Civic Democrats win largest share of popular vote; election ends in deadlock

The weekend's general election has ended in deadlock with the right-of-centre opposition Civic Democrats winning the largest share of the vote but with no clear prospect of forming a majority government. With over 35 percent of the vote, the party came just three percent ahead of the ruling Social Democrats. Three other parties got into parliament: the Communists, the Christian Democrats and the Green Party. The official results gave the Civic Democrats 81 parliamentary seats, the Social Democrats 74, the Communists 26, the Christian Democrats 13 and the Greens 6 seats in the 200-seat chamber.

This gives the Civic Democrats and their two smaller centrist allies, the Christian Democrats and the Greens exactly half of seats, with the rest going to the ruling Social Democrats and the Communists.