Voters back a Left Party government deal over snap election

Most Left Party voters would prefer a Social Democrat, Green and Centre Party government that the Left Party supports from outside rather than a snap election, according to a survey commissioned by SVT. The poll also found that 91 percent would prefer a four-party red-green government that includes the Left Party.

When asked to choose between a government of the Social Democrats, Greens and Centre Party supported by the Left Party from outside, a coalition of the Moderates, Christian Democrats, Liberals and Centre Party backed by the Sweden Democrats, or a snap election, 62 percent chose the red-green government without the Left Party in cabinet. Thirty-one percent preferred a snap election.

Eight in ten Left Party voters said they considered the party’s demand to join a government a good one. But Per Oleskog-Tryggvason, head of polling at Indikator Opinion, said support for the demand did not necessarily mean voters wanted the party to maintain it regardless of the consequences.

Asked whether the Left Party should allow a Social Democrat, Green and Centre Party government to take office in return for securing important parts of its policy agenda, 60 percent said it should. The party’s deputy leader, Ida Gabrielsson, said on Thursday that its congress decision remained unchanged.

Sweden has been without a new government for more than 60 days. The survey was conducted by Indikator Opinion for SVT from November 9 to 12, with 1,659 red-green voters taking part. The figures reported here are based on the Left Party voters in the survey. Respondents were recruited through a randomly selected panel and an additional sample invited through digital mailboxes.