Swedish election set to go down to the wire

[stu]

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's election looked set to go down to the wire on Sunday, with television projections giving a center-right alliance vowing to trim the welfare state a razor thin lead over the ruling Social Democrats.

 

Swedish public television station SVT forecast a win for the opposition bloc led by Fredrik Reinfeldt and his Moderate Party over Social Democrat Prime Minister Goran Persson and his allies, but the difference was extremely narrow.

 

In a projection based on results counted so far, SVT gave the center-right support of 47.3 percent while Persson and his allies in the Left Party and the Green Party had 47.0 percent.

 

 

An earlier exit poll from SVT estimated won 49.7 percent of votes, with 45.6 percent going to the Social Democrat bloc. TV4 channel projections put the center-right alliance on 48.6 percent and Social Democrats' bloc on 46.7 percent.

 

The center-right alliance has vowed to trim but not radically change the welfare system by cutting taxes and costly benefits after signs of voter fatigue with the Social Democrats, in power since 1994 and for six of the last seven decades.

 

"I think we felt we did right (in the campaign) and it is fantastic to get this result," said Beatrice Ask, a parliamentary deputy and former Moderate Party minister.

 

The election was closely watched by governments of other European countries facing the need of welfare reform because of aging populations and creaking pension and healthcare systems.

 

Despite Sweden's strong economic performance under the Social Democrats, opinion polls before the vote had shown many voters favored change in the Scandinavian country of just over 9 million people, which is a European Union member.

 

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's election looked set to go down to the wire on Sunday, with television projections giving a center-right alliance vowing to trim the welfare state a razor thin lead over the ruling Social Democrats.

 

Swedish public television station SVT forecast a win for the opposition bloc led by Fredrik Reinfeldt and his Moderate Party over Social Democrat Prime Minister Goran Persson and his allies, but the difference was extremely narrow.

 

In a projection based on results counted so far, SVT gave the center-right support of 47.3 percent while Persson and his allies in the Left Party and the Green Party had 47.0 percent.

 

 

An earlier exit poll from SVT estimated won 49.7 percent of votes, with 45.6 percent going to the Social Democrat bloc. TV4 channel projections put the center-right alliance on 48.6 percent and Social Democrats' bloc on 46.7 percent.

 

The center-right alliance has vowed to trim but not radically change the welfare system by cutting taxes and costly benefits after signs of voter fatigue with the Social Democrats, in power since 1994 and for six of the last seven decades.

 

"I think we felt we did right (in the campaign) and it is fantastic to get this result," said Beatrice Ask, a parliamentary deputy and former Moderate Party minister.

 

The election was closely watched by governments of other European countries facing the need of welfare reform because of aging populations and creaking pension and healthcare systems.

 

Despite Sweden's strong economic performance under the Social Democrats, opinion polls before the vote had shown many voters favored change in the Scandinavian country of just over 9 million people, which is a European Union member.

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her conservative-Social Democrat coalition have been trying to fix a troubled healthcare system, cut corporate taxes and tweak jobless benefits.

 

In Britain, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has reformed the pension system, while neighboring Denmark has cut taxes and launched more flexible labor market rules.

 

Reinfeldt intends to sell off some 200 billion Swedish crowns ($27.6 billion) worth of state-owned shares in listed companies over four years. His privatization push could include government holdings in bank Nordea, telecoms company TeliaSonera and airline SAS.

 

Reinfeldt favours NATO entry, if there is broad agreement on the issue. He wants Sweden more involved in the EU but has no plans to hold a referendum on the euro currency in the next four years. Swedes rejected adopting the euro in 2003.

 

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