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 has surged to become Sweden’s second largest political force after a national election. The campaign was dominated by fears of gang violence that have given the once-safe Scandinavian country one of Europe’s highest levels of gun violence. 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 when votes from the mail and abroad are counted. As of now, no party can secure a majority of 175 seats in Sweden’s parliament.