Swedish voters boost anti-immigration party amid high crime

By VANESSA GERA, JAN M. OLSEN and JAMES BROOKS
Associated Press

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A populist anti-immigration party surged to become Sweden’s second largest political force in a weekend election. The campaign was dominated by fears of gang violence making the once-safe Scandinavian country one of Europe’s most dangerous. With more than 94% of the ballots counted, the center-right opposition has a razor-thin edge over the governing Social Democrats and their allies in the center-left bloc. However, the election authority said the vote is so close that the final result will not be known until later this week. As of now, the preliminary results make it clear that no party can secure a majority of 175 seats in Sweden’s parliament. Any government will need to rely on a coalition of parties working together.