Swedish rightwing on verge of narrow election win but waits on final tally

With 95% of the vote counted, the right bloc was on 49.7%, while four parties on the left, including the incumbent Social Democrats, stood at 49%. The final picture will come on Wednesday after the votes of Swedish citizens living abroad and those of some who voted early are counted.

However, leading SD figures hinted at the coming clash with their bloc partners in the event of negotiations to form a government, insisting on higher social security benefits in the face of Moderate party promises to cut taxes.

Political leaders on the centre left also bear some responsibility for the success of the SD, according to Christer Mattsson, a leading researcher into rightwing extremism at the University of Gothenburg, concerned that politicians have abandoned their principles on immigration and anti-racism in an effort to remain in power.