Liberal Party Faces Historic Low Support Amid Election Fears

The Swedish Liberal Party (Liberalerna) is grappling with an unprecedented crisis as it records a historic low voter support of just 1.8%, according to the latest SVT/Verian poll. This figure is not only the lowest ever recorded for the party but also significantly below the 4% parliamentary threshold, raising concerns about its ability to enter the Riksdag in the 2026 elections. Per Söderpalm from Verian highlighted the severity of the situation, noting this is the first time Liberalerna has fallen beneath 2% support.

Party leader Simona Mohamsson, elected last summer, remains relatively unknown to many voters, compounding the party's challenges. Internally, Liberalerna is experiencing significant panic and "strong concern" over the party's future. Internal conflicts, especially about cooperation with the right-wing Sweden Democrats (SD), have negatively impacted voter confidence. The party's ambiguous stance—wanting a new Tidö government without SD ministers—has failed to attract supporters from either the government or opposition.

Amid these struggles, party representatives emphasize the critical need to focus on substantive policy issues in order to regain voter trust. Amir Jawad, a municipal councilor in Helsingborg, stressed the importance of concentrating on the party’s core political agenda. There is recognition within the party that urgent, unified efforts are necessary to improve their standing, with some members recalling a previous last-minute revival prior to the 2022 election.

The current political landscape shows the opposition holding a solid lead with 53.1% support compared to Tidöpartierna's 44.8%, leaving Liberalerna in a precarious position. If the party’s support remains under the threshold, its potential to influence the upcoming election through support votes diminishes significantly, as noted by Söderpalm.

As the 2026 election approaches, Liberalerna faces an uphill battle to reverse this decline and remain a relevant force in Swedish politics.