On a Sunday in September, Sweden faces a question that transcends ballot counts: how far can a party born from the margins of extremism travel toward the center of power before the center itself is transformed? With the left-wing bloc holding a narrow polling lead and Prime Minister Kristersson pledging cabinet seats to the Sweden Democrats should his coalition prevail, Swedes are not merely choosing a government — they are deciding what kind of democracy they wish to inhabit. The outcome will resonate far beyond Scandinavia, arriving as hard-right movements across Europe test the patience and