Andersson leads leader ratings as Kristersson ranks third at best

Opposition leader Magdalena Andersson ranks highest in most categories measuring positive qualities among Sweden’s party leaders, while Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson ranks no higher than third, according to an SVT Verian survey reported by SVT.

Voters assessed the leaders on competence, clarity, leadership ability, charisma, likeability and the extent to which they inspire confidence.

“Considering that he is prime minister and leads a larger party, it is somewhat surprising,” Tommy Möller, a political science professor at Stockholm University, told SVT.

Confidence in a party leader has a decisive impact on how many votes a party receives, Möller said.

“That has changed quite a lot in recent times. We are seeing a clear personalisation of politics,” he said.

About the survey

SVT and Verian interviewed 6,047 people aged 18 to 84 online between 28 July and 16 August. The participants were drawn from Verian’s panel, and the results were weighted by gender, age, education level and party choice in 2022.

Respondents were asked how well each quality applied to each party leader. The results show the share who answered “fairly well” or “very well”.