Sweden's Liberals clears parliament threshold in poll, pointing to close election

STOCKHOLM, Sept 9 - Support for Sweden's Liberals party has risen further above parliament's 4% threshold ahead of a general election on Sunday, a Novus survey indicated on Wednesday, pointing to a close race between the ruling right-wing bloc and the centre-left opposition.Until recently, polls have suggested that the opposition headed by Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson would almost certainly win, and that the Liberals would drop out of parliament.The latest polls, however, show that the government of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, in office since 2022, may still win.The Novus poll, published on Wednesday by commercial broadcaster TV4, indicated 50.7% backing for the four centre-left parties while the three-party government and its support party, the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, stood at 48.1%.Support for the Liberals, a junior government coalition member, stood at 5.8%, easing fears the party could lose its 16 seats and the coalition its majority. Novus' previous poll, published on Monday, had the party just above parliament's 4% threshold for the first time in years.Novus polled 2,292 voters between September 6 and September 8. REUTERS