Sweden votes as migration, crime and economy dominate high-stakes election

Key Points:

• Sweden's general election sees Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's center-right party trailing slightly behind the center-left Social Democrats led by former PM Magdalena Andersson, with key voter concerns centered on migration, crime, and the economy.
• The hard-right Sweden Democrats, originally founded by far-right extremists but now moderated under leader Jimmie Åkesson, are poised to enter government if Kristersson's coalition wins, potentially gaining cabinet positions after previously supporting the government externally.
• Rising gun violence and crime have pressured Sweden's welfare state, once a Western social welfare model, with homicide rates notably higher than the European average, fueling public discontent over immigration and integration policies.
• Sweden experienced a significant influx of asylum seekers in 2015, mainly from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, leading to tightened border controls and stricter asylum policies under the current government, influenced by the Sweden Democrats' anti-immigration stance.
• Despite a recent reduction in shootings and fatalities, the center-right government faces potential defeat as opposition campaigns capitalize on ongoing concerns about migration and public safety.