Sweden's government formation

Europe, Africa, Middle East and beyond on Swedish government formation after the election

Sweden's left wins the election, then stalls: foreign papers call it self-inflicted gridlock, not scandal

Nobody in this sample is angry at Sweden. The sharpest coverage mocks the centre-left for winning by three seats and then failing to form a government, and El Mundo argues the far right has already won on immigration whoever governs. The latest item is wire copy from 2 October: Speaker Norlén has given Andersson a second try, with a snap election possible if the fourth attempt fails. Münchner Merkur, 29 SepKronen Zeitung, 28 SepIl Giornale, 28 SepLa Vanguardia, 28 SepJornal de Notícias, 2 Oct

1. French Polynesia Tahiti Infos Nothing on this
2. French Polynesia Radio 1 Tahiti Nothing on this
3. New Caledonia Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes Nothing on this
4. Timor-Leste Tatoli Nothing on this
5. Fiji The Fiji Times Nothing on this
6. Samoa Samoa Observer Nothing on this
7. Tonga Matangi Tonga Nothing on this
8. Vanuatu Vanuatu Daily Post Nothing on this
9. Solomon Islands The Island Sun Nothing on this
10. Papua New Guinea Post-Courier Nothing on this
11. Palau Island Times Nothing on this
12. Cook Islands Cook Islands News Nothing on this
13. Guam (US territory) Pacific Daily News Nothing on this
14. Philippines Bombo Radyo Nothing on this
15. Indonesia Tribunnews Nothing on this
16. Malaysia Harian Metro Nothing on this
17. Germany Bild Nothing on this
18. France Euronews (French edition) Nothing on this
19. Spain El Mundo 3/10 at its hottest, 1 piece
20. Italy Il Giornale 2/10 at its hottest, 2 pieces
21. Netherlands De Telegraaf 1/10 at its hottest, 4 pieces
22. Portugal Correio da Manhã Nothing on this
23. Russia Komsomolskaya Pravda Nothing on this
24. Türkiye Sabah Nothing on this
25. Qatar (pan-Arab) Al Jazeera Arabic 2/10 at its hottest, 2 pieces
26. Egypt Youm7 (اليوم السابع) 1/10 at its hottest, 2 pieces
27. Morocco Hespress (هسبريس) 0/10 at its hottest, 2 pieces
28. Algeria Echorouk (الشروق) Nothing on this
29. Tunisia Mosaïque FM 0/10 at its hottest, 1 piece
30. Libya Al Wasat (بوابة الوسط) 0/10 at its hottest, 1 piece
31. Sudan Alrakoba (الراكوبة) Nothing on this
32. Senegal Seneweb Nothing on this
33. Mali Maliweb Nothing on this
34. Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan.net Nothing on this
35. Somalia Hiiraan Online Nothing on this
36. Angola Jornal de Angola Nothing on this
37. Indonesia Republika Nothing on this
38. Malaysia Utusan Malaysia Nothing on this
39. Türkiye Yeni Şafak Nothing on this
40. Saudi Arabia Okaz (عكاظ) Nothing on this
41. UAE (Saudi-owned, pan-Arab) Al Arabiya (العربية) Nothing on this
42. Iraq Shafaq News (شفق نيوز) Nothing on this
43. Syria Enab Baladi (عنب بلدي) Nothing on this
44. Bangladesh Prothom Alo (প্রথম আলো) Nothing on this
45. Iran Hamshahri (همشهری) Nothing on this
46. Afghanistan Hasht-e Subh (هشت صبح) Nothing on this
47. Belarus SB. Belarus Segodnya Nothing on this
48. Moldova Unimedia 1/10 at its hottest, 1 piece
49. Azerbaijan Report.az 0/10 at its hottest, 1 piece
50. Kazakhstan Tengrinews Nothing on this
51. Uzbekistan Daryo Nothing on this
52. Kyrgyzstan Kaktus.media Nothing on this
53. Tajikistan Avesta.tj Nothing on this
54. Turkmenistan Turkmenportal Nothing on this
55. Georgia Netgazeti Can only see back to 2 Oct 2026
56. Armenia News.am Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
57. Fiji FBC News Nothing on this
58. Fiji Fijivillage Nothing on this
59. Fiji Fiji Sun Nothing on this
60. Samoa Talamua Nothing on this
61. American Samoa (US territory) Talanei Nothing on this
62. Tonga Tonga Independent News Nothing on this
63. Vanuatu VBTC News (Radio Vanuatu / TV Blong Vanuatu) Nothing on this
64. Solomon Islands SIBC Nothing on this
65. Solomon Islands Solomon Times Online Nothing on this
66. Solomon Islands Tavuli News Nothing on this
67. Papua New Guinea The National Nothing on this
68. Papua New Guinea EMTV News Nothing on this
69. Guam (US territory) The Guam Daily Post Nothing on this
70. New Caledonia Radio Rythme Bleu Nothing on this
71. Timor-Leste Timor Post Can only see back to 23 Sep 2026
72. Timor-Leste Diligente Nothing on this
73. Philippines Abante Nothing on this
74. Philippines Brigada News Nothing on this
75. Indonesia detikcom Nothing on this
76. Indonesia Kompas.com Nothing on this
77. Malaysia Sin Chew Daily (星洲日报) 0/10 at its hottest, 2 pieces
78. Pakistan Daily Express (ایکسپریس) Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
79. Germany Münchner Merkur 2/10 at its hottest, 1 piece
80. Spain La Vanguardia 2/10 at its hottest, 6 pieces
81. Portugal Jornal de Notícias 1/10 at its hottest, 1 piece
82. Austria Kronen Zeitung 2/10 at its hottest, 2 pieces
83. Poland Fakt Can only see back to 3 Oct 2026
84. Slovakia Aktuality.sk Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
85. Hungary Telex Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
86. Romania Digi24 Nothing on this
87. Bulgaria 24 Chasa Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
88. Greece Proto Thema Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
89. Croatia Index.hr Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
90. Norway VG Can only see back to 5 Oct 2026
91. Finland Iltalehti Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
92. Ireland Tuairisc.ie Can only see back to 3 Oct 2026
93. Russia Meduza Nothing on this
94. Russia RIA Novosti Nothing on this
95. Ukraine Ukrainska Pravda Can only see back to 5 Oct 2026
96. Moldova NewsMaker Nothing on this
97. Armenia Azatutyun (RFE/RL Armenian) Can only see back to 3 Oct 2026
98. Kazakhstan Egemen Qazaqstan Can only see back to 3 Oct 2026
99. Uzbekistan Kun.uz Nothing on this
100. Kyrgyzstan 24.kg Nothing on this
101. Tajikistan Asia-Plus Nothing on this
102. Turkmenistan Chronicles of Turkmenistan Nothing on this
103. Pakistan Daily Jang (جنگ) Can only see back to 2 Oct 2026
104. Pakistan Nawa-i-Waqt (نوائے وقت) Can only see back to 3 Oct 2026
105. Pakistan Daily Pakistan (روزنامہ پاکستان) Can only see back to 26 Sep 2026
106. Pakistan ARY News Urdu (اے آر وائی نیوز) Can only see back to 5 Oct 2026
107. Pakistan Nai Baat (نئی بات) Nothing on this
108. Pakistan Ummat (امت) Can only see back to 5 Oct 2026
109. Pakistan Independent Urdu (انڈپینڈنٹ اردو) Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
110. Pakistan WeNews (وی نیوز) Can only see back to 5 Oct 2026
111. Pakistan Awami Awaz (عوامي آواز) Can only see back to 2 Oct 2026
112. Pakistan Khyber News Pashto (خیبر نیوز) Can only see back to 2 Oct 2026
113. Pakistan WeNews Pashto (وی نیوز پښتو) Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
114. Egypt Masrawy 1/10 at its hottest, 2 pieces
115. Libya Al Marsad Nothing on this
116. Tunisia Business News Nothing on this
117. Algeria El Khabar Nothing on this
118. Morocco Le360 Nothing on this
119. Mauritania Al Akhbar Nothing on this
120. Sudan Al Taghyeer Nothing on this
121. South Sudan Radio Tamazuj Nothing on this
122. Somalia Goobjoog News Nothing on this
123. Ethiopia Wazema Radio Nothing on this
124. Ethiopia Ethiopia Insider Can only see back to 1 Oct 2026
125. Kenya Taifa Leo Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
126. Tanzania HabariLeo Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
127. Nigeria Aminiya Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
128. Nigeria Legit.ng Hausa Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
129. DR Congo Actualite.cd Nothing on this
130. Cameroon Journal du Cameroun Nothing on this
131. Niger ActuNiger Nothing on this
132. Chad Alwihda Info Nothing on this
133. Burkina Faso LeFaso.net Nothing on this
134. Guinea Africaguinee Nothing on this
135. Mozambique Carta de Moçambique Nothing on this
136. Madagascar Newsmada Nothing on this
137. Kuwait Al Rai 1/10 at its hottest, 1 piece
138. Oman Oman Daily Nothing on this
139. Yemen Al Masdar Online Nothing on this
140. Jordan Ammon News Nothing on this
141. Palestine Al-Quds 1/10 at its hottest, 1 piece
142. Iran Khabar Online Nothing on this
143. Afghanistan Etilaatroz Nothing on this
144. Afghanistan Amu TV (Pashto) Can only see back to 1 Oct 2026
145. Afghanistan Khaama Press (Pashto) Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
146. Kurdistan Region (Iraq) Lvin Nothing on this
147. Türkiye Sözcü Nothing on this
148. Denmark Ekstra Bladet Can only see back to 5 Oct 2026
149. Iceland DV Can only see back to 5 Oct 2026
150. Iceland Morgunblaðið (mbl.is) Can only see back to 4 Oct 2026
151. Ireland TheJournal.ie Nothing on this

Blind spots: Le Parisien (France), Le Monde (France), France 24 (France), RFI (France), Mediapart (France), Rudaw (Sorani) (Kurdistan Region of Iraq), Imedi (Georgia), 1TV (Georgian Public Broadcaster) (Georgia), Abante, News.am, Netgazeti, Timor Post, Daily Express (ایکسپریس), Telex, Fakt, Proto Thema, 24 Chasa, Index.hr, VG, Aktuality.sk, Iltalehti, Ukrainska Pravda, Tuairisc.ie, Azatutyun (RFE/RL Armenian), Egemen Qazaqstan, Daily Jang (جنگ), ARY News Urdu (اے آر وائی نیوز), Ummat (امت), Nawa-i-Waqt (نوائے وقت), Independent Urdu (انڈپینڈنٹ اردو), WeNews (وی نیوز), Daily Pakistan (روزنامہ پاکستان), WeNews Pashto (وی نیوز پښتو), Khyber News Pashto (خیبر نیوز), Taifa Leo, Aminiya, Ethiopia Insider, Legit.ng Hausa, HabariLeo, Awami Awaz (عوامي آواز), Amu TV (Pashto), Khaama Press (Pashto), Morgunblaðið (mbl.is), Ekstra Bladet, DV, La Vanguardia, De Telegraaf, Mosaïque FM.

1. 3

   El Mundo's take: the Sweden Democrats have already won the ideological war. Tough migration policy is 'untouchable' whoever governs. The Social Democrats have copied it, and 'history is pushing peculiar Sweden to be like everyone else.' An expert quoted in the piece calls the far right 'welfare chauvinists'.

   This is the only piece that questions Sweden's own picture of itself. It treats a change of government as cosmetic and treats Swedish exceptionalism as over. Critical and analytical, not hostile. El Mundo, 12 Sep

2. 3

   Münchner Merkur's headline: 'Sweden in a dead end: Winner Andersson fails – and the loser is supposed to sort it out.' It asks whether a new election is now looming.

   This is the most mocking framing in the sample, and it reaches a mass German regional audience. The body is copy from a Euronews content partnership, so the scorn is in the headline only. Events have since overtaken it: Andersson got the mandate back on 2 October. Münchner Merkur, 29 SepJornal de Notícias, 2 Oct

3. 2

   Al Rai notes that, according to Expressen, Left Party members made statements during the campaign that were seen as antisemitic, and that this is why Andersson is wary of bringing the party into government.

   This reached a Kuwaiti mass audience. It shows a Swedish domestic scandal travelling abroad attached to the coalition story. It is wire copy, not Al Rai's own view. Al Rai, 17 Sep

Read the full Europe, Africa, Middle East and beyond lens: 33 translated articles, where outlets split.