Sweden headed for political gridlock after inconclusive election

(Sept 10): Sweden may face weeks or even months of political gridlock after an inconclusive election result left the biggest Scandinavian economy without a clear candidate to form a government.

Neither the Social Democrat-led coalition of Prime Minister Stefan Lofven nor the opposition Alliance bloc won enough votes to form majority governments.

Sweden is the latest European country in which a populist surge fuelled by anti-immigration sentiment is changing the political landscape. Though Lofven has presided over an economic upswing that has fed a rise in employment, Sunday’s vote shows many Swedes were more concerned about tackling a record influx of foreigners after about 600,000 immigrants entered the country of 10 million over the past five years.

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