Swedish men lean right as gender voting gap widens

If only men voted in Sweden’s next election, the centre-right Tidö parties would secure a majority, according to an SVT/Verian poll published Friday.

The survey shows 50.9% of male voters would back one of the Tidö parties, while just 43.6% would support the opposition. Among women, 63% would vote for opposition parties.

Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson suggested differing media diets may explain the divide, noting that men and women often encounter “quite different pictures of reality” through social media.

Annika Strandhäll, chair of the Social Democrats’ women’s wing, argued that Tidö policies have primarily benefited men and that opposition parties must address this imbalance. “Swedish politics needs to hold together the whole of society, where both men and women feel addressed,” she said.

Green Party co-spokesperson Daniel Helldén also cited social media disinformation, adding that women tend to be more critical of sources. “Many women are better at actually listening to what politicians say,” he said.