Swedish prime minister faces live public Q&A ahead of 2026 election

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson took unfiltered questions from the public on Thursday evening in a live broadcast, part of a four-week series giving voters direct access to party leaders before the 2026 general election.

The Moderate Party leader answered queries in real time from SVT’s studio, with the session streamed across SVT Play, the Duo app, and social media platforms. Viewers submitted questions in advance via a moderated chat, covering topics from economic policy and crime registries to personal choices like his adoption of children from China.

The Fråga partiledaren allt! (Ask the Party Leader Anything!) format, hosted by journalist Fouad Youcefi, gives each of Sweden’s eight party leaders an uninterrupted 30-minute slot. Earlier sessions featured leaders from the Left, Centre, Christian Democrats, and Sweden Democrats parties, with Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson scheduled next.

Questions ranged from policy—such as school access to criminal records and regional healthcare cuts—to personal preferences, including Kristersson’s pronunciation of “Shanghai” in Mandarin and his favorite US president. The prime minister fielded all submissions without restrictions, per the program’s rules.

The series continues weekly through May, with each session archived on SVT Play.