SWEDEN: Far right gains leave new PM in limbo.

The anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats were by far the biggest winners of the night. They doubled their votes, to about 13 percent.

The group was a virtual non-entity less than a decade ago, and only entered parliament in the 2010 election, winning 5.7 percent of the vote and 20 seats in the 349-seat legislature. . . .

Sweden Democrat’s huge advances are seen due to growing concern in Sweden over an accelerating influx of refugees, with up to 90,000 expected to travel to the Nordic country this year. . . .

The electoral gain for the Sweden Democrats confirms a Europe-wide trend of soaring popularity for populist right-wing parties.

The eurosceptic Alternative for Germany, which has flirted with populist positions on immigration and law and order, made gains in elections Sunday in the eastern states of Thuringia and Brandenburg.