STOCKHOLM �� Sweden's two main political blocs appeared to be neck-and-neck after exit polls on Sunday night, while the nationalist Sweden Democrats cemented their position as the election's likely kingmakers.
The Social Democrat-led coalition of Prime Minister Stefan Lofven was backed by 39.4 percent, according to an exit poll published by broadcaster SVT. The opposition parties that make up the so-called Alliance bloc had 39.6 percent, while the Sweden Democrats won 19.2 percent. A separate exit poll by TV4 also had the main blocs in a dead heat, but gave the Sweden Democrats only 16.3 percent.
Sweden is the latest European country in which a populist surge fueled by anti-immigration sentiment is changing the political landscape. Though Lofven has presided over an economic upswing that has fed a rise in employment, he led his party to one of its worst results since 1921, with the Social Democrats set to get around 25 percent of the vote.
The Sweden Democrats, meanwhile, are celebrating their ascent after rising from obscurity a little over a decade ago to a position of incontestable political influence today. Their leader, Jimmie Akesson, attributes his success to challenging what he characterizes as the political correctness of the establishment. Most notably, he's been an outspoken critic of the rising number of immigrants in Sweden. He's also worked to gentrify a party that has its roots in Sweden's white supremacist movement, drawing in more voters.
Lofven has made it clear that he won't work with the Sweden Democrats and is urging cooperation across other parties to block the nationalist group's influence. Meanwhile, Akesson has signaled that he's ready to topple a minority government led by Lofven. That would create an opening for Ulf Kristersson, the leader of the opposition Moderates, to try to become the prime minister of an Alliance government. Moderate party secretary Gunnar Strommer said after the exit polls were published that he thinks "it's pretty clear" Lofven will have to resign.
If Lofven doesn't resign, he faces a confidence vote in parliament two weeks after the election. If he loses that, the speaker of parliament would present a new candidate to become prime minister. If that person fails to form a government, it opens the door to new elections within three months.
����
(Love Liman, Hanna Hoikkala, Niclas Rolander, Anna Molin, Eric Coleman and Veronica Ek contributed to this report.)
