STOCKHOLM — Sweden’s centre-left opposition maintained a narrow lead over the governing right-wing bloc on Wednesday as officials resumed counting late and overseas ballots from Sunday’s parliamentary election.

Reuters reported that 1.3% of districts remained to be counted at 1433 GMT. Parties led by Social Democratic opposition leader Magdalena Andersson were on course for 176 seats in the 349-seat Riksdag, compared with 173 for the bloc led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, according to election-authority data cited by the agency.

The figures remain provisional. Sweden’s Election Authority says the preliminary count is followed by a final count conducted by county administrative boards, while late-arriving advance votes and overseas ballots are processed separately. The authority has said the final Riksdag result is expected after the relevant counts and seat allocation are complete.

The political consequences extend beyond the arithmetic. Reuters reported that the result could determine whether Kristersson’s push for a harder line on migration continues or accelerates. His governing bloc includes the far-right Sweden Democrats, whose role in a future majority remains one of the election’s central questions.

Until the final count is certified, the responsible description is a narrow opposition lead and a possible change of government — not a completed transfer of power. The next stage is procedural but politically decisive: the late ballots, the final seat allocation and the negotiations needed to turn a provisional majority into a government.

*Reporting note: this article is based on the source record listed above and is current as of 16 September 2026. Figures, operational claims and casualty counts may change as authorities update their accounts.*