Swedish election expected to be closest since 1979

Two opinion surveys released today show that Sweden’s elections this weekend will be the closest since 1979, pollsters said.

Sweden’s governing Social Democratic Party and its two left-wing support parties remain in a dead heat with a four-party centre-right coalition, five days before the September 17 vote, according to separate surveys by independent pollsters Synovate Temo and Sifo.

Both polls show the opposition with a slight lead over the Social Democrats - 48.2% to 46.95% according to Synovate Temo, and 48.1% to 46.4% in the Sifo survey.

That is well within the margin of error of about 4%, Synovate Temo spokesman Arne Modig said.

Modig said the tight race promises the most closely contested Swedish election since 1979, when the centre-right coalition won a majority in the 349-member parliament by just one seat.

“It has been a long, long time since it was this close,” Modig added. An opposition victory would end 12 years of Social Democrat-led government, 10 of them with party leader Goran Persson as prime minister.

Sifo spokesman Toivo Sjoren said the race will likely be decided in the last few days before the vote.