Published December 20, 2024 at 12:57 PM.
Domestic. According to a compilation from the SOM Institute, which was prepared for SVT Politikbyrån, Fredrik Reinfeldt (M) is the most popular party leader in Sweden since 1979. The Sweden Democrats' Jimmie Åkesson ends up at the very bottom of the ranking.
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The survey, which is based on voter sympathies in connection with all elections since the late 1970s, shows that former prime ministers such as Reinfeldt and Ingvar Carlsson (S) top the list.
But Bengt Westerberg, who led the People's Party during the 1980s and 90s and, like Reinfeldt, is known for his strong commitment to immigration and multiculturalism, is the second most appreciated party leader of all time.
Fredrik Reinfeldt received his record rating, +2.2, after the 2010 election. Magdalena Andersson (S), the only current party leader on the top ten list, received a relatively high rating of +1.7 in the last election.
– It can be an advantage to be or have been prime minister, says Magdalena Andersson herself in Politikbyrån.
Other popular names on the top list are Carl Bildt (M), Maria Wetterstrand (MP) and Alf Svensson (KD).
Jenny Madestam, a left-wing activist and associate professor of political science, claims that Swedish voters tend to appreciate politicians who are perceived as “reasonable”.
– In Sweden, we like politics that are characterized by reason, knowledge and rationality. We don't like emotions and taking things too far, she says.
At the bottom of the list we find Jimmie Åkesson (SD), who has received low ratings in several elections. He was noted for -2.7 in the 2010 election and -0.6 in the most recent 2022 election. Other party leaders who have led small or controversial parties, such as New Democracy's Vivianne Franzén and the Pirate Party's Rick Falkvinge, are among the least popular.
VOTERS' PARTY LEADERSHIP SUPPORT 1979-2022
Top 10
1. Fredrik Reinfeldt (M) 2010 +2.2
2. Bengt Westerberg (FP) 1985 +1.9
3. Ingvar Carlsson (S) 1988 +1.8
4. Magdalena Andersson (S) 2022 +1.7
5. Fredrik Reinfeldt (M) 2006 +1.7
6. Carl Bildt (M) 1998 +1.6
7. Ingvar Carlsson (S) 1994 +1.5
8. Stefan Löfven (S) 2014 +1.5
9. Maria Wetterstrand (MP) 2010 +1.5
10. Göran Persson (S) 2002 +1.4
Bottom
94. Gustav Fridolin (MP) 2018 -1.4
95. Jimmie Åkesson (SD) 2018 -1.4
96. Per Bolund (MP) 2022 -1.6
97. Isabella Lövin (MP) 2018 -1.6
98. Gudrun Schyman (FI) 2018 -1.6
99. Märta Stenevi (MP) 2022 -1.6
100. Bert Karlsson (NyD) 1991 -1.8
101. Jimmie Åkesson (SD) 2014 -2.0
102. Vivianne Franzén (NyD) 1994 -2.2
103. Jimmie Åkesson (SD) 2010 -2.7
Source: Electoral Research Program, University of Gothenburg