Over a thousand local politicians have had their say in the run-up to the election - and the picture that emerges is shaking up the political landscape. New partnerships are emerging across old bloc boundaries, while a clear opponent is being identified. The question is what this means for power in the country's municipalities after the 2026 elections.
According to a survey by Society of the day, in which 1,006 leading municipal politicians participated, the Social Democrats now identify the Sweden Democrats as their main opponent in municipal politics. In the past, the Moderates have had this role, but in this year's survey, the M party has no such position.
– The party has also taken a position on this centrally, that it is the SD that is the main opponent now. And we support that, says Birgitta Larsson (S), chairman of the municipal council in Gällivare.
In municipalities where the SD has taken over leading positions, the change has become particularly clear. There, the party is described as the natural political opposition.
Moderates gather most cooperation
At the same time, the survey shows that the Moderates have become the party most other parties want to govern with. The graphic on page 2 shows that several parties rank M as their first choice for local cooperation.
– The Moderates are very much the center of Swedish municipal politics. We have a proven track record of building partnerships on both the right and the left, says Rasmus Törnblom (M), municipal councilor in Lund.
The party currently governs in a variety of constellations across the country, contributing to its central role.
More cross-bloc cooperation
The material also shows that cooperation between traditional opponents has become more common. In several municipalities, the Social Democrats and the Conservatives govern together, which affects how the parties define both cooperation and conflict lines.
– When the world is insecure, it is even more important to find issues where you can stick together and link arms and maybe pause some ideological issues, says Lennart Höckert (S), opposition councilor in Trelleborg.
At the same time, it appears that attitudes towards cooperation with the SD remain limited in many parties, even where the party has strong local support.
Local experiences influence decisions
The survey shows that previous partnerships play a major role in how parties think about the next term. In some municipalities, partnerships have been broken, which affects the willingness to enter into new ones.
– We will be able to cooperate with everyone, but there must be ground rules that we all agree on and that can last for four years. It didn't happen this time, says Stefan Moberg (KD) in Årjäng.
New power picture ahead of the elections
Overall, the survey shows a more mobile municipal politics in which fixed blocks are being replaced by varying collaborations. The role of the Conservatives as a unifying force is being strengthened, while the Sweden Democrats are increasingly being identified as the main opponents.
The impact of these changes on post-election governance will be determined by local conditions - with past collaborations, power-sharing and voters' priorities playing a key role.
Cooperation across block borders, then Amb.Sve. , Knapptryckarna, Mod, Ö.partiet, Afs, and other exclusion parties should be included.
No one is surprised by social modernist cooperation. It is exactly the same garbage