Swedish public broadcaster SVT has announced plans to interview all party leaders in their respective hometowns as part of its election coverage for the 2026 parliamentary elections. According to SVT Jämtlandsnytt, the interviews will take place across various locations in Sweden, moving away from the traditional Stockholm-based format.
The series will begin on August 23 with Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson in Sölvesborg, followed by interviews with other party leaders in Gothenburg, Strängnäs, Uppsala, and Härnösand. The final interview is scheduled for September 8 in Östersund, where Center Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist will be questioned.
The 2026 election will not be decided in Stockholm, but in conversations, debates, and town square meetings across the entire country. We want to reflect this by producing some of the election movement's most important programs in a number of different locations in Sweden.
Michael Kucera, responsible publisher for SVT's election programs, explained the strategy: 'The 2026 election will not be decided in Stockholm, but in conversations, debates, and town square meetings across the entire country. We want to reflect this by producing some of the election movement's most important programs in a number of different locations in Sweden.'
The interviews will be led by journalists Camilla Kvartoft and Anders Holmberg. SVT's approach represents a continuation of the broadcaster's recent expansion of local newsrooms and increased investment in journalism across Sweden.