“It’s extremely difficult to make comparisons between countries, but what’s apparent from the last two elections in Norway and Germany, is that voters do not want a political model which is going to create division in society,” party secretary Marita Ulvskog told AFP.

“We’ve noticed this happening in Sweden too over the past few months, so the recent election results are just further confirmation of the trend,” Ulvskog said at a press conference to launch a national tour.

Sunday’s poll put the conservative Christian Democrats under Angela Merkel one point ahead of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democrats (SPD) but crucially without enough to form a governing majority.

Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson had late Sunday welcomed Schroeder’s better than expected performance.

A week ago, opposition Labor party leader Jens Stoltenberg’s centre-left coalition claimed victory in Norway’s general election, defeating Kjell Magne Bondevik’s centre-right government.

Sweden’s Social Democrats have won the last three elections and rule with the support of the Greens and the former communists, the Left Party, although recent polls put the opposition right-wing coalition ahead.

AFP