The politics of Sweden take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Executive power is exercised by the government, led by the Prime Minister. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament, elected within a multi-party system. The judiciary is independent, appointed by the government and employed until retirement. Sweden is formally a monarchy with a monarch holding symbolic power.
The Basic Laws of Sweden are the four constitutional laws of the Kingdom of Sweden that regulate the Swedish political system, acting in a similar manner to the constitutions of most countries.
The Riksdag is the parliament and the supreme decision-making body of the Kingdom of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral parliament with 349 members, elected proportionally and serving, since 1994, fixed four-year terms. The 2022 Swedish general election is the most recent general election.
The monarchy of Sweden is centred on the monarchical head of state of Sweden, by law a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. There have been kings in what now is the Kingdom of Sweden for more than a millennium. Originally an elective monarchy, it became a hereditary monarchy in the 16th century during the reign of Gustav Vasa, though virtually all monarchs before that belonged to a limited and small number of political families which are considered to be the royal dynasties of Sweden.
The Council of the Realm, or simply The Council, was a cabinet of medieval origin, consisting of magnates which advised, and at times co-ruled with, the King of Sweden.
The prime ministerof Sweden is the head of government of the Kingdom of Sweden. The prime minister and their cabinet exercise executive authority in the Kingdom of Sweden and are subject to the Parliament of Sweden. The prime minister is nominated by the speaker of the Riksdag and is elected by the chamber by simple majority, using negative parliamentarianism. The Riksdag holds elections every four years, in the even year between leap years.
The speaker of the Riksdag is the presiding officer of the national unicameral legislature in Sweden.
Ulf Hjalmar Kristersson is a Swedish politician who has been serving as the prime minister of Sweden since 2022. He has been the leader of the Moderate Party (M) since October 2017 and a member of parliament (MP) for Södermanland County since 2014 and for Stockholm County from 1991 to 2000. He previously served as Minister for Social Security from 2010 to 2014 and as Chairman of the Moderate Youth League from 1988 to 1992.
Tobias Lennart Billström is a Swedish former politician of the Moderate Party. He served as Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy from 2006 to 2014, briefly as Minister for Employment in 2010 and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2022 to 2024.
The deputy prime minister of Sweden is the deputy head of government of Sweden. The incumbent deputy prime minister is Ebba Busch.
Anders Ingvar Ygeman is a Swedish politician of the Social Democrats. He has served as Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, Minister for Integration and Minister for Sports between November 2021 and October 2022 He previously served in the Swedish Government as Minister for Energy and Minister for Digital Development from 2019 to 2021 and as Minister for Home Affairs from 2014 to 2017. He has been a member of the Riksdag since 1996.
The Swedish constitution of 1974 allows the prime minister of Sweden to appoint one of the ministers in the cabinet as deputy prime minister, in case the prime minister for some reason is prevented from performing his or her duties. However, if a deputy prime minister has not been appointed, the minister in the cabinet who has served the longest time takes over as head of government. Note that the person acting as prime minister does not do so on a permanent basis: if a prime minister dies, resigns or loses a vote of confidence in the Riksdag, the Speaker of the Riksdag will then confer with the parties of the Riksdag and propose a new prime minister, who must be tolerated by a majority of the Riksdag. A prime minister who has resigned or lost a vote of confidence will remain the head of a government ad interim until the new prime minister assumes office. The only case where the governmental line of succession becomes relevant is when the prime minister dies or when the prime minister is on leave or for any other reason incapable of serving, but still remains in office. This might be compared to the presidential line of succession in the United States, where the person next in line assumes the presidency throughout the remainder of the term if the president dies, resigns or is impeached.
Per Olof Andreas Norlén is a Swedish politician and member of the Moderate Party who has served as Speaker of the Riksdag since September 2018. He has been a member of parliament (MP) for Östergötland County since October 2006. Norlén has previously been a member of the Committee on the Constitution, 2014–2018 as chair of the committee.
In Sweden since 1975, a Council of State is a special cabinet meeting chaired by the Head of State. These are held a few times every year so that the government can, as required by the constitution, keep the king informed on matters of state.
The first cabinet of Stefan Löfven was the cabinet of Sweden between 2014 and 2018. It was a coalition government, consisting of two parties: the Social Democrats and the Green Party. The cabinet was installed on 3 October 2014, following the 2014 general election. It lost a vote of no confidence following the 2018 election, but remained in office as a caretaker government. Löfven was reelected as Prime Minister in January 2019, thus forming the second cabinet of Stefan Löfven.
The second cabinet of Stefan Löfven was the government of Sweden from 21 January 2019 to 9 July 2021. It was a coalition, consisting of two parties: the Social Democrats and the Green Party. The cabinet was installed on 21 January 2019, following the 2018 general election.
The Committee on the Constitution (KU) is a parliamentary committee in the Swedish Riksdag. The committee's responsibilities include examining issues relating to the Swedish Constitution and Administrative laws, as well as examining the Prime Minister's performance of duties and the handling of government matters. The committee's activities are regulated by the Riksdag.
A government crisis began on 21 June 2021 in Sweden after the Riksdag ousted Prime Minister Stefan Löfven with a no-confidence vote. This was the first time in Swedish history a Prime Minister was ousted by a no-confidence vote. After winning the 2014 Swedish general election, the Löfven II Cabinet's government budget was rejected by the Riksdag, causing a government crisis that lasted for nearly a month. The 2021 government crisis was the second government crisis suffered by a Löfven cabinet. The vote was called on 17 June 2021 by the Sweden Democrats after the Swedish Left Party withdrew support for Löfven over rent control reform, which is an important issue for many voters.
The third cabinet of Stefan Löfven was the government of Sweden during 9 July 2021 to 30 November 2021. It was a coalition, consisting of two parties: the Social Democrats and the Green Party. The cabinet was installed on 9 July 2021, during a formal government meeting with King Carl XVI Gustaf. The government was the result of the aftermath of the 2021 government crisis, which saw Löfven's government removed from power in a vote of no-confidence over proposed reforms to liberalise the rent control system.
Jakob Forssmed is a Swedish politician who serves as Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health in the cabinet of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson since October 2022. A member of the Christian Democrats, he has been a member of the Riksdag since 2014 and first deputy leader under Ebba Busch since 2015.
