister is part of a team that jointly makes all the decisions — so there is very little room for people to play in a role of their own.
“And since I will be the person that is forming that government, and the person that will appoint every one of them, I can guarantee you that it will only be very skilled and experienced and people with good judgment that would be part of my government.”
