With less than two months remaining until the election, a new opinion poll from Demoskop shows a growing confidence gap in favor of the Social Democrats’ party leader Magdalena Andersson over the Moderates’ Ulf Kristersson. The gap between the two prime ministerial candidates is now the largest it has been in nearly a year.

According to the survey, commissioned by Svenska Dagbladet, 47 percent of voters have great or fairly great confidence in Magdalena Andersson, marking a rise of two percentage points compared to the previous measurement. At the same time, Ulf Kristersson drops to 37 percent following a loss of two percentage points.

Demoskop’s head of opinion, Johan Martinsson, says the development follows a pattern that has been clear for a long time. He describes Kristersson’s decline as part of a continuing negative trend, where the Moderate leader has struggled to regain voters’ confidence, while Andersson once again establishes a stable lead.

For Magdalena Andersson, the latest numbers represent a recovery after an earlier period this year when both she and the Social Democrats lost support.

Although her current level still falls short of the peak figures recorded in 2023, she has reclaimed a clear leading position in the trust polls.

Åkesson Has Lost Ground This Year

The Sweden Democrats’ party leader Jimmie Åkesson is also showing a downward trend. Since the beginning of the year, his confidence numbers have gradually fallen, from 43 to 38 percent.

The survey also shows that voters’ priorities remain largely unchanged. The economy continues to be the most important issue ahead of the election, followed by law and order and climate change.

As parties resume their election campaigns after summer, more undecided voters are expected to make up their minds. Historically, many do not decide until the final weeks before the election, meaning public opinion can still shift before voters head to the polls.