Jolts at the ballot box: Electricity prices and voting in Swedish manufacturing communities

This research examines the overlooked political implications of energy pricing on voting patterns in manufacturing communities, amidst increasing scholarly interest in the political ramifications of Western industrial decline. We focus specifically on the surge in electricity prices and their effect on electoral choices in manufacturing-dense regions in Sweden during the 2022 general elections. The rise in electricity costs holds particular significance given Europe's reliance on imported energy for competitive manufacturing, coupled with the existing constraints on energy supply. With energy prices being a direct threat to industries and influencing the competitiveness of manufacturing firms and job security, we argue that these factors could significantly influence voting behaviour in affected communities. Our findings show that areas with higher electricity costs witnessed a more robust performance by the incumbent Social Democratic Party, suggesting that economic insecurity may indeed spur greater demand for traditional left-wing policies, such as economic compensation.