TV exit poll: Swedish center-right govt wins election, but far-right may become kingmaker

Exit poll: Swedish far-right may become kingmaker

STOCKHOLM — A respected TV exit poll showed Sweden’s center-right government beating the left-wing opposition in Sunday’s parliamentary election but a far-right Islam-bashing party could end up in a kingmaker role.

The survey by public broadcaster SVT gave Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt’s governing coalition 49.1 percent of the vote compared to 45.1 percent for the Social Democrat-led opposition.

The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats got 4.6 percent according to the exit poll and could hold the balance of power.

Such a result could lead to a hung Parliament, because both blocs have ruled out governing with the Sweden Democrats, who want sharp cuts in immigration and have called Islam Sweden’s biggest foreign threat since World War II. The Sweden Democrats are seeking their first seats in the country’s 349-member Parliament.

The SVT exit poll was based on more than 12,000 voter interviews and has an error margin of 2 percentage points.

“If this result stands we will have an uncertain situation,” said Per Schlingmann, a spokesman for the prime minister’s Moderate Party.

Associated Press writers Malin Rising, Jona Kallgren and Louise Nordstrom contributed to this report.