Parliamentary elections underway in Sweden

Polling stations opened in Sweden at 8:00 a.m. (10:00 a.m. Baku time) for voting in the parliamentary elections.

According to Report, citing local media, preliminary results will be announced at 9:00 p.m. (11:00 p.m. Baku time), an hour after the polls close.

Voters are to elect 349 members of the Riksdag, Sweden's unicameral parliament, as well as representatives of local authorities, following the expiration of the four-year terms of the current parliament and government.

Leader of the Moderate Party and incumbent Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is running for a second term. Representatives of the Moderates hold the majority of ministerial posts in the government, 17 in total, including the foreign and defense ministers, while the Liberals hold 11 and the Christian Democrats six.

Recent polls in Sweden showed the opposition bloc of parties narrowly ahead of the ruling coalition. According to data from polling agency Demoskop for the period from August 25 to September 1, 50.6% of voters supported the opposition parties - the Social Democratic Party, Left Party, Centre Party and Green Party. The ruling coalition - the Moderate Party, Liberal Party and Christian Democrats - was backed by 47.3% of respondents.