„Elections in Sweden: What matters most to Swedish voters—and why?“

European Contexts online panel
With Maria Solevid and Mikael Persson, University of Gothenburg, principal investigators of the 2026 Swedish National Election Study, and Lars Trägårdh, historian at Uppsala University and chair of the Committee for a Swedish Cultural Canon.

Please register HERE.

Background 
Sweden will hold parliamentary elections on 13 September 2026. What are the main issues shaping the campaign—immigration, gang violence, the future of the welfare state, the rise of the far right, identity, government spending, militarisation, or support for Ukraine?

Once one of Europe’s most refugee-friendly countries, Sweden has adopted increasingly restrictive migration policies. Gang-related violence, much of it involving young men from immigrant backgrounds, the shortcomings of integration policies, the 2015 refugee influx, and other factors have contributed to a profound shift in Swedish policy and public debate—from an emphasis on tolerance and integration to measures that include the deportation of minors. Has Sweden shifted to the right? If so, why?

Speakers 
Mikael Persson is Professor of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg and head of the Gothenburg Research Group on Elections, Public Opinion and Political Behavior (GEPOP). He studies public opinion, political behaviour, and unequal representation and is one of the principal investigators of the 2026 Swedish National Election Study.
Maria Solevid is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg. She studies voter behaviour and public opinion and is one of the principal investigators of the 2026 Swedish National Election Study.
Lars Trägårdh is a Swedish historian and visiting professor at Uppsala University, where he leads a major research project on social trust. He has held several government-appointed positions on commissions dealing with Sweden’s future and cultural values. In 2022, he published The Swedish Theory of Love: Individualism and Social Trust in Modern Sweden.
Moderator 
Mirjana Tomic, fjum / Presseclub Concordia

Format 
Moderated conversation followed by a live Q&A.