| But I think we all saw this one coming. |
Reinfeldt, the head of the conservative Moderate party and the prime ministerial candidate for a four-party centre-right alliance, was the preferred choice of 47 percent of Swedes, the Sifo poll published in the daily Dagens Industri showed. Just 39 percent of the 1,000 people questioned between August 7th and 10th said they wanted to see Persson, a Social Democrat, stay in power. Persson has served as prime minister since 1996. A total of 14 percent said they were undecided.
The three surveys published last week showed support swinging towards the centre-right alliance and away from the ruling Social Democrats and their parliamentary allies, the Left and the Greens. The Social Democrats have governed Sweden for the better part of the postwar period, with only a few interruptions. The last time the opposition won an election was in 1991.