“The hate that they have spread through this election, and if they would become ministers and use their platforms as ministers to spread hate? Well, we’ll see if the Swedish people are very tempted on that,” she said.
Kristersson insists that the Sweden Democrats can be trusted, having worked with them and their controversial leader Jimmie Åkesson to drive through hardline policies on immigration and violent crime.
The prime minister told POLITICO on Friday that potential ministers from the Sweden Democrats would have limited room to go rogue — because he would remain in charge.
“Since I will be the person that is forming that government, and the person that will appoint every one of them, I can guarantee you that it will only be very skilled and experienced and people with good judgment that would be part of my government,” he said.
In the coalition-building efforts that determine who gets to run the country, Sweden’s smaller parties often have outsized influence. That will be true again this time if the projections of a razor-thin victory margin are borne out.
On the right, Kristersson leads a settled alliance of four parties, including the Sweden Democrats.
Andersson’s path to a coalition, meanwhile, is potentially complicated by disagreements among the smaller parties in her bloc. Much may depend on her political skills and her ability to force through a power-sharing deal in the days and weeks ahead.
This article was updated on Sept. 14 to include reactions to the latest vote count.
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