Social Democrats face criticism after worst election result

Sweden’s Social Democrats received 27.6 percent of the vote, their worst election result ever, prompting criticism from party members of the campaign strategy, SVT reported.

Critics say the campaign focused too heavily on party leader Magdalena Andersson and warnings about Sweden Democrats ministers in a Tidö government, while giving too little attention to policy.

Former Social Democratic MP Veronica Palm said the strategy had failed before and failed again. “It didn’t work in 2022 and it didn’t work now,” she said.

Elfva Barrio, chair of the Social Democratic Students’ Association, also criticised the approach. The party should stop focusing on persuading dissatisfied centre-right voters and instead convince people that Social Democratic policies offer a way forward, she said.

Social Democrat Anders Ygeman said the party’s first priority during the campaign was to remove the government led by Ulf Kristersson. Several parties on the Social Democratic side gained support while the Social Democrats lost ground, he said in an interview with SVT’s Agenda.

Ygeman said the party would conduct a thorough review of the election once the government formation process had settled down.