Policy Updates

After the September 13, 2026 general election, Sweden's center-left bloc, led by Prime Minister-designate Magdalena Andersson and her Social Democratic Party, won a parliamentary majority, narrowly defeating outgoing Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's right-wing alliance by approximately 50,000 votes nationwide.

The center-left alliance - comprising the Social Democrats, the Left Party, the Greens, and the Centre Party - secured a three-seat majority in the 349-seat Riksdag over Kristersson's outgoing right-wing bloc. Kristersson subsequently resigned, allowing the speaker of parliament to begin formal consultations with party leaders on the formation of a new government.

Andersson now faces the challenge of building a workable coalition government. Significant ideological tensions within the alliance complicate negotiations: the Centre Party has stated it will not support a government that grants cabinet posts to the Left Party, while the Left Party has demanded ministerial representation. Should Andersson fail to form a viable cabinet, Kristersson could attempt to form an alternative government. Kristersson said he would respect Andersson's efforts and wished her well given the divisions within her alliance.

Coalition-building in Sweden has historically been a lengthy process. Following the 2022 election, it took more than five weeks to form a government; after the 2018 election, the process took nearly 20 weeks.

Sweden's government presented a SEK297 million (US$31 million) humanitarian aid package for 2026, including SEK100 million (US$10 million) in core funding to the UNHCR, on September 10, 2026.

Sweden's government cited record-high global humanitarian needs, driven by ongoing wars, protracted conflicts, and recurring natural disasters, alongside serious underfunding of the global humanitarian system, as the rationale for the package.

The largest single allocation, SEK100 million (US$10 million), went to the UNHCR as core support to strengthen protection and assistance for refugees, internally displaced people, and stateless people, and to support sustainable solutions. With this additional funding, Sweden's total 2026 support to the UNHCR reached SEK1,023 million (US$106 million).

The remainder of the package is to support humanitarian operations through earmarked funding in Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Lebanon, Somalia, and Jordan, channeled through United Nations agencies, including the WFP and the WHO, as well as the ICRC, the IFRC, and Save the Children.

On August 31, 2026, Sweden ended its embassy presence and bilateral development funding in Liberia after 65 years.

Though support will continue to flow through the EU, UN Women, and UNFPA, this will likely not offset the loss for women’s rights and health services.

This follows Sweden’s late 2025 announcement that it would cut development funding to Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Tanzania, and Bolivia by SEK10 billion (US$1.1 billion), in order to redirect the funds to Ukraine.

On August 3, 2026, the Swedish government announced SEK6.9 million (US$690,000) to the Swecare Foundation to strengthen Ukraine's health care system through training, knowledge exchange, and partnerships between Swedish and Ukrainian actors.

The initiative focuses on building Ukrainian capacity in cancer care, rehabilitation and prosthetic care, infection prevention, countering AMR, and hospital management. Among its key activities, the program will establish a major training program for Ukrainian health care professionals in radiation therapy.

The Swecare Foundation will implement the initiative through its network of Swedish government agencies, regions, health care actors, academia, and life science companies. The program builds on previous Swedish health care initiatives in Ukraine and aims to create long-term partnerships between Swedish and Ukrainian actors, including in the private sector. The initiative also supports Ukraine's reform agenda and path toward EU membership.

The Swedish government announced SEK1.4 billion (US$140 million) in contributions to a new World Bank crisis facility for Ukraine on July 16, 2026, enabling new loans of approximately SEK4.2 billion (US$420 million) for the country's reconstruction and recovery.

The SEK1.4 billion (US$140 million) will go to the World Bank's Special Program for Ukraine Recovery 2.0 under the new IDA Crisis Facility 2.0. By leveraging the World Bank's balance sheet and capital market borrowing, Sweden's contribution enabled new loans of approximately SEK4.2 billion (US$420 million) to Ukraine. The contribution came in addition to a guarantee the government announced on May 29, 2026, which had already enabled new loans to Ukraine of approximately SEK2.5 billion (US$250 million).

The funding aims to support Ukraine's economic resilience during Russia's ongoing aggression, including maintaining public sector salaries, keeping the electricity grid intact, and sustaining essential services such as health care and education.

On June 26, 2026, Sweden increased its 2026 contribution to the Global Fund by SEK70 million (US$7 million), raising its total 2026 contribution from SEK683 million (US$68 million) to SEK753 million (US$75 million), an increase of more than 10%.

The Global Fund welcomed Sweden’s additional contribution toward the Eighth Replenishment, indicating the investment would expand access to prevention, treatment, and care for HIV, TB, and malaria with a focus on equity and reaching vulnerable populations, while strengthening health and community systems.

The Global Fund noted Sweden’s contribution will also bolster frontline health capacities in countries facing overlapping threats, including support for outbreak responses such as Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, and sustain essential services where HIV, TB, and malaria remain leading causes of illness and death. the Global Fund also underscored that these investments strengthen global health security and pandemic preparedness as partner countries leverage Global Fund–supported systems

On June 25, 2026, Sweden announced SEK1.5 billion (US$150 million) to strengthen Ukraine’s energy supply ahead of winter, allocating funds to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency, and the IAEA for 2026.

The package comprises of SEK1.37 billion (US$137 million) for the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, channeled through Sida for urgent repairs and new energy production; SEK100 million (US$10 million) for the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency to provide staff, transport, procurement, and material such as generators and batteries; and SEK20 million (US$2 million) for the IAEA to enhance nuclear safety and security at Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. Sweden stated the support responded to extensive Russian attacks on Ukraine’s grid and power plants during the prior winter.

On June 15, 2026, Sweden announced SEK120 million (US$12.6 million) to WHO, focusing on the ongoing Ebola outbreak via strengthened global health security and scaled up emergency operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries.

Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa stated the contribution was intended to bolster a rapid response to contain the outbreak and save lives. Meanwhile, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed said the WHO’s coordinating role was central to the response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and that the funding would help the organization expand operations in affected countries.

On June 15, 2026, Sweden announced SEK30 million (US$3 million) for 2026-2028 from the Swedish ODA budget, including SEK17 million (US$2 million) for 2026, to support democratic development, civil society, and independent media in Eastern Europe, with a focus on reducing Russian influence and strengthening ties with the EU.

The Swedish government said the package will support well-established civil society organizations in Europe and strengthen democratic development in Eastern European countries, targeting civil society and independent media as key components of democratic resilience.

Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa said democracy in Sweden’s neighborhood remains a major foreign and security policy priority and that Sweden will continue long-term support for Eastern European countries seeking democratic development, independence from Russian influence, and closer relations with the EU.

On April 20, 2026, Sweden announced an additional SEK70 million (US$7.7 million) in humanitarian assistance to Lebanon, bringing Sweden's total targeted humanitarian assistance to Lebanon to SEK135 million (US$14.8 million) in 2026.

The additional funding was provided in light of the continued deterioration of Lebanon's humanitarian situation. Of the new allocation, SEK24 million (US$2.6 million) came from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and SEK46 million (US$5.1 million) from abbr:SIDA. Sweden had previously announced a SEK65 million (US$7.2 million) humanitarian support package on March 14, 2026, the day after the UN launched its emergency humanitarian appeal for Lebanon.

The assistance focuses on the most vulnerable, providing displaced persons with access to collective emergency housing, hot meals, emergency medical care, and psychosocial support. The funding complements Sweden's core support to the International Red Cross Movement and several abbr:UN organizations operating in Lebanon.