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

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STOCKHOLM, Sept 9 (Reuters) - 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.