General elections were held in
Sweden on 19 September 1982. They saw the return of the
Swedish Social Democratic Party to power after six years in opposition, the longest period in opposition by the Social Democrats since the 1910s. The center-right coalition of
Thorbjörn Fälldin had earlier suffered a loss upon the breakup of the government in 1981, the year before the election, when the rightist
Moderate Party chose to withdraw from the government, protesting against the
centrist tax policies of the Fälldin government. After regaining power, socialist leader
Olof Palme succeeded in being elected Prime Minister again, having earlier held power between 1969 and 1976. He would retain this position successfully until his assassination in 1986.